As per the Washington Post, the U.S. isn’t participating in the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (Covax) Facility, a joint coronavirus vaccine effort run by the WHO, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and vaccine alliance Gavi that has received statements of interest from 170 countries.
Washington. September 2 (gizmodo.com): The U.S. won’t contribute to an international effort to develop a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes covid-19, the White House said on Tuesday, because it involves the corrupt World Health Organization” and China.
As per the Washington Post, the U.S. isn’t participating in the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (Covax) Facility, a joint coronavirus vaccine effort run by the WHO, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and vaccine alliance Gavi that has received statements of interest from 170 countries. The involvement of the WHO has rankled the Trump administration, which is always champing at the bit to invent some new imaginary enemy to blame for a pandemic that’s estimated to have killed at least184,517 Americansas of Tuesday evening. Trump announced the U.S. would be slashing all funds to the organizationearlier this year,lying aboutits early handling of outbreaks in China and claiming it colluded in a coverup.
The United States will continue to engage our international partners to ensure we defeat this virus, but we will not be constrained by multilateral organizations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China,” a spokesperson for the White House, Judd Deere, told the Post.
The WHO arguably made missteps in its handling of coronavirus, failing to admit the virus had reachedpandemic proportionsuntil well after the writing was on the wall. It has also faced accusations itfailed to recognizethe Chinese government wascovering upearly clusters of coronavirus (there’s no evidence the WHOdid so deliberately). But the organization is critical to the global fight against the virus.
Covaxis intendedto coordinate the efforts of signatory nations on developing at least nine coronavirus vaccine candidates and distributing any that work equitably around the world, prioritizing the most vulnerable individuals first. By flipping the WHO and Covax the bird, Trump and crew are doubling down on a bet that the U.S. will develop its own vaccine and then be under less obligation to share it. Trump has promised that a vaccine will be available this year despite alack of scientific evidenceto back the assertion.
According to the Post, one senior administration official as well as a former one confirmed that interest at Health and Human Services and the State Department in participating was overruled by chest-thumping hardliners. If the U.S. fails to develop a vaccine, not participating in Covax could theoretically screw the nation over—but the Post noted success could leave the U.S. positioned for vaccine hoarding:
… There was resistance in some corners of the government and a belief that the United States has enough coronavirus vaccine candidates in advanced clinical trials that it can go it alone, according to the official and a former senior administration official who learned about it in private discussions.
The question of who wins the race for a safe vaccine will largely influence how the administration’s America first” approach to the issue plays out.
An unlikely worst-case scenario, experts said, is that none of the U.S. vaccine candidates are viable, leaving the United States with no option since it has shunned the Covax effort.
Another possibility is that a U.S. vaccine does pan out, but the country hoards doses, vaccinating a large number of Americans, including those at low risk, while leaving other countries without.
Hoarding isprobably the point. The White House has taken a step further than the other wealthy countries and blocs thathave spent billionsto secure priority access to a vaccine and manufacturing capacity, applying anarms race logicto the matter. The U.S. has largely treated vaccine development as a proprietary matter and bought at least800 million dosesof six vaccines in advance, with the option of purchasing a billion more. One likely outcome is that the U.S.— and others such as Britain, the European Union, and Japan that are participating in Covax but hedged their bets withmassive private buys—corner global manufacturing capacity.
The implication,” Center for Economic and Policy Research co-founder Dean Bakertold Jacobin, is that we are going to have people in the United States die if it isn’t a U.S. vaccine. And the other way around, we are prepared to let people around the world die because it is a U.S. vaccine.”
There’s still time for the Trump administration to reverse course, the Post wrote, and another face-saving option includes funding it through Gavi, which is heavily supported by the U.S.
According to a runningNew York Times tracker, there are currently dozens of vaccines in Phase 1 trials, which test for safety, dosage, and immune system stimulation, or further along in the process such as Phase 2 (extended safety testing) or Phase 3 (large clinical trials). Globally, there are 23 vaccine candidates in Phase 1, 14 in Phase 2, 9 in Phase 3, with three of the Phase 3 trialstaking place in the U.S.
Three have been approved for limited use in Russia and China, though experts say theprocess was rushedand those vaccines aren’t actuallyproven be safe or effective. The Russian government later made the approval contingent on the success ofexpanded Phase 3 trialsafter its approach washammered as recklessby the international medical community. No vaccines have been officially approved by regulatory agencies for widespread usage.
Trump has reportedly been seeking ways to release a vaccine before the November 2020 elections, whether or not it hasbeen adequately testedand approved by the Food and Drug Administration. According toUSA Today, the White House-led partnership to rapidly develop a vaccine (dubbed Operation Warp Speed) has been trying to develop a logistics network that could distribute avaccine by Nov. 1, two days before the election. FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn recently indicated inan interviewwith the Financial Times that the agency may issue an emergency use authorization before Phase 3 trials of a U.S.-developed vaccine are complete.
If a vaccine gets an [emergency use authorization] and it either doesn’t work or is a significant safety risk, it would cause tremendous harm,” Columbia University virologist Dr. Angela Rasmussentweeted on Aug. 30. If a vaccine isn’t safe, it could harm all the people who take it. Even if it is safe, but isn’t effective, it could indirectly harm people by giving them a false sense of security that they are protected. Both situations would be extraordinarily damaging to public health.”
Rasmussen wrote that releasing a vaccine that wasn’t adequately vetted would be a catastrophic blow” to public confidence in vaccines and the regulatory process, adding the politically motivated release of such a vaccine could destroy public trust in medicine as an evidence-based enterprise.”
When the U.S. says it is not going to participate in any sort of multilateral effort to secure vaccines, it’s a real blow,” Global Health Center at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva co-director Suerie Moon told the Post. The behavior of countries when it comes to vaccines in this pandemic will have political repercussions beyond public health. It’s about, are you a reliable partner, or, at the end of the day, are you going to keep all your toys for yourself?”
China is seeking to set up more robust logistics facilities in about a dozen countries, including three in India’s neighbourhood, to allow the PLA to project and sustain military power at greater distances, according to a Pentagon report .
WASHINGTON : China is seeking to set up more robust logistics facilities in about a dozen countries, including three in India’s neighbourhood, to allow the PLA to project and sustain military power at greater distances, according to a Pentagon report.
In addition to the three neighbours of India — Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar — the other countries where China is considering to base its military logistics and infrastructure facilities are Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola and Tajikistan, the report said on Tuesday.
In its annual report Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China (PRC) 2020” that was submitted to the US Congress, the Pentagon said these potential Chinese military logistics facilities are in addition to the Chinese military base in Djibouti, which is aimed at supporting naval, air and ground forces projection.
“A global PLA (People’s Liberation Army) military logistics network could both interfere with US military operations and support offensive operations against the United States as the PRC’s global military objectives evolve,” the Pentagon said in the report.
