Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa says that attacking the Rajapaksa’s was the main objective of bringing the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
The Prime Minister expressed these views while participating at a meeting held in Mawanella today.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse states the Muslims should join the present government irrespective of party affiliation
The Prime Minister made this observation while addressing the Muslim community in Kurunegala.
Kurunegala District Muslim Conference was held under the patronage of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, while a group of electoral activists of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress joined hands to support the present government
Despite the repatriation of Sri Lankan workers from abroad in the wake of COVID-19 spread made a considerable change to our overall employment profile, Sri Lanka’s aim was to secure the lives of our workforce, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said.
https://youtu.be/SDpoHhNbZvE
Sri Lanka has a considerable workforce that is employed outside the country. Even during the period when restrictions for air travel were in force, we have repatriated nearly 15,000 Sri Lankans from destinations abroad so far” President said addressing ILO Global Summit on ‘COVID-19 and the World of Work – Building a Better Future of Work’ today (08).
The Summit, hosted by the International Labour Organization, commenced on July 01 will continue till July 09. Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu, and several world leaders addressed the largest ever online gathering of workers, employers, and governments.
Participants discuss addressing the economic and social impact of the pandemic, which has laid bare the extreme vulnerability of millions of workers and enterprises.
President Rajapaksa, addressing the Summit, stated he appreciates the efforts that all countries have taken for smooth sailings of their ‘Worlds of Work’ at this sensitive period when all are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 posed us with perhaps the greatest human crisis in the modern period. As a result, the ‘World of Work’ is undergoing a massive reorganization in the post-COVID-19 period in developed as well as developing countries alike”.
Explaining the Sri Lankan context, President said that particular attention was paid to safeguarding the Sri Lankan workforce from the shockwave that was created by the impact the pandemic had on the global economy.
President said: We have an active labor force of 8.6 million, out of which, the private sector employs nearly 3.5 million. The social security measures that we introduced during the COVID outbreak covered all sectors of this workforce.”
The most notable one was the payment of a fixed monthly allowance (of Rs. 5,000/-) to the most affected self-employed categories in our workforce during April and May. These included all employees on a daily wage as well as many other vulnerable categories such as pre-school teachers and self-employed persons”, President said.
The Sri Lankan workers who returned from overseas will now have the choice to join the local labor force, without returning to their original countries of employment. This in turn will shape the ‘new normal’ of our ‘world of work’.
Skills sector of Sri Lanka required a re-thinking and re-engineering, in order to accommodate the new normal of the post-COVID period said the President adding that ‘Re-skilling’ and ‘upskilling’ of employees will be addressed in our action plan to empower those who lost employment during this crisis.”
Full text of the message delivered by the President:
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am very pleased to have this opportunity to share my thoughts at the ILO Global Summit on COVID-19 and the World of Work – Building a Better Future of Work”.
I wish to appreciate the efforts that all countries have taken for smooth sailings of their ‘Worlds of Work’ at this sensitive period when we all are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 posed us with perhaps the greatest human crisis in the modern period. As a result, the ‘World of Work’ is undergoing a massive reorganization in the post COVID-19 period in developed as well as developing countries alike.
Sri Lanka is a developing economy with a sensitivity to external determinants. We paid particular attention to safeguard our work force from the shock wave that was created by the impact that this pandemic had on the global economy.
We have an active labour force of 8.6 million, out of which, the private sector employs nearly 3.5 million. The social security measures that we introduced during the COVID outbreak covered all sectors of this workforce.
The most notable one was the payment of a fixed monthly allowance (of Rs. 5,000/-) to the most affected self-employed categories in our work force during April and May. These included all employees on a daily wage as well as many other vulnerable categories such as pre-school teachers and self-employed persons.
Sri Lanka has a considerable workforce that is employed outside the country. Even during the period where restrictions for air travel were imposed, we have repatriated nearly 15,000 Sri Lankans from destinations abroad so far. Although this made a considerable change to our overall employment profile, our aim was to secure the lives of our work force. This fraction of the labour force will now have the choice to join the local labour force, without returning to their original countries of employment. This in turn will shape the ‘new normal’ of our ‘world of work’.
Skills sector of Sri Lanka required a re-thinking and re-engineering, in order to accommodate the new normal of the post-COVID period. ‘Re-skilling’ and ‘upskilling’ of employees will be addressed in our action plan to empower those who lost employment during this crisis.
Sri Lanka has pledged to eliminate hazardous child labour by 2022. Abiding by this commitment, our Department of Labour continued to conduct investigations on complaints received regarding hazardous child labour even during the lockdown period of COVID-19 outbreak.
Providing an umbrella cover to all activities related to the labour force is the Tripartite Task Force chaired by our Minister of Labour. This Task Force acts as a point of convergence where employment security, wage reconsideration and all related issues are discussed between representatives of employers, employees and the Labour officials.
Excellencies, I believe that the COVID-19 situation globally has not reached an equilibrium where countries can start having long term plans. However, it has given ample opportunities for creating a new normal in the short term and consolidating it in the medium term. Sri Lanka views this as a stepping stone towards re-shaping her ‘world of work’ to suit the new normal in the post-COVID 19 period.
I sincerely hope and wish that this opportunity will serve as a means for all countries to re-align their ‘worlds of work’ accordingly and emerge safer and stronger after this global calamity.
Lockdown in Chennai? Well, not quite in my building. In the past three months of lockdown, a lot of un-locking has happened — unknown talents, unspoken dreams, unexpected actions.
Don’t tell anyone, but I am going to reveal a few things about my neighbours I believed I knew for years — without really knowing them at all — till a virus made them break out.
Aunty, your bra is showing…
I really never thought I’d see Mrs Ambujam of 5B walking around my neighbourhood in her bra.
Whoever thought this conservative Mami from the flat downstairs would be out hobbling about at 7.30am, in her bright flowery home-made face-bra, (the size looked to be a single 34A cup), standing before me on the fourth circle in the queue? She even pulled the elastic downwards seductively at Ponnusamy, our vegetable man, but only for a brief moment, to admonish him for not putting back his own mask hanging rakishly around one ear.
Ambujam Mami stuffed her yellow LG Asafoetida cloth bag with fresh keerai, and quickly walked past me. Who had time for idle chit-chat when there was so much housework to be done before sitting down to stitch more and more of her home-made face-masks — all from her granddaughter’s unworn dupattas?
Now that the face-bra had become compulsory over-wear, as obligatory to wear in society as underwear, I was so pleased to see that even Ambujam Mami was looking at the fashion industry, excited by the new business opportunities ahead. At first Ambujam Mami had been shocked when that bold Mrs Acharya of her Mylapore Ladies’ Club had suggested this word: ‘Face-bra’ for her home-made masks. Her son had set up something very complicated called Zoom on his laptop for her, but she was thrilled to see familiar faces from her neighbourhood pop up in small squares (even though some were unrecognisable as all she could see were big nostrils and diamond nose-rings) but over time, they learnt to ‘adjust’ and present better angles of themselves when they met twice a week. Face-bra?! Many had giggled in embarrassment over that word, hoping their family wasn’t listening in. But Mrs Acharya’s helpful demos soon had them all raiding their cupboards for new soft material to cut up, pin and stitch and even embellish — what about one with a touch of zari for that postponed wedding of her grand niece, coming up in February ’21?
Of course her cheeky teenager granddaughter had spread the word that her Paati was now making face-bras. And even getting made-to-order requests from her friends. ‘Paati, my friend’s father now wants one, too! But you must make it a plain, manly bra. And how about calling it a ‘Face-Bro’ just for guys, Paati!’
‘Thatha is behaving like a teenager…’
I met Cheenu Mama of 3C just as we both stepped into the lift. Without appearing rude, we both took extreme corners of the small lift, keeping at least a 3-foot distance till our respective floors came up. But in that 15-second masked encounter I did see what Cheenu Mama had furtively picked up in his red plastic shopping bag that day from Surya Greens: pizza bases!
I grinned unseen behind my mask. So Cheenu Mama was fed up of the daily Tam-brahm sambar-rasam-poriyal routine. I simply had to find out What Happened Next.
So I brought up the subject with Meenu Paati, Cheenu Mama’s wife, when I saw her one day at our common corridor. ‘Ayyo, any need for all this? Is he a teenager or what? But he quietly went and bought so many, many things just to make two small pizzas! A whole bottle of some red paste, a box of cheese cubes, expensive coloured koda-molagas, even some horrible mushrooms! Any need? And not to mention one herbs bottle from Amma Nana Stores! So what next, are you going to buy an oven just for this one day, from Viveks? I asked. No need! he says. I saw a YouTube video called Mangala’s Kitchen” where we can make pizza on our gas stove itself, with our tawa. Oho what a fine mess he created — trying to make it all by himself. I spent one hour just cleaning up the kitchen…’
But, hey, did I detect a mischievous delight and pride through this rant about her husband’s bold foray into the kitchen? ‘Meenu Paati! So that’s the great smell I was getting last week from your kitchen! Tell Cheenu Mama, next time, he has to make an extra pizza, just for me.’
Lipstick under my hijab…
It was on an evening terrace walk that I bumped into Jamila Aunty. Well, ‘bump into’ is only an expression; who does that anymore, even accidentally?
I thought I saw an extra spring in her 70+ legs during her walk these days (of course, I guessed the reason, but pretended I didn’t know a thing). ‘Hello Jamila Aunty! How’s life…’ I said, as I saw her emerge from the far end of our mottai-maadi. We stopped a respectful corona-dictated gap, but I felt there was no generation gap between us any more. If what her daughter-in-law Farah said was true!
Well, if I could only be a lizard on the wall of Flat 2B, I would be able to see for myself Jamila Aunty’s guilty secret.
Every Wednesday, at 7 pm, Farah, my good friend from 2B, would be ready, closing herself up in the drawing room for an hour, wearing her dancing shoes and red lipstick, for her Zoom online Salsa classes to begin. But it was only after a month of Wednesdays that Koki Ma’m, Farah’s Salsa teacher, began to spot a face in the far background intently peeping in, inside Farah’s square in the Zoom grid. ‘Watch out, Farah, your ma-in-law is spying on you!’ Koki messaged Farah after class that day.
Farah decided in her next class to see if it was true. Yes! There she was peering from the small grill window in the kitchen, into the drawing room. Farah danced on regardless with her class of eight happy young women — but did notice a huge big smile on her mother-in-law’s face, especially during a rather sexy Latino hip-swing that ended that day’s session.
