BY JAMES CHAPPLE Courtesy ttg

The carrier has suspended regular flights until 30 April, but is operating selected special services to repatriate visitors.

Limited commercial flight options otherwise remain for Britons seeking to return from the island nation, according to the Foreign Office (FCO) – which has confirmed the Saturday flight.

However, the FCO will not operate dedicated rescue charters until all commercial options are exhausted, and has urged any Britons still in Sri Lanka to return home by commercial means if possible.

“Sri Lankan Airlines have extended the suspension of regular flights until at least 30 April,” said the FCO, which updated its travel advice for Sri Lanka during the early hours of Wednesday morning (15 April).

“However, they will operate a special flight (UL503) from Colombo to London on 18 April. Sri Lankan Airlines have confirmed that seats are available on this special flight.

“Qatar Airways services have been reduced to one flight per day to Doha, with onward connections to the UK. The airline tell us that they intend to keep operating this route for as long as possible. We are unable to say how long that might be.”

The new FCO advice adds: “Airlines operating via the United Arab Emirates, including Emirates and Etihad, have suspended flights out of Colombo indefinitely.

“Some airlines are changing flight schedules with little prior notice. You should keep in close contact with your airline or travel agent.”

The FCO has, meanwhile, convened a rescue flight from Nepal, which will operate on Friday (17 April) from capital Kathmandu.

By Rathindra Kuruwita Courtesy The Diplomat

Beijing first stepped forward to assist Colombo, a move with geopolitical ramifications.

While countries like Sri Lanka have the capacity to implement a pandemic lockdown, they need technical assistance to test the extent of the spread of the novel coronavirus and to determine when it is safe to lift imposed restrictions. They also need funds that can help them weather the economic recession forecasted in the coming months. The World Bank expects a recession in Sri Lanka in the coming months with forecast growth between -3 percent to -0.5 percent for 2020 while PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) expects Sri Lanka’s economy to grow under 2 percent in 2020 if the country manages to contain the COVID-19 pandemic by the middle of the year.

To open up the economy in addition to ensuring that there will not be an outbreak after curfews are lifted, Sri Lanka and others in similar situations need technical assistance to contain the spread of the virus and a model to can follow. China is willing to offer both.

China to the Rescue?

Like many developing nations with extensive government structures, Sri Lanka has responded to COVID-19 with aggressive quarantining, imposing a partial lockdown and by promoting social distancing. Currently, Sri Lanka has entered the fourth week of curfew mandating that Sri Lankans, apart from those engaged in essential services, remain home. While this has ensured that the spread of the disease is low (233 cases by April 15) the country needs to greatly expand its testing capacity and it also needs masks, ventilators and personal protection equipment (PPE), which are in short supply. 

This is a situation faced by many nations in the developing world that have organized quarantines, but lack the technical capacity to ensure that an adequate number of people are tested. Testing is important to diagnose those with the virus and to work out how far the virus has spread in the country; this in turn will allow nations to decide when to lift their lockdowns and to attempt to bring about normalcy. Sri Lanka carried out around 150 PCR tests on average between March 25 and 30 and it has increased that up to 300. However, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA), a professional body comprising of Sri Lanka’s doctors, insist that the country has over 42,000 people who have had contacts with those who have tested positive for COVID-19 and that at least 1,500 tests need to be carried out daily. Moreover, Sri Lanka suffers from a lack of resources and organizational skill to scale up testing. The inability to scale up testing has caused tensions between the GMOA and the Ministry of Health. Given the situation, the Sri Lankan government has turned to the international community for aid and technical assistance. 

China first stepped up. Between late March and early April, the Chinese government and companies that are involved in major projects in Sri Lanka have donated a large amount of masks, PPE, and test kits. Among these companies are China Merchants Port Group (CMPort), the parent company of Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT) and Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG); CHEC Port City Colombo, the company behind the project building a financial centre on 269 hectares of land reclaimed from the sea; Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC), which has won the contracts to build a number of infrastructure projects, including an airport highway; China National Aero-Technology International Engineering Corporation (AVIC-ENG), which built infrastructure projects from highways to water supply projects and Huawei; and a telecommunications giant with an office in Colombo.

China has also granted Sri Lanka a concessionary loan of $500 million, upon request, to aid its efforts to combat COVID-19. Chinese Acting Ambassador Hu Wei earlier presented Sri Lankan Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi a document that details lessons learned in China’s handling of COVID-19, which could be used by Sri Lankan authorities in their own battle against the pandemic.  Sri Lanka also received 20,064 detection kits (PCR-Fluorescence Probing) for COVID-19 from Jack Ma, whose foundation is currently donating 1.8 million masks, 210,000 test kits, 36,000 protective suits, plus ventilators and thermometers to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. 

The United States promised $1.3 million to help protect healthcare workers and slow the spread of the virus with infection prevention and control support.” The European Union (EU) said it will provide a 22 million euro ($24 million) grant to support Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 response. These pledges came on April 9, long after Chinese assistance began flowing.ADVERTISEMENT

Winning the PR War

This also follows favorable media coverage about the manner in which China tackled the COVID-19 epidemic. In recent weeks Sri Lankan doctors and security officials, two groups that have won admiration from the general public for the role they play, have continuously praised the decisiveness of the Chinese government and the discipline of the Chinese people. Thus the methodologies China used to tackle COVID-19 in Wuhan are seen as a model Sri Lanka can follow; this is a situation that can be observed in many countries that have received Chinese assistance. With continuous aid, which makes China seem like a friend in need and the positive coverage of their COVID-19 response, many people no longer see China as the origin of the virus but a model which is to be emulated. 

As earlier mentioned, what countries in the third world lack are the technical means of dealing with COVID-19, from PPE to test kits. In a discussion with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Chinese President Xi Jinping suggested a new Health Silk Road,” through which China will share the lessons learned in combating COVID-19 with partners around the world. China was the first country to respond to Italy’s calls for aid; as such, China won a major PR victory in a country that has been the most open EU nation to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Similarly, Chinese Acting Ambassador to Sri Lanka Hu Wei already shared the Chinese experience with Sri Lankan authorities, even before Sri Lanka imposed a lockdown. This approach has been also used in Serbia, where Chinese specialists have de facto taken charge of their containment efforts. The Chinese assistance turned Serbia from a potential coronavirus hotspot to a relative success story. After the arrival of Chinese specialists, testing is being massively increased and the  Serbians are now also using hospitals to house people with mild symptoms, to prevent them from infecting their families. Sri Lanka is also aggressively separating those who have been potentially exposed to COVID-19 into detention centers. All steps taken from China’s playbook. 

There is a school of literature that highlights the role of aid as a foreign policy tool. Bernhard Reinsberg in 2019 demonstrated that a number of countries had used aid as a part of campaigns to become a temporary member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). This is neither a new phenomenon nor one practiced by one country. In their Introduction to the Geopolitics of Foreign Aid, Helen V. Milner and Dustin Tingley claim that the richest states in the world have used transfers of goods, services, and funds as a means of interacting with other countries” and that while it is hard to pinpoint which goals aid actually achieves. But aid has always had geopolitical ramifications.” 

Foreign aid and loans have been a substantial share of the total government budget of Sri Lanka for decades. Especially in the years following the civil war, Sri Lanka has increasingly turned to non-traditional development partner financial disbursements and government and sovereign bond sales. According to various reports Sri Lanka’s 2017 market borrowings, which included International Sovereign Bonds and Sri Lanka Development Bonds accounted for 53 percent of foreign debt, up from just 3 percent in 2000. 

While Sri Lanka has a reputation for honoring its loans, given the economic slowdown following the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings and the impact of COVID-19, Sri Lanka urged its debtors to give it more time to pay back its loans. It will be difficult for Sri Lanka to access funding from international markets, given the high interest rates; it is likely that the country will seek assistance from donor nations. Given the economic impact of COVID-19, very few nations are likely to be in a position to assist Sri Lanka and so far only China has offered a concessionary loan of $500 million, to be paid in 10 years. As the country struggles to keep its economy going, a large number of companies have announced cuts to salaries and staff. Sri Lanka’s export sector, especially garments and tea, are expected to suffer heavily and, with a large number of migrant workers losing jobs, it is not unrealistic to expect that Sri Lanka will increasingly fall into China’s orbit.

Rathindra Kuruwita is a journalist and a researcher from Colombo, Sri Lanka. He holds a MSc in Strategic Studies from S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, NTU, Singapore. He writes on security and international relations to several publications and has written extensively on Sri Lanka – China relationship.

Courtesy Adaderana

The curfew currently in force in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara,  Puttalam, Kandy and Jaffna which have been identified as High Risk Zones will continue until further notice, the President’s Media Division announced.

In all other districts, curfew will be lifted at 6.00am tomorrow, Thursday, the 16th April and will be re-imposed at 4.00 pm on the same day. Curfew in these areas will be effective until 6.00 am on Monday, the 20th April.

Imposing curfew in these districts after 6.00am on April 20th will be notified later, the statement said.  

The sole purpose of these measures including imposing curfew is to ensure the well-being of the people of this country in this critical situation.” Hence, the Government requests the public to bear the inconveniences caused as a result of ongoing curfew in a responsible manner.

Also, the Government emphasizes to purchase only the most essential items and to avoid unnecessary travelling. 

The Government further requests to limit the traditions and relationships during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year only to the members of the family.

The government has put in place a mechanism to continuously supply essential food and other goods enabling the public to purchase them while at homes, during curfew hours, the PMD said.

Those who are engaged in paddy farming and fishing and cultivation of small tea holdings and export crops in any district are permitted to carry out their activities.

Traveling to and from all districts has been completely prohibited except for the purpose of providing essential services.

Those who misuse regulations introduced with the prime objective of ensuring the smooth and efficient functioning of essential services will severely be dealt with according to the law, the statement added.

The villages which have been declared isolated areas in any district will remain in the same category.  No one will be allowed to enter or leave from these areas until further notice.

Courtesy Adaderana

UPDATE: The Department of Government Information says that the COVID-19 cases count in Sri Lanka stands at 238 as 5 positive cases were identified today (15). 

Four out of them have been found from quarantine centres and two of them were under quarantine at the facility in Palaly when they tested positive for the virus, the Department said.

The other coronavirus-infected person is reportedly a patient who was receiving treatment at a hospital.

The total count of COVID-19 infections in Sri Lanka has jumped to 237 as two more persons tested positive for the virus as of 8.0 pm today (15).

Accordingly, four coronavirus cases were identified during the course of the day.

The Department of Government Information says these four cases were reported from quarantine centres.

167 active cases are under medical care at Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Welikanda Base Hospital, Colombo East Base Hospital and Iranawila Hospital, the Ministry of Health stated.

Sri Lanka’s tally of coronavirus recoveries climbed to 63 today as two patients were discharged from hospital after recovering completely. The island has confirmed 7 fatalities due to COVID-19 so far.

Courtesy Adaderana

Investigations have revealed that Riyadh Bathiudeen –brother of former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen–has had direct links with an Easter Sunday suicide bomber.

Police Media Spokesman SP Jaliya Senaratne revealed this at a special press conference held at the Department of Government Information today (15).

On a day close to April 21, Riyadh Bathiudeen had met with one of the suicide bombers at a reputed hotel, said the Police Spokesman.

The suspects arrested yesterday (14) had borne titles at various welfare societies and organizations alongside the suicide bombers. It has been revealed that some suicide bombers had donated land and invested money into these organizations.

This is a very complex investigation. The investigation is being carried out through various aspects and links. Many teams are investigating along the different aspects of the investigation”, said Senaratne.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested 119 individuals over the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks while the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) has arrested 78 suspects.

Senaratne said that 40 suspects at the CID and 52 suspects at the TID are being interrogated under detention orders.

Further, 33 suspects are currently under remand custody, the spokesman added.

Courtesy Adaderana

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa chaired a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat today (15) to explore the possibility of immediate resumption of day-to-day economic activities at provincial levels in order to safeguard the national economy.

Several representatives of the health sector including all the Provincial Directors of Health briefed the President on current situation in the country, the President’s Media Division said.

President instructed the Provincial Directors of Health to make necessary recommendations required to maintain normal activities in the industrial, agricultural and business sectors through the Director General of Health.

Decisions to relax current restrictions will be taken only after considerations of health situation at each provincial level.”

One of the main objectives is to pay a special attention to the livelihood of daily wage workers, the statement said.

Individuals who are infected with Corona virus at each province, people they have associated with and the current quarantine process were some of the topics discussed. Attention was also paid to the system of identifying infected people on daily basis.

President also inquired about the present conditions at quarantine centers and the changes needed to be made.

The provincial health authorities said that measures taken by the government to combat the coronavirus was effective compared to the rest of the world.

President Rajapaksa said that this prevailing situation also provides an opportunity to assess the current situation as well as to pay attention to the steps that should be taken to improve the strategy.

Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Secretary to the President, P.B. Jayasundara, Principal  Advisor to the President, Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary Defence  Major General (Retired) Kamal Gunaratne, Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Bhadrani Jayawardena, Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Rear Admiral Piyal De Silva, Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sumangala Dias, Acting Inspector General of Police C. D. Wickremaratne and Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe  attended this meeting.

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lanka Navy deployed its Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) SLNS ‘Samudura’ to seize a vessel loaded with a large consignment of drugs in high seas about 548 nautical miles (985km) off Sri Lankan shores. 

The drug carrying vessel along with the suspects in connection to this drug racket were brought to the Dikkowita fisheries harbour this morning (15).

The navy said the interception is a result of a successful operation carried out by Sri Lanka Navy based on information received from persons aboard vessels seized in high seas on 28th March. 

Based on that information and by analysing local and international intelligence, it was revealed that there was another vessel loaded with drugs heading to Sri Lanka and a drug-consignment from that vessel to reach Sri Lankan shores. 

Responding promptly to the situation, on March 30, the Offshore Patrol Vessel SLNS ‘Samudura’ was sent out for a 14-day operation in high seas, the navy said.

It is in this backdrop, SLNS ‘Samudura’ was on surveillance in the said sea area and received several satellite images from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). After further analysis of these satellite images, the ship was directed towards the equator. 

Meanwhile, on 10th April 2020 at around 11.00 a.m., SLNS ‘Samudura’ was able to detect a Flag State-less foreign vessel loaded with drugs. During further search of the vessel, the Navy recovered about 281kg of heroin and 48kg of crystal methamphetamine (ice) worth over Rs. 3,270 million.

Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva and several other senior officers of the Police Narcotics Bureau and the Navy were also present on this occasion where the drug-vessel and its suspects were escorted to the Dikkowita fisheries harbour. 

Meanwhile, further investigations and onward legal action with regard to the seized vessel, suspects and consignment of drugs will be conducted by the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB).

While conducting a record-breaking number of drug-bust operations in known history, the Navy has seized 718kg of heroin, 797kg of crystal methamphetamine, 581kg of ketamine and 2,475kg of Kerala cannabis in the first three and half months of year 2020. 

The street value of these mammoth consignments of drugs is estimated to be over Rs. 21 billion.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Navy says it will continue to conduct regular search operations and crackdowns on vessels carrying narcotics in international waters. In this regard the Navy makes use of local and foreign intelligence as well as satellite technology for surveillance. 