China has probably already made overtures to Namibia, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands, it said, adding the known focus areas of PLA planning are along the Seal Lines of Communication from China to the Strait of Hormuz, Africa, and the Pacific Islands.
Similarly, the Pentagon said, Beijing uses the One Belt One Road (OBOR) intitiative to support its strategy of national rejuvenation by seeking to expand global transportation and trade linkages to support its development and deepen its economic integration with nations along its periphery and beyond.
OBOR projects associated with pipelines and port construction in Pakistan intend to decrease China’s reliance on transporting energy resources through strategic chokepoints, such as the Strait of Malacca,” it said.
China leverages the OBOR to invest in projects along China’s western and southern periphery to improve stability and diminish threats along its borders, the report said.
First announced in 2013, China’s OBOR initiative is a signature foreign and economic policy advanced by President Xi Jinping.
According to the Pentagon, a global PLA military logistics network could both interfere with the US military operations and support offensive operations against the United States as the Chinese global military objectives evolve.
“Host nations can perform an essential role in regulating the PRC’s military operations as Chinese officials very likely recognise that a stable long-term relationship with the host nation is critical to the success of their military logistics facilities,” it said.
Chinese military academics assert that bases abroad can enable forward deployment of its forces and support military conflict, diplomatic signalling, political change, bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and training.
They also suggest that a military logistic network could enable intelligence monitoring of the US military.
In August 2017, China officially opened its first military base in Djibouti, on the horn of Africa.
Chinese Navy Marines are stationed at the base with wheeled armoured vehicles and artillery but are currently dependent on nearby commercial ports due to the lack of a pier on base, the report said.
Chinese personnel at the facility have interfered with US flights by lasing pilots and flying drones, and China has sought to restrict Djiboutian sovereign airspace over the base, the report said.
Beyond its base in Djibouti, China is very likely already considering and planning for additional military logistics facilities to support naval, air, and ground forces projection, the Pentagon report said.
The PLA’s approach likely includes consideration of many different sites and outreach to many countries, but only some will advance to negotiations for an infrastructure agreement, status of forces or visiting forces agreement, and/or basing agreement, the report added.
An irresponsible decision taken by former President Maithripala Sirisena after the coordinated terror attack had allowed the Islamic extremist organizations to operate even better than the period before Easter Sunday attacks, a Moulavi who wish to stay anonymous yesterday informed PCoI probing Easter Sunday attacks.
A Moulavi who requested to not to revealed his name, informed the Commission that after the Easter Sunday attacks former President had taken steps to ban only two Islamic extremists organization operated within the country.
“There were seven more Islamic extremist organizations within the country which operating in different manner currently,” he said.
The following statement made by the Moulavi while responding to question posed by a Commissioner.
Moulavi said that the seven Islamic extremist organizations were currently managing freely with fake names and those groups were spreading extremism by using different modes and strategies.
The Minister of Power, four days after assuming duties, had to face an island-wide power blackout which commenced around 12.30 pm on the 17th August and lasted up to 7-8 hours. The following day, he appointed a committee, comprising Ministry officials and power experts, to investigate the matter and submit a report within a week.
COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE MINISTER
The Committee comprised two administrative officers, including an Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Power, serving as the Chairman, a Retired Professor of Mechanical Engineering, an Engineer who is a Chairman of a Corporation, two Senior Lecturers in Electrical Engineering, one senior official from the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and one senior official from the Ministry of Power responsible for Renewable Energy Development. The Director General of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) was also nominated but did not serve as there was a separate investigation being undertaken by the PUCSL. With two members from the Ministry, including one in the Chair, and another from CEB, the Committee cannot be considered as independent.
The Committee had met on the 18th and submitted an interim Report, to the Minister, on the 24th, which was also tabled at the Cabinet meeting held on the 26th. The Report was also made available at a press briefing held by the Ministry and the contents herein are taken from this Report. According to the Report, the Committee had visited the Kerawalapitiya Grid Substation (GSS) where the initial fault occurred claimed to be due to a human error, Lakvijaya Power Station (LVPS) at Norochcholai, Protection Branch of the CEB and the System Control Center of the CEB at Pelawatta, and had interviewed the staff on duty at these stations with a view to elicit information on the following.
The key reasons for the nationwide power interruption on the 17th August 2020 at 12:30 pm onwards.
Whether the CEB has taken precautionary actions and measures to prevent recurrence of interruptions that had been encountered in the recent past for which recommendations have been extended by similar committees that could have influenced the present incident.
Recommendations for remedial measures that need to be taken by the CEB to prevent recurrence of the same and similar incident.
Whether the CEB has taken the best professional practicing measures in handling the incident and the conditions that led to it employing proper planning, operational and administrative elements and had any constraint encountered CEB’s intended professional actions.
Whether the CEB had encountered similar incidents in the past and how the situation had been then handled.
Whether the CEB could have handled the situation judiciously to minimize the implication and how this could be avoided in the future.
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF THE REPORT
The Committee, in its Interim Report ,has given a set of preliminary findings, among which are the following:
Routine maintenance work on the 220 kV isolators of the Bus Coupler Bay had been carried out on the day of the incident by the Electrical Superintendent-In-Charge at Kerawalapitiya GSS, who apparently has been attending routine maintenance work at the Kerawalapitiya GSS for the past five years. The power in the Bus Bar 01 had been turned OFF for the maintenance, while the power of the Bus Bar 02 was ON. The Earth Switch 01 at Bus Bar 01 side had been OFF while the Earth Switch 02 at Bus Bar 02 side had been ON as shown in Fig. 1.2(a) at the time of incident.
Under normal operations the Earth Switch and the relevant isolator are interlocked, so that the isolator cannot be turned ON while the Earth Switch is turned ON. However, during maintenance, this interlock had been bypassed, so that isolator can be turned ON even with the Earth Switch is turned ON. At the end of the maintenance work of the 220 kV Bus Coupler Bay, while the interlock is bypassed, the Isolator on the Bus Bar 02 side had been turned ON as shown in Fig. 1.2(b), creating a 3 Phase to Ground fault.
The key reason for the nationwide power interruption on the 17th August 2020 is due to the 3 Phase to Ground busbar fault due to incorrect operation of the Bus Bar 2 Isolator of the Bus Coupler Bay by the Electrical Superintendent -in-Charge at the Kerawalapitiya Grid Substation busbar at 12:30 Hrs.
Kerawalapitiya Grid substation tripping was due to not following the correct maintenance procedure by the relevant officials including the Electrical Superintendent. The Committee also observed that there was no written maintenance protocol for this maintenance job in-line with the current best practiced maintenance protocols.
