The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) should take the responsibility for the downfall of a financial entity under its purview, says Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
He made this remark during a meeting held at the Temple Trees to discuss the current status of The Finance Company PLC. The meeting was attended by Central Bank Governor Prof. W.D. Lakshman, Secretary to the Finance Ministry S.R. Attygalle and several other officials.
The Premier has pointed out that the continuous collapse of financial entities under the Central Bank’s purview and the irregularities at such institutions bring disrepute to the government.
This damages the trust the public has placed on the public financial institutions, PM Rajapaksa said adding that new laws should be enacted to take action against misappropriations of this sort.
These remarks came days after the CBSL cancelled the finance business licence issued to The Finance Company, with effect from 22 May 2020.
Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 cases count escalated to 1,735 as five more new virus-positive patients were detected as of 11.00 pm today (03).
Accordingly, a total of 52 virus-positive persons – including one returnee from Kuwait, 19 returnees from Qatar and 20 Navy men – have been detected so far within the day.
In the meantime, 13 virus-positive patients who had recovered completely were discharged from the Infectious Disease Hospital, Colombo East Base Hospital and Minuwangoda Base Hospital today. Sri Lanka’s recoveries count thereby moved up to 836.
The total count of active coronavirus cases under medical care meanwhile stands at 888.
Sri Lanka reported its 11th COVID-19 death on Monday (01) as a 45-year-old male who had arrived in the country from Kuwait succumbed to the disease.
In the CCTV footage revealed to the public by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) probing the Easter Sunday terror attacks, a second explosion is witnessed following the detonation of a device by Fathima Jiffry – the wife of Shangri La bomber Ilham Ahmed – that claimed the lives of several Police officers, and her children.
In another footage, Ilham Ahmed’s movements leading up to the bombings are also shown raising further questions about his accomplices.
https://youtu.be/YVqQwiUyVH4
The first set of CCTV footage, released to the public by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry shows a black car arriving at the residence of Mohamed Ibrahim in Mahawila Gardens Dematagoda on 19 April 2019 at 6.54 pm and leaving at 7.03 pm.
The individual seen exiting in the car is none other than the suicide bomber at the Shangri-La Hotel, Mohamed Ibrahim Ilham Ahmed. Later at the night, the bomber returns home and is seen exiting the house at 12.02 am carrying two bags which he hands over to another individual wearing a cap.
With the identity of the second individual still unknown, the relevant footage was not revealed to the public.
In the CCTV footage from the 20 April 2019, Ilham Ahmed is seen returning to the residence carrying a backpack and holding another bag in his hands. He is being admitted into the house by his brother Mohamed Yusuf Ijaz Ahmed.
Further footage from 21 April 2019 at 1.24 am shows Ilham Ahmed exiting the residence wearing a red t-shirt and a cap. His wife Fathima Jiffry is seen watching at the gate as he leaves.
The CCTV footage also clearly shows two bombs exploding inside the Mahawila Garden’s residence on 21 April 2019.
On that fateful day, at 2.31 pm, the footage shows the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) team arriving at the location and Sub-Inspector (SI) Rohana Bandara and four other officers entering the house. The first bomb goes up at 2.36 pm claiming the life of SI Rohana Bandara and three other officers.
Following the explosion, Mohamed Ibrahim and mother of Fathima Jiffry are seen exiting the house. Just 14 minutes after the explosion, at 2.53 pm the second bomb goes up as the police officers enter the house with Mohamed Ibrahim to switch off the electricity brake switch. Ibrahim is again seen exiting the house. Police Sergeant Wasantha Kumara who entered the house with SI Rohana Bandara testified at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday.
He said that upon entering the house, two other males were notices inside and he was instructed to search the ground floor while SI Bandara proceeded to the upper floor.
As he searched the ground floor, Sergeant Kumara had heard SI Bandara knocking on a room door on the upper floor attempting to gain entry. He added that SI Bandara was then heard calling out to the inmates of the room to open the door and following a few attempts, a loud explosion was heard.
Testifying further, Sergeant Kumara said he subsequently called for back up at which time a group of Criminal Investigation Department officers responded and a short while later the second bomb exploded.
Following this, the officers had entered the upper floor room only to find the remains of the police officers, one female and several children.
In the meantime, brother of Fathima Jiffry testified at the PCoI on Tuesday. He stated that his family was a traditional Muslim family and that his sister had had a normal upbringing. He added that when his sister was 23 years of age, his family agreed to an arranged marriage between Ilham Ahmed and her.
After getting married, Fathima Jiffry had turned to extremist beliefs, her brother said further. Fathima’s beliefs changed to the extent that she railed against the traditional Muslim faith being practised and boycotted his own wedding ceremony.
Fathima had continued to criticize the family’s religious traditions and practices and proceeded to withdraw from the public while cutting off connections with her own family, he noted.
The witness said that he realized his own sister had been brainwashed following an incident where she stated that she would follow in the footsteps of her husband.
He also revealed that following the first explosion on 12 April 2019, Fathima had telephoned her mother and pleaded with her to come to the Dematagoda residence without delay.
The story of America is all about take overs – taking other people’s land and taking away their lives. Land belonging to the Native Indians was taken away and many millions were exterminated. Americans are a mixture of the Viking murderer Leif Eriksson from Iceland who first landed in US in 986, mass murderer Christopher Columbus falsely thought to be the founder of USA, criminal prisoners from overcrowded British prisons as part of colonial British rule which ended with the Boston tea party. Then came the influx of black slaves with the first to arrive from 1513 onwards which ushered a period of racism and white supremacy. Slavery was redefined as segregation which ended officially only in 1965. Thus, for 452 years blacks had been treated as 3rdclass inferior sub-humans. Blacks are supposed to have enjoyed equal footing for just 55 years. Can the psyche of white supremacy that ruled for 452 years erase itself in 55 years? The answer is what happened to George Floyd and what happened to many George Floyds before him and will happen to many more George Floyd’s after him. Institutionalized racism and discrimination in US is what US has to now deal with before delivering democracy and human rights anywhere else.
There is a pattern to the superiority and treatment towards non-whites. It began with the erasing of Native Indians & their heritage & culture. It continued with the
12.5million Africans, forcibly taken from their homes in Africa and transported round the world. Only 10.7m survived of which 26% were children to become slaves in their new ‘home’. First direct shipment of slaves from Africa to the Americas in 1518.
It is oft said that 1619 was the year the first African slaves were brought to US. This story is supposed to be false. Historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. says Juan Garrido was the first black to arrive in 1513 in Florida. He also said the first enslaved Africans arrived in 1565 brought by the Spanish to Florida too. It was only in 1619 that the white settlers in US began to enslave the blacks plus Native Indians.
It is oft said that 1619 was the year the first African slaves were brought to US. This story is supposed to be false. Historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. says Juan Garrido was the first black to arrive in 1513 in Florida. He also said the first enslaved Africans arrived in 1565 brought by the Spanish to Florida too. It was only in 1619 that the white settlers in US began to enslave the blacks plus Native Indians.
Half a million that were dropped off in US are the direct descendants of the 42milion African Americans that today make up the less than 13% population of USA.
USA can never say a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,”omitting its slavery past, segregation past and racism & discrimination of the present!
America has been all about fake history, false stories and fake news. Christopher Columbus never discovered America though he’s been given a federal holiday. Leif Eriksson landed in America in 989 some 500 years before Columbus was born. He was given a Leif Eriksson Day on 9 Oct by US President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 to commemorate first Norwegians that came to settle in US in 1825. Eriksson was from Iceland not Norway!
There were no whites in America before Leif or Columbus arrived only Native Indians. The first Americans would be a mix of European migrants with a murderous past and those sent for prison terms as a result of overcrowding prisons in UK.
The British Empire arrived in 1607 and remained till 1783 creating 13 colonies which declared independence in 1776 (176 years – British America). Colonial Britain is said to have transported 52,000 British convicts (men & women) to the US before prisoners were transported to Australia. The British convicts were banished for minimum 7 to 14 years (Matt Novak)
These white settlers were really convicts from British prisons. The youngest was a girl of 9years and over 30 convicts were in their 90s. This highlighted another element of lack of compassion and humanity among colonial rulers which can be seen in the manner they continue to hound Nazi’s in their 90s in the 21stcentury.
Despite slavery ending with ratification of 13thamendment in 1865, it never did. 7 states broke away to form the Confederacy (similar to what LTTE/ITAK is demanding) afterAbraham Lincoln won the 1860 election and said he would end slavery! 4 slave states even seceded.
Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens stressed that slavery would be the cornerstone of their new government, which would be based upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition.”
This is the sad mentality that has passed down through centuries.
Enslaved people were seen not as people but as commodities to be bought, sold and exploited. This is the ideology that continues in the veins of America. The slave trade provided political power, social standing and wealth for the church, European nation-states, New World colonies and individuals. This power psyche continues still.
Race was even encoded into law (Virginia Law of 1662) – an enslaved black women giving birth to generations of children of African descent were seen as commodities. In 1850, Congress passed a new Fugitive Slave Act, made mandatory for citizens to help capture fugitive enslaved black people.
Hypocrisy is also embedded. In the initial draft of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson had condemned British King George III for engaging in slaved trade. But Jefferson himself was an enslaver. He had even fathered enslaved black children. He openly declared black people as inferior to whites.
From Slavery to Segregation
The US that falsely accuses countries of ‘civil war’ ‘discrimination against minorities’ has been the guilty party all along. Claiming to ban slavery, what was actually done was to redefine slavery as segregation. Racial difference travelled from slavery to segregation.
By 1861 (year of US Civil War) 90% or 3.9million Black Americans were enslaved.Racial terror & lynchings (extra judicial public executions) resulted in more than 4000 blacks getting killed between 1877 and 1950.
1890s – Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana state constitutions denied blacks from voting
1890 – Louisiana passes Separate car law’
1901 – Alabama passed convention ‘to establish white supremacy’
1905 – Ensley, Alabama required all barbers to use separate razors, brushes, linens & chairs for blacks and whites / Birmingham outlawed inter-racial games – pool, cards, dice, dominoes, billiards / Arkansas and Florida segregated black & white prisoners
1939 – Louisiana ruled circuses to have separate entrances and ticket booths, hospitals, public transport, public schools all adopted segregation.