It was Koki’s cheeky message after class that started it all. ‘Pull her in, Farah! What’s the bet she wants to dance too…’
And that’s how Jamila Aunty’s life changed. ‘Ammi, come, I’ll teach you some basics of Salsa…don’t worry, Ammi, my teacher says there’s no age to start learning; there’s even a 67-year-old lady in her Jive class who doesn’t miss a single day’s session!’
Farah laughed and told me all about this saas-bahu pact that had got Jamila Aunty swinging her hips again — just as she had years and years ago at Farah’s mehendi ceremony. ‘We had all forgotten how surprisingly well she danced. So now it’s our own little secret. Even my husband and kids don’t know a thing! We play Despacito on her cell phone in her bedroom, and I teach her beginner’s ‘shines’ or basic steps of Salsa, but I’m worried if she’s going to get better than me soon… Who knows, she could even join my class, Koki Ma’m insists!’
And you won’t believe what Ammi said today, after a fit of giggles… ‘But what about Koki Ma’m’s rules of your Wednesday class, Farah beti. Okay, I do have some heels I can wear again, but I need to borrow something from you. And only then I’ll be ready to dance — with lipstick under my hijab!’
(Originally published in Lockdown Journal Chennai, July 2020)
(Indu wrote advertising slogans for a living, till the travel-writing bug bit her.(Free travel, free stays, free food!). Her 30-year advertising career at JWT led to her first best-seller, Don’t Go Away, We’ll Be Right Back: The Oops & Downs of Advertising. As a travel/humour columnist, Indu’s writings appear in Lonely Planet, Sunday Hindu, Firstpost, Readers Digest; and five anthologies of stories. Her romantic novel Runaway Writers has been republished in the UK as The Writers Retreat: indubee8@yahoo.co.in)
The film is the story of two men from rural Sri Lanka wading their way into the city to request a correction be printed on a newspaper which falsely accuses one of them to be a terrorist and the turbulent passage they endure along the way.
Colombo, July 8 (newsin.asia): The Sri Lankan Sinhala language feature film, The News Paper” has received a Commendation award at the IndieFEST Film festival, California, US.
The certificate of the award was presented to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat today (July 08).
A number of countries including the USA, Italy, India, Australia, Lebanon, Syria, Switzerland and the UK had presented their work to the film festival.
The IndieFEST Film festival admired The News Paper” for its outstanding depiction of liberation, social justice and concepts of antagonism in a motion picture. It is a co-direction of Sarath Kothalawala and Kumara Thirimadura while it was co-produced by Minister Bandula Gunawardana, Ravindra Guruge and H.D. Premasiri.
Dimithri Wijesinghe reviewed the film for The Morning daily
The film tells the story of an unwavering friendship between two individuals on a journey to right a wrong; it is the story of two men from rural parts of Sri Lanka wading their way into the city to request a correction be printed on a newspaper which falsely accuses one of them to be a terrorist and the turbulent passage they endure along the way.
The movie premiered on 2 July and the first show at 10.30 a.m. was made open to the public free of charge. Healthcare services, tri-forces, Police, and media personnel who had been actively engaged in eradicating the Covid-19 virus are allowed to watch the movie once, using their office IDs.
We spoke to both Kothalawala and Thirimadura about the film and this intriguing time in which they are screening their movie.
Household names in the Sri Lankan cinema circuit, especially well-known as comic actors and theatrical performers, the duo stated that they screened the film very briefly prior to Covid-19 and once the pandemic hit; like all other films, they were forced to shut down distribution. However, now with the Government having given the go-ahead for cinema halls to reopen to the public, they said it is their responsibility to provide content that would entice the public to come to the theatres.
They shared that there really is no purpose of cinema halls reopening if there are no films to be screened particularly, as certain films are being withdrawn from cinemas because it would be a loss-making move to keep it up during these times where people are less likely to come see their film.
Thirimadura stated that they have chosen to screen their film in this way because they do not mind biting the bullet if it means it would encourage people to visit the cinema halls to watch the movie, thereby keeping the local cinema industry alive as well.
The duo also stated that as they do hail from the theatre background and are theatre people at heart, there is an underlying hope of success of cinemas reopening, lending itself to the eventual opening of stage dramas to the public as well. Their wish is that in contributing to the reopening of cinemas and hopefully providing for crowds to make their way to the cinema hall, they would in turn make it so that stage dramas too get back to normal and open up.
According to Thirimadura, while globally the entertainment industry is at an all-time high in terms of progression, Sri Lanka is still lagging behind; this is particularly due to the lack of collaboration and involvement on the part of the audiences in the island with the growth and sustenance of the cinema industry. Of course, there are numerous alternatives available now and unless the industry comes up with an extraordinary product, there is no need for the general public to spend their hard-earned money and precious time in a cinema hall.
Noting the fact that there are only 117 cinema halls in this country, which is shockingly low, he said live theatre and cinema are a dying art as technology and streaming has made it so that people would rather stay at home to watch new releases at home.
Thirimadura further shared that in Moratuwa, where he spent his childhood running from one film to the other, there was a total of six halls – namely, Tower, Emess, Manel, Vijitha, Odeon, and Padma – out of which four have been closed down. He said when he first heard that Odeon might close down, his heart skipped a beat and he was overcome with a melancholic feeling because that is where he has caught so many cinematic masterpieces that have inspired him to this day; it had been a place that holds a special place in his heart.
I was devastated when I heard it would close down. It is a shame that this is the state the local cinema industry has come to,” he emphasised.
While The Newspaper has been highly anticipated, there was another element that was cause for intrigue even before its release – it was co-produced by Co-Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Bandula Gunawardana, Ravindra Guruge, and H.D. Premasiri.
We asked both Kothalwala and Thirimadura about the involvement of a prominent political figure in the country, particularly at such a time when the election is coming up and the political sphere is charged up. They both stated that they are not and have never been the type of people who wish to be entangled with politics, and while the nature of our country is such that one cannot speak or think entirely in isolation without the involvement politics, their film is not a piece of propaganda and you are sure to know this when you watch the film. They said they see no reason to either hide the involvement of a political figure or distance themselves in anyway.
They added that, however, if ever there was anyone who should be recognised for their contribution to cinema, they would have to say it is Minister Bandula Gunawardana as he has been a part of some of Sri Lanka’s cinematic masterpieces and facilitated the creation of them.
With regard to the co-production credit on the film, The Sunday Morning Brunch reached out to Minister Gunawardana. I have been making efforts to be a part of good cinema in Sri Lanka for about 37 years now. At first, I wanted to help make Dharmasiri Bandaranayake’s debut film Hansa Vilak, but I was unable to do so. However, in 1987, I was able to make his film Suddhilage Kathawa which went on to become the Best Film in Sri Lanka that year. Then in the case of Siri Medura, I brought down Parakrama Niriella to direct it, which went on to win nine awards that year including the Best Film. I gave Ayoma starring Swarna Mallawarachchi to Parakrama as well because I have already seen what he can do.”
Speaking about the current film, he said: As for this particular script, Thirimadura is an old student of mine and I saw that he has written a great script and that they were making rounds trying to find someone to produce it for them. They were told that since they are theatre folk coming from the theatre background, they should bring in somebody else to direct it. But I felt that if they wrote the script and will be acting in it, then they are best to direct it too. The concept in their heads cannot be executed better through an outside perspective.”
The Minister went on to add that he has cared deeply about local cinema for years and hopes only to contribute quality productions that we as people can be proud of, through which it will gain worldwide recognition while being entertaining to all.
I have made my best efforts to support good local cinema; back in the day, there was a system where the (National) Film Corporation would provide funds for filmmakers to produce films. However, that is no longer available. In order to support work such as this, I brought Ravindra Guruge and H.D. Premasiri and created the company which will function not as a profit-making entity, but one that will aid filmmakers in a corporative way. If there is a profit to be made, then that will go into a trust to be used for other good films,” he said.
He added that with the accreditation those involved in the film have received, he is glad to have been a part of something that could contribute significantly to Sri Lankan cinema.
Co-directors and stars of the production Kothalawala and Thirimadura stated that they believe their part of the deal is now complete; it is now up to the Sri Lankan audiences to show their support and play an integral role in reviving the local cinema industry. They said that they have created a piece of art they are proud of and hope it will be well received. They invite all Lankans to go and see the film in theatres and have an enjoyable time.
Colombo, July 8 (newsin.asia) – Maldives and Sri Lanka were today verified for having eliminated rubella, making them the first two countries in WHO South-East Asia Region to achieve measles and rubella elimination ahead of the 2023 target.
Protecting all children against these killer and debilitating diseases is an important step in our endeavor to achieve healthier population and health for all,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region, congratulating Maldives and Sri Lanka on their achievement.
The announcement was made after the fifth meeting of the South-East Asia Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination, held virtually. The Commission comprises of 11 independent international experts in the fields of epidemiology, virology and public health. A country is verified as having eliminated measles and rubella when there is no evidence of endemic transmission of the measles and rubella viruses for over three years in the presence of a well performing surveillance system.
Maldives reported last endemic case of measles in 2009 and of rubella in October 2015, while Sri Lanka reported last endemic case of measles in May 2016 and of rubella in March 2017.
Coming at a time when the entire world is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, this success is encouraging and demonstrates the importance of joint efforts, Dr Khetrapal Singh said, lauding the Ministries of Health, health workforce, partners, and most importantly the communities, who together contributed to this public health achievement.
The Regional Director commended Member countries’ efforts to deliver life-saving vaccines to children even while battling the pandemic. Though mass vaccination activities have been postponed in several countries, it is encouraging to see that efforts are underway to resume them at the soonest,” she said.
In a global survey, more than half of all countries reported moderate-to-severe disruptions, or a total suspension of vaccination services in March and April. Preliminary information from the Region suggests both immunization coverage and surveillance have been impacted. However, countries in WHO South-East Asia Region have been making concerted efforts to resume immunization and surveillance activities and plug gaps that have arisen due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In recent years, all countries in the Region introduced two doses of measles-containing vaccine and at least one dose of rubella-containing vaccine in their routine immunization programme. First-dose coverage of measles-containing vaccine is now 88% and the second-dose coverage 76%. Since 2017, nearly 500 million additional children have been vaccinated with measles and rubella-containing vaccine. Surveillance for measles and rubella has been strengthened further.