The Committee is of the view that due to the Kerawalapitiya Grid substation tripping, the system frequency has increased beyond the current setting of the rate of frequency tripping relay of the Lak Vijaya Power Station (LVPS). As a result, the generator-transformer circuits breakers of all three units of the LVPS which made LVPS unavailable to the grid, subsequently the system failed in cascade.
CEB’s recent failure to avoid a country-wide blackout and the longer duration taken to restore power to Colombo City in particular, indicates significant lapses in implementation of critical measures outlined in the previous Expert Committee Reports.
AUTHOR’S COMMENTS ON THIS PROCEDURE
The cardinal mistake done by the Electrical Superintendent (ES) during the maintenance work was that he had disabled the interlocking system which prevents switching on the 220 kV line to the GSS while it is earthed, which is a protective mechanism incorporated into the system to prevent blunders by maintenance staff as happened. It is certainly not an Ath Wereddak” as claimed by a senior official of the CEB. As a result, the ES was able to connect the high voltage line to the substation already earthed which created the havoc.
The question which arises is what was the necessity to disable the interlocking system to carry out the routine maintenance? The Report does not seem to have queried the ES on this. If the ES has done such an irresponsible act, deliberately, in any other organization, he would have been interdicted forthwith or at least sent on compulsory leave. But, the CEB Management thought otherwise, possibly for fear of trade union reaction.
The tripping of the 220 kV line at Kerawalapitiya apparently has caused a sudden increase in the system frequency at LVPS, resulting in the three generating units there to trip. A sudden increase in the frequency means that the speed of the generator rotors has increased suddenly. Isn’t there a mechanical device called a governor in the generator which helps in maintaining the rotor speed at a constant value? Is it a characteristic of a coal power plant to allow its rotor speed to vary suddenly in response to a disruption in the line? Was it that this governor did not function properly when this incident took place?
The CEB management should be faulted for not making available to the maintenance personnel proper maintenance manuals. It was alleged that even for the Norochcholai coal plant, the manufacturer never made available to CEB the operation manuals in English. That may be the reason for having Chinese technicians to attend to O&M functions even today. It seems that during the last 6-7 years since commissioning the plant, CEB personnel have not been able to learn the O&M functions from the
Chinese technicians. Though, the CEB staff at Norochcholai are unable to handle the O&M functions of the coal power plant by themselves, Sri Lankan personnel are managing three combined cycle power plants, two at Kelanitissa and one at Kerawalapitiya. This is one more reason why Sri Lanka should not build any more coal power plants.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPORT
Among the recommendations made by the Committee are the following among others:
The committee strongly recommends a standard compliant, systematic, foolproof, safe procedures and maintenance protocols to be instated in the CEB during operation and maintenance (O&M). The implementation of these procedures will have to be continuously monitored and supervised by adequately qualified, professionally trained, knowledgeable, experienced and skilled personnel. The committee would like to propose a performance evaluating annual appraisal system which will help to improve the above attributes of the CEB staff.
The committee understands that there is no Operations & Maintenance related risk management mechanism in place. Therefore, it is recommended to establish a risk management mechanism in order to determine the proper mix of preventive measures, mitigation levels, shift or retention of risks and consequent level of robustness of Operations & Maintenance protocols that would indicate the positive impact on the overall system
The committee strongly recommends to implement the 2018-2037 CEB Long Term Generation Expansion Plan, as given in the plan, which clearly specifies the correct blend of technologies for the future requirements of the Sri Lankan power system to improve the system stability and reliability.
The committee recommends to review the existing protection strategy for frequency instability.
2018-2037 LONG-TERM GENERATION EXPANSION PLAN
The first two recommendations are in order. One would expect that an organization like the CEB has already following proper standard procedures for O&M. But if they are lacking, priority needs to be given for the training of staff adequately. It has been alleged in the media that all foreign training programmes are given to engineering staff while the middle level technical staff who actually carry out the O&M work are given only local training. Perhaps, there is a case here and if it is true, it should be rectified.
Since the Committee has made a strong recommendation that the CEB’s 2018-2037 Long-Term Generation Plan be implemented, it is necessary to examine what this plan is. The CEB prepares biennially a long-term generation expansion (LTGE) plan outlining the least cost options of generation plants that need to be added to the system annually for the next 20 years to meet the forecasted demand. The latest plan is in respect of the period 2020 – 2039 but it is still in the draft form yet to be approved by the PUCSL as required by Sri Lanka Electricity Act No. 31 of 2013.
The CEB 2018-2037 LTGE Plan released in June 2018 provided for adding 2,700 MW of coal power capacity between 2023 and 2035 and 1,500 MW of natural gas capacity between 2019 and 2036, along with several gas turbines and diesel power plants as well as a large number of small renewable energy plants comprising mini-hydro, solar, wind and biomass systems, under Base Case scenario. However, the PUCSL did not approve this plan but recommended an alternative plan incorporating natural gas power plants in place of coal power plants included in the CEB Plan.
The CEB refused to accept this recommendation, particularly with objections raised by its Engineers’ Union (EU), and the dispute between the PUCSL and the CEB kept dragging for over a year, and the matter was finally referred to the President who gave a directive to the PUCSL to approve the CEB Plan, fearing disruption to the power supply in the country after the CEB EU threatened to resort to industrial action if their demand for coal power plants is not acceded to. This is something not expected from a body of professionals and unheard in other countries.
Also, the LTGE Plan is highly flawed. It is supposed to determine which power technology will be the cheapest in 20 years hence based on current prices. With the cost of generation depending on plant capital cost and fuel prices both of which could vary widely within a span of 20 years, it is futile to make forecasts now as to which technology is the cheapest in 20 years hence and to adopt it. Although the CEB 2018-2037 Plan has recommended building 2,700 MW of coal power plants on grounds that coal power is the cheapest option, a report by World Bank Group study on Sri Lanka Energy Infrastructure Sector Assessment Programme (InfraSAP) released in February 2019, says in p. 18 that coal ceases to be the least cost source of power generation, as cost of power from LNG and NCRE could potentially be lower than US cents 9 / kWh” which is the estimated coal power price.
It is therefore obvious that the 2018-2037 Plan is not a plan approved after considering engineering and economic aspects properly but approved on political grounds. Hence, the Committee’s strong recommendation to implement such a flawed plan is an attempt to take the power sector development in the country along a wrong path. It is not surprising that the Committee has made such a biased recommendation when two senior officials from the Ministry and one from the CEB are in the Committee. In any case, building more coal power plants is not a solution to a possible blackout in the future. This is the second attempt when the Ministry tried to get building of coal power plants inserted into a policy document on the sly. The first attempt was when the Cabinet took a decision on post-Covid activities to be undertaken urgently in view of the emergency” situation in the country, building a 300 MW coal power plant at Norochcholai was inserted as one activity in the Cabinet decision.