Further, the Sri Lanka Navy, working in coordination with the Police Narcotics Bureau, has taken necessary steps in pursuit of foreign and local partners in the narcotic supply chain. 

Addressing on this occasion, Commander of the Navy emphasized that the local fishing community should carry on their livelihood in such a manner that they do not get caught in trading of drugs.

Courtesy Adaderana

A total of 113 persons from Nagalagam Street in Grandpass have been directed to mandatory quarantine process.

According to reports, these people had been in contact with an individual from Suduwella, Ja-Ela who is suspected to have contracted the novel coronavirus – COVID-19.

They have accordingly been directed to quarantine centres in Punani and Sampur.

Courtesy Adaderana

The patients who tested positive for the novel coronavirus during the past few days appear to have a low viral load in them, says the Director General of Health Services.

The spread of COVID-19 in the community is also at a minimum level as of now, Dr. Anil Jasinghe said joining ‘Derana Aruna’ programme this morning (15).

He explained that out of the 15 COVID-19 cases confirmed yesterday, 8 were found from Palali quarantine centre while 4 of them were from reported Kilinochchi quarantine centre, he added.

Dr. Jasinghe also noted that repatriating Sri Lankans who wish to return to the island due to the global outbreak of novel coronavirus has to be properly managed.

There are thousands of people who are still being quarantined in Sri Lanka, Dr. Jasinghe said adding that the situation in the country should be improved before brining back Sri Lankans abroad.

Malwatuoyasoya Media

A Journey to the Heart of Civilization of Lanka Dedicated to the Children of the Irrigation Civilization

https://youtu.be/bv8cCI_lLuw

By Mahendra (Speedy) Gonsalkorale. January 2019 Courtesy colombomedgrads1962.blogspot.com