We cannot allow for our progress towards measles and rubella elimination to be put on hold or reversed. We must achieve our 2023 target,” the Regional Director said, adding that WHO is committed to supporting Member countries and partners to fully revive immunization and surveillance activities, and to refine the strategic, operational and policy guidelines that will facilitate progress towards our goal.
Now more than ever, we must pull together to realize our vision of a Region in which no child suffers or dies from a disease as easily prevented as measles; where no pregnant woman loses her unborn baby due to a virus as avoidable as rubella; and where no neonate is born with a heart ailment or loss of hearing owing to a tragedy as needless as in-utero rubella infection,” Dr Khetrapal Singh said.
Member countries of WHO South-East Asia Region had in September last year set 2023 as target for elimination of measles and rubella, revising the goal of the flagship programme that since 2014 had focused on measles elimination and rubella control.
Bhutan, DPR Korea and Timor-Leste are other countries in the Region who have eliminated measles.
Convincing the importance of intelligence information to former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was totally absurd, said former Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) Kapila Hendawitharana while testifying before the PCoI probing Easter Sunday attacks today.
Hendawitharana informed the Commission when Ranil Wickremesinghe was serving as the Prime Minister between 2001 and 2004, he did not care about intelligence information provided by military intelligence.
Hendawitharana said that although the army was restricted in many ways during his time as Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), army intelligence continued to work hard to prepare for the eventual clash with the LTTE.
“However, Mr. Wickremesinghe did not pay heed to our intelligence information,” he said.
A Commission member asked Hendawitharana whether he tried to convince Mr. Wickremesinghe about the need to take intelligence information seriously, he replied “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. This was what I know of them. That was why I tendered my resignation soon after the January 2015 election result. I knew the type of people who would come in. I knew well that I couldn’t work with them, that was why I left,” he said.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa states that the aim of the United National Party and the Samagi Jana Balavegaya is to gain power at Sirikotha.
The Prime Minister made this statement participating at a public rally held at Katupotha, Kurunegala yesterday.
Meanwhile, the new Consular General for Australia, Sydney, New South Wales and Queensland, Lakshman Hulugalle met Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The National Archaeology Conference was held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute this morning under the patronage of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.<
Shylock: Ay, his breast: So says the bond: doth it not, noble judge? ‘Nearest his heart:’ those are the very words. …………………………………… ………………………….. Portia: Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your charge, To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death.
In Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice, the vengeful usurer
Shylock’s wicked attempt to settle an old score with honest Antonio who stood
surety for a loan given to his friend and fellow merchant Bassanio is thwarted
by Portia; Shylock demands a pound of flesh cut off from nearest the
guarantor’s heart, as required in terms of a bond signed between him and the
friends in case of the debtor failing to repay it by the due date. Portia, the
rich lady love of Bassanio, contrives to hear the case herself, disguised as a
learned doctor of laws. She skillfully demonstrates that the terms of the bond
cannot be lawfully implemented if they are adhered to with literal strictness.
In her epic judgement, she delivers justice to both Antonio and Shylock so that
Antonio doesn’t have to die for his friend’s failure to repay the loan by the
end of the agreed period; Shylock is spared capital punishment for trying to
abuse the law to take revenge on Antonio, whom he hated. This sort of humane
resolution of a conflict between the letter and the spirit of the law hasn’t
happened in Sri Lanka recently. Ordinary Sri Lankans’ basic human rights have
been violated for nearly five long years courtesy the infamous ‘good
governance’ anarchy and its lingering legacy. They are demanding justice.
Anarchy is the antithesis of law and order, which is now being
gradually but expeditiously restored where possible. This is the fulfilment of
a basic need of government under the parliamentary system of democracy that we
believe we still have. Under this system, the three main branches of
government, legislative, executive, and judicial, are manned by humans (i.e.,
they operate through human agency). Men and women acting in these branches
(MPs, President, and Judges, and various government functionaries including
members of independent commissions) take moral as well as legal responsibility
for their decisions which directly bear on the lives of all the citizens of the
state including themselves. They can be relied upon to have a unique bond of
cultural affinity in addition to natural human empathy with the general mass of
the people, something we cannot and do not expect from foreigners. That is why
we hate even a suggestion of imperialist foreign interference in our domestic
affairs, particularly at the governance level, that involves the
aforementioned three organs of government. Under yahapalanaya, this reality
appeared not to have been sufficiently recognized. Further, there was a
crazy disjointedness or lack of articulateness between the main branches
of government, which ultimately made a mockery of democracy and national
sovereignty. The essential law and order foundation of governance was
undermined thereby.
With election campaigning hotting up, the Election Commission’s
unprecedented decision to implement the 1981 parliamentary elections laws to
the letter has run into controversy because it interferes with the accustomed
way of electioneering by the candidates. The 1981 election laws were in
abeyance or were ignored for forty years since their enactment. There has been
no complaint during that long period about any particular problems that had
resulted from their desuetude,.
Were these normal times, various reasons could have been offered to justify it.
The main reason would have to do with the much needed restoration of the
deteriorated law and order situation in the country.
But these are not normal times for the whole world, particularly
due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is more so for Sri Lanka, which is passing
through the most critical phase of its political history since 1948, with what
could be seen as occasional stirrings of an attempted return of
separatist terrorism in the north and the deadly arrival of jihadist terror,
and the global superpower poking around with its own strategic geopolitical axe
to grind in the form of the MCC agreement. Sri Lankans are anxiously waiting to
elect a parliament that is capable of working with president Gotabaya. The EC’s
role in conducting the election process is an unenviable one, given the
unprecedented complications that have come up.
The unacceptable conduct of one of the EC members,
Ratnajeevan Hoole, (as shown, for example, in his advice, as reported in the
media, to members of his own Tamil community in his hometown Jaffna not to vote
for the SLPP) has brought that body to disrepute; the utterances and body
language of EC chairman Mahinda Deshapriya seems to betray unnecessary fears
about elections having to be held before the country is declared safe from
Covid-19. But the government is managing the Covid-19 situation admirably well
and the EC chairman need not wrack his brain about it. He has also given hints
of his being a believer in the fallacy of an alleged majoritarian tendency
among the majority Sinhalese Buddhist community that is peddled by racist
anti-nationalists, and implicitly expressed caution about it.
In view of such instances of possible lack of impartiality on
their part, the EC’s sudden decision to implement some absurd election
laws that had remained in abeyance for almost forty years since their passage
does not go down well with the public, particularly with the parliamentary
candidates. The stringent restrictions imposed on the free display of their
preferential numbers are very unfair. But such measures as the strict
imposition of a complete ban on the abuse of state property for propaganda work
by any party or individual candidate are very welcome. Yet, this is the worst
time imaginable for enacting so far safely ignored, unfairly restrictive, impractical
regulations relating to the holding of the polls. Why should the EC try to add
to the difficulties caused by unavoidable constraints slapped on physical
movements by health authorities in these dangerous pandemic hit times? At this
particular juncture, for Sri Lanka, the holding of free and fair elections in
which each and every adult citizen must feel obliged to use their franchise and
cast their vote without let or hindrance for whichever party or alliance of
their choice is of paramount importance.
This is because, the ordinary voters are set to elect the best
possible parliament under the circumstances at this historic hour. It will
definitely be a robust parliament filled with a majority of MPs with integrity
and pluck who are worthy of probably the most inspired, work-oriented president
the country has ever got. The already assured sweeping victory of the ruling
SLPP and the impending utter rout of the opposition that is in complete
disarray have rendered competitive campaigning somewhat lacklustre, and
uninspiring and unexciting like a game of cricket or football between two
widely unmatched teams. Unless the electoral contest is sufficiently
intense and exciting, the eventual voter turnout is likely to be affected; a
possible low turnout could proportionately diminish the value of the final
outcome. This is not good for the faction that is set to win, but the
losing side will like it for obvious reasons. A prominent government party
politician has suggested that the EC’s determination to make the polling
process relatively confusing and cumbersome might be a ploy to ensure
this result.
Elect good, honest, educated, and morally upright people as MPs”
is not a new slogan. It has been heard at least over the past half a century
without any indication of its being heeded by anybody. This is because the
voters have no choice over the matter. Parties nominate their candidates
subject to various considerations that have little to do with their moral
characters. This time, it may be assumed that there is a difference. The
education and the moral background of candidates must have been taken care
of by the nomination committees of the parties, at least to some extent.
Under the existing electoral system, people vote for a particular party, unlike
in the olden days, when widely known respectable individuals were elected to
represent a constituency. Then it was the individual candidate, as much as the
party, that was chosen. Today, for getting elected to parliament, a candidate
must get enough preferential votes among a number of contending candidates put
forward by each party for multi-seat constituencies; so naturally there is a
form of undeclared war among candidates within each political party. Displaying
their preferential number in a striking way for the voters to remember is of
vital importance for every candidate across the whole range of parties,
alliances, and groups. EC’s virtual obstruction of this essential and
reasonable propaganda requirement, through its unfair insistence on following the
law to the letter is going to be particularly disadvantageous for the two most
important types of candidates: the new and the materially poor. Candidates who
are poor cannot afford expensive media advertising; the little known new ones
find it hard to make their numbers stand out among the numbers assigned to
veterans whose already well known names and previous designations render them
conspicuous and memorable. So the veteran candidates of every party will not
object to the EC’s tough stand in this regard, for it will mean that they have
already won at least 75% of the internecine war for preference votes. This
situation is most prejudicial to the newer fresher competitors, and also
contrary to the generally shared desire among the voters to elect a decent lot
to the august body. (Both the UNP and the SLPP, please work out the
implications of this, and use the opportunity to get rid of the old rogues who
contributed to the yahapalana to the detriment of the nation out of pure
selfishness.)
It is high time the EC eased this restriction immediately, before
the thousands of candidates resort to some other innovative, but problematic
way to circumvent the formidable obstacle placed on their path. Let’s not
forget that there are more than one way to skin a cat.
I
find the Hiru News broadcasts alternatively display the following pictures
1 Galle Fort 2 Nelum pokuma Theatre 3 Ramboda Fall 4 Sigiiriya back side picture
I presume the idea of displaying pictures
on the TV back ground screen at such time is to inspire viewers on things like,
Natural scenic beauty, unique Cultural identity of a country, (like religious
and architectural) or engineering marvels
etc among such other
Out of the above 4 items only the waterfall
comes closer to this objective. Even then I would prefer St Clears, Devon, or
Diyaluma at least to appear alternatively.