By 1940, 77% of blacks were living in South where they comprised 24% of the white population. Only 3% had the right to vote. The democratic party was white-collared and promoted white supremacy – blacks were excluded as members by policy. Institutionalized discrimination is nowhere else but in USA.
1942 – Detroit – whites attack black families and protest against public housing project for blacks.
1943 – Detroit – some 25,000 white factory workers in Packard Motor Company refused to work after 3 black workers were promoted.
1944 – White workers in Philadelphia went on strike when 8 black men were hired as trolley drivers
1945 – California – a black family (husband, wife and 2 young children) were killed when they refused to change residence. Police covered up murder
Leisure, recreation spaces across US was segregated by race. My states banned inter-racial marriage.
1942 – President Roosevelt signs Executive Order 8802 prohibiting racial discrimination in the national defense industry
1948 – President Truman signs Executive Order 9981 abolishing racial discrimination in military and segregation in armed forces (this shows the 1942 Order was not followed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K_4sdRB3ZU
1948 – a black man was sentenced to 5 years in prison for marrying a white woman.
USA accuses countries of systematically excluding, disenfranchising, disempowering and marginalizing minorities – USA was institutionally doing just that to the blacks.
Even when Supreme Court declared state segregation laws unconstitutional, Southern senators did not comply with executive order against all-white primaries by requiring all primary voters to swear to support social, religious and educational separation of races”
In Florida, Hillsborough County Supervisor of Registration John Deckle openly defied the Court and declared, Negroes will not be allowed to vote as Democrats.”
A 1948 poll showed 63% Americans opposing integrating the military.
Jim Crow Etiquette” Laws & Codes – racial caste system or Slavery by another name (from 1877 to mid 1960s)
Black Americans treated like third class citizens. Even religious heads taught congregations that whites were superior and the Chosen people & God supported racial segregation. Society was taught that Blacks were intellectually and culturally inferior to whites. Newspapers and magazines continuously brainwashed readers/listeners to refer to blacks as niggers and stereotyped them.
Blacks & whites could not shake hands, eat together, a black man could not offer to light a cigarette to a white female (as it implied intimacy), blacks were denied showing affection to each other in public as it offended the whites, courtesy titles (Mr. Ms, Mrs, Sir, Ma’am) were not applicable to blacks but blacks had to use courtesy names for whites, blacks could not speak to a white by their first name. A black had to sit in the back of a car if a white was driving it. Right of way had to be given to white motorists. A black could not comment on the appearance of a white female. A black so much as touching a white woman constituted ‘rape’.
Jim Crow laws meant blacks were prohibited from public transport, juries, jobs and neighborhoods. Signs were placed about water fountains, door entrances, public facilities that separated blacks from whites. Blacks had separate hospitals, churches, cemeteries, public restrooms, public accommodations – all of which was inferior to whites. Some places did not even have restrooms, no public places to eat or sit for blacks. Blacks were also denied entry to public beaches.
1905 – Georgia – separate parks for blacks and whites
1930 – Birmingham, Alabama banned blacks & whites playing checkers or dominoes together
1935 – Oklahoma banned blacks and whites boating together
Georgia – Black barber could not serve whites, blacks cannot be buried in cemeteries meant for whites / mental hospitals to have separate areas for blacks/ Wine and Beer cannot be served to both blacks and whites – they have to operate separately
Louisiana – Separate building for black blind persons
Alabama – separate waiting rooms and separate ticket windows for blacks/ white female nurses allowed to nurse negro men (in public or private hospitals)
South Carolina – No white could give custody of their child to a black family
Florida – white and blacks to have separate schools
North Carolina – libraries to have separate area for blacks / black troops to be separate from whites and blacks shall be under command of white officers
Mississippi – negro convicts to eat and sleep in separate areas
Kentucky – reform schools to separate blacks
If a black violated the Jim Crow laws his punishment was losing his home, job even life. Blacks could physically beat blacks with impunity. Blacks had no relief as the criminal justice system was all-white. Lynching was the worst form of Jim Crow social control. Lynchings or public executions mean blacks were hung, shot, burned at the stake, castrated or beaten with clubs until dead. Lynchings provided cheap entertainment and a means to unite white ego among low-income/status whites often in rural settings. Riots were also created to stir fear and drive out blacks. White supremacy was the goal.
Jim Crow etiquette and laws legally ended in 1965 but would have remained embedded in the white society and we see these continue to trickle to what continues as racial bias.
But US gains international and local fame because of blacks while at the same time blacks are the worse off in the US.
75% basketball players are black
65% football players are black
Up until 2015, just 1.1 percent of non-white females and 6.8 percent of non-white males won the coveted awards (statista)
There is much for America to look inward. Unfortunately, politics has come between the anger at watching a white cop virtually kill a man live as people watched from their social media screens. The incident has been manipulated away from justice to George Floyd and seriously addressing the institutional problem of racism against blacks institutionalized and embedded into American society. However, it must be addressed and should be addressed. The start would be to stop the institutions and those manning the institutions from being anti-black and racist by taking action against them.
America is in flames. The murder of a black man by 4 US policeman has resulted in mass protests, vandalism, looting across 25 states with the likelihood of the National Guards being called resulting in more deaths. The incident shows that the white-black divide is embedded in the US administration however much they will not admit. The anger of the less than 13% Blacks of America though comprising 42m out of 328million US population, is being heard across the world. Police brutality &system bias are all coming to light. That law enforcement have gotten away and have not been charged is certainly a cause to worry because MCC’s 6.8 clause demands IMMUNITY for any US crime committed in Sri Lanka. Obviously these clauses are being inserted knowing the capability of their people, otherwise why would any agreement go to such lengths to say that no Sri Lankan law or tribunal can charge the US personnel for any crime committed by them. They are putting the safeguards to protect their people contemplating the violence they can commit. We have enough of examples of these crimes committed by US in other countries with impunity and given immunity. For $480m given across 5 years – Sri Lankans have to compromise our lives! No Thank You. No $480m can be more valuable than the lives of our people be they Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim or Burgher or even another foreign national in Sri Lanka injured to killed by them.
Section 6.8 clearly identifies MCC as a US government CORPORATION.
This means Sri Lankan Government is signing with a US Company.
This clause also states that NEITHER the MCC Company or the US Govt will assume any liability for ANY CLAIMS or LOSSES as a result of ACTIVIITIES or OMISSIONS under the Compact.
That means even if the MCC does not complete any of its commitments, Sri Lanka cannot claim liability.
We presume this is a BILATERAL agreement – if so, shouldn’t the liability option be relevant to Sri Lanka as well? Section 6.4 of MCC says the Compact is an international agreement to be governed by international law. This means Sri Lankan law does not apply. If International law applies – law of reciprocity applies. But, MCC clauses are one-sided and benefitting one country and its company only.
Section 6.8 also says that Sri Lanka WAIVES any CLAIMS AGAINST MCC or the US Govt or ANY CURRENT or FORMER OFFICER or EMPLOYEE of MCC or the US Govt for ANY LOSSES, DAMAGES, INJURY or DEATH arising out of activities or omissions under this Compact.
The Govt agrees that MCC or the US Govt or any current or former officer or employees of MCC or the US Govt shall be immune from the jurisdiction of all courts and tribunals of Sri Lanka or any claim or loss arising out activities or omissions under this Compac”.
This is the most worrying feature. We do not know how many US troops/civilians/contractors will land in Sri Lanka to handle the Compact.
The murder of George Floyd and the lists of many blacks ill-treated by the US institutional system is a serious worry to all of us and should be a worry given this 6.8 clause.
A US military personnel/civilian/contractor can RAPE, commit life-long injury or even death but the victim will have no justice. The criminal will walk away free of any charge to commit another crime. How can any Sri Lankan Government agree to sign an agreement jeopardizing the lives of its citizens?
We know of what US troops have done in Vietnam, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Africa, South America and many many more countries and now we are hearing about how the less than 13% of black Americans are being treated in their own home. We don’t want to import that trouble here to Sri Lanka just for a paltry $480m spread across 5 years.
We appoint a govt by delegating the sovereign powers in the people to protect the people, not to be raped or murdered and told a piece of paper makes it impossible for justice or punishment for criminal acts!
The criminal acts by US troops are no small numbers and relevant to all countries where they are stationed.
Every country US has status of forces agreements, or visiting forces agreement has issues with US troops – people of Okinawa are angered with the Japanese govt for making the Japanese people vulnerable. We know what US troops did in Vietnam. Many a soldier have confessed publicly to US crimes in Iraq and other nations US and allies invaded since 2001.
The relevance of MCC Section 6.8 clause with the death of George Floyd is that the US system has been institutionally racist and discriminating of blacks. That even the corona’s initial report claimed death by natural causes until the family had to seek ‘independent’ post mortem is something to worry about. The riots and protests would not have taken place had US authorities taken immediate action against the perpetrators of the crime. It took mass outrage and social media to vent anger that resulted in the nation going aflame.
That US includes clauses of immunity is worrying because it could only mean many a George Floyd type victim in Sri Lanka and because of 6.8 clause Sri Lanka cannot take action and it would be pointless protesting or rioting either.
Is putting the lives of Sri Lankans at risk worth $480m across 5 years by giving IMMUNITY and IMPUNITY to US in Sri Lanka?
One Shiffer Mohammed (SM) in an article published in a mainstream
national paper on May 27, 2020 expressed his apprehensions about what he called
‘another ethno-religious war’ breaking out in Sri Lanka, blaming it on alleged
racism, religious extremism and bigotry prevalent against Muslims in Sri Lanka.
He may be genuinely concerned about his people’s and others’ right to be free
from such threats. But it looks like he has been seriously misled by false
propaganda targeting the peaceful, democratic, law abiding majority of the
multiethnic multi-religious Sri Lankan people, who are at the receiving end of
excesses perpetrated by certain murderous religious fundamentalist sects
sponsored, as may be suspected, by well funded sources both domestic and
foreign. However, why does SM talk about ‘another’ ethno-religious war?