A Historical perspective of people who influenced it and of culture related to the song(I don’t claim this to be a scholarly treatise; it is based chiefly on internet resources)
I discuss this subject in paragraphs and indicate the main subject in the sub-heading. You will see a thread running through the article which I hope is relevant. At first reading, it may appear disjointed but when your revisit, it will all make sense. Some of the views expressed are my own. I have done my best to check on accuracy.
John de Silva – (1857-1922)As far as I can determine, the lyrics of Danno Budunge was written by Makalandalage John de Silva playwright and play-producer, a pioneer in the field of Sinhala drama, for his drama Sirisangabo Charitaya.
Born in Kotte on January 13, 1857 to Catholic parents, he first attended Christian College, Kotte and then went to the Colombo Academy which later became Royal College, and at age 20 he was a teacher at St. Joseph’s College and later at Wesley College. As he moved closely with oriental scholars like Pundit Batuwantudawa, he had acquired a good command of the Sinhala language too.
Like many young men of his age living close to Colombo, John de Silva too must have been a theatre fan who tried his hand at play-writing and producing. The first play he wrote was Nala Raja Charitaya), which was staged in 1886, when he was only 29. This was followed by Dascon Natakaya (1888), the story of the Portuguese General who had a love affair with the Sinhala Princess Samudra Devi. He also wrote a play called ‘Parabhava Natakaya’ (1901-1902) a satire on the Europeanised upper class.
His next play ‘Ramayanaya Natakaya‘ was staged on May 31, 1889 (according to some writers in 1904) at the Floral Hall, Malwatte Road in Pettah, a popular venue for plays (sadly no more). It is said that on the night of the second performance, June 5, the hall caught fire, and stage sets, curtains, costumes etc. were destroyed. It was believed to be arson by those jealous of his success.
Shock and grief turned into anger and he gave vent to his anger in a booklet he published in Sinhala titled ‘Fire-fight or Hanuman comes to Floral Hall.‘ (It was Hanuman the monkey who set fire to the garden where Sita was kept a prisoner by Ravana). Later in the year, he printed and published the play with the title ‘Sita haranaya’ (abduction of Sita) or ‘Ginigath Ramayanaya’ (Ramayanaya that caught fire). Downcast and disgusted, he gave up writing and producing plays, entered Law College and qualified as a proctor, and started practising as a lawyer. This was in the 1890s.
But the theatre beckoned him and with the writing and producing of Siri sangabo, began the second and the best phase of his career as playwright and producer. First staged in 1903, Siri sangabo is perhaps his most popular play and a perennial favourite. After Siri sangabo, his group of actors (no actresses, as females were not allowed to act then, and it was usual for males to dress up as females for feminine parts), became professionals, known by the name Arya Suboda Natya Saba. They entertained audiences every night, and regular theatre-goers wouldn’t miss a John de Silva play.
By this time he had become a Buddhist and also a devotee of the Hindu Gods. It is on record in his own writing, says Sunil Ariyaratne who has made an in–depth study of John de Silva’s plays, “that after the first premier of Ehelepola, he made offerings to God Kataragama and God Vishnu”. He was convinced that Sinhala music had firm roots in India. He wrote There is evidence that Indian classical music existed in ancient Lanka during the times of our Sinhalese kings. Consider where Sinhalese poets of the past took their poetic meters. A careful analysis shows that Sinhala poetic meters originally belonged to the system of rāga [Indian melodic modes] and tāla [Indian rhythm cycles] found in North Indian classical music”. This explains why his songs had the Raga-tala tradition which he approved of.
John de Silva wrote plays not only to entertain the public. Through his plays, he tried to inspire in the audience a feeling of nationalism, a sense of pride in our culture and heritage and encourage them to regain the loss freedom. He poked fun at those who slavishly aped the white ruling class and he was averse to alcohol and championed temperance. It is on record that he didn’t engage any actors who had taken to drinking. In his own small way, he was contributing to the national movement, and he was among the Sinhala leaders arrested and jailed after the riots of 1915. In spite of that, he retained his love of Western attire and favoured the jacket, shirt and tie.
John de Silva’s last play was NaganandaNatakaya written in 1919 and staged at the famous Tower Hall. He passed away on January 28, 1922 after a brief illness. He was 65 years old. He had injured his foot while swimming in the sea, and being a diabetic, the wound had proved fatal.
The Tower Hall and John de Silva’s Nurti have become synonymous. When we speak of Tower Hall plays, we mean Nurti (also spelled Nurthi) and John de Silva’s plays.
But it was many years after the Tower Hall was built and opened for public performances that a play by John de Silva was staged there. Folklore says that the proprietor of Tower Hall, G. Don Hendrik Seneviratne, whose son-in-law Charles Dias was J. de S’s rival in the theatre, did not permit J. de S’s plays staged there. Only Charles Dias’ plays were staged at the Tower Hall for a number of years, and they were so popular that many actors left John de Silva’s Arya Subodha Natya Sabah and joined Charles Dias’s Arya Sinhala Natya Sabah.
The John de Silva Hall behind the Art Gallery in Colombo was built in 1974 in honour of and to commemorate this great playwright and play-producer who made theatre-going the most popular form of entertainment in the early decades of the 20th century
Danno Budunge composition – 1903
The melody was composed by the Indian musician Viswanth Lauji (also spelt Lawjee). Siri sangaboCharithaya was first performed in 1903, and the song Danno Budunge from it contains three verses sung separately by Sanghatissa, Sangabo and Gotabhaya as they approach Anuradhapura after crossing a wooden bridge and saw the city of Anuradhapura in the distance. The play is based on the story found in the thirty-sixth chapter of the Mahāvaṃsa. The thirty-sixth chapter is about a virtuous king named Siri Sānghabō who with his two friends Gōtābhaya, and Sangatissa, travel to the royal city of Anuradhapura to serve the Sinhalese king. The following is an English translation.
Sānghatīssā:                Behold in this mansion-like town many monks adhering to the preceptsDestroying their defilements and abiding by Buddha’s dharma teachings
Sirisānghabō:              Like heaven on earth!The shade of the many monks who travel by airDestroy hot sun rays
Gōtābhaya:                I see flocks of ducks wading in deep ponds, where stems of lotus and lily flowers rise to the top
The song describes the environment created by a large number of monks and the beauty of the city with lakes full of flowers and whistling fowls. The song describes the beauty of the city of Anuradhapura and is not directly a Buddhist song as such. But the words proclaim the wisdom of following the Dhamma. The religious and patriotic feelings aroused made the song very popular and became a favourite among the early musicians who made an attempt to create a place for the Sinhala song. Among them was Hubert Rajapakse, famous Tower Hall singer. Hubert Rajapakse, was the brother of Gate Mudaliar Tudor Rajapakse who donated land to build Ananda College and the Medical College. Their main house was “Gatherum” while they had two ancestral homes – one Maha Kappina Walauwa and the other in Muthuwadiya near Negombo. Hubert Rajapakse is believed to have sung this song in the 1920s. The public did not react well to his western” style of singing. Hubert was said to have been trained by the famous German opera singer Madam Mathilde Marchesi. According to Dr Tissa Abeysekara, Devar Surya Sena and Hubert Rajapakse were attempting to bring about a Sinhala music culture at a time of imperial rule and relaunched Danno Budunge with a few modifications.
It must be remembered that Hubert R sang this song in the 1920s, long after Siri Sangabo. His style of singing was apparently very different from the original which was sung in the Hindustani (vedic) style. He, for some reason, sang the first words as ‘Dharma Budunge’. Being the gramophone age, he recorded under the HMV (His Master’s Voice) label and the record was titled ‘Dharma Budunge’ (in Sinhala) – Ode to the Sacred City’. A popular notion is that Hubert Rajapakse being very western educated, had some difficulty pronouncing Sinhalese words properly and Danno became Dharma.
Another pioneer musician, H.W. Rupasinghe sang the song by himself while Rukmani Devi sang it twice, the second time accompanied by the Super Golden Chimes. Pandit Amaradeva’s rendition is highly rated as is Nanda Malini’s – the latter singing with a male chorus.
It is said that ‘Danno Budunge’ was popular with both Governor General Lord Soulbury and Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake. In fact, Lord Soulbury’s daughter Joan Ramsbotham sang the song. Joan has also recorded Olu Pipeela and Handapane, both sung in operatic style in 1948.   According to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, when the Queen visited Sri Lanka on two occasions, ‘Danno Budunge’ was sung at both receptions.
The SLBC once played it as the signature tune when announcing election results.
The clock tower in front of the Central Bank always chimes the first two lines of ‘Danno Budunge’ before it strikes the time. This clock tower is a historical monument because it was from this point that distances from Colombo were measured. This clock tower was not properly maintained till recently. However, the Governor of the Central Bank decided to renovate this historical monument and to maintain it, and for this, the country should be grateful to the Governor of the Central Bank.
The other singers who sang this popular song included Lawrence Perera and Mohideen Baig in the 1950s, Dalrene Arnolda, Soul Sounds, Sudath Samarasinghe, Corrine Almeida, Janaka Wickremasinghe, Kapila Pugala Arachchi and Nelu Adikari and the well-known cricketer Sidath Wettimuny.
The latest of course is the operatic” version sung at the 68^th Independence Day celebrations at Galle Face Green in 2016, by the talented internationally famed Sri Lankan Soprano, Kishani Jayasinghe, causing such a storm. Kishani’s credentials were impeccable. She was a member of the Jette Parker Young Artistes Programme at the Royal Opera House from 2006 to 2008. She is also an Associate of the Classical Opera Company; an Alumni Laureate of the University of Nottingham; Zonta’s Woman of Achievement for the Performing Arts (2010) and the Asian Woman of Achievement for Art and Culture in the UK. Even her worst critics admire her musical talent.
Her husband Kaveenga who was surprised and disappointed by the overreaction says She is a Sinhala Buddhist woman, the former Head Prefect of Sri Lanka’s leading Buddhist Girls’ school Viskha Vidyalaya, who has mastered a revered and exalted form of singing – Opera, who has gained international fame and recognition, who sang a beloved Sinhala song in opera, wearing a traditional saree, in gold and maroon nonetheless, in dignified demeanour, meaningfully and respectfully but is vilified by a segment of her very same people, for petty political reasons, which has nothing to do with her. Those who say that she Christianised a traditional Sinhala song, despite singing it in the same melody with the exact original lyrics written by John de Silva, (who happens to be related to her), are being disingenuous. Singing a song in opera does not make it Western or Christian, if that was so, everything written or said in English or Italian should be considered as such. Singing a Sinhala song in opera is not an insult to the Sinhala language, yet some people seem to think so”.
Harsha Makalanda, the great-grandson of the composer commented thus on Kishani’s version “Kishani sang Danno Budunge” beautifully. The lyrics were written by my great grandfather Makalandage John de Silva for his immortal play “Sirisangabo” which stirred a wave of patriotism in real Sri Lankans in people who march forward into battle. Kishani’s rendition is Majestic as well as Spiritual-that unique combination my great grandfather wanted”
In “Sirisangabo” what was intended was patriotism and by all musical terms, Kishani conveys it and it takes someone who had studied music to properly understand it.
The reaction to Kishani’s song broadly ranged from mostly favourable to non-committal with fortunately only a small minority resorting to vile and insulting language. Some moderates commented that although the song was sung beautifully, the occasion was not right for it. But I don’t personally subscribe to that view although I have some sympathy for it.
At this point, it is relevant to a quote from another famous Sri Lankan musician, Devar Surya Sena, about the power of music. He said I realised the power of music to provide a common platform for the meeting of people of divergent races, creeds and interests”
Music and Cultural Background in Ceylon
An appreciation of the cultural background that prevailed in the late 19^th Century and early 20^th             Century helps us to understand the evolution of music and drama in Ceylon. The background to the story takes us through the various stages of drama in Ceylon (as it was called then) and the influence of foreign musical traditions on local music. It was also a time of display of national identity and moving away from colonial rule. There was a Buddhist revival with organised activity against Christian Missionaries who denigrated Buddhism. Key influences in this revival were people such as Hikkaduwe Sumangala, and Organisations such as the Buddhist Theosophical Society (Henry Steele Olcott) and the Maha Bodhi Society (Anagarika Dharmapala). The Press also proved to be a good medium to disseminate propaganda. The Buddhist revival became the dominant theme in John de Silva’s Nurti musicals. The other key influence was the advent of the vinyl record and how it changed the medium of musical entertainment available to the Public. Nearly every song that labels in Sri Lanka released between 1906 and 1930 were songs from the nurtitheatre. During this period gramophone players became status symbols of affluent homes in urban areas in Sri Lanka. This was coupled with one more important occurrence. This was the move of people to urban areas and their desire for entertainment, and the advent of the cinema.
Before the availability of the cinema, the chief mode of entertainment was the performance of Drama. The prevalent form in the mid 1880s was the Nadagam form, which was heavily influenced by India. The Nadagam were prolonged affairs, sometimes going on for days. John de Silva wanted to change this and can be regarded as the architect of the nurti form of drama. Nurti was derived from the Persian Theatre with its actors and musicians mostly from Gujerat and trained in the Hindustani school of classical Raga music. This heavily Persian influenced form was much more colourful and much shorter. Nurtis includedSri Wickrema Rajasinha” andSirisangabo,” (1903).
However, the nurti era also began to fade in the 1930s and aluth-sindu took its place. The melodies were derived from Hindi or Tamil songs and mostly musical imitations. One example of this is the Indian song (1940) Chal Chal Re Naujawan original tune from movie Bandhan, sung by Leela Chitnis and Ashok Kumar which was made into Dul Sal Vanē Lakal” Colombia Record by Mr Stanley Mallawarachchi and Mrs Greta Jennet de Silva and group, composed by late Mr U.D.Perera.
Sinhala songs continued to evolve and the next great chapter was the emergence of Sunil Santha who wanted to get away from Indian influence and create genuine Sinhala form. He was influenced by poet Munidasa Kumaratunga and Hela Hawula, a school of poets and intellectuals who placed importance on unsanskritised Sinhala known as Elu_Sinhala (also called Hela Sinhala). I will discuss Sunil Santha (and others like Ananda Samarakoon) in more detail in a later article. Suffice to say that he was a highly principled man who did not seek any personal glory in pursuing his love for Sinhala music.
Pundit Viswanath Lauji(Also known as Vishwanath Lawjee, Vishvanath Lowji, Vishvanath Lowji, Viśvanāt Lauji, Viśvanāt Lauji).
John de Silva (henceforth referred to as JdeS) was not a musician. He was more a lyricist and the melody for Danno Budunge was written by his Indian Musician friend, Pundit Visvanath Lauji, who came from Bombay. Lauji came to Ceylon with the Parsi theatre but stayed behind. It is said that Lauji was impressed by Western music and that he moved in circles which included Mendelssohn and Wagner. The story goes that John de Silva had met the Indian maestro of music, at a Christmas party hosted by Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranaike (the father of the late Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike) at his manor in Kotahena. JdeS invited him to compose fitting tunes to the songs in his dramas. He would describe the scene and the character around whom the song is written and read out the Sinhalese poetry and Lauji would hum various melodies and JdeS would choose the one he liked. In other words, Lauji composed suitable airs to the poetic verses in JdeS’s libretto. This has been compared to the famous Gilbert and Sullivan theatrical partnership.
Thus it can be seen that Danno Budunge music was composed by an Indian musician schooled in the Ragadhari tradition. Could this be truly called a Sinhala” song?  You can decide! John de Silva’s songs have become a part of Sinhala dramatic heritage as indeed was his intention. He was convinced that musical dramas portraying the finest periods of Sri Lanka’s history could arouse a sense of true patriotism; hence his choice of plays around Dutugemunu and Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe.
It is debatable whether Danno Budunge can be called a Buddhist” song, but the popular view that it is a Buddhist song is understandable in the context of the evolution of the song. The lyrics describe the beauty of the city Anuradhapura. It does praise the virtues of pursuing the Buddha dhamma and does arouse religious and patriotic feelings. On the other hand, throughout history, Buddhism was not associated with music although Art, on the other hand, has been heavily influenced by it. Buddhism is associated more with chanting than singing. But over time, the association of Sinhala history with the predominant religion in Sri Lanka has made it in the eyes of many people, a Buddhist Sinhalese song. A moderate critical view of Kishani’s version is that it failed to deliver the intention behind the lyrics as the melody and the manner in which the words are sung must bear semblance to the meaning of words in the song, and that is exactly what is lacking when sung in operatic like style – in the opinion of some.
Before Nurti
Nadagam, a kind of musical play, came to Sri Lanka about 1750. The music consisted of simple forms used in South Indian village plays. Instruments were the drums Mridangam or maddal, the wind instruments, Nadaswaram, and kaithalam. Sinhala nadagam became popular, and by 1850 was a hobby of the elite. But it had become poor in musical content and the limited melodies failed to attract urban audiences. The arrival of more lively North Indian music also played a role in the decline of the nadagam. In India with Muslim rule Sanskrit, drama had declined, but folk play traditions had continued. Local music had developed with new Arabian and Persian raga and tala.
In 1853 in Ayodhya, the musical play ‘Indrasabha’, comparing an earthly ruler to a deity, was created, guided by classical and folk music and it became very popular. Parsi entrepreneurs spread this and similar plays across much of India. In these early Indian musical plays many melodies were based on Ghazal, originally Persian, music for poetry.
There was also the influence of Western melodies. Indian musicians, it is conjectured, heard these from military bands. Europeans and their ways were sometimes uncritically emulated in India, and also in Sri Lanka.  On the other hand, Christian missionaries in India used Indian raga for Christian songs in English. These were now used in these plays, for travel and weddings scenes.
In the latter half of the century, when travel by sea became easier, North Indian melodies came to SL. Indian traders visited and some settled in Sri Lanka. Indian pilgrims to Kataragama landing at Galle were sought and hosted by nadagam practitioners. Their experts had no training in music. They appreciated the elegance of Hindustani songs. There was some influx of the melodies into nadagam.
Beginning in the late 1870s Calutantrige Don Bastian Jayaweera Bandara (1852- 1921) and his followers staged plays which used North Indian music, such as his ‘Rolina’ in 1877. He called these nurthia, Sanskrit word for a dance signifying a subject. In nadagam, each actor first appears in a dance conveying his or her character, and CDB’s early plays continued with this. He may have intended the new name as a contrast to nadagam. In popular use it became nurti. He is also recognised as a pioneer in establishing Sunday Buddhist schools and for setting up the first Sinhalese daily newspaper, Dianapata Pravurti. He is always referred to as C. Don Bastian.
In 1880 the Indian musical play company of Baliwalla arrived in SL, followed by others from India. Their plays were influenced by ‘Indrasabha’. These often used emotional love stories, which suited musical plays. Baliwalla’s first in Sri Lanka was ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Some of his others were based on stories of Arabic and Hindu deities.
CDB attended Baliwalla’s plays and learnt their melodies and instrumental passages. He too produced a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ which closely followed Baliwalla’s. CDB’s Sinhalese Drama Co. continued until about 1900.
John de Silva set up his company after CDB. His first two plays contain much music from ‘Indrasabha’ and Baliwalla. But he was the first playwright in Sri Lanka to try to understand the classical basis of Hindustani music. In 1885, he engaged Abdul Latif, a North Indian businessman in Colombo, to write the music for his ‘Nala Raja Charitaya’, an Indian-based play, and published a book with the raga and tala and the original Hindustani lyrics for each song.
A liking for Hindustani and Urdu music developed among Sri Lankans. Sinhalese and others who liked Indian music, regarded Hindustani as associated with music, as Italian was in Europe. A singer would follow a Sinhala song with a Hindustani one in the same melody to show it was authentic. It was quite common for the first line of the song to be the name of the original to indicate its derivation. Few in Sri Lanka knew Hindustani, and lyrics were often cleverly faked!
In 1888, JdeS got down a Gujarati copy of ‘Indrasabha’. The play was staged from Colombo to Hambantota. Its songs became popular. Renditions though were not always accurate. Until 1900, all musical plays in Sri Lanka were influenced by ‘Indrasabha’. Its song of welcome, king’s song and others were used in many Sinhala plays, with some adaptations.
Early Sinhala musical plays contained several alien Western melodies. This is an example of the emulation mentioned above.
Around 1900, soon after CDB’s co. closed down, as I have indicated earlier, JdeS brought new vitality to nurti by engaging Vishvanat Lavji, a professional musician involved in Hindustani and Gujarati plays. VL took music from such plays and altered it close to classical form. JdeS produced six Sinhala plays with his guidance, including ‘Siri sangabo’. He believed that the earliest Sinhalese were Hindus and were hence heirs to Hindustani music.
Other producers of plays in SL at the time freely used music from the six plays by JdeS and VL. After VL went back to India the Tower Hall co. engaged other Indian musicians for JdeS. Most of their music for nurti were popular melodies from Hindustani and Gujarati plays. In general, this was the case in Sri Lanka from the 1880s until the Tower Hall Company closed down. Three years before it did, Butabhai, a North Indian musician, convened all leading actors in Colombo and taught them ‘Indrasabha’ in Hindustani.
Another source for nurti music were the Malays” of Sri Lanka. They had heard Indian melodies from Indian soldiers in Singapore. They helped CDB by memorising Baliwalla’s music and in his plays, many were experts on the violin and dhol. Their saji meeting places were a source for the spread of nurti music. From time to time, well known Sri Lankan musicians composed for new plays, such as H.W. Rupasinghe, J.A. Sadiris Silva, and W. Satasivam. Incidentally, playing a lead role in the play Sirisangabo was Sadiris de Silva, popularly known as Sadiris Master for his musical talent. He was to assist Henry Jayasena who was invited to produce ‘Sirisangabo’ to mark the opening of the Tower Hall after exhaustive renovations in March 1978. It was coincidental that Sadiris Master’s son, reputed musician Shelton Premaratne handled the music in Henry Jayasena’s production.
Later, there was much competition and secrecy among those involved in musical plays in Sri Lanka. Nurti music declined because of the cost of getting down Indian musicians.
Alleged connections with Mendelssohn and Wagner
It has been stated many times, without firm evidence that Danno Budunge is based on a Wagner Organ Concerto. Nobody has so far produced any firm evidence to substantiate this. Another favoured Western influence is Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn’s Duetto op. 38 no. 6, in ‘Songs Without Words’ (MWV U119) does have a lot of similarity to the opening two lines of DB.
Mendelssohn also had an indirect connection with Ceylon, and this is referred to in an article which appeared in the Sunday Times Plus, Sri Lanka dated 17^th April 2016 by US. In 1829, when Ceylon was a British colony, Alexander Johnston, its ex-Chief Justice, asks Mendelssohn to compose music to given lyrics to mark legal changes in Ceylon including the abolition of slavery”. Mendelssohn does so. Johnston is impressed by the piece and says it can reform the Empire. In 1832 Mendelssohn. composes #38-6. A sequence of notes at the start (of its first voice”) is identical to that at the start of the Western version of Danno Budunge. Therefore, maybe he had written the same beginning for the Johnston piece, it was sung here, the melody survived, reached nurti, and Lavji altered it a bit”.Incidentally, in the same article, he says The first run of ‘Siri sangabo’ did not include Danno Budunge. This and two more songs were added in the second or third edition”, to provide more time for changes of sets. Maybe in this situation, Lavji was not that finicky about their origin? (In opera, for this purpose, rarely, a producer added a piece by a lesser-known composer!)”
It is possible that composers such as Mendelssohn and Wagner did influence the melody on DB. The evidence for being influenced by Mendelssohn is more compelling. But in the absence of definite evidence it is still largely speculation, but interesting.
Hymn for Ceylon
The next to consider in this historical piece is the Christian Hymn, Hymn for Ceylon”. This was written in 1923 by the Rev. Walter Stanley Senior. The notion that Danno Budunge was influenced by Hymn for Ceylon is clearly false as DB was composed long before Hymn for Ceylon. It is, in fact, the converse; Hymn for Ceylon borrowed the melody from DB.
Rev. Senior came to SL in 1906. By that time Sirisangabo nurtiya had been shown in Ceylon for at least 3 years. WSS wrote the Hymn for Ceylon at a much later stage. Devar Surya Sena composed music for this song in the 1950s using the Danno Budunge melody, slightly modified to suit Church singing.
Reverend Walter Stanley Senior. (10 May 1876 – 23 February 1938) 
He was an English scholar, poet and member of the Church Missionary Society and was popularly known as the “Bard of Lanka. Reverend Senior came out to Ceylon in 1906 and served as Vice Principal of Trinity College Kandy from (1906–1916). When the then Principal of Trinity, Rev. A. G. Fraser, was looking for talent in the English Universities to come and serve at Trinity College, he came across Senior who belonged to a set of brilliant men, including the late Dr Kenneth Saunders from Emmanuel College, Cambridge, N. P. Campbell, also a Balliol man recognised as a great scientist, and J. P. R. Gibson, later Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge. In the absence of Rev Fraser, Senior also deputised as Acting Principal for a short period.
He retired to England, and one of his greatest desires, namely, to see Ceylon and some of his numerous friends before his death, was gratified when he was able to spend a short holiday in the Island two years before his death, already a very sick man who knew that the end was not far off. A few months before his death, he said: The idea has come to me that I should like my ashes, for I contemplate cremation rather than burial, to be interred in St. Andrew’s Churchyard, Haputale.” His gravestone at St Andrew’s is a testament to his life, bearing the plain legend He Loved Ceylon” preceded by the opening lines from his poem, Lanka from Piduruthalagala: Here I stand in spirit, as in body once I stood Long years ago, in love with all the land, this peerless land of beauty’s plenitude. The pulpit of the Trinity College Chapel is dedicated to his name.
A common vein in many of his finest pieces is an appreciation of the diversity and beauty that is Sri Lanka. Rev Senior also has the distinction of being the author of the famous Hymn for Ceylon as well as the Hymn of Trinity College, Kandy and that of St. John’s College, Jaffna. His best-known work, however, is the soul-stirring epic titled The Call of Lanka, which many consider to be arguably the finest poem dealing with Sri Lanka ever written.
The tune of the Hymn for Ceylon is another adaptation from the DB tune composed by John de Silva. The music for the Hymn for Ceylon was composed in 1950 by Devar Surya Sena. The tune is the same as that of the original tune of Danno Budunge except for the 5th and 6th lines which were altered by Devar Surya Sena. When it is sung in full harmony, it sounds wonderful.
According to Devar Surya Sena, Walter Senior gave him the words of his ‘Hymn for Ceylon’ (O father thou has promised the isles shall wait for thee), and suggested, Someday you’re going to write a tune for this Bertie.” Later, on my return from England…In a flash the thought came that the much loved melody of ‘Danno Budunge’, adapted slightly, would fit the metre…I…married the words to the tune, harmonising the melody in four parts”.
Deva Surya Sena (1899- 1981)
He was the son of Sir James Pieris and was baptised Herbert Charles Jacob Pieris. His cousin was the well-known Rev. Lakdasa De Mel, later Bishop and Metropolitan.