It is also mentioned that the implementation of the CEB 2018-2037 Plan with more coal power plants is recommended to improve the system stability and reliability in the future. The Committee has not justified that the system stability and reliability would be better with coal power plants than with natural gas power plants for the Committee to make such a statement. However, it was shown in this instant that it was the instability of rotor speed of the coal power plants resulting in raising the frequency suddenly that caused the three coal power plants to trip. Hence having more coal power plants will not be of any help to maintain the stability of the system. On the contrary, it will make it worse.
Further, it is noted that with a coal power plant once shut down, it is necessary to wait several days until it cools down before it can be re-started. On the other hand, with a natural gas operated combined cycle power plant, there is no such delay and the plant can be energized within a few hours.
RECOMMENDATION VIOLATING THE PRESIDENT’S POLICY
In the President’s policy document, Vistas of prosperity and splendour”, he says We also anticipate that hydro and renewable energy together would account for 80% of the overall energy mix by 2030”. The State Minister for Renewable Energy said during his assumption of duties that the Ministry’s target is to use renewable energy resources to generate at least 80% of the total generation of electricity by 2030. The Power Minister has also made a statement to that effect in the Parliament. However, it is not possible to achieve this target if the CEB 2028-2037 Plan is implemented.
The LTGE Plan has worked out the average generation from each plant type annually and the values obtained for 2030 are given in Table 1, extracted from the data given in Annexes 7.4 of 2018-2037 LTGE Plan. It is to be noted that it is not possible to forecast exact values for generation from each category in the future because it depends on many extraneous factors, such as rainfall, cloud cover, wind regime, fuel prices and demand which are not known accurately in advance. Annex 7.4 gives average values after considering several scenarios.
It is seen that according to the CEB’s LTGE Plan for 2018-37, generation from renewable sources could reach only 36% by 2030, which is far below the 80% target given in President’s VPS Policy Document, assuming what is intended by total energy” appearing in this document is total electricity generation.
Therefore, the Committee’s strong recommendation that the CEB’s 2018-2037 Plan be implemented is a gross violation of the President’s Policy. It is surprising that a learned Committee including several officials in the Ministry, are not aware of the President’s policy. The Power Minster should call for explanations from the Committee Members why they overlooked the President’s Policy when they made their recommendation.
Two Colonels of the Sri Lanka Army including Maj. Gen. Priyankara Perera and the Urban Development Authority have been summoned to appear in the Hatton Magistrate’s Court on September 15 on charges of forcibly establishing a quarantine centre at a private land.
President’s Counsel Maithree Gunaratne said the order was issued by Hatton District Magistrate J. Trotsky today.
President’s Counsel Gunaratna said several buildings in a sizeable land belonging to his client, situated along the Hatton-Nuwara Eliya main road in the Kotagala commercial town, have been forcibly occupied by the Army.
He said a quarantine facility has been established by the Army without obtaining permission from the owner, adding that soldiers are now occupying the premises effectively making it an army camp.
Gunaratna PC said his client is entitled to the ownership of the property up to a tenure of 50 years through an order issued by the Commercial High Court.
His client has filed a petition with the Hatton Magistrate’s Court asserting his ownership over the property, over which the Hatton District Magistrate has summoned Maj. Gen. Priyankara Perera and other officials.
Four new cases of COVID-19 have been detected today (02) as the total number of positive cases in the country to 3,101.
Accordingly, 02 recent arrivals from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and 01 each from India and Qatar have tested positive for the virus, the Department of Government Information confirmed.
The Epidemiology Unit says 206 active cases are currently under medical care at hospitals.
In the meantime, the number of recoveries from the disease in Sri Lanka moved up to 2,883 as 04 patients were discharged from the IDH and the Welikanda Base Hospital earlier today.
Sri Lanka has thus far witnessed 12 deaths due to the virus outbreak.
The preliminary report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the alleged incidents of political victimization was handed over to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa today (02 sep 2020).
The Attorney General has advised the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice that the draft bill of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution does not attract the holding of a referendum, in terms of Article No. 83 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
The Attorney General has therefore informed the Justice Secretary that the bill may be enacted by the Parliament with a two-thirds majority of all members.
On Tuesday (01), the Minister of Justice, President’s Counsel (PC) Ali Sabry said the 20th Amendment draft bill was directed to Attorney General Dappula de Livera for his observation.
It had been referred to the Attorney General by the Secretary to Ministry of Justice, M.M.P.K. Mayadunne.
Meanwhile the draft of the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution is scheduled to be presented to the Cabinet of Ministers today.
The Cabinet is slated to meet at 4.00 p.m. today under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Puttalam Forest Officer W. N. C. K Wasala said that legal action will be taken against those involved in the destruction of the Kalpitiya Pallivasalthurai Mangroves which was exposed by Hiru CIA.
Following the revelation, forest officials and the police inspected the area today, where the mangroves were destroyed.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Kalpitiya requested the Hiru CIA team not to reveal the destruction of the relevant mangroves an attempted to pay bribes to the team.
The Geological Survey and Mining Bureau says that they have observed that the epicenter of the tremor that occurred in the Pallekele area in Kandy this morning, and the previous tremors that occurred were located in the same place.
Geologist Nalin de Silva, head of the team investigating the case, said the data from Victoria Reservoir accelerometers would also be used to prepare the final report.
The tremor from the epicenter was reported at 8.32pm on Saturday, with a magnitude of 2.2 on the Richter scale.
People in Gurudeniya, Haragama, Anuragama and Mailapitiya had felt the tremor.
Today, another tremor occurred in this area 04 days after the main quake.
This was slightly felt in Ambakote and Aluthwatte areas.
A team of officers from the Geological Survey and Mining Bureau were staying in the Kandy area at the time of the quake today.
Nothing happens in this world without some geopolitical thrust or shove. In viewing any geopolitical incident, it is necessary to see the pattern in what culminated in an incident(s) and attempt to connect the dots to understand better. With a crumbling economy, with food & water becoming global issues, the power states are fishing around for new horizons to tap. Pivot to Asia is the most lucrative means to satisfy that lust. We must identify the methodology & modus operandi with which the pivot to Asia thrusts are taking place & devise ways to mitigate them. What colonials could not do during colonial rule is now left to the neocolonials to complete. It is interesting how pivot to Asia also fits well into the plan to remove Prabakaran, strangulate Sri Lanka via UNHRC Resolutions & commitments, bring about regime change and then slowly lay ground work to turn Sri Lanka into a military-diplomatic-transnational corporate base for US allies. The dots are now easy to connect. This necessitates Sri Lanka foreign policy makers to understand the nature of how these allies are operating vis a vis relations with Sri Lanka and most importantly necessitates Sri Lanka to fine tune its own foreign policy taking stock of ground realities to ensure Sri Lanka continues to maintain its sovereignty & territorial integrity without compromise while forging mutual ties upholding the non-aligned treaty Sri Lanka is signatory to. Policy must remain Sri Lanka First.