When did Sri Lanka ever have an ‘ethno-religious war’? As SM himself says, the
30 year conflict was a ‘terrorist war’; it was not an ethnic or ethno-religious
war. But no one can be sure if SM’s crying wolf is completely devoid of meaning
in the present circumstances. Eastern province Muslim politician M.L.A.M.
Hisbullah also threateningly pointed out that disgruntled Muslim youth would
take up arms if their alleged grievances were not answered. His warnings were
uttered some time before last year’s April 21 terror bombings.
Be that as it may, we need not feel that alarmed. Please rest
assured, SM. The story/stories that led you to imagine that an ethno-religious
war is imminent in Sri Lanka cannot be true, whatever you may have heard or
read to the contrary. I think you are labouring under a misapprehension
regarding intercommunal and interreligious relations in Sri Lanka which remain
as cordial and peaceful as ever. People of diverse faiths coexist peacefully
under the umbrella of the extremely tolerant and accommodating moral spiritual
culture of the island that has evolved due to the benign influence of Buddhism
(which itself is not a religion, though, in the ordinary sense) during the past
twenty three (23) centuries. Unfortunately, however, the recent incursion of a
variety of forms of non-Buddhist religious extremism, particularly over the
past half century, has put a strain on this accustomed placidly salutary state
of affairs. Anti-Sri Lanka propaganda abroad and elsewhere disseminated by
fundamentalist sympathisers and selfish shortsighted local politicians
exploiting them to advance their own anti-nationalist political agendas
seems to have misled SM. It is they who want to create disharmony between the
mainstream Muslim minority and the majority Sinhalese Buddhists. False
propaganda of this nature is a far worse virus that is infinitely more harmful
to the multireligious multicultural Sri Lankan people than the raging, global
pandemic causing, novel coronavirus that collective human ingenuity will
definitely overcome with the discovery of a proper remedy sooner or later.
Though SM has allowed himself to be misled by misinformation,
these days it is easy for any Sri Lankan living abroad like him to be fairly
accurately informed about what is actually happening there through the main
local media channels (not all of them, however) and the impartial independent
social media networks that are available. But this is somewhat difficult if one
does not have sufficient empathy with average Sri Lankan citizens. It must not
be forgotten that Western corporate media Al Jazeera and CNN are hopelessly
biased against Sri Lanka. Of course, the profusion of news on offer must be
intelligently analysed before jumping to unwarranted conclusions such as that
‘They can prolong their corrupt rule with the pretext of protecting the country
and the Sinhala Buddhist nation, by having another so-called ethno-religious
terrorist war’, where ‘They’ refer to alleged ‘corrupt politicians’
(presumably, of the present administration/caretaker government).
The last is a deliberately misleading statement. Some members of
the former Yahapalanaya are the ones who deserve such denunciation. They
include some notorious characters who helped the infamous FCID to frame false
charges against political opponents. It is only recently, after GR became
president, that independent police investigations, relating to dozens of cases
filed against certain corrupt ministers of the previous Yahapalana regime
during its four and a half year term, began in ernest, free from any interference
or undue pressure from those in power. Among the former ministers facing
corruption and power abuse investigations are some powerful but opportunistic
Muslim politicians who cannot survive in politics without the help of
communalism, and they are raising a hue and cry about non-existent racism and
religious extremism among Sinhalese Buddhists. SM is unwittingly and
accidentally throwing a lifeline to these corrupt Muslim politicos.
So, there is a thick smokescreen of false propaganda against the
Sinhalese Buddhist majority island nation, which is just emerging or struggling
to do so from a period of unprecedented threats to its independence,
sovereignty, and territorial integrity. November 2019 produced an eagerly
awaited change in the form of a new executive president being elected.
President Gotabhaya has not been a politician before. He has a clean,
distinguished track record as a decorated military officer of twenty years, and
as an efficient civil administrator for ten years during the presidency of his
brother Mahinda (2005-15). Five years of witch-hunting by the Yahapalanaya
found no evidence of corruption against them. It is completely unjustified for
SM to claim that the ruling politicians today want to prolong their
‘corrupt rule’ under the pretext of ‘protecting the country and the Sinhala
Buddhist nation’. The pre-poll minority government finds itself
constitutionally handicapped. President GR is unable to implement his well
conceived plans for the restoration of good governance and sound economic
development because of the absence of an elected parliament. The Covid-19
emergency has made the situation worse. However, the pandemic is being
contained and controlled with commendable efficiency. It is now
nationally and internationally appreciated that, had it not been for Gotabaya
and Mahinda at the helm, the challenge would not have been met so quickly and
with such success. People are convinced that a parliament must be elected that
can work with the president without being a stumbling block to him. The corrupt
politicians of the opposition who are stoking communalism through false
propaganda do so because they fear elections to be held before they have had
enough time to demonise those who stand to win.
What SM imprecisely and misleadingly calls ‘Protecting the country
and the Sinhala Buddhist nation’ is a much misconstrued subject among Sri Lanka
bashers. But, in reality, it is a supremely worthy cause for the
nationalists of all communities who make Sri Lanka their home. Nationalists do
not talk about a ‘Sinhala Buddhist nation’, but a country of the Sinhalese
(Sinhale) whose age-old religious cultural core is Buddhist; a geographical or
territorial entity where people of diverse races and religions live peaceably
as equal citizens without suffering discrimination of any kind; The dominant
host culture which is Buddhist and hence ideally democratic is the cement
that gives cohesiveness to this whole. Throughout their history the Sinhalese
have fought for the Buddhist religious establishment and the country whose
heart it is as a single cherished object. That is why historians maintain that
for the Sinhalese jaatyalaya or love of the nation has always been territorial
and not racial.
Detractors of the national endeavour to protect the country and
the nation (people whose home it is) wrongly assume that Sri Lanka’s
nationalism is an exclusive anti-democratic totalitarian Sinhala Buddhist
political ideology. It is not. Sri Lanka has been the inalienable homeland of
the Sinhalese from time immemorial. In ancient times it was known as Sinhale,
the country of the Sinhalese. They had been a civilized people long before
Buddhism arrived in the 3rd century BCE. The Sinhalese have had an unbroken
history of over two thousand three hundred years (since the official
introduction of Buddhism) of having been shaped by the extremely accommodating
inclusive Buddhist religious culture. Tamil and Muslim minorities have lived in
peaceful harmony with the majority community for the last one thousand years of
the country’s long history. No religious culture in the world better
accommodates diverse other religions and allows them to coexist with it in
complete freedom and safety than the Sinhalese Buddhist culture.
Therefore the reality is that there is no widespread racism or
religious bigotry in Sri Lanka as alleged by SM. This false charge of racism
and religious bigotry arose principally because some young Buddhist monks and
lay persons who decades ago became aware of the unacceptable activities of
certain extremist religious groups funded from abroad, started peacefully
protesting against them, and appealed to the authorities (of the government and
the Mahanayake officialdom). These activities include forced conversions,
vandalizing and encroachment of ancient Buddhist places of worship, and other
alleged hostile acts against Buddhists. The fundamentalist groups have been a
problem to traditional Muslim and Christian mainstreams as much as to Buddhists
and Hindus. Politicians in power have to date avoided getting involved in
finding solutions to this problem because they fear unpopularity among minority
voters who are under the sway of certain communalistic minority politicians who
themselves succumb to the secret coercion of the few fundamentalist elements
usually sponsored from moneyed sources abroad. Money and media have turned
these monks into terrorists and lawless mischief-makers. Had they had been
taken seriously, the April 21 tragedies last year would have been avoided.
(These are not frivolous assertions; they are based on evidence as can be found
by anyone interested enough.)
Racism and bigotry charges against Buddhists are being
repeated with increasing vehemence these days, partly because general elections
are in the offing. This has also been indirectly triggered by extremists
exploiting the fact that restrictions imposed by health authorities on the
performance of last rites and disposal of dead bodies of Covid-19 victims in
accordance with WHO guidelines have touched a raw nerve among people of
different religious faiths experiencing bereavement. In some countries these
restrictions can be and are relaxed or modified without violating the mandatory
precautions prescribed (eg., as to the mode of disposal: burial or cremation)
given available options; but where Sri Lanka is concerned, choices are
extremely limited. That situation should not be interpreted as discrimination
against the adherents of a particular religious persuasion. But political
opportunists cash in on those unalterable circumstances. Opportunistic Muslim
politicos do this because there is no real ‘ethno-religious cauldron in Sri
Lanka’ for them to benefit from.
The tragic plight of the real victims of these offences is
that they get labelled as the offenders around the world through false
propaganda, and their cries of protest are not heard even in the mainstream
media.
Medhananda did not hold back his
archaeological findings, hoping some day to put it all into one magnificent
book. He wanted to communicate his findings to the public as soon as
possible. Therefore he wrote up his
archaeological findings in newspapers and periodicals as soon as he could.
For each
exploration he gave directions of how to get there, described the geography and history of the place, and then
listed the structures and objects found,
such as the remains of Buddha statues, stupa, pilimage, siripatul, and displaced objects such as columns, bricks and of course, the
inscriptions found there, the main focus of all
Medhananda explorations.
The first
recorded newspaper article was in Silumina”
on 7.4.1960. He continued to write for
newspapers and his biography (2008) lists a contribution to Lankadeepa” on
26.9.2007. Medhananda biographer has
managed to collect and list 636 contributions to newspaper and magazines,
dating from 1960- 2007, but this is an
incomplete list. Medhananda is still
writing.
I have collected a lot of little known information
after spending 15 years on archaeological explorations, said Medhananda, ‘assak
mullaka nara avidimin’. They were published in Budusarana”, Davasa”,
Divaina” and Lankadeepa’. Divaina” had a weekly column written by me, encouraged and supported by Divaina editor
Edmund Ranasinghe. Medhananda wrote to “Divaina” for four years, with
special focus on the Buddhist remains
in north and east.