Devar was the pioneer who introduced Sinhalese folk songs to Western audiences. There he is in the same league as Ravi Shankar. Like most sons of rich families, he was sent to England for further education. He went to Tonbridge School in Kent and later read Classics and Law at Cambridge although his primary love was in music.  He initially returned to Ceylon as a lawyer but he travelled regularly to London and studied at the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London and obtained ARCM in singing.
In 1927 he decided to pursue a career in singing and left for England.  He said that the spiritual satisfaction that music gave him was far more valuable than materialistic comforts.  Once back in Ceylon, he developed an interest in Sinhalese traditional music and did extensive research on it. He dropped his Pieris name and called himself Surya Sena and wore Indian dress to de-Westernise himself. His wife Winifred (nee De Silva) a musician herself and mostly educated in Belgium, took the name Nelun Devi. They went around the country collecting folk songs which are now preserved at the Devar Surya Sena Trust. As they travelled the island, they heard, probably for the first time, the songs of the earth that were theirs. The devotional songs, the sacred chants, the haunting village lullabies, and the folk songs and rhythms became part of a new adventure of discovery and learning.  The vannams, or sung poetry of lion, elephant, horse, hare, cobra, monkey and hawk, are part of the earth and sky of this land; and the flutes and drums of the villagers, and the long sad chants of the Veddahs, return with reminding presence. Surya and Nelun, listening and learning, discovered the primitive wonder of indigenous music; the simple brooding songs of farmer, fisherman, carter and blacksmith – the folk music that accompanies hardship. Surya Sena expressed anew the emotions of love, joy, anger and grief expressed in song and dance and in the chanted poetry and silence of his people, and these became his own. He pledged to use his gifts to make this knowledge as widely known as possible.
Later, he expanded his interest into Hindustani music by studying at Maris College of Hindustani Music in Lucknow and Sangit Sangha at Calcutta. He also spent 9 months in Tagore’s Shantiniketan. In 1932, Devar and his wife Nelun Devi sang Sinhalese folk songs at a concert in London. The singer’s voice was most agreeable and musical”, said the Daily Mail. They toured Europe and America and introduced our folk songs to a wider international audience. He has written books and articles on Sinhalese Folk Music. 
Surya Sena used his wealth and experience to set up a Trust for the furtherance of education, music and art. He gifted his gracious home in Colombo 3 with its valuable effects to become what is known as the Surya Sena Centre. He was awarded the OBE in 1949.
The Hymn for Ceylon
O father, Thou hast promisedThe isles shall wait for Thee,The joyous isles of ocean,The jewels of the sea.Lo! we, this island’s watchmenWould give and take no rest;For thus hast Thou commanded -Till our dear land be blessed. //
Then bless her mighty Father,With blessings needed most,In every verdant village,By every palmy coast.On every soaring mountain,O’er every spreading plain,May all her sons and daughters -Thy righteousness attain. //
Give peace within her bordersTwixt man and man goodwill,The love all unsuspicious,The love that works no ill.In loyal lowly service,Let each from other learn,The guardian and the guarded, -Till Christ Himself return. //
To Him our land shall listen,To Him our land shall kneel;All rule be on His shoulder,All wrong beneath His heel;O consummation gloriousWhich now by faith we sing;Come, cast we up the highway -That brings us back our King! //

In conclusion, this wonderful song Danno Budunge loved and cherished by the people of Sri Lanka has been sung by many singers over the years and will no doubt continue to be sung by singers from future generations for time immemorial.

This refers to your letter addressed to the Sri Lankan President H E Gotabaya Rajapakse. It is unfortunate that you have been misinformed leading to you writing to a country’s President and exposing your ignorance. In Sri Lanka 7 COVID-19 deaths of which 3 are Muslim. Other than these 3 Muslims, all other Muslims have been burying their dead and are continuing to do so. You are writing to a country’s President on behalf of 3 COVID-19 Muslims completely ignoring the rest of the victims. This is not what is expected of a Special Rapporteur.

Freedoms and Rights of one stops where freedoms and rights of others are violated. This is the golden rule. If demands for rights or special privileges violates the rights of others, it cannot be allowed.

No Special Rapporteur can only address minority issues ignoring or compromising on national issues. Promotion & protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms cannot come at the sacrifice or compromise of others. Special privileges are not rights or freedoms.

The COVID-19 virus is nothing anyone can firmly make final conclusions about. All are testing or experimenting and making adverse, contradictory or confusing statements across the globe. This confusion and uncertainty cannot impact on the general population and cause greater chaos by ignorance. In such scenarios it is prudent to take the worst case scenario & adopt the most extreme measures. The Government is beholden to ensure the safety of the living and future which cannot and should not be interpreted or promoted as disrespecting the dead.

The whole world is in chaos. The Western world inspite of all its infrastructure & technology is overwhelmed to handle the situation. The health authorities and staff in these countries cannot be questioned on how they are handling the abnormal situation they find themselves in. Anyone who is not facing the pressure are free to comment and criticize but only those in the thick of things know the ordeal they are going through. So, let us not patronize the health services of any country & their decision making at this juncture. They are spending sleepless nights fighting to save lives and they are not able to follow any book at this juncture except to do the right thing and no one can reprimand them for this.

If you listen to the first Sri Lankan COVID-19 patient who recovered and has returned home, he will reveal how well he was looked after with the hospital doctor even bringing him porridge made at his home.

Officials in the UN can throw all the dictums and terms on the table because they are not facing any of the pressures that doctors, nurses and others facing the COVID-19 are undergoing. They can preach you should have done it this way, should have not done it this way” which is all that UN officials generally like to patronize countries with. But would they handle the situation any better?

So, tell us if the tube wells, water systems, agriculture etc in Sri Lanka get contaminated from burying dead covid-19 bodies – what is your solution, what can you personally do to address this? WHO has given only general guidelines. It is not a rule that all countries have to follow. In Ecuador covid-19 dead bodies are lying on the roads, what is UN/WHO guideline for this and what is your solution?

In a national crisis none of individual or community freedoms come to play. The nation must face the problem as One Nation and One People. Therefore, in a national crisis it is no time to be thinking exclusively as a majority or minority or making demands of a minority or majority or demanding rights as an exclusive community. Privileges are not rights. In a national crisis the country’s decision makers take decisions considering every person as ONE AND THE SAME CITIZEN and not compartmentalizing them. Therefore, it is very strange that people who refer to themselves as Special Rapporteurs are writing to promote the interests of only one community. This is very wrong and unfair by others who are no less victims.

When the Government declares a lockdown or curfew – it doesn’t say the lockdown is applicable to majority, minority or a community. It says the curfew is applicable to ALL and when it is applicable to ALL – ALL must obey and follow the orders given.

When the Government sets up quarantine centres or hospitals – the government is not treating anyone or any community differently. All are patients, all are given the same food, all are given medication equally and free too. This is nothing that the Western world is even doing. Patients who have no insurance or cannot pay or are old are not even admitted to hospital. Sri Lanka, though a third world stands way above in terms of delivery for covid-19 situation than most countries of the first world.

You can quote all the Articles under the Conventions but can you handle a COVID-19 situation simply quoting clauses? Can you protect people from contamination and disease by quoting Articles & Conventions? Please be realistic and practical.

You seem to be confused in your hurry to address a Country’s President  

Muslims have been burying their dead in the past and Muslims are continuing to bury their dead. How?

Any Muslim who has died other than from COVID-19 are having their dead buried. EVEN NOW. Did you not know this?

IT IS ONLY the 3 COVID-19 DEAD MUSLIMS who were cremated.

So you are writing to the President of Sri Lanka representing 3 COVID-19 dead when all other dead Muslims are getting buried.

Hope you are not embarrassed by this.

But you should seriously take stock of facts before addressing a letter to the President of a country.

Then the other factor is that you are totally ignoring the fact that all of the 7 COVID-19 dead had the same method adopted in disposing of their dead bodies. Therefore, if you as Special Rapporteur speaking on behalf of the 3 Muslims, you should also be speaking on behalf of the other 4 COVID-19 dead too. Out of this 4 – 2 are Catholics and Catholics also bury their dead. So why are you not speaking a word on behalf of the Catholics?

Last of all, in noticing your name – Ahmed Shaheed, it is prudent to remind you that you cannot be the judge of your own case. As a Muslim there is a major conflict of interest arising clearly evident by the nature of your reply. In such a situation, it is only fair that you recuse yourself from making statements.

However, now that you have gone so far as to even write to a country’s President, please note that Muslims have buried their dead and are continuing to bury their dead and only exception is COVID-19 dead which is applicable to not only Muslims but all citizens of Sri Lanka. The Government is making no exceptions to the rule of cremating all COVID-19 dead.

You have written on behalf of 3 dead COVID-19 Muslim victims ignoring the sensitivities of the families of the other 4 COVID-19 dead who were also denied fulfilling the funeral rites for their dead.

Is it fair for you to be sending a letter to the head of State on behalf of only 3 victims of Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 deaths COMPLETELY ignoring the sensitivities of the other 4 COVID-19 dead victims without realizing that non-Covid-19 dead Muslims are burying their dead?

Shenali D Waduge

https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/respect-burial-rights-stop-hate-speech-against-muslims-un-tells-gota/

By Rohana R. Wasala

This article was partly inspired by Orpheus Perera’s commendable writeup under the title ‘Open letter from the Chinese embassy to the Editor of the Wijaya Newspaper’/Posted April 11, though my subject is not the same as his. As Perera’s article suggests, there are more plausible explanations of the actual origin of the novel Coronavirus than what the West-controlled media want us to believe. At the moment the Chinese government appears to be playing it cool (perhaps because they know, and want to show, that they are blameless), while trying to combat and contain the unexpected COVID-19 outbreak and its fallout in and outside China. Dr Palitha Kohona, our former UN Ambassador, described how the Americans tried to prematurely pin the label of perpetrator on China in an informative article published here in Lankaweb a month or so ago. The Americans’ apparent prescience was a clear giveaway on their part. Neutral websites are awash with factual articles that direct suspicion in the same direction. The Canadian Global Research – The Centre for Research on Globalization has already published a number of papers on the subject. We have also enjoyed reading a few interesting contributions dealing with the subject from some fellow Lankaweb writers. 

On a different note, Perera’s mention of a so-called faith healer named ‘Digana Kumara’ deserves a comment too. The fellow must be the same person known elsewhere as ‘Deegala Kumara’, not Digana Kumara, unless the latter is another potential religious crook of the same kind or an alias for the former. I think Deegala Kumara was reportedly in police custody over the incident involving the bread allergic child brought to him for faith healing. There were You Tube videos of this man’s faith healing gatherings attended by unimaginably large crowds of  patients, who were overwhelmingly Buddhists as could be guessed (nominal, no doubt). Of course, the videos could be spliced ones of unrelated masses of people like election rallies, meant to exaggerate the numbers. But, again, DK’s videos may be showing authentic numbers, considering the largeness of the bovine population among Sri Lanka’s rural Buddhists; their participation in such unbuddhistic rituals is a disgrace to their Buddhist identity; these idiots who are mesmerized by mere talk will be more vulnerable to the non-viral non-bacterial mad cow disease than to Corona. Plainly the mass meetings, in tone and substance, are non-Buddhist events, while nevertheless externally exhibiting Buddhist symbols like the multicoloured Buddhist flag, and the picture of the lotus, which are actually misappropriated by the organizers as decorative camouflage. There is no faith healing in Buddhism. Of course, there are charlatans who claim to effect cures through occult powers, but these are not offered as Buddhist practices.  It looks like that there is some well funded evangelical movement behind this superstition vendor’s activities. He keeps the venues of the meetings secret. It is up to young You Tubers to expose hypocrites like this. There is another very musical evangelical preacher/stalker who suddenly exclaims ‘Jesus is the Supreme Truth’ in the middle of his speeches to large crowds of mostly Buddhists with yellow robed men in the guise of Buddhist monks on the stage (which is reassuring to the largely gullible audiences). He affirms or asserts his personal religious belief among Buddhists thus maybe because of his implicit faith in Buddhist tolerance. But it is no compliment to Buddhist tolerance, but really an affront. This man might do the same in front of an Hindu audience without mishap. But he must ask himself if he’d dare wear his religious heart on his sleeve before non-Buddhist (or non-Hindu) audience. 

Probably, in answer to the well known characterization of Buddhism as a wholesome practical ethical philosophy that agrees with modern scientific thinking and as an antidote to the evil of religion, the very idea of religion being rejected as delusion, superstition in the Buddhist teaching, this sly zealot has lately begun, tongue in cheek, to denounce religion (!) as I heard him doing in a video interview recently. It is no harm if he shares his wisdom with people in public speaking engagements for which he gets paid as probably he is a professional in the field. But his proselytizing zeal should not transgress the borders of others’ religious spaces. It is possible that he justifies his tresspasses as aimed at religious reconciliation. However, religious reconciliation is an attractive but ultimately meaningless slogan; striving for so-called religious reconciliation is not an actual necessity, because, there has to date been no discernible enmity among people of different religions in Sri Lanka, where the extremely tolerant and accommodating Buddhist and Hindu religious cultures dominate, except for the deliberate irritation or provocation caused to some young Buddhist monks by the outrageous invasive activities of a handful of religious extremists associated with, but not representative of, the two traditionall mainstream Christian and Muslim communities. The tragic reality is, though, that the moment the monks point out these atrocious acts of aggression with documentary evidence and firsthand accounts of  witnesses from among traditional Christians and Muslims themselves who have suffered at the hands of those fanatics, the monks are misinterpreted and attacked as intolerant mischief makers, thugs, racists, xenophobes, etc. The way the outspoken Bodu Bala Sena leader Ven G. Gnanasara was treated by the previous regime was despicable to say the least. An allegedly large contingent of armed police on the instructions of the now virtually disgraced former IGP Pujith Jayasundara tried to intercept the monk and arrest him like an escaping bandit or terrorist or murderer around 10 o’clock at night oneday when he was returning to his monastery tired and exhausted after a busy day having participated in a series of religious events; only the enraged intervention of the passing-by drivers and local residents prevented the police from arresting him there and then (to befit the rogue image falsely and criminally attributed to this upright monk by the religious fanatics and minority racists that he angered by opposing them. (There was, at that time, a You Tube video of this incident from which I gathered this information years ago; even then I was living abroad). No main party politician in or out of power, has ever uttered a word in support of this monk’s genuine dedication to his extremely legitimate cause – protecting the country and the Buddha Sasana from religious fanatics and vandals – except for Gotabhaya Rajapaksa (who was not a politician) when he was Secretary of Defence. GR, engrossed with countless responsibilities on his shoulders as the live wire between the political leadership and the military during the decisive final phase of the war on separatist terrorism, first shouted at him and drove him away, as the monk claimed only recently, when he went to see him once with his complaints. But, later he relented and listened to him patiently; he understood the justness of the monk’s previous outbursts, and even implemented lawful practical solutions (e.g., removal of unauthorized structures from the Kuragala archaeological Buddhist site in the Balangoda area. Lawless enemies and political opportunists fabricated stories about a secret liaison of a political nature between the monk and Gotabhaya. This was in order to undermine the pre-2015 Rajapaksa administration. There was not an iota of truth in those stories, but they did a lot of unimaginable damage to the country, facilitating, among other evils, the growth of  unprovoked Islamic terrorism that culminated in the devastating Easter Sunday suicide bomb blasts on April 21 last year (2019) that left over 270 dead and 500+ injured, some grievously. Towards the end of the former Rajapaksa government, Gotabhaya had promised Ven. Gnanasara that he’d fix the Islamic extremist problem within three months (which would have involved nothing more than the fearless assertion of the country’s laws in the relevant context), when the unexpected exit of that triumphant administration in January 2015 was engineered by local reactionary forces in collusion with global geopolitical meddlers. 