With regime change, Sri Lanka was compromised along numerous angles. However, incremental changes had been happening since independence tying Sri Lanka & most other developing nations to being ‘dependent’ economies enslaved by loans/interest trap.
We saw the manner the US-sponsored good governance government stopped the Port City project immediately with regime change in 2015 only to recommence almost a year later. We also know that the US Pivot to Asia has meant US changing its containing China strategy to a more challenging China strategy. Be that as it may both countries cannot do without each other while US owes trillions to China. Sri Lanka does not need to be part of other people’s battles as ideally we should have mutually progressive dealings with all nations.
Sunday Times carried news of US imposing sanctions on 24 Chinese companies including companies involved in Colombo Port City project as well as Colombo Port. The Port City Project is a bilaterally signed project between two sovereign nations – why should a third party (US) sanction companies involved in it? Obviously US sees China’s One Belt One Road Initiative (BRI) as a threat. Chinese embassy communique strongly expressed US ‘typical hegemonic logic & power politics’ and accused US of ‘violating international law & norms governing international relations’.
The Chinese embassy reference to US violating international law demands Sri Lanka relook at MCC again given that ‘international law’ is to prevail inspite of MCC being passed by Parliament & turned into domestic law by tweaking the constitution to incorporate whatever is advantageous to US/MCC in its bid to take over Sri Lanka’s land & resources amending Title Registration Act, denying land owners to go to court and offering compensation for land taken over. All this will result in citizens without land owned by them, without a place to live, without a means of livelihood and a government that has no land to tax or no say in a country that would be under control of MCC & its Board.
When problems start brewing up and citizens begin to voice their protest, what can the Government do? Any adverse action by the government will only result in sanctions no different to what is being slapped now on China. China has wherewithal to deal with US, but will Sri Lanka be able to?
The GoSL cannot be ignorant of world affairs nor can it ignore the important fact that countries through their multinational companies & alliances are forging ‘investments’ with poorer countries with a bigger ploy to grab land & resources offering a petty ‘foreign investment’ to seal their presence. This $480m is such a deal which invariably is giving with one hand & taking it back with the other as all procurements have to follow US procurement guidelines and purchases from with US/US friendly companies.
Poverty stricken countries are the targets. International corporations have grabbed 454billion cubic metres per year/60% of water globally by 7 countries (US, UAE, India, UK, Egypt, China & Israel). Monitor all NGOs doing projects related to water in Sri Lanka! These international companies are eyeing agriculture, biofuel & timber – watch out for Sri Lanka’s forests & agricultural lands. Foreign investors always seek lands with access to water. 1217 water-land investor deals have taken place in the past 20 years transferring 205million acres of land to foreign hands. 62% of these deals were in Africa (138million acres) – Dr. Paolo D’Odorico. Ironically, land grabbing is by organizations advocating land rights of the poor.
Sri Lanka’s policy makers toying without deciding to reject MCC must also take stock of the 2007 US Energy & Independence Security Act mandating increase in biofuels by 2022. EU has a similar goal. Biofuels are made from different types of plants & crops – most often turning corn or sugarcane into ethanol or turning palm oil into biodiesel. How will Sri Lanka be impacted by MCC?
Most land grabs come in the form of foreign investments claiming to ‘modernize farming’. Cash-strapped countries are enticed to accept an influx of money as ‘investment’ in exchange for handing foreign companies land and resources. Sudan was divided into two and MCC is involved in Sudan where Texas-based Nile Trading & Development have grabbed 1,482,632 acres of land for just $25,000
There has been enough and more critique of the MCC for any government to decide not to pursue with such a one-sided project where Sri Lanka has over 60 obligations & commitments which includes changes to be done even to the country’s constitution before, during and even after passing the agreement by Parliament as well as making additional payments which questions the exact nature of this ‘gift’.
The arm-twisting now taking place is pretty obvious. The sanctions on Chinese companies working in Sri Lanka also gives a clear message. It should also showcase the dangers of what Sri Lanka can expect, handing over all of Sri Lanka’s basket of eggs to US. China can well maneuver itself inspite of sanctions. Will Sri Lanka be able to do same if MCC signed and US decides to further throttle Sri Lanka with sanctions if Sri Lanka does not follow US orders!
What we all should understand is that we can never understand US foreign policy except that it is one-sided and dependent on what is of interest to US corporate stake holders and the invisible others who rule US. Thus, US has forged ties with the worst of the world’s dictators while on international forums proclaiming to uphold human rights & rule of law. Most of these dictators, once friends ended up foes – some were eventually hung like Saddam, ended up dead like Osama or inside prison like Hosni Mubarak. The liberal democracies that US treated as poodles, lasted so long as they followed orders. The moment any leader acted out of line – they were removed. Perhaps that’s what happened to Ranil or US may have felt they had better options. But a good look at all of the dictators, fascists once friends turned foes and once foes turned friends, highlights the unpredictable nature of US foreign affairs adopted by either of the two main parties that comes to power. The dangers for this is that countries cannot expect mutually beneficial relationship. It will always be one-sided.
Returning to the question of sanctions against China, which aligns to the US pivot to Asia and the concentration of US military & corporate presence in Asia, requires Sri Lanka’s policy makers to seriously review all dealings with US and pro-US steering locals. It is well enough to want to adopt a pro-US line of thinking but the MCC SOFA and ACSA taken together with extended partnerships with India, Australia & Japan means Sri Lanka is slowly being throttled incrementally and the battles are now coming onto shore than at international levels, where Sri Lanka could mitigate. Little does India realize that behind the honeymoon with India, is the ultimate plan to balkanize India which becomes a piece of cake using Sri Lanka as base.
The last time the enemies were invited to shore, we lost our island nation for 443 years. The Wasteland Ordinance took away our lands. MCC will end up doing the same.
The best piece of legislation introduced by the yahapalana government is the clause related to dual citizenship. It highlighted the NATIONAL SECURITY aspect of a person who was a citizen of two countries contesting elections to hold public office & surfaced many conflicts that could arise from holding citizenship in two countries. Therefore, this important clause must remain in 20a. If the President of Sri Lanka had to forsake his dual citizenship to become President, there is no reason why any other cannot do so if they genuinely wish to serve Sri Lanka.Geetha Kumarasinghe was unseated because she was a dual citizen. Onus is on authorities to ensure that no other MP is seated in Parliament hiding their dual citizenship. MilindaM designate Sri Lanka High Commissioner with cabinet ranking as per media reports is also a dual citizen. This clearly nullifies his ability to serve as High Commissioner and petition can be filed to this effect. Dual citizenship nullification should also be extended to all public servants in the light of national security threatto Sri Lanka given our post-independence past of external interference into internal affairs by foreign destabilizing agents.