Some of these writings
had an immediate impact. Medhananda wrote an article on Muhudu Maha
Vihara in Pottuvil to the Sinhala newspapers and thereafter the Archeological Department
took over the place. His writings to periodicals such as‘Sastrodaya’”
and Rasavahini” also had an impact.
Medhananda has written 43 books as at 2008. Medhananda’s
most significant books are Nagenahira
palata ha uturu palate Sinhala Bauddha Urumaya” and ‘Magama rajadhaniya’. His
book ‘Nagenahira palata ha uturu palate Sinhala Bauddha Urumaya won the State
Literary award in 2005. It has gone
into 5 reprints. His book on king Valagamba
was published by the Department of Cultural Affairs.
Mahagama rajadhaniya” was first published in 1970. I first wrote on Ruhuna to
Sastrodaya and then Rasavahini magazines, said Medhananda . They were well received. So I thought of
writing this book,. He has been supported in this by fellow bhikkhus. In the
book he thanks Napawela Soratha, Kiriella Gnanawimala, Mapote Chandajothi, for
their help and encouragement. Medhananda
revised his views on the Mahagama
kings when he discovered more
inscriptions. He published a revised version in 2012.
Medhananda’s book Sangavunu aithihasika puda bim” was first published 1999, second edition
2014. In this book Medhananda described the unknown viharas across the island,
explored by him. He gave the history of these viharas, the archaeological
remains found there, the significance of these remains and the content of the
inscriptions found there.
In his introduction to ‘Sangavunu aithihasika
puda bim”, Medhananda said, I have explored and examined the Buddhist remains
in various difficult places (dushkara) and have written on them giving description and
history of the places. I have written thousands of these accounts. I have been asked
by many to collect them into a book. 10% of the royalties from this book will
go for bank deposits for children, he added.
He also wrote ‘Aprakata brahmi lipi ha pura vastu,’
‘Kavantissa rajatuma ha Vihara maha Devi,” “Dutugemunu maha rajatuma,
and ‘ Dutugemunu rajatumage dasa maha
yodayo”, followed by Aithihasika Digavapiya”, and Aitihasika Situlpawwa’. He
wrote several books about Buddhist remains in north and east. Two of these
books are, ‘Utura negenhira hela bodu urumaya,” and Nagenahira palate vinasayata yana pura
vastu”
Medhananda has contributed to ‘Uva vansa
katava,’ and ‘Uva Vihara Vansaya’, both published by Uva Provincial Council and
‘Mahaweli vansaya’, published by Mahaweli Ministry.
Medhananda has visited and written up the
history of several forest monasteries, such as Buddhangala, Budugallena, Karandahela, Kudimbigala,
Malayadikanda, Nimalava, Piyangala,
Ritigala, Samangala and Tarulengala. The booklets were given to the temples to
sell.
Some of these histories were written at the request
of the chief priest of the temple. Ven. Tambugala Anandasiri, when he was at
Kudimbigala vihara, requested Medhananda to come there and write a historical
account of Kudimbigala. Others were explored and written up on Medhananda own
initiative.
In 1978 he went to Piyangala, wrote about it,
gave the book to Piyangala to sell, and also arranged for Piyangala monastery
to get dana regularly. Budugallena had not been studied before, said Medhananda. Medhananda’s book on Buddhangala went into 10
reprints. Tarulenhela monastery is the
old Habutagala vihara built by Kavantissa, said Medhananda. (continued)
In
regard to the passage of the 19 Amendment to the Constitution of
Sri Lanka there are still key questions lingering. The highest Court of
the Island in its determinations made it abundantly clear that the proposed
changes need to go before a Referendum. But the government of
Ranil Wickremasinghe and TNA used back-door tactics to pass it on the floor of
the House. The former Speaker Mr Karu Jayasuriya gave his
stamp of approval to make it into law.
Did
speaker ignore the court determinations? From where did he derive
the Constitutional power to do so?
GENERAL
ELECTION:
The
current Election Commission has repeatedly failed to conduct the elections on
time. For the past four and half years, they have been paid their
salaries and emoluments in full by the State. They were employed for the
sole and exclusive purpose of organising and the conducting elections at
the appropriate time, as an Independent Institution.
In
most recent situations, the Elections Commission on 19 March, 2020
postponed the elections date without announcing an alternative date.
On
3 April, the Election Commission took an unusual and unwarranted action of
writing to the President of Sri Lanka, recommending him to seek Supreme Court
advise to seek an alternative date or MAKE ALTERNATIVE. ( It is
presumed MAKE ALTERNATIVE” meaning recalling the old Parliament!).
After the EC was told by the Presidential Secretariat to do his job as per its
mandate, few days later the EC, on its own, fixed 20 June as the new date.
It
is interesting that Mr Sumanthiran sought an injunction from the Supreme Court
to issue a restraining order on the EC to refrain from issuing preferential
numbers for the candidates. The Court disallowed the application
and took the position that the EC is free to make a decision.
The
EC on this matter had two options: 1. To take necessary steps to continue
administrative matters to conduct the election. 2. To delay taking any
further actions until the final determinations by the Court.
The
EC took the second option. Did EC jump the Gun or shot itself in the
foot?
Quarantined Dr.Nachiar Thondaman pens a touching letter to her dead father, the noted Sri Lankan political leader Arumugan Thondaman
Colombo, June 2 (DBSJeyaraj.com): Dr. Nachiar Thondaman working in a middle-eastern country is the eldest daughter of Ceylon Workers; Congress (CWC) Leader and Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister Arumugan Thondaman who passed away on May 26, 2020. She arrived in Colombo days ago but is undergoing quarantine in accordance with anti-COVID health procedures. Unable to participate in her father’s funeral, Dr. Nachiar took to the pen and wrote down her random thoughts as a letter to him in a bid to cope with her personal tragedy. By doing so, she has revealed the softer side of Arumugan who has a tough strong man image due to his style of politics. A part of this letter was read out by her brother Jeevan at Thondaman’s funeral. Here is the letter in full:
Dear Father,
How are you doing? It has been days since I got that dreaded call and found out that you had left us. After hours of travel and endless tears, I eagerly reached home only to be quarantined. Every day I see what this disease can do, and how many lives it has taken, however my irrational anger is deafened by my duty as a doctor.
I believe we have to do all that it takes to get through this as a nation and I applaud the government for its efforts to contain this pandemic. Although, as a daughter who has just lost her precious father, I am angered. I want to be with you now but I am forced to contain my grief behind a mask and four walls. I battle this out only to find that there is no correct answer. I should do what is right and that is my duty. I know you agree with me.
I was annoyed when you were a stereotypical father who expected his eldest daughter to become a doctor. I fought with you several times when I had consecutive night shifts and couldn’t meet you due to the same and missed out on multiple family gatherings. Being a young and inexperienced intern at that time, I blamed it all on you.
As I grew, I met my second love – Emergency Medicine, but my first love is of course your son-in law, who is grieving by himself miles away. The special bond that you both shared irked me because I didn’t want my husband to be as close to you as I was. I have to tone down on this possessiveness. I will save that story for another day.
Arumugan Thondaman with wife Rajapakshmi and first born Nachiar
I began to love working in Emergency Medicine and I was blessed with wonderful mentors. The roles had reversed now and you were saying See Nachi, this is all because I made you study medicine”.
Yes, you did dad, you already saw the purpose of my life. All the insignificant fights we have had are meaningless now. I realize now what an opportunity you have given me to help this world at this critical time.
I read articles on your impressive political career and the strong figure that you were. Growing up in boarding schools didn’t give us the opportunity to spend as much time with you as we would have liked, but you never let us feel that void.
I also want people to know how much you enjoyed going to amusement parks with us as we nervously watched you go on the roller coasters like an excited child. You celebrated all our birthdays like it was an annual festival so much so that our 6th grade friends still speak about it. You gave us a childhood that was unforgettable. As we grew from being kids to teenagers you went from father to friend. You always said Nachi, there is only a 20-year gap between us (he had me when he was 21).
Arumugan Thondaman with his two daughters,son Jeevan and gran daughter Maya
Also when I announced I was pregnant with Maya, my first born, I will never forget your reaction- Nachi I’m not ready to be a grandfather yet! But what a loving and wonderful grandfather you were.
I miss your laughter the most. You laughed at your own jokes and would repeat it 3 times until we laughed and gave you the approval that it was humorous.
Father, you were the mountain that shielded me from this harsh world.Where do I look for the strength to get through your passing?
I am afraid to answer calls from friends and family and grieve your loss. It is suddenly all too real.
Arumugan Thondaman at the wedding of daughter Dr.Nachiar
My heart longs to be around you, touch you and hold your cold hands as I see you lying there motionless in every picture. I get scared of the people coming in large numbers to pay their respects to you because of the Pandemic we are facing and constantly message my siblings to prevent large crowds gathering as it may pose a health hazard. I wonder how my little brother and sister are coping without me but I live in the faith that you and my Aiyah” (great grandfather) are watching over them. I wonder if you can hear my cries and know that I want to make peace with you? I will let you go only when I can.
I feel your presence with every waking day and I am trying hard to process your absence one day at a time. I want to hold you tight and tell you I will take care of everything from this moment. Please sleep peacefully dear father and don’t worry about a thing anymore. You deserve to finally rest. You have worked harder than anybody I know. I will love you forever.
I hope you don’t have to wear a mask to wherever you are going because I know you would have hated it.
Love,
Nachiar Your favourite child (Its true!)
(The featured image at the top shows Arumugan Thondaman with daughters Nachiar, Vijayalakshmi and son Jeevan)
Four new cases of Coronavirus have been identified increasing the total number of confirmed cases reported in the country to 1,653.
Meanwhile the number of new cases reported within today (02) has reached 10.
This includes a total of 07 navy personnel from Iranamadu, Kalpitiya and Mulankavil quarantine centres.
The other three include a close associate of a navy sailor who is also from the Kalpitiya quarantine centre, a returnee from Dubai who is in Giragama quarantine centre and a returnee from Russia who is currently in Pitipana quarantine centre.