The Corona outbreak seems to have given these treacherous elements new hope and the gumption to think of rekindling the doused fires of minority racial and religious extremism against the nationalist camp. There is an FB video of a group of militant sounding Muslim activists called ‘Safeguarding the rights of Muslims in Sri Lanka’, which must have drawn the attention of the security forces. Its threats are too openly menacing to be ignored. What about the stockpiles of knives and swords hidden in mosques discovered in searches conducted after the Easter bombings (as shown in TV newcasts over a few days following the atrocity? Remember how the then army commander made light of these unheard of hauls of knives and swords, some of them freshly imported from somewhere (China?), claiming that he himself had four or five swords at his house, something not likely to be true? Did the Sinhalese  make any unnecessary noise about these lethal weapons (whose potential target was not difficult to guess in the circumstances, leaving it to the security and law enforcement authorities to deal with whatever was amiss if that was the case? Some Buddha statues were vandalized by some young Muslims in Mawanella, but Buddhists did not take the law into their hands against them. A secret hoard of weapons believed to belong to a suspected Islamic terror outfit was discovered by police in an abandoned coconut estate in Wanathawilluwa in the Puttalam district, before last April attacks, but nothing apparently was done about the discovery. The bombings took place. The foreign NGOs and media were unpleasantly surprised when it was found that it was not the work of Buddhists. Groups of shocked citizens, the majority of them Buddhists queued up to donate blood, and to help injured survivors and bereaved families. This haphazard catalogue of  atrocities that didn’t provoke any retaliatory violence from the constantly slandered Buddhists is to show that this long tradition of Buddhist bashing is very unfair. Even the scattered incidents that took place elsewhere than where the Islamic attacks took place, that too about a month after those incidents, were found to have been the work of mischief makers brought from other areas just to try and implicate Buddhists in violent incidents against Muslims; as those miscreants were strangers to the area they just targeted the houses and business places of both communities indiscriminately. The victimization of Buddhists wherever there was violence usually went unremarked or unreported by the biased media. 

This is because the Sinhalese who have an unbroken spiritual tradition with a recorded history of over two thousand three hundred years are nevertheless a global minority with few friends around the world. They are therefore obliged to fall back on their own defences and ensure their survival themselves. It will be a constant struggle for ensuring the survival of our distinct  race ennobled by the heroic deeds of our ancestors of yore, our unique linguistic heritage, our Buddhist spiritual tradition, our inalienable motherland of countless millennia. Sinhalese Buddhists, as a patriotic Buddhist monk said recently, stop living in their country as if they were mere boarders there, but as its owners, which they really are. When the Sinhalese Buddhists flourish, the racial and religious minority communities sharing the same land and the same resources in perfect harmony and goodwill ensured by the most humane and inclusive Buddhist culture will automatically flourish too. Asserting this historical reality should not be identified as racism. There cannot be a Sri Lankan nation without due recognition being given to this fact. It is only when the citizens are inspired by this nationalist fervour that they make sacrifices in the name of the country in critical situations, be they outbreaks of terrorist violence or global pandemics like what we are going through at this moment.  

Now, the Buddhist monks who are always roundly condemned for their alleged violence do not, in reality, try to grab land or anything else belonging to others; they don’t mean to convert people of other faiths; they do not discriminate against anyone on the grounds of religion or race when they come to them for help in any critical situation. Yet, monk bashing has become a tradition in Buddhist majority Sri Lanka today; nay, it is a long standing tradition that is now intensifying, because ‘the worm has turned.’ This must stop.  All Sri Lankans have a responsibility to look into their genuine grievances if any and implement remedies as appropriate within the framework of one country, one state, and one law. The same must apply to the minority racial and religious communities as well without any discrimination. All Sri Lankans remaining as one nation is the only way we can survive as an independent sovereign country. What would be the situation today in the face of the COVID-19 epidemic if the country had been divided into nine provincial administrations each with separate land and police powers? Unless the non-racist, non-fanatical, absolutely democratic nationalist camp that comprises the sensible Sri Lankans belonging to all communities win the next general election and form a stable government with Gotabhaya as the executive president and become able to reinforce its unitary status as an independent sovereign state, the majority community will remain in the doldrums for the foreseeable future, but are bound to rebound with might and main, sooner or later, sooner than later. The caravan that is the inclusive accommodating cosmopolitan Sinhale nation will move on though dogs bark.

චන්ද්‍රසිරි විජයවික්‍රම

ලංකාවේ නියෝජිත ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදය නමැති නාස්ලණුව දමාගෙන දඟලන නියම ගොන් නාම්බෙක් නම් රංජන් රාමනායක නම් හිටපු මන්ත්‍රීය. ඇත්තවශයෙන්ම මට ඔහු ගැන ඇත්තේ අනුකම්පාවකි. ඔහුව මුරුංග අත්තේ තබනවා විනා ඔහුට ඔහුගේ මේ අවාසනාවන්ත හැසිරීමෙන් ගොඩaේමට සහාය දෙන කෙනෙක් නැද්ද? ඔහු කොරෝනා ආධාර බෙදන්නට ගියවිට ඔහුට ගම්පහ පැත්තේ ගෙවල් වල මිනිසුන් දක්වන ප්‍රතිචාරය අනුව ඊළඟ චන්දයකදී ඔහු දිණනවා නිසැකය. ඔහුගේ බඩු බෙදීමේ ව්‍යාජ ස්‌වරූපයත්, පාලිත තේවරප්පෙරුමගේ බත්-මාළු- කරවල බෙදීමේ අව්‍යාජ කමත් ලොවට පෙන්වන්නේය. නාස්ලණුව දමාගත් රංජන් වැනි අය ඔහුගේම වචන වලින් කියනවා නම් -කෙළවන්නේ- රාජකාරිය ඉෂ්ට කල පොලිස් නිලධාරියාට නොව රටේ තියෙනවා කියන බොරු තන්ත්‍රවාදයටය. මේ කොරෝනාව ඉගැන්‌වූ තවත් අනගි පාඩමකි.

රංජන් ඇඳිරි නීතිය කඩකරමින්, බොරු කියමින් ක්‍රියාකරන්නට, ඔහු කියන පරිදි ඔහුගේ පිසිකල් තෙරපිස්ට අනුබල දුන්නේ ඇඹිලිපිටියේ සිට කෝට්ටේ මන්ත්‍රී නිවාස දක්වා ඒමටය. මෙම පුද්ගලයා පිසිකල් තෙරපිස්ට් කෙනෙක් නොවේ යයි එම සංගමය කියා සිටී! එසේ නම් ඇඳිරි නීතිය කඩකරමින් ඇඹිලිපිටියේ සිට මොහුව ගෙන්නා ගන්නට රංජන්ට තිබුණ තදියම කුමක්ද? පාර්ලිමේන්තු නිවාස ගේට්ටුවේදී වාහනය නතර කල විට, රංජන් එතැනට පැමිණ යකා නැටුවේ තමන් වැඩිම මනාප ගත් මන්ත්‍රී කියමින් ය. ඔහු පොලිස් නිලධාරියාට වේ–පුතා කියා පරුෂ වචනයෙන් බැණ වැදුනේ නූගත් කමටද, නැත්නම් ආණ්ඩුවට විරුද්‌ධ යම් බලවේගයකගේ ඉත්තෙක් නිසාද?

ක්‍රමවේදයේ හා එය ක්‍රියාවට නැඟීමේ ඇති අඩුපාඩු නිසා මිනිසුන්ට බඩගින්නේ වීමට සිදුවීම ගැන පාලිත කරණ චෝදනාව තේරුම්ගත හැකිය. ඔහු පක්‍ෂ දේශපාලනයක් කරන්නේ නැත. කොරෝනාවට භයේ සැඟවී ඉන්නා හිටපු යහපාලන බොරුකාරයින්‌වූ, සුවපති රාජිතත්, පණ්ඩිත අජිත් පෙරේරාත් ගැන ඔහු උපහාසාත්මක ලෙස කතාකරන්නේ ඒ නිසාය. තව එවැන්නෙක් කොරෝනා ඉස්පිරිතාලයක් හදනවා කිව්වත් තමා ඔහුගේ ගේ ඉදිරියේ බත් බෙදු බව පාලිත සඳහන් කලේය. එහෙත් රංජන්ගේ ගේම් එක ඊට වෙනස්‌ය. රංජන්, පාලිත මෙන් දහඩිය වඟුර වමින් බත් උයන, බත් බෙදන, හාල් පරිප්පු මුට්ට කරගහන්නේ නැත. ඔහු කලේ වාහනයේ දොර ඇර හාල් ගෝනි ගන්නා ලෙස ඔහුගේ චන්ද දායකයින්ට දන්වා පසුව එක් නිවසක, පොඩි පහේ චන්ද රැස්වීමක් පවත්‌වා රාජපක්‍ෂලාට දොස් පැවරීමය. චීන ඩොලර් මිලියන් චීන ආධාර (ණය) බෙදීම භාරව ඉන්නේ බැසිල් යයි අවඥාවෙන් සඳහන් කලේය.

ලංකාවේ නාස්ලණුවාදය පිළිකාවක් මෙන් සළකා එයට බෞද්‌ධ රාජ්‍ය පාලන ක්‍රමය අනුව ශල්‍යක‌ර්‌ම රැසක්ම කලයුතු බව නාගානන්ද කොඩිතුවක්කු පෙන්වා දුන්නේ දූෂිත අධිකරණ ක්‍රමය ඉස්මතු කර පෙන්වමිනි. කුණුහරුප හඬපටි, වීඩියෝ මඟින් රංජන් තහවුරු කලේ ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදය බොරුවක් බවය. රංජන් මන්ත්‍රී වරප්‍රසාද වංචා කරණ අයෙක් බව මේ අළුත්ම කොරෝනා ආධාර ගේනවා යයි බොරු කියා ඇඳිරි නීතිය කඩ කිරීමෙන් හා ඒ සම්බන්‌ධයෙන් වරද පිළිගන්නවා වෙනුවට රස්තියාදුකාරයෙක් මෙන් හැසිරීමෙන් ඔප්පු විය. මානව දයාව කුමක්දැයි පාලිත ගෙන් පේන නමුත්, රංජන්ගෙන් එලිවන්නේ ඔහු වංක මෝඩයෙක් බවය. නිකරුණේ ඇදිරි නීතිය කඩන මිනිසුන්ගෙන් එලිවෙන්නේ රංජන්ලා ලක්‍ෂ ගණනින් ලංකාවේ වසනා බවය.

මිනිසුන්ටත්, සතුන්ටත් පොදු දේ ලෙස සංස්කෘත ස්ලෝකයක දක්වන්නේ ආහාර, නින්ද, කාමය හා භීතියය. තමන්ට භය ඇතිබවක් මෙතෙක් පෙනී නොගියත්, හිරුණිකා බබා ඇතුළු ස්ත්‍රීන් සමඟ කල පෙම්කතා මඟින් ඔහු සිය කාමයේ වරදවා හැසිරීම ඔප්පු කලේය. රංජන්,හිරුණිකා, මර්වින් සිල්වා වැනි අය මන්ත්‍රීන් කරවන ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදයක් මක්කටද? එවැනියන්ට නොමිනේෂන් දෙන දේශපාලන පක්‍ෂ හා ඒවායේ නායකයින් දේශපාලන නපුංසකයින් නොවේද? මේ අප දැනට දන්නා තුන් දෙනාය. නොදන්නා අය කෙතරම් ඇද්ද? එලිපිට සවුත්තුවුණ පොහොට්ටු මිනිහෙක්‌වුනේ ගම්පහ පැත්තේ සරණ ගුණවර්‌ධන නම් හොරාය. ඔහුට නොමිනේෂන් දී නැතැයි මම සිතමි. තමන්ට වැඩිම මනාප ලැබීම නීතිය කඩකිරීමට ඔහුට ඇති බලය සේ රංජන් සිතයි! මේ දූෂිත චන්ද ක්‍රමය නමැති නරාවල තුල දඟලන පක්‍ෂ දේශපාලකයින්ගේ හෙංචයියලගේ පාර්ලිමේන්තුව, මෛත්‍රීපාල-රනිල් ගැටුමේදී (අගමැතිකමෙන් ඉවත් කිරීම හා පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසුරුවා හැරීම) රට කැඩීමට වලිකන බටහිර තානාපතිලා හැඳින්‌වූයේ මුළු ලෝක ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදයටම ආදර්‍ශයක් වන තැනක් ලෙස නොවේද? රංජන්‌ව ගොනාට අන්‌ඳවා ඔහුගෙන් බලු වැඩ කරවාගත් රනිල් වෙනුවට රංජන් දැන් ඔහු විසින්ම හිරුණිකා සමඟ එක්‌වී ඉතා පහත් ලෙස ගැරහූ සජිත්ගේ බළල් අතක් චී සිටී.

මේ සියළු දෙයින්ම සනාථවන්නේ ඥානසාර හිමියන් කියන අන්දමට විපත්තිය සම්පත්තියක් කරගෙන, කෝටි 400 ක චන්ද වියදමක් නොදරා, කුණු දේශපාලකයින්ට එකිනෙකාට කුණු විසිකිරීමට අවස්ථාවක් නොදිය යුතු බව නොවේද? සෑම අර්බුදයකටම, ඉන් ගැලවීමේ අවස්ථාවක්ද ඇතුලත්‌ය. ලංකාවේ ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදය සංශොධනය කල යුතුමය. සුද්දගෙ නීතිය සුද්දකර දෙවන ලෝක යුද්‌ධය කාලයේදී සුද්දා කලා මෙන්, කළුකොඳයාවේ ප්‍රඥාශෙඛර නාහිමියන් කලා මෙන් ජන මූල සභා (ජන සභා) හරහා පන්සලේ-කොවිලේ-පල්ලියේ හා යුදහමුදාවේ අධීක්‍ෂණය යටතේ පක්‍ෂ දේශපාලනයට ඉඩ නොතබා විනය ගරුක, ධර්මිෂ්ට සමාජයක් ගොඩ නැඟීමේ අවස්ථාවක් දේශපාලකයෙකු නොවන ජනාධිපති ගෝඨාභයට උදාවී තිබේ. වසංගතයක් හරහා මේ ඉඩ පාදා දීම ගැන පරම්පරා ගණනාවක සිට දුකින් පෙලෙමින් ඉන්නා ලංකාවාසි ජනයා කොරෝනාවට ස්තුති කලයුතු නොවේද?

2013 කාලයේදී බොදු බල සේනාවට අපහාස කරමින්, ඥානසාර මචං යයි ලියූ සේපාල් අමරසිංහ දැන් රාජිත සේනාරත්න කිව්වා කියන, මාව මිනිත්තු පහකට වත් හිරේ දාන්න බෑ යන ප්‍රකාශය ගැන බලන්නේ ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රයේ බොරුව යන පැත්තෙන් නොව රාජිත නැව් ගත්තේ කෙසේද යනාදී වශයෙනි. ඔහු කල යුතු මේ හොරා කියන තමන් ඇමති නම් දවස් තුනෙන් කොරෝනාව නතර කරණවා යන කතාව අභියෝගයට ලක්කිරීමය. ඔහු රංජන් ගැන කියන්නේ මොනවාදැයි බලා සිටිමු.

Dilrook Kannangara

China-bashing has raised its ugly head again. A section of Sri Lankans displays their anti-China hatred at any given moment. The twitter account of the Chinese embassy in Colombo was not functioning for some time and it was made into a China-bashing event. To their misfortune and for the fortune of most Sri Lankans, it soon came back live. The same group demonizes China for helping Sri Lanka financially.

China is Sri Lanka’s closest ally economically, politically, socially and militarily. Economically because Chinese investments have transformed Sri Lanka into what it is today. However, a section of Sri Lankans openly abhors China for no fault of the People’s Republic.

That is because they are Indian communities living in Sri Lanka making up around 23% of the population. Their sympathisers also join them in bashing China. The majority community loves China and wants to further strengthen bilateral relations. It is important to distinguish this ethnic difference.  