Galle fort is only a remnant of ugly
colonial vestige that has nothing to do with our historical prestige. It only reminds us of a sad and ugly legacy of
repressive colonial past left behind by a colonial invade that haunts our minds
Nelum pokuna may be an important cultural place.
But the front picture does not display any such cultural beauty. It resembles
only an ugly iron railing to the human eye There is hardly any esthetic beauty
it displays.
The 4th item Sigiriya completely
deletes the popular image of Sigiriya we have in mind. I would appeal to those
responsible to replace it immediately with the magnificent front view of that
citadel and masterpiece by our ancient Sinhala engineers that is universally
accepted and acclaimed as Sigiriya the 8th wonder of the world
As a patriotic citizen (Sinhala Buddhist) I
would appreciate if all TV artists take my comments as constructive
Further I would like if all TVV could follow
this principle in future in selecting background shots to achieve objectives
like inspire the natives especially their children of the marvelous achievements
, of the ancestors, adds publicity to the
motherland among tourists so that you can attract more of them and leave
indelible mental images of this Resplendent Island, the Paradise on earth, the
Pearl of the Indian Ocean, the cynosure of the Great East W sea and Air roots,
Legendary Kingdom of mighty Ravana and the proud repository of marvelous
ancient Sinhala Buddhist Architecture and sculpturing, master pieces of
irrigation and agricultural technology like unique terraced paddy fields of Alagalla, Walapane and Poddalgoda .
To help you to achieve these objectives I
would like to mention few items here for your convenience.
Ruwanweliseya, Jayasri Mahaa
Bodhia,Galviharala, Avukana, Yapahuwa, Samadhi pilimata, Jetavanaraamaya the highest
brickwork and the 4th man made edifice in the ancient world, Sri Dalada Maligava Kandy
with the lake, Samanala kanda, the 18
bends on the Kandy Mahiyangana road, Nuwara Eliya, Hakgala an dPeradeniy
aBotanical gardens, Akasa Chaiyya
Mihintale, Victoria Dam in spill, Parakrama samudraya, Galoya Tank and Lakegala
(the Abode of Mighty Ravana from where he ruled his Lankapura and set the time
for his entire Empire and the biggest bare
rock outcrop on earth the only instant where a Rock has been named after
a Country and a country has been named
after a rock, conversely.
I am attaching a rare picture of Lakegala ‘The Legendary Abode of Ravana the Great” here for your convenience .
Dr. Sudath Gunasekara
(This was the picture I designed for my
book Cover ‘Lakegala Pamula_Meemure”. You can edit it to suit the screen by
deleting my name and the words Lakegala Pamula Meemure. But the legend Lokaye
visaalatama niravaranitha galkula Galaka namin Ratak Rataka namin galak” must
remain, as that is the focal message I want to give to the world).
PS: Special Attention of Mr Rangana De Siva: The versatile News
broadcaster and commentator
Government designates nine persons as terrorists for trying to revive
militancy in Punjab: Government declared nine persons including Gurpatwant
Singh Pannu, the US-based legal adviser of the banned pro-Khalistan
organisation, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), as terrorists under the Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for their involvement in acts of terror and
pushing Khalistan movement on July 1. The other individuals include – Wadhawa
Singh Babbar, Lakhbir Singh, Ranjeet Singh, Paramjit Singh, Bhupinder Singh
Bhinda, Gurmeet Singh Bagga, Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Paramjit Singh. The SFJ
is the brain behind the “Khalistan 2020 referendum” and Pannu has
been seen actively running a campaign against India and motivating Sikh youth
from Punjab to join militancy. The Tribune,
July 2, 2020.
Government blocks access to 40 websites run by SFJ in India:The Central Government on July 5 said that it has blocked nearly 40 websites that were being run and operated by the US-based pro-Khalistan outfit Sikh For Justice (SFJ), which has been declared as an “unlawful organisation” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The spokesperson of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) said the action has been taken following the banned outfit launched a campaign for registering supporters for its cause – ‘referendum 2020’. The Tribune, July 6, 2020.
SLPP Colombo District candidate Wijeyadasa Rajapakse leaving Presidential Commission on ‘Political Victimization’ at the BMICH recently (pic by Sujatha Jayartne)
One-time Justice Minister, Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, recently questioned serious shortcomings in the parliamentary as well as political party system to address contentious issues which may have major security implications.
Against the backdrop of recent trouble, at the Colombo port, over the handing over of the East Container Terminal (ECT) to India, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Colombo district candidate Wijeyadasa Rajapakse discussed the controversial and highly dangerous deal with China over the Hambantota port. The outspoken politician emphasized the responsibility on the part of the next parliament to inquire into those inadequacies and take remedial measures.
Alleging that the country’s security is at stake, the former President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) PC Rajapakse called for a thorough public discussion on what he referred to as a matter that may cause further instability due to external interventions. The Easter Sunday carnage should be thoroughly investigated, taking into consideration a possible external role in the National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) terror project now being examined by a Presidential Commission of Inquiry (P CoI).
The former Justice Minister asserted that debilitating Western interventions would continue as long as the Hambantota port remained in the hands of the Chinese. Having realized further threats posed by powerful enemies, the then UNP lawmaker sought to introduce a Private Members’ Bill to abolish the agreement on the Hambantota port. Rajapakse told the writer: “Several months after I handed over the Bill to the Office of the Secretary General of Parliament, I was informed of the Attorney General Department’s decision with regard to my Bill. It is certainly an unfortunate situation.”
AG on Wijeyadasa’s Bill
The SLPP candidate made available a copy of a letter he received from Tikiri K. Jayathilake, Assistant Secretary General (Legislative Services).
The following is the text of Jathilake’s letter dated Feb 27, 2020: A Bill to abolish and repeal the concession agreement for the establishment of a Public-Private Partnership for Hambantota Port by and among Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Government of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited, Hambantota International Port Group (Private) Limited and Hambantota International Port Services Company (Private) Limited.
This has reference to the request made by you to introduce the above Private Members’ Bill in Parliament. The above Bill had been referred to Hon. Attorney General on 2nd Oct 2019 to obtain his opinion under Standing Order No 52 (3). As per the opinion of the Hon. Attorney General, repealing of the Concession Agreement will have an impact on the funds of the Republic, thus it attracts the provisions of Article 152 of the Constitution. In terms of the said Article such a Bill can only be introduced by a Minister unless such Bill or motion has been approved either by the Cabinet of Ministers or in such manner as the Cabinet of Ministers may authorize.
Therefore, I would like to inform you that a Private Member could not introduce a Bill in parliament, which attracts the provisions of Article 152 of the Constitution (end of letter).
Wijeyadasa Rajapakse handed over the Bill to Parliament on July 30, 2019. Rajapakse wanted to abolish and repeal the Concession Agreement entered into on July 29, 2017. The former minister cited four reasons for his decision to move a Private Members’ Bill against the Concession Agreement (1) The agreement hadn’t been endorsed by two thirds majority in parliament (11) in terms of Sri Lanka Ports Authority Act, the ownership, control and operation of all Sri Lankan ports are vested with SLPA, therefore the Concession Agreement is illegal (iii) the Concession Agreement has exposed Sri Lanka to severe danger and (iv) foreign powers continuously interfered and threatened Sri Lanka’s defence thereby exposing the country and its people to grave danger.
In case the parliament endorsed a Bill to abolish and repeal the Concession Agreement, gazette bearing No 2044/20 dated 66.11.2017 and gazette No 2048/32 dated 66.11.2017, too, would be abolished and void in law.
PCoI on Easter carnage proceeds
The police, attached to the PCoI inquiring into the Easter Sunday carnage, recently recorded a statement from the writer as regards several articles on NTJ operations published in The Island in 2019. The former UNP lawmaker’s unsuccessful move to take up the Hambantota port matter in parliament, in 2019, was brought to the notice of the PCoI by the writer. Copies of the Bill, in Sinhala and English, too, were handed over to the PCoI, along with a copy of the letter received by the former minister from Parliament Assistant Secretary General (Legislative Services) Tikiri K. Jayathilake.
Wijeyadasa Rajapakse entered parliament following the 2004 parliamentary polls during Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s tenure as the President. Kumaratunga accommodated Rajapakse on the National List. The new entrant received the appointment as the Chairman of the parliamentary watchdog committee COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises). Rajapakse took the COPE to new heights. The newcomer to parliament was soon on a collision course with the top SLFP leadership, following moves to accommodate a group of dissident UNPers in the government parliamentary group. Trouble began in the wake of UPFA moves in this regard, following the 2005 November presidential polls. The SLFP-led coalition went ahead with the questionable move, in spite of Wijeyadasa’s objectives. The MP declared his intention to function as an independent candidate in Nov., 2007, as some of those accommodated happened to be the ones exposed by Wijeyadasa’s COPE report. Wijeyadasa contested from the Colombo District at the 2010 parliamentary polls on the UNP ticket. The high profile politician was re-elected at the 2015 parliamentary polls. The former SLFPer received the Justice and Buddha Sasana portfolios. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse earned the wrath of the top UNP leadership for strongly opposing the politically motivated project directed at the wartime Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and similar investigations, as well as challenging the controversial Hambantota port deal.
The SLPP candidate told The Island: “The Concession Agreement violated the Constitution. In terms of Article 157 of the Constitution, such a pact cannot be finalized without having two-thirds parliamentary approval. The cabinet collectively violated the Constitution by handing over the strategically located port on a 99-year-lease to China, the emerging Super Power. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against China or any other country. My constant stand that angered an influential section of the UNP is the opposition to privatization of state assets.”
Wijeyadasa sacked
Interestingly, the UNP found fault with Wijeyadasa Rajapakse for breaching the collective responsibility as a member of the cabinet. On the UNP’s request, the then President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Wijeyadasa Rajapakse in August 2017. The candid parliamentarian caused quite an uproar in the previous year (2016 Nov.) by openly declaring that Sri Lanka faced a serious Muslim extremist threat, with some in the UNF government even accusing him of having a tribal mentality. The yahapalana lot simply ignored the then Justice Minister’s timely warning. In May 2017, the UNP, in consultation with President Sirisena, brought in SLFPer Mahinda Samarasinghe as Ports and Shipping Minister. Samarasinghe replaced Arjuna Ranatunga, who rejected the Hambantota port deal. Ranatunga took a stand very much similar to that of Wijeyadasa Rajapakse. Minister Samarasinghe finalized the obviously illegal port deal prompting Rajapakse to go on the offensive. The then government brought in UNPer Thalatha Atukorale as the Justice Minister.