The 19thamendment came into effect on 15 May 2015
Article 92(b) and Clause 20(4) of 19thamendment & Article 91(1)(d)(xiii) of Constitution stipulates that No person shall be qualified to be elected as a Member of Parliament or to sit and vote in Parliament if (d) (xiii) a citizen of Sri Lanka who is also a citizen of any other country”from contesting elections.
Geetha contested for the 2015 Parliamentary Election from Galle District & was elected to the 15th Sri Lankan Parliament by receiving 63,955 preferential votes. She took her oaths on September 1st when the new Parliament convened.
Nominations for General Elections closed on 13 July 2015. The Elections Department had enough opportunity to reject nomination papers if the contestants were dual citizens. The UPFA Galle District list was challenged but the Returning Officer said he could not reject the entire UPFA list due to one candidate being a dual citizen.
Did the Elections Commission investigate dual citizenship status in 2015 & 2020?
16 September 2015 – Petition against MP Geetha K in Court of Appeal
5 voters of Galle District filed a Writ petition in the Court of Appeal requesting Court to declare Geetha K ineligible to remain in Parliament while holding dual citizenship.
The Petitioners W.W.E. Buweneka, J.K. Amarawardhana, A.C. Gunasekera, J.K. Wijesinghe and Prasanna Deepthilal from Galle electoral district.
C A (Writ) Application No. 362 / 2015
They cite Section 20 of 19thAmendment, Article 91(1)(d)(xiii) of the Constitution.
MP Geetha files statement of objection in the Court of Appeal
3 May 2017– Court of Appeal issued Writ of Quo Warranto declaring MP Geetha Kumarasinghe disqualified to be a MP. Attorney General was asked to recover expenses caused to the State by Kumarasinghe as per Parliament Election Act.
9 May 2017– Geetha appeals to the Supreme Court
12 May 2017– 3 bench judge (Justice Buwaneka Aluvihara, Justice Priyantha Jayawardena & Justice Anil Goonaratne issues Interim Order until 15 May staying operation of judgement by Court of Appeal
15 May 2017– Divided 3-bench Supreme Court grants special leave to appeal on petitionfiled by Geetha K. Date fixed for 25 September 2017.
Justices – Eva Wanasundera, Upaly Abeyrathne & Anil Gooneratne
Court extended Interim Order staying till final determination for 25 September 2017
2 Nov 2017 – 5 bench Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Priyasath Dept unanimouslyheld that UPFA MP Geetha Kumarasinghe was disqualified to be in Parliament as she was a dual citizen
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
3 May 2017 – Court of Appeal unseats Geetha as MP
C A (Writ) Application No. 362 / 2015 – Judgement by Justice P Padman Surasena
Court of Appeal issued a Writ of Quo Warranto disqualifying UPFA MP Geetha as she was a dual citizen of Switzerland/Sri Lanka when filing nomination to contest Parliamentary elections & failing to negate her dual citizen status by renouncing her Swiss nationality before applying to contest to enter Parliament in August 2015.
J.C. Weliamuna PC appeared for the petitioners.
Manohara de Silva PC appeared for Geetha K.
Deputy Solicitor General Janak de Silva appeared for Controller of Immigration and Emigration, the Secretary General of Parliament and the Attorney General.
Why is the same not being done to other MPs hiding their dual citizenship status?
The Court of Appeal by its order dated 28.9.2015, directed the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration to produce all the documents relating to the citizenship status of MP Geetha
THIS MEANS OTHER DUAL CITIZEN MPs IN HIDING CAN ALSO BE EXPOSED by the Controller General of Immigration & Emigration.
Court of Appeal is charged with the jurisdiction to hear Election Petitions as has been provided for in section 93 of the Parliamentary Elections Act and Article 144 of the Constitution.
Court directed the State to recover costs from Ms. Kumarasinghe for each day she sat in Parliament knowing she was a dual citizen & disqualified to be a MP.
The Court of Appeal also highlighted the role of Parliament
Deputy Solicitor General Janak de Silva stated that Geetha who possessed citizenship in another country could not lay claim to any privileges provided to MPs because it violated Clause 91 (1) of the Constitution.
How many MPs are hiding their dual citizenship & enjoying privileges of an MP illegally?
Role of Attorney General
If the Attorney General could inform the Court of Appeal that MP Geetha was still a dual citizen – why cannot the AG inform if any other MPs are in Parliament hiding the fact that they are dual citizens. Geetha’s case is important because she was honest enough to disclose in her nomination papers that she was a dual citizen whereas others holding dual citizenship aware of the 19a provision against dual citizens, chose not to mention they were dual citizens.
Should the Election Commission & AG take a bigger role in declaring to the Public that there is no MP in Parliament who is a dual citizen. Can the EC & AG tell this with authority? EC is further bound to establish contestant’s dual citizenship status by Election Act too.
If the Controller of Emigration & Immigration wrote to Geetha to provide proof that she had relinquished her dual citizenship, can the Controller of E&I provide dual citizenship status of other MPs hiding their dual citizenship?
25 September 2017 – Geetha appeals to Supreme Court against Court of Appeal verdict
5 bench Supreme Court comprised – Chief Justice Priyasath Dep, B.P. Aluvihara, Sisira J. De Abrew, Anil Gooneratne and Nalin Perera.
Legal counsels representing Geetha – President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva, with Sugath Caldera and Niran Anketell,
Legal counsel representing 5 petitioners – J C Weliamuna
Written submissions on 10 October 2017
Arguments: 28 September 2017 and 3 October 2017
Decision 2 November 2017
2 November 2017 – Supreme Court upholds Court of Appeal decision
Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court upholds decision of Appeal Court to annul MP Geetha’s Parliamentary post as she was a dual citizen.
Some important aspects of the Supreme Court verdict
The Court held that anyone who was a dual citizen on the day of the Parliamentary Election or on the day of taking oaths as a MP cannot be considered a MP.This means that if there is any MP in Parliament who on the day of the elections or on the day of taking oaths was a dual citizen, he/she cannot remain as a MP in Sri Lanka’s Parliament.
How many MPs in present Parliament are hiding their dual citizenship status?
Controller General of Immigration & Emigration affidavit to Court of Appeal stated Geetha was granted dual citizenship (SL & Swiss) on 29 August 2006 & dual citizenship certificate No.17096 was issued to her.
THIS MEANS THE CONTROLLER IS ALSO AWARE OF ALL OTHER DUAL CITIZENS IN PARLIAMENT. How can he be made to reveal these names?
The need to produce evidence of negating one’s dual citizenship as per Sections 101, 103 and 106 of the Evidence Ordinance
Contention that writ of quo warranto does not apply to a Member of Parliament.However, Quo warranto is a remedy available to call upon a person who is holding a public office to show the authority under which he claims to hold the office but if holder is not legally entitled to hold public office, court has power to grant writ of quo warranto to oust holder. Justice Yapa cites examples:
Supreme Court gave an unanimous verdict with CJ Priyasath Dep, Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Justice Anil Gooneratne and Justice Nalin Perera all agreeing.