If not for Chinese funded Mattala airport, Sri Lanka would not have a back-up international airport. The need for a back-up international airport was very strongly felt during the time Tamil terrorists attacked the only international airport at that time (Rathmalana in 1978 and Katunayake in 1986, 2001 and 2007). If not for Chinese investments in power generation, Sri Lanka would be having power cuts every day. If not for China, Sri Lanka would not have international standard conference halls, roads and internet facilities. Politically China has stayed out of interfering in Sri Lanka’s domestic affairs which is commendable when India, USA and others try poking their dirty fingers into to everything under the sun.

Chinese supplies were essential to defeat Indian funded Tamil terrorists and bring peace to Sri Lanka.

Presence of China in UN Security Council has brought some stability to otherwise unstable world where might is right.

Given this context it must be stated in black and white that the majority community in Sri Lanka support and is grateful for China. Only the Indian minority communities lead the charge against China. It is understandable given the Indian animosity towards China.

Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grover Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . Canada

14 April 2020 (Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day)

Editor (Letters)
THE OTTAWA CITIZEN
Ottawa, On.

Dear Editor:

So I, as a Sinhalese-Sri Lankan-Canadian finally got it.  

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in his approach, to show the world Canada’s arrogant

New World Order,  clinically and surgically removed Sri Lanka’s historical tradition by

dissecting Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations into two by his statement, “Today, Tamils in Canada and around the world celebrate Puthandu, and welcome the beginning of a new year.”

No such courtesy towards me and my Sinhalese-Canadian brothers and sisters by wishing us,  “Today, Sinhalese in Canada and around the world celebrate Sinhala Avurudu, and welcome the beginning of a New Year.”

I got it Canada.  Your Justine Trudeau’s Liberal Government just slapped me with this racist

innuendo.  When I arrived in Canada on October 16, 1970,  from London, England, on an invitation by the National Museums Corporation to help the design team as Head, Thematic Research Section, on the renovation of the Victoria Memorial Museum in Ottawa with their 15 brand new exhibition Hall, I came bringing with me my rich Sinhalese Heritage culture, which included the annual Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebration every April. Prime Minister Justine Trudeau has just dissected that one event of harmony between the two ethnic peoples.

All that it has done was to show Canada’s hypocrisy when she harps on “reconciliation” between the two communities which were at war for 30 long bloody- years because the separatist Tamils wanted their mono-ethnic, separate, racist Tamil state, Eelam.

 I hope the Sri Lankan Government and the Canadian Sinhalese populous will note this hypocrisy by Canada.

Let me inform Prime Minister Justine Trudeau and his Liberal Government.  You may have

slapped me Ladies and Gentlemen of the Liberal Party of Canada, but I will ever remain Asoka Weerasinghe, the proud Sinhalese Sri Lankan-Canadian who arrived with a rich Sinhalese cultural heritage in his baggage, on October 16, 1970, and no one is going to take that away from me, as I am determined to walk tall, whether you are the lovers of the  Sri Lankan Tamil-Canadian community or not, and not us, Sinhalese.

That is how the cookie crumbles.

Asoka Weerasinghe

By P.K.Balachandran/Daily Express Courtesy NewsIn.Asia

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is keen on holding the polls at the earliest despite reservations of the Election Commission

There are indications that the postponed Sri Lankan parliamentary elections will be held on May 27 or 28, so that the newly elected parliament meets before the set three-month deadline of June 2.

The government expects to control the spread of the novel coronavirus by the end of April 30 to allow parties to campaign for the polls. According to WHO, as on April 11, there were 200 cases of which 138 were active”. 54 had recovered and seven had died.

The Sri Lankan President’s Secretary, Dr.P.B.Jayasundara, has clearly indicated that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is keen on holding the elections early, so that the new parliament meets, as scheduled, before June 2.

Following this, the Election Commissioner, Mahinda Deshapriya, reportedly said that the commission will meet on April 20 to decide on the revised date of the elections.

The gazette notification, through which parliament was dissolved on March 2, had set April 25, as the date of polling, and May 14 as the date on which the new parliament would meet. But on March 19, after the nominations had closed, the Election Commission announced that the polls had been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

But the commission had not set a new date for the polling. According to the President’s Secretary, the EC should have mentioned a date as per law.

Meanwhile, as the government had put the country under lockdown, the opposition parties began to clamor for the total cancellation of the March 2 gazette dissolving parliament. They not only mentioned the impossibility of campaigning with a pandemic raging in the country, but also the fact that after April 30, the government would not be able to withdraw money from the Treasury without parliamentary sanction. They pointed out that there will be no parliament on April 30, to give the sanction.

However, Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said that the President is empowered to withdraw from the Consolidated Fund in emergencies like this. By saying so, the government clearly indicated that reconvening the old parliament was ruled out. Fresh elections were the only way out, according to it.

Late this week, the government decided to reopen schools on May 11, indicating that the country is going to be rid of the pandemic by May first week and that the climate would be suitable for holding the elections.

According to informed sources, the government may lift the curfew in the non-high risk” districts on April 20, and in the high risk” districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Puttalam, Jaffna and Kandy on April 30, so that elections could be held in May end.

Earlier in the week, the government had already said that it would review the curfew regimen after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season” which would be around April 20.

Perhaps due to the prodding of the opposition parties and certain others, who have been wanting a postponement of the elections citing the pandemic, the Election Commissioner Deshapriya wrote to the Secretary to the President Jayasundara requesting the President to consult the Supreme Court on the matter. He took this step though the law clearly stated that he could himself postpone the date of polling if the ground situation could not ensure the proper conduct of polls.

Deshapriya had mentioned the pandemic as the reason and said that it might not be possible to hold the election even in June. If he thought so, he could have set a suitable fresh date as he was expected to by law.

Be that as it may, there was a constitutional hitch too. As per the original Presidential gazette dated March 2 announcing the dissolution, the new parliament had to meet within 90 days or before June 2.

Deshapriya did not ask the President to cancel the March 2 gazette to solve the problem, but suggested that he consult the Supreme Court.

The President clearly ruled out seeking the Supreme Court’s advice. He also indicated that the March 2 gazette will not be withdrawn as he was keen that the people exercised their franchise at the earliest.

In his reply to Deshapriya’s pleas, Presidential Secretary Jayasundara said that holding the elections at a suitable alternative date considering the ground situation is the exclusive prerogative of the Election Commission. He pointed out that the Commission had itself said, on March 21, that it will appoint a day after 14 days from April 30 as the day of the poll.

Jayasundara also stated in no uncertain terms that as per the advice by His Excellency, it is not possible, at this point of time, to state that the election cannot be held on or before 28.05.2020.”

This gave a clear indication that the President wants the polls be held on or before May 28.

Jayasundara then went on to say: I need hardly emphasize that it is the right of the people of this country to exercise their franchise, which is their sovereign right.”

He further said: The date for fixing the poll is the responsibility of the Election Commission and His Excellency has no wish to interfere with duties and obligations of the Election Commission.”

And in conclusion he said: In the total circumstances set out hereinbefore, I am instructed to inform the Election Commission that the question of Reference to the Supreme Court in terms of Article 129 of the Constitution does not arise.”

By throwing the ball back into the court of the Election Commissioner, the Secretary to the President had put him in a bind. However, given the political culture of Sri Lanka, even statutory institutions do not defy a powerful and determined President. Therefore, the Election Commission may also fall in line with the President, eventually.

This is perhaps the reason why the Election Commissioner had said that a decision on a new date will be taken when the commission meets on April 20 after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. We will know if the country is rid of the coronavirus by the 20th of April and then decide the due course of action,” Deshapriya told The Sunday Morning.

The EC had also said that if the new parliament is to be convened on June 1, the parliamentary polls must be held on May 27 or 28, and that the preparation for the poll should commence on April 20.

by Melani Manel Perera Courtesy AsiaNews.it

The Archbishop of Colombo led Easter Mass without worshippers, streamed live, urging the faithful to bear witness to the resurrection of Christ through a new life, as an instrument of transformation of society.” About 218 people have tested positive so far for the COVID-19 virus.

Colombo (AsiaNews) – Despite the coronavirus outbreak the country is struggling to cope with, no one in Sri Lanka has forgotten last year’s Easter Sunday attacks, on 21 April, which left at least 279 people dead and almost 600 wounded from blasts in three churches, two Catholic and one Protestant, and three hotels.

Even though they wanted to destroy us, we didn’t seek revenge. We loved them,” said Card Malcom Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, during the Mass on Easter Sunday.

Due to the safety measures taken to control the pandemic, the service was held without people, but was streamed live. The cardinal’s two auxiliary bishops, J. D. Anthony and S. Maxwell, took part in the celebration.

We forgave them,” said Card Ranjith. We could have taken a worldly and human decision and reacted against them, but we did not do so”. Instead, we responded with the Good News of Risen Lord, and forgave them.”

One year later, it is still unclear who was behind the attacks. The then president Maithripala Sirisena first blamed Islamic extremists, then international drug traffickers, supposedly trying to undermine his anti-narcotics drive.

At the time, Card Ranjith had called on the entire Sri Lankan cabinet to resign, given its failure to investigate an “international conspiracy” behind the attacks.

The prelate called on Catholics to bear witness to Jesus’s resurrection. Let us try to show that we are not worldly, earthly beings. We have something that is noble inside each of us, whatever our religion, culture or language. Everyone has something to contribute to humanity.”

No one should think only about themselves. This is about the resurrection, the new existence. As for a second chance, let us give quality to our lives by following what the Lord says, and become an instrument of transformation of society.”

Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry has reported 218 coronavirus cases so far with no deaths and at least 59 people completely recovered.

By KYLIE WALTERS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Gordon Ramsay was a huge hit with audiences when he appeared in the premiere of MasterChef: Back to Win on Monday night as a guest judge.

But the 53-year-old celebrity chef was left slightly red-faced when he made a terribly awkward gaffe while praising competitor Dani Venn on her curry dish.

After explaining that Sri Lanka was a very special place to her because she’d met her husband on the island, Dani presented the judges with her tasting plate featuring a mud crab curry, pineapple curry and some homemade roti and sambal.

Awkward! Gordon Ramsay (pictured) was  left red-faced on MasterChef on Monday night  after he makes a terrible gaffe while praising competitor Dani Venn over her ‘authentic’ Sri Lankan curry

Gordon and the other judges were impressed at how authentic the dishes tasted.

‘Dani, you blew us away with that authenticity. Whatever happens, stick close to that Sri Lankan husband of yours,’ Gordon gushed.

Dani then awkwardly revealed that her husband Chris Burgess wasn’t from Sri Lanka- he was from New Zealand.

Yum! After explaining that Sri Lanka was a very special place to her because she’d met her husband on the island, Dani presented the judges with her tasting plate. The dish featured a mud crab curry, pineapple curry and some homemade roti and sambal (pictured)

‘Oh, he’s not Sri Lankan… I met him in Sri Lanka… He’s a kiwi,’ she said.

The cringeworthy moment didn’t go unnoticed by eagle-eyed Twitter fans. 

‘Oh he’s not Sri Lankan… awkies,’ one viewer Tweeted. 

‘Oh, he’s not Sri Lankan… I met him in Sri Lanka… He’s a kiwi’: Dani (right) was left to explain her husband Chris Burgess (left) wasn’t from Sri Lanka, but New Zealand

Another added: ‘That awkward moment when Gordon Ramsay assumes your husband’s ethnicity’.  

But all was forgiven when Dani’s dish was so impressive, that Gordon went on to award her with the season’s only immunity pin. 

A huge advantage, the pin can be used as a ‘get out of jail free card’ if Dani finds herself in the bottom of the competition. 

Courtesy Adaderana

Fourteen new cases of COVID-19 infections have been confirmed in Sri Lanka, stated the Minister of Health.

Accordingly, 15 new cases have been reported as of 10.30 pm today (14).

With the addition of the new cases jump the total figure of coronavirus infections in the country to 233.

All 15 cases have been reported from quarantine centers across the country. Eight of the confirmed patients have been identified at the Palaly quarantine center, while 4 from the Mulankovil quarantine center and one from the Puttalam quarantine center have been identified.

The 14 new patients are revealed to have closely associated COVID-19 infected patients.

The Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry says that 153 active cases are under medical care with 61 total recoveries.

Sri Lanka has confirmed 7 fatalities due to COVID-19 so far.

Courtesy Adaderana

World Health Organization (WHO) officials say not all people who recover from the coronavirus have the antibodies to fight a second infection, raising concern that patients may not develop immunity after surviving COVID-19.

With regards to recovery and then reinfection, I believe we do not have the answers to that. That is an unknown,” Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO’s emergencies program, said at a press conference at the organization’s Geneva headquarters on Monday. 

A preliminary study of patients in Shanghai found that some patients had no detectable antibody response” while others had a very high response, said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s lead scientist on COVID-19. Whether the patients who had a strong antibody response were immune to a second infection is a separate question,” she added.

More than 300,000 of the 1.87 million coronavirus cases across the world have recovered, WHO officials noted, adding that they need more data from recovered patients to understand their antibody response, whether that gives them immunity and for how long. 

That’s something that we really need to better understand is what does that antibody response look like in terms of immunity,” Van Kerkhove said.

Ryan said there are questions about whether the virus can reactivate after a patient recovers and tests negative for COVID-19.

There are many reasons why we might see the reactivation of infection either with the same infection or another infectious agent,” he said. In general, there are many situations in viral infection where someone doesn’t clear the virus entirely from their system.” Some patients can also clear the main infection but develop a secondary bacterial infection, he said. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that it is developing a test to detect the presence of coronavirus antibodies to determine if a person could be immune to the disease. While such a test can determine who has been exposed to the virus, it’s not clear if it can identify those immune to reinfection, according to the WHO.

WHO officials also warned Monday against lifting social distancing restrictions and reopening businesses, even as U.S. political leaders, from President Donald Trump to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, have said they hope to reopen businesses as soon as it is safe to do so. 

While COVID-19 accelerates very fast, it decelerates much more slowly. In other words, the way down is much slower than the way up,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference at the organization’s Geneva headquarters on Monday. That means control measures must be lifted slowly and with control. It cannot happen all at once.”

Tedros outlined a checklist for countries before they should consider lifting social distancing measures:

-The transmission of the virus should be controlled.
-A surveillance system should be in place to detect, isolate and treat patients.
-Outbreaks in hospitals and nursing homes should be minimized.
-Preventive measures in essential locations such as schools and workplaces should be in place.
-The risk of importing the disease from abroad should be under control.

Control measures can only be lifted if the right public health measures are in place, including a significant capacity for contact tracing,” Tedros said.

Source: CNBC
-Agencies

Courtesy Adaderana

The two police officers have been interdicted after they had punished several individuals violating the curfew in Colombo have been reinstated to service.

Ada Derana on March 12, reported that two police officers had punished four persons who had violated the curfew at Darley Road, Maradana by forcing them to hold their ears and do squats, before subsequently letting them off with a stern warning.

Accordingly, the Police Headquarters, yesterday (13) issued a statement that the two police officers in question – a police sergeant and a constable – had been interdicted over the charges of disobeying orders and disreputable behavior.

The Police Headquarters also that disciplinary action would be initiated against the two officers.