Wijeyadasa Rajapakse said that the port deal should be examined taking into consideration the entire range of issues – NTJ attacks, possible external links to that heinous project and regional and global political-economic and security aspects. “We should seek a thorough inquiry,” the former minister said, appreciating efforts made by the incumbent government to ascertain the truth.
Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, on July 30, 2019, explained the threats faced by the country. Addressing the media, at the Sri Lanka Foundation (SLF), the President’s Counsel declared that the Attorney General’s Department owed an explanation as to why it sat on hardcore NTJ member Zahran Hashim’s file for nearly two years. The AG’s Department lapse was revealed during the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) proceedings from May 2019-Oct 2019. The PSC consisted of Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri (Chairman), Ravi Karunanayake, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Rauff Hakeem, M.A. Sumanthiran, Dr. Jayampathy Wickremaratne, Ashu Marasinghe and Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.
The writer, in his statement to the police unit, assisting the PCoI, pointed out the inclusion of the President’s Counsel in the PSC as he, just a week after the Easter Sunday carnage, at an event at the BMICH (where the PCol sits), publicly justified the NTJ operation. Later, Hakeem meeting Zahran Hashim and visiting the latter’s brother, in hospital, while receiving treatment for a bomb blast injury, transpired. The inclusion of two Easter Sunday bombers’ father in the JVP National List, at the 2015 parliamentary, didn’t discourage the then Speaker Karu Jayasuriya from accommodating the JVP in the PSC (Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa represented the JVP).
Nearly 270 perished in seven separate suicide blasts, and another 500 were wounded with the Colombo Shangri-La targeted by two persons, including Zahran. And quite a number of the wounded are maimed for life.
Wijeyadasa Rajapakse said that the AG’s Department couldn’t remain silent in the wake of shocking revelations made before the PSC.
Pointing out that the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) had sought the AG’s approval, in June 2017, to take action against Zahran Hashim, in terms of the ICCPR (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights), Rajapakse said the then AG Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, had handed over Zahran’s file to Deputy Solicitor General Azad Navavi and then to State Counsel Malik Aziz.
Referring to the incumbent AG Dappula de Livera moving court against suspended IGP Pujith Jayasundera and the then Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando over their failure to thwart the Easter Sunday attacks, Rajapakse asked who would indict AG’s Department officers.
He underscored the importance of ascertaining why those who were authorized to decide whether Zahran could be arrested, as he posed a grave threat to the society, had refrained from doing so.
Rajapakse acknowledged that the PSC was quite useful, though he had written a letter to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya requesting him not to constitute it.
He, at the same time, however, insisted that the PSC was meant to clear All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) leader Rishad Bathiudeen, in addition to saving Pujith Jayasundera et al and placing the blame squarely on President Maithripala Sirisena.
AG’s Department role questioned
At the onset of his briefing, Rajapakse alleged that western powers had undertaken a high profile destabilization project here, consequent to the incumbent government handing over the Hambantota port on a 99-year-lease to China. The former Justice Minister alleged that the Muslim community and the Islamic State were used by interested parties (Easter Sunday attacks: UNP MP blames AG, H’tota port deal – The Island, July 31, 2019).
Wijeyadasa Rajapakse should seek an explanation from parliament regarding the delay in seeking Attorney General’s advice. Having received the then MP’s Bill, on July 30, 2019, why did parliament refer Wijeyadasa Rajapakse’s Bill to the Attorney General, only on Oct 2, 2019? When did the Secretary General’s Office receive the Attorney General’s Office response to the query from parliament? By the time Wijeyadasa Rajapakse was informed, by Assistant Secretary General Tikiri K. Jayathilake, about the Attorney General’s Department decision, there was consensus among all stakeholders, regarding the dissolution of Parliament on March 2.
The process took seven months. Parliament owed an explanation as to how such matters of public interest are conveniently ignored at the expense of the country’s well-being. Interested parties seemed hell-bent on subverting the parliamentary system of governance, though the former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, is on record as having claimed that Sri Lanka’s parliament rated among some top 170 Parliaments.
The previous government seemed to have pathetically failed in its responsibilities, in spite of boasting of a mega US-funded project, implemented during 2016-2019, to improve state standards at a cost of staggering Rs 1.92 billion (USD 13 mn) .
Wijeyadasa Rajapakse questioned the dismissal of his Bill on the basis of the provisions of Article 152 of the Constitution that the repealing of the Concession Agreement would have an impact on the funds of the government. The former Justice Minister emphasized the pivotal importance of establishing the truth. Perhaps, the SLPP Colombo District candidate should seek a copy of the Attorney General’s opinion on the Hambantota port deal, in terms of the Right to Information Act, without delay. Did the Attorney General endorse the Hambantota transaction?
Did AG grant approval to MCC Compact?
It would be pertinent to mention that the Finance Ministry, on Oct 31, 2019, claimed to have received the Attorney General’s consent for the implementation of the MCC agreement. There is absolutely no reason to question the validity of the Finance Ministry’s statement as it was issued rather emphatically, just the day after Wickremesinghe declared his intention, at a Temple Trees briefing, to sign the MCC agreement in a rather cavalier fashion, in the run up to the last presidential election. Minister Samaraweera, in a statement, titled ‘MCC agreement drafted with the consent of AG will be presented in Parliament’, justified the project.
Samaraweera insisted: “The whole process and the final Agreements were done under the guidance of the Attorney General and well within the legal framework. The Attorney General is in the opinion that the Agreements are in order and there exists no legal impediment to execute same”. The agreements, referred to therein, were the Compact Agreement and the Programme Implementation Agreement.
Responding to The Island queries, Wijeyadasa Rajapakse asserted that his Bill needed to be endorsed by a simple majority in parliament. As the quorum was 20, the Bill could have been approved with just 11 votes if taken at a time only 20 members were present. But, obviously there was probably a wider agenda, the President’s Counsel charged, pointing out that the police didn’t file a ‘B’ report in court as regards the Easter Sunday carnage, carried out by a group of Islamic extremists, a minority among a minority in this predominantly Buddhist country, with sizeable Hindu and Christian populations, till April 28 – a good seven days after near simultaneous suicide attacks sent shock waves through the country, and even the world. The UNF government sacked Justice Minister, for being forthright, pointed out that the ‘B’ report referred to his complaint as the cause for the police to bring the Easter mayhem to the attention of the court. The police should at least now explain the inordinate delay in initiating investigations, the former Justice Minister said. The PSC as well as the on-going PCoI revealed the staggering extent of the law enforcement establishment’s failure, leading to the worst ever single coordinated attack carried out in Sri Lanka.
Alleging that the parliament lacked authority to inquire into the Easter Sunday attacks, against the backdrop of judicial process, Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa asserted that the external angle needed to be thoroughly investigated. At the time of the attacks, President Sirisena held both Defence and Law and Order portfolios, following the Oct 26, 2018 short-lived constitutional coup perpetrated by the SLFP-Joint Opposition combine.
ECT controversy
The continuing controversy over the Colombo Port’s East Container Terminal cannot be ignored. Hope the government remembers the battle between President Sirisena and Premier Wickremesinghe over the UNP’s agreement with New Delhi to handover the ECT to the nuclear armed neighbour that has been behaving often like a bully towards our country, from the time of the JRJ’s regime. May be Mrs. Indira Gandhi was justified in her behaviour at the time as Junius Richard Jayewardene, dubbed Yankie Dicky, because of his open admiration and support for the USA, having even wanting to give Trincomalee to Washington, while India, at the time, was firmly in the Non-Alignment Camp, but seen by the West as being more pro- Soviet Union
Subsequently, Japan was also brought into the ECT agreement. Recent protests at the Colombo harbour revealed discontent and suspicions among various trade unions over the incumbent government’s intentions. The crisis at the Colombo port should naturally be discussed, taking into consideration the rushed ‘illegal’ agreement between Sri Lanka and China as there’ll be no further discussions on the 99-year agreement, finalized in 2017.
With China aiming high, the US-India-Japan coalition is likely to pursue what can be described as their containment or ganging up policy against Beijing in respect of Sri Lanka and elsewhere in Asia. Finalized ACSA (Access and Cross-Servicing Agreement) as well as MCC (Millennium Challenge Corporation) and SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) sought by the US are grim reminders of entanglements waiting to happen that could prove to be extremely beyond the country’s capacity to handle in the days to come for want of consensus among political parties, represented in parliament, without the government having a sound majority there. National security and foreign policy shouldn’t be part of the political agenda as the government and the Opposition battled for control of parliament, which the former Justice Minister once called the most corrupt institution in the country and to this day he has not retracted one bit.
The Attorney General Dappula De Livera has returned another 38 ‘incomplete’ investigation files on suspects arrested in connection with the Easter Sunday terror attacks, to the Acting IGP C. D. Wickramaratne.
On June 26, the Attorney General had returned 40 incomplete investigations files, pertaining to the suspects arrested in relation to the Easter attacks.
The Coordinating Officer of the Attorney General said the Acting IGP was also instructed by the AG to conclude the investigations properly.
No amendment has been made to the ‘Special Interest Scheme for Senior Citizens’ program, says Minister Bandula Gunawardena.
The Minister of Higher Education, Technology, Innovations, and Information & Mass Media mentioned this offering an explanation into a newspaper article published yesterday (06) under the caption ‘Senior Citizens Deposit Interest is falling to 8%’.
Gunawardena pointed out that the program Special Interest Scheme for Senior Citizens” has been implemented since 2014 with the aim of safeguarding the income status of senior citizens who have dedicated their youth to the development of the country.
He said that the program still continues as no amendment has been made to this benefit designed for senior citizens yet.
He pointed out that while the report also states that the income tax concession given to senior citizens on interest income has been withdrawn, the government has not taken such a decision.
Gunawardena added that:
The new Government has increased the tax-free monthly interest income of Rs 150,000 up to Rs. 250,000 with effect from January 01, 2020. Accordingly, income up to Rs 3,000,000 per year has been exempted from tax.”