The total number of Covid-19 cases reported in the country thus far has risen to 1,653.
A total of 819 patients with virus are currently under medical care while 823 have recovered so far.
Printing of ballot papers for the General Election 2020 was commenced from today (02), the Government Printer, Gangani Kalpana Liyanage said.
Over 17 million ballot papers are due to be printed for the upcoming election.
The printing of ballot papers is expected to be completed as soon as possible despite issues of employee attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government Printer said.
Meanwhile, the Elections Commission is to hold a special meeting tomorrow (03) to discuss the preliminary matters related to holding the general election.
However, Chairman of the Election Commission Mahinda Deshapriya stated that a final decision on the election date would not be arrived at, at this meeting.
The Supreme Court has refused to grant leave to proceed with the Fundamental Rights petitions filed challenging the date set by the Elections Commission for the General Election.
The consideration of the petitions which lasted over a period of 10 days came to a conclusion last evening (01) and the court’s decision was set to be announced today (02).
Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya stated that the initial objections raised by the respondent party regarding the petitions have been rejected by the majority of the five-member judge bench.
Accordingly, all Fundamental Rights petitions filed with this regard will be dismissed without being taken up for hearing.
The petitions were heard before the Supreme Court’s five-member judge bench consisting of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, Justices Buwaneka Aluvihare, Sisira de Abrew, Priyantha Jayawardena, and Vijith Malalgoda.
Seven parties including Attorney at Law Charitha Gunaratne, Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA), and Journalist Victor Ivan, Samagi Jana Balawegaya filed Fundamental Rights petitions challenging the election date set by the Elections Commission.
The Attorney General, on behalf of the President, Chairman of the Election Commission Mahinda Deshapriya, and Members of the Commission N. J. Abeysekara and Ratnajeevan Hoole have been named as respondents of the petition.
International news of CNN published that China is becoming to replace the USA in international aid, the total Chinese aid from the year 2000 to 2014 was US $ 354 billion of which a quantum of aid has gone to African nations where combinedly received the US $ 32 billion for 704 projects. Many African countries with rich mining resources were under the rule of European countries, which indiscriminately exploited them but never provided such huge economic supports. An assistant professor of Politics at the University of British Columbia University found in research that Chinese aid was more attractive to developing countries because no political strings attached Chinese aid which quickly and efficiently disbursed than the assistance from Western nations.
The current Chines Leader Xi Jinping
initiated many changes in the Chinese economy after the election to the
leadership in 2012 and China’s party conference, Mr. Xi Jinping indicated that
his willingness to opening its economy further to the world and CNN pointed out
that Huge sums are also expected to be channeled into Xi’s grand plan for
building up roads, ports and other infrastructure along the historic silk
road” trading routes across Asia, Europe, and Africa. Dubbed the belt and road
initiative it aims to create a growing trade network with China at its heart.”
China has played a critical role in
the Asian region’s economic development and the growth objectives of all
countries in the region are being dependent on the Chinese economy because
China has involved in trade with all countries.
Sri Lanka had a close relationship with China for a long period and the
relationship had a broader feature such as religious, cultural exchanges, and
the supports for infrastructure development of the country. The impartial American analysis is that
Chinese aid supported to a 0.4% increase in world economic growth. Many developing countries concerned about the
effects of Western aid in pushing for political reforms.
People in Sri Lanka observed that
after the defeat of the Rajapaksa regime in 2015 Western nations push for a new
constitution, the abolition of the power of the elected president, and changing
the election system in the country. The advice directed to Sri Lanka after 2015
created a constitutional mess and the court system has become one of the
justice systems that involved in jurisdiction matters of inutile case
hearing.
The experience after the local
government election in 2018 showed that the 19th amendment to the constitution
made under the advice of the Western countries pushed Sri Lanka into a
political and administrative mess.
People of Sri Lanka do not like such a by force pushing to change the
political system. As impartial American analysis indicates Chinese supports is
significant to lift the economic growth to more than 7%. During the Rajapaksa regime, China helped Sri
Lanka to maintain a higher economic growth but under the Sirisena
-Wickramasinghe regime the growth has declined to 3.2%.
The Western rulers in Sri Lanka bought
democratic political principles to the country but they were unable to win the
hearts of people as the motives of Western rulers involved in a secret agenda
destroying the religious and cultural values of the country, which were rooted
in Sri Lanka’s society during many centuries.
One of the examples that people did not trust in the Western values was
the story written by Lenard Wolf in the Village in the Jungle. Lenard Wolf, who was a British administrator
in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, clearly indicated how the democratic
justice system of Western rulers did work against the poor Sri Lankans. Justice means justice which should be equal
to everybody but the British justice system has failed to give justice to a
poor person.
The democratic values bought to Sri
Lanka were vital to changing society.
Despite the purpose of democratic values, Western rulers attempted to
interpret values in different ways and used the values to divide society. Western rulers in Sri Lanka did not support
for achieving the dream of people. It seems that people of Sri Lanka would
never see Western democratic philosophy as a superior doctrine and many views
that democratic philosophy divided the unity of the country and deranged the
community. A former Indian foreign
secretary commented in a book written by him that the last period of civil war
in the country, Norway wanted to stop the killing of Prabhakaran and allow the
terrorist leader to kill more people in the country. Many occasions Western countries promised to
provide financial support for the economic revival of Sri Lanka but they never
provided support as promised.
During the 2015 election, Mr. Ranil
Wickramasinghe who strongly opposed to Chinese assistance and later people saw
that he was bow down to China looking for assistance. Some English journalists
in Sri Lanka were of opinion that Mr. Wickramsinghe’s hate speeches against
Chinese aid and China caused many negative consequences to Sri Lanka after the
2015 elections. After the election results, many Chinese aid projects were
halted by the new government, and several big projects were later changed as
the way China wanted.
During the Korean boom Sri Lanka had
an opportunity to manage a good trade balance but when the boom ended the
country faced the most critical issues in the economy. It had an excess production of rubber and a
shortage of staple food rice. At that
time. China embarked on Sri Lanka as a survivor of the economy through China Sri
Lanka rubber rice pact, which was initiated by RG Senanayake despite the opposition
of JR Jayawardene within the cabinet.
Many Western countries or India did not come to help Sri Lanka during
that difficult period. People cannot blame to India as it had many problems
with a higher population. In the late 1990s prof. Dudley Seers severely
criticized the China-Ceylon Rubber Rice Pact and gave a very bad picture of the bilateral agreement.
Since the China-Sri Lanka rubber rice
pact, which was a bilateral aid agreement, China extended supports to Sri Lanka
in a variety of aid packages and India looked at them with a negative point of
view because Indian attitudes towards neighboring countries were based on
hegemony rather than friendship and coexistence between countries. It may
influence international politics. Under the administration of the current prime
minister in India, the attitudes of foreign policymakers toward neighboring
countries wanted to change but it does not appear that India has radically
changed its attitudes toward neighbors. However, after the election of Mr.Gotabaya
Rajapaksa, India has made an innate change toward the style of administration
of Sri Lanka.
When a country is seeking economic
supports from another country it needs understanding that the supports are
successfully working and sustain if it contains mutual benefits to both
countries. When Sri Lanka seeks supports
from China Sri Lanka needs support to China in return for the benefits gain. A traditional Sinhala saying was that if anyone
drank water from a river and attempt to praise the ocean for that advantage
gained it is not the way of expressing gratitude. The experience in Sri Lanka shows that it
obtained support from China in many instances but the country did not attempt
to express the gratitude in right ways.
For example, after the civil war, Sri Lanka faced a grave international
situation with human rights issues and war crimes investigations.
When the
country was in a difficult time after ending the civil war, the Rajapaksa
regime was given strong support by China and Russia, if a situation to let down
Sri Lanka arose, both countries promised to exercise their power, most probably
veto power against the international attempts to condemn Sri Lanka. India
was also concerned about the international developments against Sri Lanka which
might later direct to India too. However, the election campaign in 2015 was
manipulated to a hidden motivation of international forces against China, but
the frustrated domestic politicians got caught to international forces with
knowing or without knowing of undisclosed hidden objectives of foreign
forces. The politics of the domestic
front to defeat the Rajapaksa regime was formed by an unholy collision with
contradictory hidden objectives, and they used to criticize China against the
Rajapaksa regime in the political platform.
That was the mistake that the yahapalana regime was done during the
election period in 2015.
Current
Sri Lanka’s economy has gone to backwardness in many areas such as foreign
assets, international trade, employment generation, inflation, interest rate,
poverty, and many other areas. The live television shows indicate that people
were demanding the government to reduce inflation and reliefs for day to day difficulties. The president and the prime minister of the
current regime need to tell the truth to people. The Public might disappoint on
the condition created by the COVID pandemic and they should understand that the
president or the prime minister cannot order economic growth or to reduce the
prices of goods and services or to away the corona pandemic they are an effect
on the market process.
The
solution to this backwardness is increasing the pace of economic growth and
current Sri Lanka needs injecting the US $ 100 billion or more to the economy
during the next ten years, however, the economy of the country has no such a
capacity and the COVID pandemic has flattened the incoming flow of foreign
exchange to the country. Many political reforms, which were taken after 1980
increased spending, which was covered by corruption in previous regimes and no
gains received from such spending.
China
provides about the US $ 400 billion foreign assistance to 140 countries it is
obvious from current international aid statistics that Sri Lanka cannot get a
large sum of cash aid from China during the next 10 years, but Sri Lanka can
share this requirement with China using non-cash supports opening the country
to Chinese investments in private business and the government sector.
Many cash
assistance needs to pay back and it would impact the repayment capacity of the
country. The attraction of cash and
another form of loan for investments have a positive impact on debt services.
The policymakers of Sri Lanka need to understand how a country could get
supports from China without going into a debt trap. There are many techniques,
which could be used to avoid the debt burden to the country, however, Sri Lanka
needs to get assistance from China without gaining debt burdens.