However, DIG Ajith Rohana said that the interdicted sergeant and constable have been reinstated to service.

Courtesy Adaderana

Riyadh Bathiudeen, brother of former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The arrest has been made with regard to the probes on the Easter Sunday terror attacks which took place on April 21 last year.

Courtesy Adaderana

Former MP Ranjan Ramanayake has been remanded until April 20 by the Gangodawila Magistrate’s Court.

The former deputy minister was arrested last evening (13) on charges of violating curfew laws, abetting the violation of curfew laws and obstructing police officers in the execution of their duties.

A person from Piliyandala had arrived at Madiwela Parliament Members’ Housing Complex and informed the police officers on duty that he intends to meet former MP Ramanayake. 

As the said person did not possess a valid curfew permit, the officers had made an inquiry into him.

However, Ramanayake who arrived at the scene had attempted to bring the person into the Housing Complex by threatening and obstructing the officers from carrying out their duties, police said.

Subsequently, the former MP and his visitor had been arrested by the Mirihana Police at the former’s house and taken to the Mirihana Police Station.

Ramanayake was produced before the Gangodawila Magistrate’s Court today (14) where he was ordered remanded until April 20.

Courtesy Adaderana

A total of 1,606 individuals have been arrested for violating curfew orders during the last 24 hours ending from 6.00 am today (14).

In the meantime, 373 vehicles were also taken into custody during this period.

The Police said 26,637 persons have been placed under arrest for violating the curfew since March 20 and 6,799 vehicles have been seized.

Sri Lanka Police has warned of strict legal action against people caught violating the countrywide curfew.

They will be immediately arrested, even without a warrant, and police bail will not be granted for them, police said.

Police also noted that none of the vehicles taken into custody will be released back to their respective owners, until the prevailing Coronavirus threat is eliminated.

The government imposed an island-wide curfew to minimize public movement in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak in the country.

Emma Tucker Courtesy Daily Beast

The first case of a dead body transmitting the coronavirus to a medical examiner was reported by scientists in Thailand, a discovery that has prompted concerns that those handling coronavirus victims might be at risk of infection, BuzzFeed News reported on Monday. This is the first report on COVID-19 infection and death among medical personnel in a Forensic Medicine unit,” the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine Study announced on Sunday. The disinfection procedure used in operation rooms might be applied in pathology/forensic units too,” wrote Won Sriwijitalai of the RVT Medical Center in Bangkok and Viroj Wiwanitkit of Hainan Medical University in China. There is a lack of knowledge about whether corpses can infect others with the novel coronavirus, however the finding in Thailand has reaffirmed advice from health experts that people handling the bodies of those who have succumbed to the virus, including morgue and funeral home workers, should use safety precautions, according to BuzzFeed.

Anyone coming into contact with a COVID19 positive body, alive or dead, should be using personal protective equipment to prevent exposure,” said Summer Johnson McGee, health policy expert at the University of New Haven. Autopsies and subsequent investigations present real risks for coroners to acquire COVID-19,” McGee told BuzzFeed.

Courtesy Adaderana

Three more COVID-19 positive patients have been identified increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 217.

The Ministry of Health confirmed that these three new patients are also from the Punani quarantine centre.

Earlier today, four new cases had been reported while all of them were from the Punani quarantine centre as well. They had close contact with a Covid-19 patient from Beruwala.

Seven new cases have been reported so far within today while all of them are from the Punani quarantine centre. 

As of 7.00 p.m. today, a total of 154 patients (active cases) are under medical care while 56 patients have recovered and have been discharged from hospital. 

Meanwhile 117 suspected Covid-19 patients are currently under observation at selected hospitals.

The death toll due to Covid-19 in Sri Lanka currently stands at 07.

Courtesy Ada Derana

Former MP Ranjan Ramanayake has been arrested for obstructing the duties of police officers. 

The former deputy minister was arrested, a short while ago, on charges of obstructing police officers in the execution of their duties, Senior DIG of Western Province Deshabandu Tennakoon said.

He said that the arrest was made by Mirihana Police at the Madiwela Housing Complex.

KAMALIKA PIERIS

This essay provides additional information on Sri Lanka’s role in establishing Theravada Buddhism in South East Asia. It is a supplementary essay to the earlier essays on    subject.

Historians agree that the major impact of Sinhala Buddhist culture was on South East Asia, on Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and the Yunnan province of China.  Sinhala Buddhism was found there from around the 5^th century at least.

There is plenty of information on the other four countries, but very little on Vietnam. The Dong Dong Buddha image from Champa, which is displayed in Ho Chi Ming museum, has been identified by Boisellier as influenced by Anuradhapura of the period 3-4 AD.  It is a standing Buddha made of bronze, a little over a meter high. Dupont (1959) has suggested that the Buddha figures from Dong Duron in Vietnam, Sikendeng and Jember in East Java closely resemble those from 5th century Sri Lanka. 

By the 12th century, Buddhism had been in retreat In the South Asian subcontinent, said Gunawardana. Islam and Hinduism, introduced by Indian traders had replaced it. But, in the middle of the 12 century,   South East Asia decided to turn again to Buddhism. Sri Lanka was the foremost centre of Theravada Buddhism in South Asia.  

Reaching out to Sri Lanka was not a problem. There had been long standing diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Culavamsa records Vijayabahu I (1055-1110) sending envoys with gifts and letter written in his own hand in Pali to king of Ramanna (probably Arakan) seeking his assistance to defeat the Colas.  Parakrama bahu I (1153-86) had a fight with Arakan. But this was settled amicably and the kings who came after him, kept in touch with Burma.

 Vijayabahu II (1186-7) wrote a letter in Pali to the Burmese king and also signed a treaty of friendship.  Nissanka Malla (1187-96) also had friendly relations with Burma.  In Burma, king Narathu poisoned the heir to the throne. The Sangharaja of Burma, Ven Panthagu left Myanmar in disgust and lived in Sri Lanka for six years from 1167.

There were marriage connections too. Luce (1969) said that rulers of south East Asian countries were eager to get consorts from Sri Lanka. Mahavamsa mentions a ship carrying a Sinhala princess to Cambodia, during the time of Parakrama bahu I (1123–1186). King Dharanindravarman II had asked for a bride for his son Jayavarman VII. Dharanindravarman was Buddhist. According to Glass Palace Chronicle, Burmese king Alaungsitthu (1112-1167) had visited Sri Lanka, married the Sri Lanka king’s daughter and returned to Burma. 

It could be mentioned here, that during Portuguese rule, the Indonesian kingdom of Aceh had sent an embassy, asking king Dharmapala for a Sinhala princess as a bride. The Udarata kingdom, hearing this had told   Aceh that Dharmapala had no such princess, but Udarata could supply one.

The medieval period started with Sri Lanka seeking assistance from Southeast Asia. .Vijayabahu I wrote to Burma in 1071, asking for learned monks to restore the Sangha. 20 senior Burmese monks arrived and the Upasampada was re-established. Inscriptions have spoken of arrival of monks from Ramanna, (Thaton) and the purification of the Sangha, but indicate that Sri Lanka   considered it to be ‘our own upasampada’ which was now returning.

Following this, there was a revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 12 century. This led to the rise of several active centers of Buddhist scholarship in Sri Lanka that attracted young monks from Southeast Asia. The visiting monks were taught the Theravada Buddhism of the Mahavihara (Skilling, 1996).  Mahavihara emphasized the study of Pali and knowledge of the   Vinaya. The training included a study of Sumangalavilasini, Papancasudani, Saratthappakasini, Manorathapurani, also Bodhivamsa and Samantapasadika, said R.A.L.H Gunawardana.

An important feature of this transfer of Sinhala Buddhism was the transfer of the vana vasi (forest dwelling) tradition to Southeast Asia, said Gunawardana. The forest dwelling monks, led by bhikkhus of the Udumbaragiri fraternity had played a leading role in the Sangha reform movement in Sri Lanka. These bhikkhus were also among the most reputed Buddhist scholars of the time. They    participated in the transfer of Sinhala Buddhism to Southeast Asia.

In 1424, for instance, a ceremony of higher ordination was held in Sri Lanka for a group of South east Asian monks who had studied under Vanaratana, of the forest dwelling sect. 28 were from Chiang Mai, 8 from Cambodia, 6 from Burma.  These monks had learned Sinhala and the Sri Lanka style of intonation and recitation of Pali texts.

Dipawamsa and Mahavamsa inspired the tradition of chronicle writing in the entire Southeast Asian region, said Hema Goonetilake.  Mahavamsa became the model for their histories. The vamsa literature influenced Myanmar and Thailand and to a lesser extent, Cambodia and Laos. The Mahavamsa virtually became a household text in the entire region.

The Mahasammata vamsa, the oldest extant chronicle of Burma has been modeled on the Mahavamsa.  The ‘Sasana vamsa’ , the Lanna chronicles and other chronicles written in Thailand followed the Mahavamsa model. Prabang chronicle and the Wat Keo inscription of Laos were also in the vamsa tradition.

Historians have found that Buddhism did not go  from Sri Lanka  to South East Asia in  a map-like order, Burma first, then Thailand, then Cambodia and so on.  Instead, Sinhala Buddhism has gone direct to Cambodia from Sri Lanka. It went to Thailand and Laos from Cambodia. Cambodia was the most powerful state in the region at the time and many of the Pali texts found in South East Asia were in Khmer script. Cambodia  also showed a sense of mission. Tamalinda, son of Jayavarman VII of Cambodia had gone to Sri Lanka with Thai monks, studied there for 10 years, came back and then went to Burma and promoted Buddhism there. Therefore this essay looks first at Cambodia.

CAMBODIA

Cambodia and Sri Lanka have been in touch from the 6^th century, at least.  In 505 AD a Pali text of the Abhayagiri vihara, Vimuttimagga, was translated into Chinese by Sanghabadra, a monk from Funan (Cambodia).

Records indicate that Sinhala bhikkhus arrived at Angkor from Ligor in Thailand, in time of King Jayavarman VII (1181 – 1218). They established the Sinhala Lankavamsa ordination. This Lankavamsa ordination then spread into Thailand and Laos. The stone stupa in the Prasat Phra Khan temple built by Jayavarman VII  showed the influence of Kiri vehera.

By the 14 century Sri Lanka monks had become advisors to Cambodian kings . A 15th century Cambodian inscription refers to a monk named Lanka Sriyasa. He taught the Dhamma to the royal princes. He also did much to popularize Buddhism.  When King Po Hea Yat founded the capital Phnom Penh in 1422,  all five temples built in Phnom Penh were headed by Sinhala monks. Wat Lanka was designated the principle library in the country. the Tripitaka was taught there by Sri Lanka monks.

LAOS

Laos became an independent state when the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang was established in 1353. Before that Laos was part of the Khmer empire.  Sometime in the 1330s, the heir apparent to Laos, was exiled to Cambodia, with his son, Fa Ngum   Fa Ngum was looked after by the Cambodian king, Jayavarman Paramesvara, who gave his daughter in marriage to him in 1332.  Fa Ngum (1353 – 1372) then returned to Laos, united the various Laos provinces  and declared himself king. 

His queen wanted Buddhism introduced to Laos.  Her father, the Cambodian king sent a mission. The mission included 20 Buddhist monks and   four groups of artisans, skilled in painting, writing and casting images. Phra Maha Pasaman, a Cambodian monk and Mahadeva Lanka, a Sinhala monk, were the leaders of the delegation.  

The delegation included three Sinhala monks, Mahadeva Lanka, Mahadeva ….. and Mahadeva Nandipanna. Mahadeva Lanka was given a long Lao name, Phru Silavavisuddha  Uttamacarinanavisesa Viseyyateyapidok Pavartep Lanka, abbreviated to Phra Maha Tep Lanka  and made chief monk of Wat Keo, a temple specially built for this team  by  the king.  Mahadeva Lanka later became the monk advisor for Fa Ngum and the first Sangharaja of Laos.

the  second Sinhala monk was  made chief monk of  Wat Xien Kan, and was also given a long Lao name, Mahasanghasena Sasanabhiromm Uttamusami Silavisesa Tep Lanka, shortened to Phra Tep Lanka and was made chief monk of Wat Xien Kan. The third monk was   given the Lao name Maha  Nandipanna.

Wat Keo inscription  says that on the arrival of the Cambodian mission, a monastic complex was  established, with a Bodhi tree, Vihara, ceti and residential quarters. The  Bodhi  was from a sprout of the Sri Maha Bodhi and the vihara was known as Wat Po Lanka ( Lanka Bodhi Vihara)

When the  Cambodian king  sent  the mission to Laos, he  also sent his proudest possession, the Buddha image Prabang” with miraculous powers. According to the ‘Prabang Chronicle’, this image was cast in 874 AD in Sri Lanka , by Culanaga thera , at the  request of the   Cambodian king. It was sent as a gift from Vijayabahu I. The statue was    83 cm in height, standing  in abhaya mudra and had  been made from an alloy of gold, silver, copper and brass.   This  statue was treated as   the symbol of the right to rule Laos.  It was kept in the capital city and the capital was named Luang Prabang.

Fa Ngum’s son, Sam Saun Tai ( 1373-1416)  also built temples and founded monastic schools for the study of Buddhism. He  elevated Maha Tep Lanka  and Maha Pasaman to the  rank of Sangharaja. By the end of his reign, Luang Prabang city had won recognition as one of the most important centers of Buddhist teaching in the region. Lao chronicles specifically state that it was the Sinhala form of Buddhism that was introduced to Laos. ( continued)

KAMALIKA PIERIS

THAILAND

Thailand had received Sinhala Buddhism by the   6^th century at least. A Mon inscription dated 550-650 AD found in Narai cave in Saraburi province spoke of a group of Anuradhapura persons who had settled in Dvaravati. 

However, Gunawardana says, the earliest Sinhala Buddhist influence  found in Thailand, was  at Nagara Sri Dhammaraja,   known thereafter as Ligor and today as Nakhon Si Thammarat. Vat Phra Borom Mahatit, the main temple at Nakhon, led in the dissemination of Sri Lanka Theravada 

Nakhorn Si Thammarat was strategically located between the Bay of Bengal and the Gulf of Siam, practically in line with Sri Lanka.  It was open to influences from Sri Lanka and elsewhere. The port mentioned most in connection with visits to Sri Lanka  is Tran, on the western coast of Nakhorn.

Gunawardana said that according to the chronicles, Nakhorn was founded by king, Dharmasokaraja who was forced to leave his kingdom of Hamsavatti in south Burma due to an epidemic.  Before he founded Nakhom, a delegation of a hundred men and four nobles were dispatched by ship to consult the ruler of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka king had approved the idea of the new city, and sent a leading monk named Buddhagambhira back with them. Buddhagambhira was going to an already Buddhist land, said the chronicles.

A manuscript from Badalun monastery, speaks of the arrival from Sri Lanka of a monk named Anomadassi who brought along with him sacred relics. The chronicle of Ma’an Nagarasiri Dharmaraja and the Chronicle of the Holy reliquary of Mo’an Nagarasiri Dharmaraja, discovered at Nakhorn Si Thammarat, contain material from the Sinhala Dhatuvamsa.