Therefore, the tax exemption granted on interest income has not been abolished as stated in the article in question, he further said.
Inspector of Police (IP) Saman Wasantha Kumara, who is involved in passing drugs in the custody of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) to drug dealers, has been detained for interrogation.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will accordingly detain the suspect for 7 hours under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Police Media Spokesperson said.
Earlier today, it was reported that Sri Lanka Police was seeking public assistance into apprehending the 49-year-old police officer named Weherawatta Kankanamlage Saman Kumara Wasantha.
IP Saman Wasantha Kumara, who was residing at the address 189, Kirikatta, Weliweriya, later surrendered to the Kadawatha Police.
He was then handed over to the CID for further investigations.
By Garvin Karunaratne, Ph.D. Michigan State University
Our President Gotabhaya has cleared
finance for banks by ordering the Central Bank to relax. This has
been done. Can the availability of finance by banks in itself bring about
development- create production, create employment and achieve the goal of
poverty alleviation. Import controls that have been imposed to save
foreign exchange, will inevitably cause a shortage of goods.
The responsibility of immediately
approving small industrial units to spring up to create the lost production
within our country falls on our new Government. This is a situation that has to
be faced and won.
My mind travels in nostaglia to
two world class development programmes which commenced without a
budget. I speak not from hearsay or reference, but
from sheer experience as I happened to be a major player in both programmes.
One is the Divisional
Development Councils Programme, the flagship programme of the Sirimavo
Government of 1970-1977. This Programme created employment for 33,270 youths.
The other is the Youth
Self Employment Programme of Bangladesh. a programme that was solely
designed and established by me within nineteen months, which, being implemented
later by officers trained by me, is today the premier employment
creation programme the world has known, a programme that has by now guided some
three million youths to become self employed.
I would kindly request our
leaders to read through this Paper which details – how we did implement major
programmes without a budget.
The Divisional Development
Councils Programme was implemented with great hopes- to create 100,000 jobs.
The leading economist in the island, Professor HAdeS Gunasekera was hand picked
and appointed as the Secretary of a new Ministry- the Ministry for Plan
Implementation. One senior SLAS Officer was his assistant and a staff of a
dozen clerical officers were detailed. This Ministry was housed in a section of
the Central Bank. I do not actually know how they were paid. However it would
not amount to any major deal.
In implementation, the Programme
was thrust on the Government Agents and the Divisional Secretaries. They were
not given any additional payment, not even a traveling allowance. The Programme
was given great prominence and to enable immediate implementation, even a
helicopter was placed for Professor Gunasekera’s travel. At the
District level, in the earlier Government of Premier Dudley Senanayake,
prominence was given to agriculture. What happened was that the Government
Agents decamped from attending to agriculture and concentrated on this new programme.
The Government Agent of a
District is in charge of a a dozen or more departments and in Matara
I selected the ablest staff officers to attend to this programme in addition to
their duties. In my eighteen years’ experience I have always found a
core of able patriotic officers who are prepared to do additional work without
any additional pay, provided they are convinced of the worth of the programme.
The DDCP was commenced by the
Government Agents through the Divisional Secretaries. There was no budgetary
provision but conferences and training workshops were held, work was
apportioned, development projects were sought, feasibility studies were done,
all without any budgetary expenditure. It took a few months for Graduate
Assistants to be selected and that required budgetary provision. Around fifteen
Graduate Assistants were posted to the District and they worked with the staff
officers who were already on the job. It was later that Planning Officers were
appointed- one per district.
The Development Councils made
suggestions and feasibility studies were done by staff officers in the
katcheri. The Graduate Assistants joined the service for the first time and
they were actually being trained by the katcheri staff officers and the
Divisional Secretaries. The task of development fell on katcheri staff that
were not paid any additional pay.
Feasibility Studies were done for
the establishment of industries aimed at the creation of employment
for the unemployed youth and also to make something that was
imported and after submission some of these were funded by the
Ministry of Plan Implementation. A Mechanized Boatyard was approved and this
was established in Matara within two months. We worked very fast to get a large
workshop built. I yet remember how the purchase of machinery was
shortcircuited- it would have taken months to call for tenders. Instead I
selected staff officers of the katcheri, officers who could be trusted fully,
accompanied by the Executive Engineer to proceed inspect the machinery,
negotiate and purchase the machinery. This was done within two days and the
machjnery was installed fast. This Boatyard made seaworthy boats and made
around 30 boats a year which were issued to cooperatives. Ran Ariyadasa, the
Divisional Secretary took the brunt of implementing this Boatyard with one
Development Assistant
This experience tells me that our
Government could make a decision to establish a dozen boatyards immediately and
the boats put on the seas can make our country self sufficient in
fish. It is nonsense to import fish to an island country, where the seas abound
in fish. Let us call it a day and decide to get going with building boats
straightaway. The cost of the machinery can easily be recouped
within the first years’ savings on imports.
The Ministry of Plan
Implementation was frightened of making decisions to establish new industries.
The Ministry wanted me to concentrate on small scale smithys, sewing units, the
type that was already done by the Department of Small Indiustry. My idea of
creating new industries was effectively silenced.
Finally I decided to make a
move.
It was my idea to find the
art of making crayons and establish an industry on our own as the Ministry of
Plan Implementation. I thought of establishing a major industry
and I with the Planning Officer, a chemistry graduate and other
interested staff officers were at the science lab of
Rahula College which we had requisitioned every night for our
experiments. It took three months of experiments locked up in the
Rahula school science lab, when we unearthed the art of making
crayons.
Later on when I finally decided
to establish the Coop Crayon factory and I decided that it be done in two
weeks, the Planning Officer, and other katcheri staff officers broke rest for
two weeks- it was a 24 hour a day operation. Finally, Coop Crayon, the work of
many an unpaid worker won the day to be the flagship industry of the
DDCP. That was also the hard work put in by Sumanapala Dahanayake
the Member of Parliament for Deniyaya, in his capacity as the President of the
Morawak Korale Cooperative Union. He was enthusiastic and his patriotism knew
no bounds as long as the task was developmental.
It so happened that all Districts
had established only small scale agricultural and industial projects like
sewing units and smithys. The only medium scale industries established were the
Boatyard and the Crayon Factory in the Matara District and the Paper Factory at
Kotmale in the Nuwara Eliya District. The twenty four Government
Agents in charge of the Districts, included major figures who later became Secretaries
of Ministries. However the major industries established were in only two
districts.
Judging from the total work done
I am of the opinion that easily seventy to eighty percent of the
work of the DDCP was done by staff officers of the districts without any
additional pay or even a traveling allowance, entirely in addition to their
normal duties.
This experience tells me that we
can easily make a move to establish some import substitution industries without
major funds. This is a task that awaits a word from our President to get
cracking. The players are cloistered within the Administrative Service. In my
forays into administrators whom I have casually met, I have spoken to some
administrators who are waiting for a chance to get cracking. The Adminsitrative
Service comprises a wealth of experienced personnel who can be utilized,
motivated and guided to attend to major tasks. That has been my experience.
The Youth Self Employment
Programme of Bangladesh
In 1982, when the military
government of General Ershard took over Bangladesh, I was working as the
Commonwealth Fund Advisor on Youth to the Ministry of Youth Development. The
Military Government was very skeptical and critical about the work done in the
Youth Ministry. A Conference was held to evaluate the programmes, when I was
ordered to detail what contribution I could make for Bangladesh. I recommended
that there should be a programme to guide youths in training to become self
employed because most of the 40,000 youths trained each year remained
unemployed. The Secretary to the Treasury, the highest ranking officer in the
service objected on the grounds that a self employment or employment creation
programme was something that can never be achieved. He quoted the miserable
failure of an attempt by the International Labour Organization(ILO) to
establish a self employment programme in Tangail, Bangladesh in the earlier
three years and vehemently insisted that I will never be able to establish a
self employment programme. I contested his views and persisted that I had the
experience as well as the academic qualifications and could be certain of
success. A bitter argument ensued, my detailing how I will succeed,
while he was adamant that I would fail. I had to offer a challenge- that though
the ILO of the United Nations with all their funds and world famed experts
failed, I will succeed. This battle in an intensive and
gruelling form went on for over two hours between the two of us till
the Minister had enough of it and ordered both of us to shut up. He then said
that he had been listening to both sides and that I had convinced him and
ordered that I should establish a self employment programme. There were no
Feasibility Reports and conferences. All details were uttered impromptu by me
and immediately assessed by the brain of an army commander who was convinced to
spur into action. The Secretary to the Treasury, the officer who
held the purse strings stumped stating that he will not be providing
any funds for any such programme as there were no funds to waste. I immediately
replied that I needed no new funds, but our Ministry should be
authorised to find savings within the aproved youth training budgets and
utilize such savings for establishing the self employment activities. I added that
our Ministry should be authorized to vary the remits of officers
working in the Youth Ministry. The Minister approved my suggestion to the
chagrin of the Secretary to the Treasury.
I started work the very next day
with around a few hundred youth workers, deputy directors of youth, who had
hitherto worked only on traditional youth work and lecturers who
were involved in vocational training. They volunteered to guide the trainees to
estabblish self employment projects in addition to their work. I
commenced teaching them elements of economics, national economic
priorities-how to identify areas where employment creation will result in
increases in production, how the youths should be guided to develop their
abilities and capacities as they engaged in activities to establish minor
income generating projects. This was national planning in detail and
motivating youths to take on the mantle of national development. It
was a combination of economics and non formal education. We were motivating the
youths to utilize the skills they were learning and get into a process of
action which will bring them incomes.
In nineteen months, by the time my assignment ended 2000
youths were being guided to become self employed. By March 1985 6024
youths had established income generating projects.
This Programme which commenced in mid 1982, continued entirely
funded from savings from other youth training budgets till 1985 when it was
accorded an annual allocation by the Five Year Plan of the Planning
Commission of Bangladesh.
With this allocation the Programme was developed further. Its
3 residential training centers in 1982 was increased to 10 by
1984/65 and to 64 by 1997.
By 2011 the Government of Bangladesh reported to the IFAD(FAO),
one of the funders, that two million youths had become self employed. Today it
is an ongoing programme where 160,000 youths are guided annually to become self
employed.