Sri Lanka
urgently needs Chinese helps for several vital areas. Tourism development based on cultural and
religious-based would enhance foreign exchange earning quickly, however, there
are several barriers in the area. When
there is a feeling about the risk of movement, the motivation for travel may be
a downward trend. To deal with this trend the government needs to obtain
support from the Chinese government to encourage tourists from China to Sri
Lanka.
Tourism
has identified as an effective to foreign exchange earnings and employment
generation, nevertheless, the tourism sector suffered from constraints of
planning and investments because the policymakers are lacking knowledge and
skills in planning sectoral policies to competitively improve the
industry. The tourist arrivals from
China should be annually increased to 5 million. The current economic trend in the region
shows that this is an achievable target with many improvements in the sector
with supports of China, the industry needs direct injections of ideas to
attract people and investment should be cooperative with China sharing the
benefits to both sides. To attract tourists from China and the inflow of
investment need changes in the style of business management.
The
government may be looking for cash injections like how did Gorbachev seek cash
when the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s, it would not happen. Sri Lanka needs broad support from China to
make a positive impact on society.
Sri Lanka
requires tourism sector employees with the ability to speak in the Chinese
language. Chinese tourists are not concerned about the English language and
want to converse with their language.
Although Sri Lankans treat English as superior Chinese tourists don’t
care about it. Educating the Chinese language to the Sri
Lankan tourism sector employees is an essential condition to attract tourists
from China while expanding tourism infrastructure, which needs large scale
hotels as well as many medium-sized and small hotels. The revenue of tourists
is the major factor in selecting residence and usually people tours once in
three years or four years. Chinese
tourists like the place where they visit, if places have an environment with a
Chinese style speaking in Mandarin language, opportunities with light gambling
services, leisure activities, good security, excellently clean services in a
residential environment. Many residential services in the tourism industry in
Sri Lanka have no clean environment.
Sri Lanka
has thousands of religious places related to all religions and they need to
organize and develop as shrines and worshiping places to domestic and foreign
tourists. Many religious administrators have no clear understanding of the
management of places the management of the environment, religious programs and
finance, and many matters. The most significant characteristic of Shinto
Buddhism in Japan is to maintain a very clean attractive place to visitors of
the shrines bring them the second time.
It needs training in religious administrators. The best example for this is Japan how they
use shrines as an attractive place for tourists. Although these activities are costly, they
will generate a massive volume of employment for the country.
The other
essential requirement is the abolition or reduction of the charges for a
tourist visa to US$10 for 30 days period because Sri Lanka needs to maintain
the sustainability of the industry rather than exploiting tourists. As a result
of radical changes in the tourism industry, the country can increase tourist
arrivals from China to five million annually during the next ten years.
Without
cash injecting into the economy of Sri Lanka, China can encourage its business
community to invest in Joint ventures in Sri Lanka. The concept of joint ventures directly helps
Sri Lankans to learn business management and the application of
technology. The process should not be
limited to a specific area of the country.
There are
potentials to develop joint ventures for agriculture, industry, construction,
and services, and the investment ratio in a joint venture should be limited to
or specified to a ratio identified by the government. Chinese investors can
offer shares of the business to Sri Lankan and convert the business project to
joint ventures. This type of investment
would not affect the debt level of the country and the government’s role is to
protect such ventures and liberalize to control the repatriation of earned
profits.
The
current government of Sri Lanka has no intention to make serious damage to the
port and industrial park developments initiated during the Rajapaksa regime
before 2015. It is quite clear that Sri Lanka would not gain any advantage
through impediments enforcing against Chinese investments. The country needs
investments from China and India. Both countries could offer supports to Sri
Lanka. Whichever the political party in
Sri Lanka needs understanding that short-term political rhetoric should not mix
with long-term economic development policies.
China has
effectively and massively engaged in economic development in the Asian region
without involving political or ideological differences. Chinese investments in Korea, Taiwan Vietnam,
Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines positively impacted economic
development and similar way Sri Lanka must allow Chinese investors to engage in
economic activities. In this way, Sri
Lanka should allow Chinese banks to open branches in Sri Lanka because the
baking system in the country has no sufficient capital to finance for foreign
investors. A massive volume of lending
capacity of trading banks in Sri Lanka stuck with non-performing credits to
government and private sectors, the saving capacity of Sri Lanka is not
sufficient to maintain required capital adequacy to make massive quantum of
investment finance. The basic incentive
to attract Chinese private investments is allowing Chinese banks to open
branches in Sri Lanka and allow such branches to attract deposits from Chines
people from all over the world. This strategy would massively increase foreign
exchange reserves supporting to increase and stabilize the international value
of Sri Lanka Rupee.
When the
market economic system began in 1978, Sri Lanka’s government allowed foreign
banks to open branches, despite the opposition directed by domestic banks for
paying interest on current account balances, liberalized credit conditions of
foreign banks, many American and European bank branches were opened but they
left the country after July riots in 1983.
Now Sri Lanka’s war is over, and there is a good environment for
investments despite the opposition to Chinese investments.
Do
Chinese investments limit to industrial activities? This is a critical question because of
political opinion concerns that investments in agriculture and plantation
industry should be in the hands of Sri Lankans, however, agriculture especially
the production of rice and agriculture-based industries such as sugar
production and many others desperately need modernization with new technology,
product invention and cost minimization with improved product qualities.
Agriculture and plantation industry alone could be double the production and
product quality if the right innovations and qualities applied, therefore, Sri
Lanka could massively improve agriculture and plantation sectors with Chinese
investments and need opening these two sectors for Chinese investment as joint
ventures.
Another four individuals have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the Ministry of Health confirmed a short while ago.
The latest cases have been found among those who had returned from Bangladesh, according to the Department of Government Information.
Ten cases have been identified from the country so far today (01). Among them are 06 foreign returnees, 02 Navy personnel, and 02 close associates of Army personnel.
Accordingly, the total count of coronavirus cases in Sri Lanka is now at 1,643 cases with 821 of them still under medical care.
811 patients have been discharged from the relevant hospital after recovering.
A foreign returnee who has tested positive for the novel coronavirus had moved the COVID-19 case count in Sri Lanka to 1,634.
According to the Epidemiology Unit if the Health Ministry, 812 active cases of the coronavirus infection are currently under medical care at selected hospitals across the country.
Meanwhile, with 10 patients marking their recoveries today (01), the total tally of recoveries reported in the country has come to stand at 811 cases.
Sri Lanka witnessed its 11th death from the coronavirus this morning (01) as a 45-year-old male who had returned from Kuwait succumbed to the disease at the Homagama Hospital.
The Attorney General has instructed the Director of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) to obtain a warrant and arrest the former OIC of the Welikada Police Station.
The Attorney General has instructed the CCD to obtain a warrant from a court to arrest the former Welikada OIC on charges of fabricating false evidence in the case filed over the accident involving former minister Patali Champika Ranawaka in Rajagiriya.
The major dream of Sri Lankans since
the political independence from Western colonial rules has been to become a
developed nation, which could deliver the prosperity to citizens of the
country. The evidence in the past
indicates that the economic policy of monarchical reigns of the country was
able to accomplish the expectations of people to a reasonable extent, as in
history, the wants of people were limited to an arm’s length. Sri Lankan society was aligned to a
seclusion status, in which the expectations of people were bounded to basic
needs. The idea may be challenged by historians
as the western theorems explained that past information would be irrelevant for
making decisions for the future. It is an agreeable view, and the motivation of
people is to revisiting the prosperity that had enjoyed in the past and might
be an equal society without class differences. Peoples’ motivation is to go
along with modernization despite the artificial misleading in modern society.
Many archaeologists say that
International trade and relations had been intact before the beginning of the
Sinhala state. The ethnic groups in the
country also restricted to a few in the past, who did not demonstrate the
desire of dividing the country with the support of foreign forces. In such a background, Sinhala kings satisfied
the anticipation of people, despite the minor opposition that remained against
the style of ruling in history.
Historical evidence further confirms
that Buddhism as the major religion of the country had been played a central
and critical role to unite people and guided the political authority to
formulate the right economic policies, justice in administration, cultural
development, and advancement of civilization with a network of concrete social
values. The Buddhist philosophy focuses
to control the desires of people, encouraged sharing the wealth, and looking
after the poor people. People in
historical society were listening to religious guidance and attempted to
develop religious principles in the day to day life of people. The Buddhist philosophy effectively
contributed to managing the country as a peaceful state and guided Sinhala
kings to follow the ruling quality, which was called Dasa Raja Dharmaya”,
which was a concept that equals to high-quality governance.
However, the peaceful political,
economic, and cultural environment of Sri Lanka was challenged by Indian
invaders, who attempted to destroy the economic, political, social, and
cultural stability of the country. The
different kinds of invaders arrived from South Indian provinces and attempted
to destroy Sri Lanka with a secret agenda, and they had vicious elements
against Sinhala people and attempted to destabilize the country by economic,
cultural, social, and religious destructions.
There was no historical evidence that the ruling governments at that
time in India supported those invaders, but later especially after the
independence in 1948, provides clear evidence that the Indian government
directly involved in disturbing Sri Lanka’s administration creating the LTTE
terrorist movement with the financial support from India.
As a result of Indian influences, the
dream of people of Sri Lanka visibly blotted many occasions. The current
challenge of the country is defeating the divisive attitudes of people
intending to achieve the major dream of people.
To convert the dreams into a reality, Sri Lanka desperately needs
broader support from the outside. Sri
Lanka where has a very small market inside and the quality of products and
services of the country are needed to be tremendously improved to the
international level with the support of the outside world.
The current market conditions also
indicate that Sri Lanka cannot be a strong industrial nation without exportable
high-quality productions, but the country has a strong potential to be a nation
with high-quality services such as real estate, financial, fuel supply,
leisure, tourism, and many others. While this idea had in mind, the COVID
pandemic emerged in 2019 that has forced to change the direction of economic
activities, especially to promote a production base (Agriculture) with a higher
volume and quality and maintain the above-mentioned services absorbing the
external and internal socks with alternative strategies. At present, economic
planners have the challenge to adjust the contributing ratio from different
sectors of the economy while increasing production.