Dupont (1942) noted that in a number of Buddhist images in the Chaiya region of Ligor, dated between 8-12 centuries, the major influence was Sri Lanka.  Researchers found that Phra Boromathat ceti   in Nakon Pathom, the first Sinhala style stupa, was modeled after Kiri vehera in Polonnaruwa. Goonatilake (2007) reported that six other Sinhala style stupas built around the same time in the Ligor peninsula were inspired by the Sinhala monks who went there.

Chandrabanu of Ligor invaded Sri Lanka in the 13 century.  In the Vat Hva Vian inscriptions datable to 1230 .Chandrabanu is identified at king Siridhamma of Dhammarajanagara. Dhammaraja nagara has been identified as Nakhorn and the ruler has been identified as the Chandrabanu who invaded Sri Lanka.

Thailand seems to have received some of its Sinhala Buddhism from Cambodia.  Some Pali texts from Sri Lanka, found in Thailand are in the Khmer script. The Noen Sa Busa bilingual inscriptions found in Prachinaburi are partly in Pali and partly in Khmer.   The three verses of the Sinhala  Thelakatahagatha included in it,   were in Khmer script. The Sinhala script   came into use in Thai Buddhism only around 15 century.

Kings of Northern Thailand , such as King Lu Thai ( 1317-1347)  of Sukhothai and king Kilana( (1355-1385) of Chiang Mai, wanted the Sinhala upasampada. They requested Udumbara Mahasami who was living in Muttima in Burma to send a monk to perform upasampada. Udumbara sent Sumana thera  , who had received upasampada  under him in Muttima. Sumana thera established the Sihala sect in Sukhothai ,Chiang Mai, and Haripunjaya  (Lamphun). Gunawardana sees this as  the continuation of the forest dwelling tradition of Sri Lanka .

According to    the   Khmer ‘inscriptions  of  the Mango grove’, a religion dignitary who possessed a profound knowledge of  Theravada  Buddhism ,and had held high ecclesiastical office in his land of Sri Lanka   arrived at Sukhodaya in 1361 during the reign of king  Lu Tai (1347-1368). This would have been Sumana.

Sumana received a magnificent reception from King Lu Thai. The king had staged a grand spectacle in  honor of the bhikkhu.  King Lu Thai  then studied  Buddhism under Sumana.  then abdicated  and became a monk (or received temporary ordination). The ceremony at the Golden Tower of the palace   where the king received temporary ordination was described in detail in inscriptions, said Goonatilake. Lu Tai  emphasized the centrality of Sri Lanka in the Buddhist world, observed Gunawardana. Lu Thai refers to Anuradhapura’s Ruvanveli  in his work, Traibhumikatha

Jinakālamālī, a Chiang Mai chronicle, said that the arrival of the Bhikkhu Sumana  in Chiang Mai during the rule of king  Kilana ( 1355-85) led to the setting up on a large number of Buddhist monuments and sculpture in that region. This is supported by stone inscriptions at Wat Phra Yun in Haripunjaya  written in Pali and Thai script. King Kilana built an artificial cava Wat Umong, in Chiang Mai to house the visiting Sinhala monks.

Goonatilake  says Si Satha, (Sri Sraddha) a ‘prince monk’ from Sukhothai spent ten years in Sri Lanka, learning the Dhamma and visiting the major Buddhist sites . He returned in 1344. Gunawardana   says he  came back with the title ‘Sri Lankapradipa’, bringing along several bodily relics of the Buddha.  A special monastery called Vat Mahadhatu was built for him. The royal monk lived at Vat Mahadhatu, but maintained a link with the forest dwelling tradition.  his preference was to mediate in the forest, observed Gunawardana.

Gunawardana says there was evidently a large Sri Lanka  retinue   at Vat Mahadhatu, belonging to the ‘five groups’ attached to this monastery. In Sri Lanka monasteries, the term ‘five groups ‘ refers to carpenters, ironsmiths, weavers, leatherworkers, and barbers. 

Goonatilake says Si Satha, returned with several craftsmen from Gampola. The craftsmen were settled in five  villages in Sukhothai, and they added Sinhala style motifs of makaras to the Mahathat stupa, the main stupa of Sukhothai. These were based on Lankatilaka temple, which had been built during Sri Sraddha’s time in Sri Lanka . The bell shaped stupas and the standing elephants emerging form niches  were also inspired by Lankatilaka and Gadaladeniya.  

The next recorded link with Sri Lanka is in the reign of Paramaraja (1370-1388) of Ayuthya also known as Boromaraja. the Thai bhikkhu, Dhammakitti  had studied in Sri Lanka and returned to Ayutthaya to live in a monastery named Lankarama  built for him by  king  Paramaraja. He had received upsampada from Sangharaja Dhammakitti  Mahasami of Gadaladeni.

There is also mention of Nanagambhira, a leading figure in the  Chiang Mai group that went to Sri Lanka in 1424. He was responsible for the vigorous expansion of this group in Chiang Mai as well as other placed in Thailand including Sukhothai, and Haripunjaya.

Lanna chronicles of Thailand say that King Tilokaraja (1441 – 1486) of Chiang Mai, had in 1455 planted a bodhi branch brought from Anuradhapura, and built a monastery in Chiang Mai, known as Wat Sinhalaram, today known as Wat Cedi Cet Yod. Wat Sihalaram became the first centre of Pali studies in Thailand. The king   had convened the eighth World Tripitaka Council there in 1477.

King Tilokaraja was a great patron of the Sihala sect. He had invited a Sinhala monk from Lamphun, named Mthangkon, to spend the vas at Ratchamonthian temple and given him the title of Phra Maha Swami.  In the time of this king, a general named Sinhalagotta (Sinhala clan) rebuilt the shrine called Rajakuta in Chiang Mai and deposited in it a sacred relic brought from Sri Lanka.

Three Buddha images from Sri Lanka played an important part in the politics of Thailand and Laos.  One was  the Prabhang Buddha of Laos, which has been discussed earlier.  Thailand eyed it and took it whenever the opportunity arose.  There were two other Buddha statues which became politically important, the Sihinga Buddharupa and the Emerald Buddha.

the Sihinga Buddarupa’s origins seem to be uncertain. It went from Sri Lanka to Thailand. Jinakalamai (1516 AD) refer to a joint mission sent to Sri Lanka by Rocaraja (identified as king Rama Khamheng 1279-1298) of Sukhothai and the king of Nagara Sri Dhammaraja, requesting the Sinhala king to send them the Sihinga Buddharupa. this statue was seen as a symbol of sovereignty.

The kings of      the various kingdoms in Thailand, all wanted it, and the image went from king to king,   spending time in the various Thai capitals, such as Ayutthaya,   Chiang Mai and    Sukhothai. Records indicate that it was installed at Chiang Mai between 1369 and 1371 and treated with great reverence. However, copies had been made and today there are three images all claiming to be the original. They are in Chiang Mai, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Bangkok, said Goonetilaka.

The third image is the emerald Buddha image, a seated image made of green jade. This has been made in Pataliputra, India, then it was sent to Sri Lanka for protection, and from there to Thailand at the request of the Thai king. King Anawrahta of Burma,  had also asked for the     image.

On the journey, it went by mistake to Angkor, Cambodia and had to be rescued.  In Thailand, it went from kingdom to kingdom,  form Ayutthaya to  Chiang Mai  which was under Kilana. At one time, it was  in Luang Prabang in Laos. Goonatilake observes that at one point of time, all three images were in Luang Prabang. After going to and fro,   the Emerald Buddha is now kept in state in Bangkok.

Sinhala Buddhism influenced the Buddhist art of Thailand. Ayutthaya has hundreds of the Sinhala stupa. The Bo saplings planted in Thailand and elsewhere were from Sri Lanka. Griswold (1966) concluded that Buddha image brought from Sri Lanka played a crucial role in Buddha sculpture in Thailand. The 6 century Buddha image form Khorat is one such example. Boiseller (1963) also argued that the earliest Southeast Asian Buddha images such as those found at Dvaravati were inspired by Anuradhapura .

MYANMAR

The introduction of Buddhism to centers in Burma such as Hmawza and Old Prome are dated between 5-8 century AD, said Gunawardana. Hmawza , deep inside Burma,  belonging to the kingdom of Srishetra,( 5-7^th AD)yielded many inscriptions on caskets, plates and stupa. De Casparis     studied the gold plates from  Hmawza,written in Pali  and  Pyu languages and concluded that the script resembled 4^th century Sinhala.

However, researchers  say that Buddhism  took root in Bagan, the first capital of the future Burmese state. The Bagan kingdom existed from 9^th to 13 century. King Anawrahta (1044-77), sent     a request to Sri Lanka  for the Tripitaka  commentaries  and Sri Lanka complied. Sri Lanka refused a request for the Tooth relic and instead sent a duplicate of the tooth relic. The Burmese king had made more duplicates and enshrined the first in Shwezigon Pagoda. King Kyanzitta ( 1084-1112) revised the Tripitaka based on the Sinhala version.

In the time of King Narapatisithu (1174-1211) and his successors, several large monasteries dedicated to Sinhala monks, were built in Bagan. These monasteries are located near the  village of Myinkaba, and the Sinhala monks were known as Tamani sect.

Pali Inscription dated 1271  found in the Tamani complex talks of a mission taken by a Bagan monk to Sri Lanka asking for monks to propagate Buddhism. A Burmese inscription dated 1197 records the enshrinement of four sacred relics sent by king of Sri Lanka . Several stupas  there are in Sinhala style. One complex has three large monasteries near each other. One had two floors and could accommodate 100 monks. Another was for samanera.

Murals depicting Mahavamsa were found in Kubyauk-gyi temple in Myinkaba village. The temple was constructed by son of King Kyanzitha, Prince Rajakumar   in 1113. Major events from Mahavamsa   are recorded such as visits of Buddha to island, Bo tree brought by Sanghamitta, also Dutugemunu, Elara, the justice bell and the cow. Text was given below in Mon language . These paintings were prominently placed on two long walls, facing each other.

‘Manavulu Sandesaya’ speaks of a Mahathera Kassapa, resident in Bagan.  The text included a request to come and purify the Sangha in Bagan.   Manavulu Sandesaya is a 13^th century text in Pali written by Nagasena thera at Ramba vihara, Sri Lanka. Godakumbura has set this in the reign of King Narapatisithu.

Successors of king Narapatisithu 1174-1211, patronized the Sinhala monks. Inscription dated 1233 mentions a Sinhala monk called Buddharamsi as head of a monastery  located near the  Sinbaung monastery where Sinhala monk Ananda was chief priest. Post Bagan period also, Sri Lanka monks continued to be respected. Inscription from Sale, 32 miles from Bagan, dated 1409 says monastery was built for Sinhala monks.

A large number of influential Sinhala monks taught at Myanmar. They   enjoyed high prestige. Jinakalamali says Udumbara Mahasami from Sri Lanka arrived in Burma in 1331. He arrived in Hamsavati ( Pegu in Lower Burma) with 12  Mon monks who had re-ordained in Sri Lanka. This group of monks, including Chapata,  had studied under  Udumbaragiri fraternity. On their return they established a centre of the forest dwelling monks at Martaban (Muttima, lower Burma.) headed by ‘Udumbarapuppha Mahasami’. This Udumbara Mahasami has been identified as Sangharaja Medhankara, the author of Lokappadipakasara. His fame attracted the attention of king Lodaiya and King Kilana of Thailand.  

Researchers  say that there would have been a great number of Sinhala bhikkhus in Burma to carry out the task of teaching Pali through Sinhala script and help translate  text on a large scale form Pali to Mon and later to Burmese.

King Dhammazedi who was earlier a Mon bhikkhu, and now king of Bago in Lower Burma received his education in one of the many Sinhala Sangha monasteries in Ava.  Kalyani inscription  of Dhammazedi, says Dhammazedi  sent 22 Burmese mahatheras to Sri Lanka , in 1476  to received upsampada afresh under Vidagama Mahathera. When they returned King Dhammazedi had the Kalyani sima created for them. After three years all the monks in Burma, 15,666 of them were re-ordained there.  In hundred of ordination halls. Bhikkhus from lower Burma, Arakan, Ava, Toungoo, Shan, Sukhothai and Chiang Mai in Thailand, and even Cambodia came and took ordination again.

King Minbin (1531-53) also known as Andaw, king of Arakan, now part of Burma had close relations with Sri Lanka. A replica of the sacred tooth relic was  placed at Andaw stupa during reign of Min bin. Many copies of Tripitaka brought form Sri Lanka were placed around the most venerated Buddha image there.

Inscription indicates that Mahavamsa and Culavamsa were popular texts in Burma. They were in temple libraries.  The libraries also held Anagatavamsa,        Thupawamsa, Bodhivamsa and their tikas.

The Burmese (Myanmar) chronicles were directly modeled on the Mahavamsa.  The first Burmese chronicle, Yazawinkyaw of 1520 was based on Dipawansa. Goonatilake says that six-sevenths of the space is allotted to the Mahavamsa. The rest is a list of Burmese kings and their works of merit. The Maha-ya-zawin-gy, written in 1720, and the Hman-nan-ya-zawin (Glass Palace Chronicle) written in 1821  were also modeled on the Mahavamsa. The Burmese chronicles Mahasammatavamsa, Rajavamsa and Sasanavamsa were all directly modeled after the Mahavamsa.

When Sri Lanka lost its own copies of the Mahavamsa and Dipawamsa, the Southeast Asian countries came to the rescue. Oldenburg says that all the copies of Dipawamsa he saw seemed to be copies from a single Burmese original.  Turnour says his copy was from an original brought from Thailand, reported GP Malalasekera.

Myanmar archeological department identified over 80 stupas of the Sinhala style, said Goonatilake.  Deputy Director General of archaeology, Burma had told Hema Goonatilake that there were over 260 large monuments in Bagan which showed Sinhala influence from 11^th to 17 century. The last Sinhala type stupa was Konimhutoau in Sagaing, built in 1648. It was  modeled after the Mahathupa at Anuradhapura.

Goonatilake also records a unique event which took place in modern times.  Vaturegama Dhammadharatissa thera, a Sinhala bhikkhu, ordained in Myanmar in 1800, went to Assam which was then under Burma. He was  very popular teacher of Buddhism there.   Assamese king invited him to be his advisor. The king was killed in 1824, when Britain attacked Assam. But before that, the king had handed over government temporarily to the monk.  The ministers unanimously decided to appoint the thera as king of Assam.   Ven.Vaturegama persuaded Assam to settle for peace with Britain, instead of fighting. The  British in gratitude wanted to grant him anything he wanted. His wish was to be sent back to Sri Lanka safely. This is related by Goonatilake (2018) but no reference is provided.

References are: RALH Gunawardana.  Relations linking Theravada communities of Sri Lanka and Thailand with special reference to Nakhorn Sri Thammarat. In Janaprabha Amaradasa Liyanagamage felicitation volume”. / Hema Goonatilake.  Sinhalese influence on Laos. JRASSL. Vol 53 2007/ Hema Goonatilake, The Mahavamsa illustrated 2018 / Hema Goonatilake, Presidential address, SLAAS annual sessions 2006/ Hema Goonatilake.  Buddhist times. 1(11) march 2003. ( Concluded)