This YSEP is easily the premier programme of employment creation
the World has known that has by now(2020) guided over three million youths to
become self employed. The Youth Development Department that
implements this Programme today spends 95% of its time and budget to create
self employed youth out of school dropouts. All this was achieved by a
programme which was entirely funded from savings in voted budgets for the first
four years 1982 to 1985.
Today, in my eighties, I am proud to have designed and
established this world class programme, with the active support
of Bangladeshi administrators trained by me.
Over to our new leaders: Please
consider funding a few projects to be funded from savings. The quoted instances
prove that this can be done. May I suggest for kind consideration
that the projects selected be of the import substitution type, where there is
an immediate benefit in terms of obviating foreign exchange being used for
imports. There are many projects that can be commenced within months, which can
be made sustainable within a year.
Our country yearns for any such
initiative today.
Garvin Karunaratne
Former G.A. Matara
06/07/2020
Author of: How the IMF Ruined Sri Lanka & Alternative
Programmes of Success(Godages:2006)
Papers on the Economic Development of Sri Lanka,(Godages:
2010)
How the IMF Sabotaged Third World Development (Kindle/Godages:2017)
UK banned LTTE in 2001 but continues to turn a blind eye to LTTE fronts openly campaigning for LTTE and separatism. No amount of diplomacy or goodwill can change that. UK has also been sympathetic to Islamic extremism. There is little point in appealing to the UK Govt or authorities to realize the dangers. The best response was to simply wait until UK eventually learnt its lesson. Unfortunately, innocents have died as a result. UK and all other governments treating terrorists as pet poodles must wake up to the reality that these killers eventually bites the hand that rocked its cradle.
Michelle Ramsden 36 years of Hounslow, West London converted to Islam at the age of 24 and changed her name to Safiyya Shaikh. She planned to copy Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday jihadi suicide bombers by attacking St. Pauls Cathedral. Just like Sri Lanka’s suicide bombers – her objective was to kill kafirs or non-believers and gain access to heaven. Her journey of radicalization started from 2007 following extremist preachers on Facebook. She even tells undercover officers that she would love to take the head off a kafir. It was as a result of undercover officers that the Britisher was prevented from killing innocent people. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-53264640
On 21 April 2019, 9 Islamic suicide bombers killed close to 300 innocent people targeting hotels and churches across Sri Lanka. One of the suicide bombers Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed studied aerospace engineering at Kingston University between 2006 and 2007. He had also studied for a post-graduate degree in Australia.
In 2016, Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakse revealed some 32 Muslim family members had gone for ISIS training to Syria. An uncanny feature was that they were all from rich and educated families completely negating the notion that poverty inspired terrorism.
If we go a little further back to 2013 we can recall Samantha Lewthwaite, the Kenyan Mall Killer.
Part of the problem is to glorify terrorists and boast about being a terrorist. Adele Balasingham, Beate Arnestad and Niromi de Zoysa glorify terrorism & public killings and turn female terrorists into martyrs and in so doing people like Samantha Lewthwaite and now Michelle Ramsden emerge. Samantha Lewthwaite gunned down over 100 innocent people. Samantha converted to Sunni Islam when she was 17 and adopted the name Sherafiyah. Samantha became the ‘white widow’ and member of Al Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabab. Her husband Germain Lindsay blew himself up in a London underground train causing UK’s 7/7 that killed 52 people. Lewthwaite was eight months pregnant at the time with their second child, a daughter.Samantha is also wanted in connection with plotting attacks on hotels and restaurants in 2011. She is a wanted criminal but is being protected by a suicide squad of elite fighters
Aunty Adele the white nurse pioneered and trained female LTTE terrorists and turned children into child soldiers and instructed them to commit suicide biting a cyanide capsule. She has even written books boasting about her life in LTTE.
Beate Arnestad broke Sri Lankan immigration laws by entering Sri Lanka under a false name (Ms Smith) to make her film funded by the Norwegian Government. Norway would also remember the name Anders Behring Breivik who killed 77 people for no reason.
Niromi de Soysa claims to be a former child soldier and proceeds of her book was to go to her alma mater which was St. Joseph’s College, Jaffna. Niromi being female could not have attended an only boys school! She is exposed elsewhere too.
Since Commander Richard Smith, head of counter-terrorism at UK’s Scotland Yard understands the danger, we hope that the UK takes greater measures to deal with jihadi elements linked to Sri Lanka and the UK LTTE fronts hob-nobbing with UK politicians like they were long lost friends!
Foreign governments and their intelligence agencies as well as counter-terrorism units must first ask whether the lives of ordinary people are more important than providing safe haven to terrorists and using them as a covert/overt operation to put pressure on foreign governments. Ultimately Rajiv Gandhi had to pay the price with his life. LTTE assassinated him in his own country/India while campaigning.
Another aspect that even Sri Lankan authorities should not dilly-dally with is the reality that mushrooming Shariah madrassas proven to be breeding grounds for hate speech and hatred bordering brainwashing to kill infidels cannot be allowed and must be nipped in the bud. The arrest of a prominent lawyer connected to Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday mass murder and his association with a madrassa that was training children to kill and use fire arms is a case in point. The discovery of a Arabic/Islamic Law College immediately questions what the modus operandi of setting up such a school is all about when the public echo the need to have ONE LAW in ONE COUNTRY for ALL. Anyone wishing to have this strict component of religious dogma are more than welcome to resettle in countries where only this law, this Shariah life and associated culture is practiced. But feigning ‘multicultural’ mask no one should be entitled to subtly change the ethos of the country by hiding behind the cloak of ‘minority discrimination’ and using that as a façade to create a parallel culturel, law & society in Sri Lanka and this is an issue that even people in the West are angry about and find fault with their governments for appeasement policy that has weakened the country and made the citizens vulnerable to extremist attacks.
Driving is not a right, it is only a privilege when the driving privilege has been abused that is about the violation of road discipline compromising of people safety, that needs to be dealt with heavy penalties by suspending the driving license.
We loose huge human capital daily due to road accidents and road safety issues in Sri Lanka. Statistics have publicly revealed 12,000 deaths occur each year in the country. It is indeed a national crisis to find solutions immediately. For many institutions, police, and road & highways a death of a person is just news. It shouldn’t be that way. Sri Lankan roads are not built with essential road safety features or roads are lacking essential safety protocols. The licensing method did not build to ensure safe driving principles. If a person unfit to turn wheels, but still driving the person has to face the consequences of impaired driving and breaking rules, killing innocent pedestrians. People do such impaired driving and killing people must be punished without considering their status. He or she must have been handcuffed until further notice by the law. In the modern world, road safety features are more prominent, and without those features, roads cannot be built with public money. In developed countries accidents of this nature not occurs, which is common in Sri Lanka. They ensure road safety with many features and educate the public in multiple ways of road signs to minimize road accidents in that way. Ministry of road and highways must start a public safety program through media to educate the public. It is a social responsibility as well to obey the rules as well. In the bigger picture, it is a collaborative task through public awareness. Driving is a privilege it is not a right. If reckless driving caught or resulted in a collision, the driver’s license must be suspended with a jail term by law. The time is quite right to examine road accidents & find out solutions to road safety. A national program of licensing and introduction of the demerit point system and monthly insurance system for drivers would be one of the solutions. This is the only way to ensure much-needed road safety for the public.
Driving is a privilege, not a right. We wish to own a car to make our life easier. The family daily needs to buy groceries, to go to a short distance with family or alone uses a vehicle. Life will become much convenient and efficient when anybody owns a car. Anybody will make use of the time efficiently when owns a car. Owning a car or vehicle is a big decision. Persons need to allocate some money from their monthly budget. It is important to change and introduce a whole lot of new codes and conducting rules in many areas of driving around. If we are unable to introduce new laws related to driving need to study how other countries succeeded in reducing road accidents and road safety for the public. The laws need to set up around people, driving records, road safety features, introducing of new developed commuting ways, and security.
When authorities built a new road to a community people not aware or they don’t talk about the features need to have on that road to ensure public safety. Politicians talk about how much money will spend on the road and probably how much of a commission could be earned from it. Even the contractors will not build it completely as they want to make money out of that road. This is really what happens in our country. These are the features of corrupt practice had been momentarily taking place in our country. There is none to take the responsibility of building a low-quality road in the country. I believe most of the interior roads and their maintenance belong to provincial councils. Those provincial councils have been taking ownership of these by roads to do a better public service. So the question is do they do it. We are again going back to square one by decentralizing one whole unit of responsibility and nobody is going to do the job.
When I was a child we had been educated at school about road safety. A civil police officer addressed road safety and how we need to walk and which side of the road need to walk on the road. Which was an excellent program? That is why I still remember the road safety program features. But now the road vehicles have been increased by almost 300%, roads have been built as well but not to as much. The question is have the authorities introduced enough road safety laws and measures? Do we have methods, policy, planning, and implementation ministry or authority? Usually, when a country holds this type of authority or ministry of infrastructure development they do planing for 10 years from now. They will introduce their research results to governments as the next 10 years forecast of data analysis on the development of roads, which has to happen according to those data. Good governing leaders rely on these data and plan the development of roads accordingly. When economic development continues we need the government to be very careful as the present-day development has to go hand in glove with ecological sustainability. If any development results to buy oxygen bags to walk and live in the metro Colombo metro; that development is no use. Policy planning and development have ignored the ecological sustainability.
When this much of road accidents happen in the country authorities need to pay attention to control and introduce new measures. One of the key aspects of such a control system would be of introducing a database of drivers and maintaining a record database of each driver. Yearly driving speeding ticketing documentation and monthly insurance system need to be maintained. It will be a driving history and an online record of driving details. This is the only way to reduce road accidents. This has introduced in developed countries. Initially, it might cost money to be introducing a database of island-wide drivers. It is because such a database need to be installed to traffic police vehicles while they are in patrol on roads. But it may bring enormous good results as it continuing. Drivers will be compelled more cautious of maintaining a good driving history to reduce insurance premiums. At the same time, law and order will have the opportunity of identifying and separating bad drivers from the street and fined them. This is the only way to reduce road accidents and maintain the safety of pedestrians, good drivers, and road safety in the modern world. Drink and driving must be identified and removed from the road.