If President Gotabaya Rajapakse had to forsake his dual citizenship to serve the nation, all others holding dual citizenship must be forced to make that same sacrifice. As members of Parliament or holding public office & being looked after by the State of Sri Lanka, their loyalty and allegiance should ONLY be to SRI LANKA.
And what he says about DS, He not only took GGP into his Cabinet and made him the Minister of Industries but also accepted the name of his new Party UNP proposed by Governor Moor which itself meant that there were more than one nation in this country which was an absolute travesty of history which they deliberately planted here for the first time. Neither D.S. nor any other so-called Sinhala leaders in that Parliament had the brain to refute this diabolic lie and put the record right. None of them perhaps knew the history of the motherland beyond their noses or else deliberately ignored history to appease colonial masters in order to get the reins of power into their hands. More than that all of them were only crazy to take the power into their hands from the white people to consolidate their positions in Lankan society. I don’t think anyone of that group had a vision or a mission of building up an Independent. a free and new nation.
As for me, I do not know whether they knew what freedom from a conquerer and independence means at all for a nation that was once on its own feet for two and a half millennia in all respects like territory, statecraft, legal system. economy. language, culture including religion, freedom of thought, and conscience no other nation enjoyed. I am lost to understand whether D.S or anyone else in that group knew. that we had a great heritage that was in par with ancient civilizations like Roman, Greek. Indian or Chinese, going back to 2500 years as against the colonial power who controlled us for 133 years were savage barbarians who did not know what civilization was
I pause these few questions to those who claim they have got Independence in 1948 to this country, including D.S?
.In 1948
1 Did they get back the full territory free of all encumbrances including the Islands of Male, what was handed over to British by Convention in 1815
2 Did they get the name of the country
‘Sinhale” that was handed or in
1815, the name by which it was known
from the inception of history
3 Did they get restored the place of Buddhism as the State religion in terms of the Sec 5 of the Kandyan Convention
4 Did they get the full freedom to declare this country as the Independent Kingdom or at least Aa Republic
5 Did they get the freedom to have our own
legal system restored
6 Did they get the language of the natives Sinhala restored as the language of Public Administration and administration of Justice
7 Did they ask the British to take back all South Indian slaves brought by them to work on their projects, particularly the 1..2 million South Indians on their plantations in the Central Hill Country to make the country free of not only the British masters but also their coolies to make sense of vacant possession of every inch of the motherland handed over to the original owners of the country?
8 Did they get back Katunayaka and
Trikunamale bases under our control to make freedom meaningful
9 Did they get back the freedom to have our own system Governance and Administration restored?
10 Did they get the freedom to call the citizens of this country Sinhala as it had been for 2500 years up to 1815( (including Tamils and Moors) and declare that there is only one nation in this country. (Actually, even the word Ceylon means the land of the Sinhala people and Sinhalese also means the people of the Sinhale) I really don’t understand why D.S and Co did not insist for this .and accepted the multi-national, multi-linguist, multiethnic and multi-religious nonsense crafted by the British and accepted Sec 29 of the Constiruriothat gave legal teeth to this concept for the first time in the instead of all these basic requirements to make this country fully independent, free and sovereign what di they do?
They accepted the Soulbury Constitution
hook, line, and sinker that laid a permanent mechanism to perpetuate the
Colonial control forever
According to K.M.De Silva
D.S.has accepted the concept of the presence of what they call Sulujaatin (minority nations such as Demala and Muslim) and their rights, Laankiya Ajtiya, the concept of a secular state, and the rejection of religious intervention in matters of State I see D.S The First Prime minister of Ceylon K.M.De.Silva) Unfortunately this is the tragic political legacy that is being continued up to date, which has become a veritable canker in the body politic of this country, Had these problems been addressed properly at the very beginning Sri Lanka would have been a different country today.
The republic of sri lanka shall give to Buddhism the
foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the state to protect and
foster the Buddha sasana while assuring to all religious the rights granted by
articles 10 and 14 (1)(e) මෙම ඉංග්රීසි වගන්තිය මෙලෙස යොදන්නට
ඇත්තේ කලු සුද්දන් සහ අන්ය ආගමිකයන් සැනසීමටයි.
The draft of the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution has been sent to the Attorney General for observations, the AG’s Coordinating Officer Nishara Jayaratne said.
She said Justice Ministry Secretary M.M.P.K. Mayadunne has referred the draft for the AG’s observation.
President’s Media Division requests the general public to refrain from inviting President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to private functions.
This request is made considering that such invitations may hinder his priority to attend to vital national issues, stated PMD issuing a press release.
PMD points out that President Rajapaksa has given priority to expedite development projects and resolve issues of grass-root level public issues in his daily schedule.
Accordingly, the general public is kindly requested to refrain from inviting the President as he does not expect to spend time attending functions, prize givings, weddings and parties in addition to fulfilling national duties.
The PMD says that the President is invited to many private events due to the public’s respect and admiration towards him and that President Rajapaksa appreciates this bond between him and the people.
However, the President is determined to commit every hour spent away from official duties to work towards the upliftment of the people, PMD stated.
Flooding of many parts of Colombo, the commercial capital of the country as well as the most populous city, has been an unresolved issue for a long time.
About 35% of the area in Colombo city is inundated due to unauthorized and informal constructions.
Another factor is the inadequacy of canals to drain rainwater.
The people of Colombo have suffered from floods in the last few years.
In order to find a solution to this situation in 2013 several projects were launched according to a concept of the then Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
Out of the 55 projects, 45 projects have been completed by now.
Work on 10 more projects has already commenced and the new Muthuwella underground tunnel is being constructed as another phase.
Rainwater collected in Kotahena, Orugodawatta, Bloemendal, Dematagoda and other areas will flow through the new Muthuwella Aluthmawatha canal and will be taken to the newly constructed tunnel facing the canal.
The Programme of providing 100,000 employment opportunities aimed at eradicating poverty will commence on September 02.
The objective of the Programme is to empower those who live in absolute poverty with no formal education and skills through the Multi-Purpose Development Task Force established by the government.
During 6-month continuous training programme a monthly allowance of Rs 22,500 will be paid.
Following successful completion of the training program trainees will have the opportunity to be appointed to an accepted permanent government position in his own residence area with a non-primary skilled salary of Rs. 35,000 and allowances.
After a satisfactory and uninterrupted career record of 10 years he/she will be eligible for pension
Hiru CIA reports on another mangrove devastation in the Puttalam district amidst the devastation of the Anavilundawa Ramsar wetland.