After the 2015 Presidential and
general elections, it seemed that India and Western nations failed to honestly
help Sri Lanka as the way promised before the elections. The West with India ignored the supports for
realizing the dream of people and appeared that they were distancing from the
promises. It should acknowledge that India extended short-term supports to deal
with maintaining foreign exchange reserves (by a currency swap agreement). It
needs to acknowledge that India also extends supports to Sri Lanka under the
presidency of Mr.Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who requested a currency swap of $ 1.1
billion. It was widely published that India secretly influenced to defeat the
Rajapaksa regime, which especially concerned about achieving development
targets that associated with China to achieve the dream of people.
The presidential election in 2019
gave a clear message to the West that the secret strategy in 2015 would not
last with and new president, Mr.Gotabaya Rajapaksa who is working with a clear
understanding that how to deal with other countries and international forces.
This point has been recently confirmed by the prime minister of India.
Current official economic statistics
demonstrate that Sri Lanka’s economic achievements have transposed to a lower
level with a strong influence of the corona pandemic. In 2015 the foreign
forces targeted to defeat the Rajapaksa regime to break the association with
China and during the yahapalana regime, the western countries have abandoned
the country without supporting major economic projects such as Colombo Port
City and Hambantota Port and other investment projects. It may have been the
influence made by Singapore as the plan to construct Kra Cannel would
negatively impact on the revenue flow of Singapore.
The governor of the Central Bank of
Sri Lanka during the yahapalana regime stated: when he observed that the west
abandoned the country, Sri Lanka desperately need the support of China and the
country is in a difficult situation to find large-scale investors, who can
support getting out from current problems”. In fact, during the election period
in 2015, the yahapalana advocates ruthlessly criticized China without knowing
the truth about the economic strength of China and now they are gradually
realizing the fact that China can honestly help Sri Lanka’s people to achieve
the dream.
During the COVID crisis, it observed
that many international issues against China manipulated by West, Sri Lanka as
a small nation shall not be engaged in such pointless arguments and the role of
the country is to concern with own issues some stupid guys in Sri Lanka, who
doesn’t knowledge of protocol write rubbish in websites and people of the
country are not responsible for minority stupidity and China knows the root
cause for such foolishness.
Ven. Rambukwelle Siddhartha has
played a significant role in the preservation of indigenous culture in Sri Lanka.
But his contribution has not been recognized and not much is known about him. I
searched the literature for references to Ven. Siddhartha, and also asked a friend
in Kandy, to find out something about Ven. Siddhartha.
My friend, who has a distant kinship
connection to this family, had gone to Rambukwelle temple, situated in the old
Teldeniya area. She was shown the grave of Ven. Siddhartha containing his ashes
and giving his years of birth and death.
She has also met descendants of Ven., Siddhartha in Rambukwelle village.
She was told that that a nephew of Ven. Siddhartha, the son of Siddhartha’s
brother, (name with held) had manuscript material on the Ven. Siddhartha. She
conveyed this information to me.
Ven. Rambukwelle Siddhartha was born on 12th December
1889 and died on 8th November 1941. Nothing is known publicly of his childhood,
youth or his ordination. The family may be having this information.
What we do know is that he had gone to
Calcutta with Anagarika Dharmapala where he came under the influence of Tagore.He
obtained a degree in Calcutta, returned home and joined the University College
in Colombo where he taught Sinhala. He lived in Horton Place when teaching at University.
K.N.O.Dharmadasa, writing on the origins of
the Department of Sinhala of the University of Ceylon, observed, that there was
a high standard of written Sinhala in Sri Lanka in the first half of the 20th
century. That is because bhikkhus such as Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala and Ratmalane
Dhammarama and lay scholars such as W.F .Gunawardhana had set high standards
for Sinhala. There was also an active Pirivena education system at the time,
led by Vidyodaya (1873) and Vidyalankara (1875) which insisted on good Sinhala.
This tradition of Sinhala scholarship,
nurtured in the Pirivena was transferred to the Sinhala Department of the
University, said Dharmadasa. The first two lecturers in Sinhala in University
College in the 1940s were Ven. Suriyagoda Sumangala and Ven. Rambukwelle
Siddhartha, both from the Pirivena tradition.
The first lecturer to be appointed to the
Department of Sanskrit, Pali, and Sinhala was Rev. Suriyagoda Sumangala who
held an MA from the University of Calcutta, continued Dharmadasa. His career
which started with much promise ended suddenly with his resignation during the
mid-1920s. The next noteworthy lecturer who joined the department was Rev.
Rambukwelle Siddhartha who also held an MA from Calcutta. Unfortunately, his
career too ended with his sudden demise before the University came into being, concluded
Dharmadasa.
There are scattered references which
indicate that Ven. Siddhartha was influential in the University. An
appreciation of Ven. Narada of Vajiraramaya, Colombo, said
that Narada studied ethics and philosophy at the University College, Colombo, as
an external student, where he was able to associate closely with Ven.
Rambukwelle Siddhartha , an oriental scholar monk of repute”. Olcott
Gunasekera confirms this. He stated that Narada had studied ethics and
philosophy at University College, Colombo and met Rambukwelle Siddhartha, an
oriental scholar monk.
An appreciation of Prof. O.H.de A Wijesekera
included a reference to Ven. Siddhartha. Venerable Rambukwelle Siddhartha,
Senior Lecturer in the Department Sanskrit, Pali and Sinhalese
was inculcating in his pupils a love for indigenous literature and the culture
of the land, said the writer of this appreciation. Similarly, an appreciation
of Ediriweera Sarachchandra also
included a reference to Ven. Siddhartha. ‘Some academics
serving at the university led by Ven. Rambukwelle Siddhartha and Prof. G. P.
Malalasekara succeeded in inspiring a feeling for the indigenous culture among
university students’ it said.
But Ven. Siddhartha did not escape criticism. The Sinhala standard at the University College was heavily criticized
by Sinhala scholars outside the University , said Dharmadasa. Hela Havula group carried on a relentless
campaign against the teachers and teaching of Sinhala in University College. Hela
Havula attacked them, specially Rev
Rambukwelle Siddhartha who was lecturing there. When Ven. Siddhartha passed away, they
criticized the grammar in the obituary poem published on Ven. Siddhartha, as well.
Here is a formal photograph of the teaching
staff of the University College. The date is not given but it can be
easily obtained from University records.
It is probably early 1930s. Ven. Siddhartha is in the second row.
A
Sinhala literary society was started in University College in 1923. It appears to
have been a shaky organisation. In 1932, there weren’t even five
students to make up the quorum and the meetings were cancelled, recalled Tissa
Kariyawasam. However, in the 1930s, the University College Sinhala Society was
interested in Kandyan dancing due to the teaching of Rambukwelle Siddhartha there,
continued Kariyawasam. Malalasekera watching the activities of this society
wanted to initiate practical classes in Kandyan dancing but this never materialised, concluded Kariyawasam. The biographer of Pani
Bharatha, Anura Priyalal Sirisena added that Ven. Siddhartha had tried to link
Udarata dance and Indian dance.
The Oriental Faculty of University College had
held an annual Mela which showcased indigenous culture. This was intended as a
corrective to the Eurocentric approach favoured by the University .My recall is that Ven. Siddhartha’s name was mentioned
in connection with the Mela too.
Ven.
Siddhartha’s family in Teldeniya had told my friend that Ven. Siddhartha had
known nine languages. This is possible. He would have known Sanskrit, Pali, Sinhala,
probably Bengali. He definitely knew English.
There is evidence of this. Ven. Rambukwella has edited and translated
theLetters of J.
D’Oyly. This was published by the Historical Manuscripts Commission in 1937.
Ven. Siddhartha, unlike most Bhikkhus of the
time, was well travelled. He has spent several years in each of the two
international centers, to which the intelligentsia of the time flocked , Calcutta in India and London in the UK. In addition to
Calcutta, Ven. Rambukwelle has also lived in London. He was the incumbent
bhikkhu at London Buddhist Vihara from 1933-1937. G.Uswatte arachchi says Ven. Siddhartha
was at the School of African and Asian
studies (SOAS).
This writer, Kamalika Pieris, writing on
indigenous dance stated ‘Ven. Rambukwelle Siddhartha knew to dance, sing vannam and play
the udekki. He composed a new Gajaga vannama.’ This was based on a statement by Tissa Kariyawasam.
Rambukwelle
Siddhartha, with the assistance of Urapola Kiribanda used to sing vannamas
playing the udekki, recalled Tissa Kariyawasam. Siddhartha thera was a clever
singer and dancer too. He was the composer of the new Gajaga vannama, added
Kariyawasam. Uswatte arachchi supported this view. Rambukwelle Siddhartha was reputed to be able to
sing Vannam beautifully, said Uswatte arachchi. This is all I have been able to find out about
Ven. Rambukwelle Siddhartha.
As
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse said holding of the elections is the duty of
the Elections Commission. Has it discharged its constitutional
obligations?
For
the past four and half years, it failed to conduct several elections at lower
level of democratic governance structure. It had various reasons,
some of the reasons were due to so called delimitation issues. But
previous government and the TNA successfully combined together to somehow
influence the EC to succumb to postponing elections.
The
President dissolved the Parliament on 2nd March, 2020.
The 2nd of June, 2020 is not far away. The Supreme Court
is still going through the petitions.
These
are interesting issues for Law Students as well as Legal Practitioners.
If
the EC had conducted the Elections as it was scheduled to be held on May 27,
by now we have a new parliament.
On
Covid19, Sri Lanka had 10 deaths, less than 1%, compares very favourably
with world standards. Our health system is likely to attract
international attention for an excellent workmanship.
On
the other hand our Elections Commission is likely to attract international
attention for an not so excellent workmanship.