China’s centralized authoritarianism and Hong Kong’s European traditions do not match and there are also geopolitical factors which force China to tighten its hold over Hong Kong
Hong Kong protesters waving American flags in the last agitation against the Extradition Law
When the British returned Hong Kong to China in 1997, at the end of a 99 year lease, China agreed to implement the concept of One Country, Two Systems” under which Hong Kong would continue to enjoy, for 50 years, its Western-oriented economic, political and judicial systems while being part of Communist China with its one-party rule and regimented system. The One Country, Two Systems” was part of the Basic Law” of new Hong Kong, the name of which was changed to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” (HKSAR).
But over the years, Beijing has tried to abridge Hong Kong’s autonomy for two reasons: First; the two systems, which are like chalk and cheese, cannot coexist. Western-oriented Taiwan, which China has been trying to take over, has rejected it outright. Second; China has been feeling increasingly threatened by the West led by the US. The West has been extremely uncomfortable with Beijing’s power projections in the Indo-Pacific region. It sees China’s infrastructure projects under the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a determined bid to dislodge it from dominant positions in various parts of the world. Given the West’s stridently anti-China moves on the strategic and economic plane, Beijing has felt the need to tighten its grip over weak links like Hong Kong where Western influence is strongest.
This is the reason for Beijing’s resort to a series of security measures in Hong Kong since 2003, of which, the June 30 Hong Kong National Security Law is the latest, the hardest, and the most comprehensive.
Inherently uncomfortable with the One Country, Two Systems” concept, Beijing tried to outlaw speech, assemblies, or political activities endangering China’s security in 2003. But mass protests led to the Act’s withdrawal. Explaining the clashing stances of Beijing and the Hong Kongers, Brian Wong and John Mak wrote in Time last year: Beijing took the stance that democratization in Hong Kong must be accompanied by the guarantee that any such progress would not threaten China’s national security, while the Hong Kong public gradually developed the antagonistic perception that Beijing was reluctant to grant the city genuine political freedom.”
The attempt to substitute Cantonese by Mandarin as the official language of Hong Kong, the building of high speed rail links with mainland China and the big influx of Mainland Chinese into Hong Kong created fears of demographic change and cultural annihilation. Hong Kongers also wanted universal suffrage (as promised in the 1997 Basic Law) in place of choosing the territory’s leadership by an electoral college of 1,200 carefully screened persons. But for Beijing, instantaneous universal suffrage was dangerous as Chinese leaders were scared of instability and uncertainty which free elections could bring about. In 2010, a compromise was struck by which, universal suffrage would be introduced by 2017 but with the candidates being vetted by Beijing.
To change the anti-China mindset of the people, the Hong Kong government introduced Moral and National Education (MNE)”. But this was dubbed as brainwashing”, and the program had to be withdrawn. However, on Aug. 31, 2014, Beijing issued a White Paper in which stringent selection criteria for electoral candidatures were stipulated. This triggered the 79-day mass Umbrella Movement.”
In 2019 came the Extradition Law by which a trouble maker could be whisked away to the Mainland for interrogation. Following huge protests, this move was given up. China alleged that the movement was funded and mentored by some US NGOs.
National Security Law 2020
However, the 2020 National Security Law for Hong Kong still says that China is wedded to the One Country, Two Systems” principle. It says that the new law is for ensuring the resolute, full and faithful implementation of the policy of One Country, Two Systems under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy; while safeguarding national security; preventing, suppressing and imposing punishment for the offences of secession, subversion, organization and perpetration of terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security in relation to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).”
It further says that human rights shall be respected and protected in safeguarding national security as stated in the Basic Law. The rights and freedoms, including the freedoms of speech, of the press, of publication, of association, of assembly, of procession and of demonstration, which the residents of the Hong Kong enjoy under the Basic Law and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as applied to Hong Kong, shall be protected.
Article 5 says: A person is presumed innocent until convicted by a judicial body. The right to defend himself or herself and other rights in judicial proceedings that a criminal suspect, defendant, and other parties in judicial proceedings are entitled to under the law, shall be protected.”
Center Acquires Over-riding Powers
What is noteworthy is that the new law gives the Central government in Beijing over-riding powers over the Hong Kong Establishment. The Central People’s Government has an overarching responsibility for national security affairs relating to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR),” the new law says.
The Chief Executive of Hong Kong shall be accountable to the Central government for affairs relating to national security in Hong Kong and shall submit an annual report on it. There shall be a Committee for Safeguarding National Security which shall be under the supervision of and accountable to the Central government. Decisions made by the Committee shall not be amenable to judicial review. The Committee shall have a National Security Adviser, who will be designated by the Central government.
Article 16 says that the Hong Kong police shall establish a Department for Safeguarding National Security, which may recruit qualified professionals and technical personnel from the Mainland. There shall be a separate prosecution division for offences under the law and a special unrestricted fund.
Subversion
Among the crimes listed under subversion” are: seriously interfering in, disrupting, or undermining the performance of duties and functions in accordance with the law by public servants of China and Hong Kong; and attacking or damaging the premises and facilities used by the officials. Seeking foreign assistance to commit an act of subversion or terror is banned.
Terrorism
Among the listed terrorist activities are: Sabotage of means of transport, transport facilities, electric power or gas facilities, serious interruption or sabotage of electronic control systems for providing and managing public services such as water, electric power, gas, transport, telecommunications and the internet; or other dangerous activities which seriously jeopardize public health, safety or security.
Punishments
As regards punishments, there is no death sentence. The maximum punishment is Life Imprisonment. The law states that a person who is a principal offender or a person who commits an offence of a grave nature shall be sentenced to life imprisonment or a fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years; a person who actively participates in the offence shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years; and other participants shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, short-term detention or restriction.
Trouble Already Brewing
While the US is planning sanctions against China and Hong Kong to make China rescind its decision, hundreds of protesting Hong Kongers who took to the streets on July 1, were arrested. The slogans shouted called for Hong Kong’s independence”, clearly defying the new law.
Hong Kong’s Secretary for Justice, Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, said that the slogan was punishable, but hinted that the authorities will treat the protesters leniently. Government would take into account the context and intention of the offender,” Teresa said. By looking at the overall behavior, we will see whether evidence can prove the arrested person has a criminal intent,” she added. (The Citizen/Ceylon Today/newsin.asia)
’We will select and accept only those who would be useful to the country’
A group of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) candidates will join the UNP after the conclusion of the general elections, UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said today.
Mr. Kariyawasam who was responding to journalists at a media conference said a selected few from SJB will join the UNP after the elections. We will select and accept only those who would be useful to the country,” Mr. Kariyawasam said.
More than 15 who initially handed over nominations from SJB were engaged in a dialogue with us to come back if the nominations were cancelled but they were sad as the nominations were not cancelled. The UNP giants left the party in the past but they had to rejoin by paying the membership fees,” he added.
Asked whether the UNP could manage to win sufficient number of seats by fielding newcomers, Mr. Kariyawasam said the UNP was able to secure a five-sixth majority in 1977 by fielding its B team. The UNP managed to win a 5/6 majority in 1977 by fielding its B team. More than 90 UNP organizers left when late President J. R. Jayewardene suspended Rukman Senanayake from the party but still, the UNP managed to win the 1977 general elections by a massive majority,” he recalled.
We have fielded engineers, lawyers and even farmers this time. Criticizing the 225 members who are elected later will not serve any purpose if the people fail to vote the right candidates,” he therefore said.
The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) today said, under a government established by the SLPP, it will restructure laws to address pressing issues including underworld activities, drug smuggling and undeclared funds flowing in from foreign countries.
SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris said a new SLPP government, backed by a two-thirds majority obtained at the general elections, would not hesitate to immediately attend to key identified issues.
He said all foreign funds flowing in should go through the External Resources Department at the Central Bank in order to ascertain their origin.
It is vital to find out who is sending funds, for what purpose and where these funds would end up. The current situation is not satisfactory in this regard. Procedures are not strong enough,” he said.
He said underworld figures and those involved in drug smuggling are using bank accounts registered under proxies when they transfer funds obtained illegally.
This has priority in our agenda. We will monitor transactions of underworld figures. We will also enter into or revisit extradition agreements and share information with other countries to take legal action against foreigners and Sri Lankans in foreign countries involved in drug smuggling,” Prof. Peiris said.
Meanwhile, he said there was maximum punishment for drug smuggling but no minimum punishment. A minimum punishment for drug smuggling is also required to deter drug smuggling,” he said.
Laws and regulations are needed to ensure transparency in transactions related to lands and properties, he said. These are pressing issues but not impossible to solve,” he said.
Another COVID-19 case has been detected among recent foreign arrivals hiking the number of cases in the country to 2,077.
The latest case is a person who had arrived from the Maldives, as per the Department of Government Information.
Currently, 149 active cases are under medical care at selected hospitals across the country.
Meanwhile, with 14 more patients regaining health and being discharged from the hospital today (06), the tally of recoveries in the country has spiked to 1,917.
Sri Lanka has witnessed 11 deaths from the virus so far.
DO NOT VOTE FOR ANY OF THE RECOGNISED POLITICAL PARTIES
Democracy is
the unfettered exercise of universal suffrage by the people of a Sovereign
State. Democracy in Sri Lanka has suffered; it has been hijacked by the
political Parties in the country.
It has been
our experience that a Party after being elected to power by the will of the
people, tosses out the will of the people and substitutes instead the will of
the Party leadership.
There is no
democracy in the country, only the simulacrum of democracy remains. This, the
Americans found to be very convenient.
Seeing how
easy it is in such a situation to capture State power, the Americans have
simply hijacked the hijacker; they have bought out the leadership of all the
political Parties of significance. To the Americans therefore, it matters not
which Party wins at the Elections; whichever Party wins, the Americans wins.
Heads I win Tails you lose.
The MCC is the
preferred instrument of the Americans to physically capture the geographic
territory of a country whose legislative, executive and administrative organs
are already under their control. The MCC is the coup de grace.
At this
juncture it is the people, AND THE PEOPLE ONLY, who can save Sri Lanka from the
Americans; the people must insist that Gota, Mahinda, Ranil,
Sajith, Anura Kumara, other party leaders and their candidates renounce
unambiguously, at all public rallies, the MCC, in any shape, form or
re-arranged form, and publicly pledge to rescind all laws and treaties that
have eroded the sovereignty of the country, if these Parties and their
candidates wish to receive their vote.
If the Party leaders and Gota fail to do so, the people are urged
to vote for any honourable, NON-PARTY candidate in the voting list
who publicly pledges to renounce and rescind the MCC, ACSA and SOFA.