The mangroves have been destroyed by changing the boundaries of a land belonging to the Forest Department with the direct intervention of the Chairman of the Kalpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha.
Politicians expressed their views regarding the repealing of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution and the introduction of a new constitution.
Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Rajitha Senaratne stated that the technical issues in the 19th Amendment should be resolved.
Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution should be withdrawn as soon as possible.
Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Manusha Nanayakkara stated that if the 19th amendment to the constitution is repealed, the voice of the people will be raised against it.
State Minister Sarath Weerasekara stated that the executive power has been devalued through the 19th amendment to the constitution.
Former Member of Parliament Vajira Abeywardena stated that a review is needed regarding the independent commissions created through the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
With a two-thirds majority, there is every possibility of bringing in a new constitution, said MP SB Dissanayake.
MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka stated that the government is ready to control various institutions.
Meanwhile, State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara stated that nothing can be said until he sees the draft.
According to the disclosure of Foreign Secretary Admiral Jayanath Colombage to the media, the government is to appoint one time Minister Milinda Moragoda, as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner of Cabinet rank to India and, once such status is afforded, Mr. Moragoda will be able to interact with the leaders of both the countries directly without the procedure of going through the respective foreign ministries.
Meanwhile, considering the recorded background and chequered history of the person involved, social media have started to raise questions on the government’s intermediaries connected to Moragoda and his Pathfinder outfit.
Moragoda, founder of Pathfinder Foundation, served in Ranil
Wickremesinghe’s Cabinet from 2002 to 2004. We are fully aware of his close
connections with the LTTE hierarchy including
Anton Balasingham, Norwegian Solheim etc and
the key role played by him to make infamous Ranil-Prabhakaran CFA a success. (www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=7222) It would be advisable for the
government to revisit to that era, for a moment, and see what would have been
the disastrous situation of the country today if Moragoda was successful in his
endeavor.
Mr. and Mrs. Anton Balasingham with State
Secretary of Norway, Vidar Helgesen and Sri Lanka’s Minister, Milinda Moragoda
(right) (Photo: Jorn Tomter)
Although we are
aware of the background and what he did in the past since 2002, his links to
the USA, and allegations of corruption etc after going through media
reports, the easiest way to convince
information, acceptable to many, is to refer to Wikipedia.
US
Government interest and the services rendered by Moragoda are stated as
follows.
US Embassy cables
released by WikiLeaks show
Moragoda to be a long time information source of the US Embassy in Colombo. The
cables also state the US Government’s interest in Moragoda as their key partner
in Sri Lanka.”
Writing to Washington in 2003, then US
Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ashley Wills says of Moragoda:
[Regarding] the U.S.,
the intelligent, articulate Moragoda is a perfect fit. born in Washington, D.C,
he is a dual national Amcit (please protect) married to an American, with
plenty of Washington connections, many from his days as a visiting fellow at
the Heritage Foundation and at Harvard. A “big picture” person,
Moragoda is also highly aware that the U.S. is the most powerful country in the
world, and he feels that it is better that Sri Lanka recognize that fact and
work within it.
Under the introduction and ‘allegations of corruption’ sections, Wikipedia states;
In 2007 the
Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) accused then opposition
parliamentarian Moragoda of large scale corruption during his time as a UNP
minister. In a bid to dodge prosecution Moragoda crossed over to the ruling
UPFA government and was appointed Minister of Justice and Law Reform.
Currently dual citizenship is a bar to
enter the Parliament as an MP or to be a President of the country. It looks like our politicos who are critics
of appointing a Central Bank Governor with Singapore citizenship, during the
previous government, haven’t learned a lesson from the past. Thus appointing a
person with dual citizenship with past records of above nature as a High
Commissioner of Cabinet rank” is highly questionable.
The Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka (SPUR)
The Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka (SPUR) has provided expatriate leadership to protect Sri Lanka’s unitary status, territorial integrity and sovereignty for over 25 years. It has fought many battles against Tamil diaspora led LTTE separatism and Muslim extremism, and Western denigration of our beloved Nation and its people. Attempts by the Yahapalana government since 2015 to prosecute valiant armed forces within and external to Sri Lanka in Geneva, undermine nationalistic values, persecution of Buddhists and despicable attempts at fabricating evidence to prosecute President Mahinda Rajapksa’s leadership team including the then Defence Secretary Hon Gotabaya Rajapaksa, were passionately and vigorously resisted and campaigned against.
While respecting the absolute right of the President to appoint people who he sees fit for positions of strategic importance to the Nation, we strongly believe the appointment of a person such as Milinda Moragoda as the Ambassador to India is counterproductive to the National Interest. Whilst we acknowledge the absence of any formal government announcement, we base our position on extensive media reporting of Mr Moragoda’s appointment and a reference to ambassadorial appointments made by none other than the Secretary to the Foreign Ministry, Dr Colombage that best career diplomats should be posted to neighbouring capitals” (Daily Mirror 26 August 2020).
Our request to reconsider the appointment of Mr Milinda Moragoda as ambassador to India is predicated on his past evidence based conduct that he is driven by personal or external interests, and not by Sri Lanka’s interests. Evidence referenced include but are not limited to his: Bias towards foreign nations detailed in the leaked cable sent by the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Ashley Willis in 2003 where he says Moragoda is the ‘perfect fit’ to promote the interest of USA in Sri Lanka and the region (Wikipedia 2020); Ongoing involvement with USA through close association with the Pathfinder Foundation established by Moragoda as recent as late 2017 during Yahapalana regime (Daily FT Nov 2017); Willingness to consider setting up an alternative cabal to counter the Non Aligned Movement (NAM). NAM is currently supported by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and is government policy; Provision of internal LTTE war related information to foreign powers undermining President Kumaranatunga, whilst being a cabinet minister (Scoop Independent News, Cablegate: Minister Moragoda reviews upcoming visit to Washington in meeting with US ambassador to Sri Lanka); Request foreign country representatives to pressure then President Kumaratunga to secure outcomes that are favourable to LTTE parroted by then PM Ranil Wickramasinha (Wiki Leaks); Willingness to receive 60 million Norwegian Krona funding (Rs 1,260 million in today’s rupees) from Norway to work with Indian NGOs Horizon and Sarvatra (Norad Report 2011); Establishment of the China-Sri Lanka Cooperation Studies Centre under the auspices of Pathfinder Foundation to balance bias towards US and Indian interests; and Arranging a CIA operative to attend weekly meetings of the intelligence community reported by retired, highly respected DIG Merril Gunaratne in his 2011 book titled ’Cop in the Crossfire’.
Given above-referenced evidence, we humbly request the President and the Foreign Minister Hon Dinesh Gunawardena to reconsider entertaining the appointment of Milinda Moragoda as the High Commissioner to India and select instead, a patriotic and competent career diplomat to this most important position.