Sri Lanka’s 1983 July riots” cannot omit to mention the killing of 13 Sri Lankan soldiers that presumably precipitated and justified the attack that came to be termed a ‘racial’ ‘ethnic riot’. No one thought to question how killing of 13 soldiers on 23 July by LTTE terrorists and an attack organized by the ruling government could end up getting classified as a racial/ethnic riot. Fast forward to 2020 – riots are taking place across US precipitated as a result of 4 US policemen killing 1 black American. These riots cannot be termed racial/ethnic either. There are many similarities to be taken from these two incidents while also providing some food for thought particularly the need to exonerate the Sinhalese who have been unfairly accused of attacking the minority Tamils, just as all white Americans should not be attacked for what happened to George Floyd. As can be seen from the riots across the US, many white Americans angered by killing of George Floyd joined the protests, just as many a Sinhalese braved the attackers to safeguard their Tamil neighbors and friends in July 1983. Ironically, July 1983 riots is also known as ‘Black July’.
George Floyd was killed by 4 policemen who were using excessive pressure with one policemen’s knee suffocating him to death. All this was screened live. Back in Sri Lanka in 1983 there were no smartphones to record what took and there was no social media to demand justice. George was black and the cops were white. In Sri Lanka, the oft spread narrative was that Sinhalese were attacking Tamils. This was far from the truth but it was politically advantageous for many and Sinhalese became the convenient punching bag for all and sadly continues still.
The US demonstrations that turned into riots that turned into looting, vandalism and anarchy had nothing to do with avenging the death of a black man. The rioters and attackers were not all black. The protestors were also white. How can looting shops, smashing shop windows and car windows or writing graffiti on churches avenge or bring back George Floyd or punish the killers?
Similarly, 13 Sri Lankan soldiers were killed by LTTE. It was true, the soldiers were Sinhalese. 35 Sri Lankan soldiers had been ambushed and killed between 1981 and 1983. It was also true that the government in power decided to use the issue to create an ethnic issue and in so doing incriminated the Sinhalese unfairly. The thugs and governmental backers that attacked Tamil homes did so being brought in buses just like what is taking place in some states in US. President Trump also refers to them as ‘thugs’. The ‘thugs’ in July 1983 Sri Lanka had electoral lists of Tamils. That it was a government-arranged attack is clearly proven by the fact that the rich residential areas where Tamil friends of the government resided were given police/military protection. If this was some spontaneous anti-Tamil attack by Sinhalese, why would only the Government’s Tamil friends be safeguarded and how did they have copies of voter register?
It was the same UNP government that started race attacks in 1978 after coming to power, burnt the Jaffna library in 1981 (attacks on Tamils after LTTE robbed bank & killed 2 policemen) and did not hold democratic elections in 1982.
Just as many a white American felt angered and saddened to watch US police kill a man handcuffed and lying on the floor and joined the demonstrations to protest police aggression, the Sinhalese too boldly came out to safeguard their Tamil friends and neighbors from harm. It may not be savoury to the narrative to bring out these stories of friendship and unity but it is an injustice against the Sinhalese not to do so. For 37 years Sinhalese have been falsely accused of something they never did. Sinhalese did not attack Tamils. Organized thug gangs did.
Would the white Americans like to continuously be held responsible for George Floyd’s murder when none of them took part in it? How fair is the world to judge the white Americans for a crime committed by 4 policemen? Similarly, for what UNP thugs and their leaders in the UNP did, the blame cannot be credited to the Sinhalese just because the story is juicy and more sensational than laying blame upon the then UNP government.
As we see footage of the rioters looting shops, breaking car windows, shop windows, putting graffiti all over churches, setting ablaze police stations, city halls etc — none of these acts are connected to George Floyd’s death neither are they an excuse or justification to loot and cause mayhem. During the 1983 riots many a Tamil home was looted by government patronized thugs who were not only Sinhalese but Muslims and Tamils too. Riots and anarchy provide early Christmas for any looter who doesn’t care what race or religion they belong to so long as they can grab anything valuable to be sold or pawned.
Let’s not forget that with an election looming in the US, the political opposition is all out to destroy the image of the current leader. Much as we may like or dislike him, we cannot overlook the political opportunism that must be taking place. Just like busloads of thugs were transported to attack Tamils by the UNP government, bus-loads of rioters are alleged to be transported in US too. There are some amazing similarities in these two disjointed incidents.
In such a scenario it is impossible to call it an ethnic riot or a riot by Sinhalese against Tamils. Just like the riots taking place across the US cannot be classified as a racial riot. Today, one incident is enough for the mischief vultures to play havoc. This is why most often the false flags and fake stories are being actually funded to cause mayhem by those that have ulterior motives and agendas. It is without a doubt that the July 1983 riots was a well-organized attack but the May2020 unfortunate incident that happened to George Floyd may not have been planned but as a result of government inaction, the mischief makers manipulated and made use of the situation to their advantage. It takes just one stone and a thrower and the rest will be re-written by history.
History must record the George Floyd incident as simply a murder by 4 US cops on their own. Linking the incident to the disproportionate arrests and harassment of blacks by US administration is left to the US Govt. But certainly the 4 cops deserve their due punishment.
History has recorded Sri Lanka’s 1983 July riots unfairly. This injustice to the Sinhalese cannot continue and we hope that the Tamil families who were helped by their Sinhalese friends come forward to undo the injustice to the Sinhalese. We have waited 37 years for justice to prevail and still waiting.
The International Commission of Jurists in their report claims that though the official death toll was 387 – out of this 50 dead were Sinhalese. Their deaths have never got media attention neither has the fact that the ICJ report also includes that some Tamils had destroyed their homes/businesses to collect insurance to facilitate applying for refugee status and lied their way abroad.
Sinhalese do not have to apologize for July1983 just as white Americans don’t have to apologize for George Floyd’s murder but the UNP Govt has to as do the Minneapolis police dept & their superiors.
On 26 May 2020 social media watched a black man (George Floyd) handcuffed and pinned to the pavement pleading to the 4 white American police officers – ‘I can’t breathe’. Onlookers watching George, whose neck was being pressed by a cop’s knee, pleaded for his release. Smartphones enabled the entire world to watch a human life cut short live. George was not the only black man to have been unfairly delivered ‘justice’ and he is unlikely to be the last. What unfolded thereafter across US was a cocktail of maladies coming home to roost in a country that has reigned by its supremacist manipulation of wars, elections, governments, foreign political leaders and even terrorists. What we now foresee is the unfolding of numerous agendas revolved around forthcoming elections abusing protests on behalf of George. America has become a victim of its own manipulations rolled out on other countries now being unleashed at home. The death has also brought to the focus and exposed the double standards of the UNHRC/international human rights organizations and other righteous mouthpieces who remain mum. George Floyd’s death is bringing to the surface a corrupt and unfair international systems & players that needs to now be replaced while signaling the fall of the American empire.
US population is 328m of which Blacks make up 42m – less than 13% of population but accounts for 30% of US shooting fatalities. The US justice system is such that 6.7million are in some form of correctional centre with 2.2million in prison. African Americans are more likely than white Americans to be arrested; once arrested, they are more likely to be convicted; and once convicted, and they are more likely to experience lengthy prison sentences”
UN/UNHRC/Human Rights Groups SILENT
5 days since the murder of George Floyd and not a single statement or condemnation by international entities that does not blink to issue statements if such occurred in other countries. We can recall how UNHRC and entities went to town over Rathupaswela. In US, over 25 states are protesting with riots and curfew imposed and deafening silence from any of these entities. Minneapolis police station itself has been set ablaze. Vandalism, anarchy, windows of cars & shops broken, looting (while America’s rich got $434b richer from corona handouts), are just some of the horrifying footage being relayed across the world. In Chicago there is footage of cops being dragged through the streets. St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City has graffiti all over it and police cars have been set on fire in Philadelphia. Nashvilles historic court house & city hall has been set on fire. Protestors have even approached White House. The white nations called the Third World as uncivilized!
You can be sure that these entities would be writing a different narrative if what was happening in US was happening in a third world country. Such crass bias and hypocrisy is now exposed.
Yet the silence of the UN/HR groups have sealed their bias and their partiality. Media that has been hounding Sri Lanka twisting and turning every incident to denigrate the majority have little to say except to sensationalize and turn the event into political propaganda for their paymasters. It was social media and alternative media that showed the world the injustice to George proving that mainstream media (both print and electronic) are fast losing their sheen. The day of force-feeding news and brainwashing people by editors and columnists-for-life is waning and their shelf life is now virtually over.
While the oft unspoken racism and segregation that existed institutionally and was said to have been resolved, continues still in the US. America’s lack of compassion for humanity except to lavish so in words was seen in its corona record sheet. Always wanting to be the first in all, US ironically has grabbed gold medal for corona deaths now exceeding 100,000 while equally competitive rich EU nations hold the top 10 slots for most corona deaths. Has the curse fallen upon them or is it mere incompetence coming to light and showing that these rich countries who consider everything as a commodity with a price tag cannot look after their own or will not think twice to even grade who they care for, first. Half of all corona fatalities in Europe have been the old and aged in nursing homes in a Western world where to be old is now regarded as a liability for the political and economic system and they are not needed anymore. Human rights have gone to the dogs today.
Those holding mantle as human rights commissioners by their silence have shown they are simply mouthpieces of euro-centric white supremacist ideology. Who wants a world system that hands justice in different formats depending on the victims colour, race, religion – is what ICC is doing against Africa & how UNHRC has violated its own mandate against Sri Lanka creating legally questionable precedents!
We need a new UN located outside the West where the Third World is still waiting accountability and reparations for colonial crimes. Third World must have a larger say as they continue to suffer via neocolonial crimes by the same colonial violators!
Many are manipulating the situation unfolding in US. It is America’s turn to experience the regime change and manipulations America has been masters of. The masters at regime change and false flags are even experiencing busloads of protestors being transported to create mayhem. All that the US funds in other countries is now being enacted back home!
The country that has been delivering democracy, human rights, rule of law, law & order, justice for minorities, anti-racism, ant-discrimination blah blah blah to the world is now aflame because US is guilty of the very acts US accuses other countries of committing!
“When the looting starts, the shooting starts.” Is this US democracy!
