President’s Counsel Manohara de Silva yesterday alleged that Switzerland was making a desperate attempt to shield its Ambassador in Colombo Hanspeter Mock in the wake of his abortive intervention on behalf of embassy staffer Garnia Bannister Francis.
Fort Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne on Monday (16) remanded Garnia till Dec 30 for falsely claiming that she had been abducted and molested by a group of persons who sought information regarding Inspector Nishantha Silva, who was given political asylum, at a lightning speed.
The top constitutional lawyer said Garnia made the claim on Nov 25, within 24 hours after IP Silva accompanied by his wife and three children left for Switzerland.
Referring to a statement issued by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, Dec 17, PC de Silva said that he was quite surprised by the Swiss accusation that Sri Lanka hadn’t followed due process in respect of Garnia.
Having obstructed an investigation initiated in response to Ambassador Mock’s complaint to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Nov 27, followed by a written complaint, the Swiss demanded that Sri Lanka should follow the national law and what they called international judicial standards.
Responding to a query, de Silva said that he sincerely hoped the government set the record straight without delay.
Pointing out that the Swiss issued its latest statement in the wake of Ambassador Mock meeting President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat on Dec 16, he said that Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs owed an explanation as what it meant by international judicial standards.
PC de Silva said that the Swiss had conveniently forgotten as to how they deliberately delayed the investigation after having claimed of Garnia’s abduction on Nov 27-two days after the purported incident. The civil society activist alleged the Swiss strategy was meant to move Garnia out in an air ambulance without her being subject to immigration formalities. But, the CID thwarted that move by moving court, PC de Silva said, pointing out that the police were given access to her only on Dec 08-14 days after the alleged abduction.
The senior lawyer urged the Foreign Ministry to examine the situation closely as the Swiss strategy was meant to overwhelm Sri Lanka by what he called a diplomatic onslaught. Responding to another query, PC de Silva said that the Swiss statement called for what they described as a common and constructive way forward to resolve the security incident and Ambassador Mock reiterated their stand again in a face-to-face meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
PC de Silva said that the Swiss couldn’t be expected to settle this matter out of court. According to him, the Swiss desperately tried to side-step established procedures even at the expense of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961).
Actually, there couldn’t be an issue over Garnia’s arrest as she was taken in by the police having received the Attorney General’s approval following a lengthy statement recorded at the CID, the President’s Counsel pointed out.
The government allowed a Swiss diplomat and a lawyer to be present though they weren’t allowed to intervene, PC Manohara said.
The government should examine whether the Swiss were making an effort to discourage Sri Lanka from raising them accommodating IP Silva in Swiss asylum programme while his actions were being questioned, PC de Silva said.
PC de Silva said that the Swiss warning that in this high-profile case Sri Lanka’s reputation as a country that upholds the rule of law was at stake should be challenged.
Foreign Secretary Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha and Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. Kamal Gunaratne on Dec 01 briefed Ambassador Mock of the findings. The probe proved beyond doubt that the claimed abduction never took place and the embassy employee even contradicted the place where the alleged incident took place, PC de Silva said.
De Silva urged the government to be vigilant as the Western powers obviously were hell-bent on undermining the new government.
The obvious question is whether Ambassador Mock was deceived by the embassy worker or whether he knew the planned drama, PC de Silva said.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday informed Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court that the two persons, who were arrested by the CID over making controversial statements regarding ‘white vans’ during a press conference, have confessed to the CID that they had done so due to a request by former Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne.
The CID also informed court that the suspects had also confessed that they had made false statements during the press conference regarding gold and foreign currency of LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran following a request by Rajitha Senaratne.
The CID said the suspects had said in their statements that they had demanded Rs.3 million to fulfil the deal and it was reduced to Rs. 2 million after the minister agreed to provide them with other perks such as two houses and jobs at the US or UK embassy.
The suspects had also said that they related in the press conference what former Minister Senaratne had written them to reveal and that the facts revealed by them in the press conference was not true.
The suspects had confessed that they had attended the press conference after promised monetary reward by former Minister Rajitha Senaratne.
When Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa hurried home after his defeat after the 2015 Presidential polls, his supporters crowded around his residence in Medamulana and urged him to make a comeback to politics. He listened to the call and abandoned plans of retirement from politics. After a couple of years, a new party called ‘Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP)’ was formed at his behest. He was appointed as its leader. He virtually left the SLFP in this manner. His SLPP turned out to be a serious political force replacing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) as the leading light of the left-of-centre forces. Today, the SLPP under his leadership is at the helm.
His success story has become a case study for the Sajith Premadasa faction of the United National Party (UNP). The party, which represents the right-of-centre forces and faces the same predicament which the present Prime Minister faced in 2015, is now trying to take a leaf out of Rajapaksa’s book. Emulating the strategy of Rajapaksa, some UNP MPs now contemplate the formation of a new party since securing the party leadership for Premadasa looks arduous.
If such a strategy proved to be a success story for Rajapaksa, these MPs believe, it will bode well for them as well in the long-run in politics. Likewise, they opine that the UNP is no longer a marketable political brand with its traditional base within the Sinhala community reduced to the lowest ebb. According to the results of the recently concluded presidential elections, the party’s base within the majority Sinhala community has dwindled to around 25 percent. This has led to the belief among some party men that the UNP cannot resuscitate itself from the current mess unless it reaches out to constituents with a fresh outlook.
His success story has become a case study for the Sajith Premadasa faction
Premadasa himself indicated his interest in resorting to such a move in the view of future elections. In his maiden public address in Kolonnawa on Tuesday after the defeat at the November 16 Presidential Elections, he said that he would form a political alliance. He asserted that he would not accept candidacy for the prime ministerial post unless he was appointed the party leader.
UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe would not step down as the party leader any time soon, according to the tone and tenor of his language at recent events. It would leave scope for Premadasa to look for an alternative; to form an alliance with the likeminded parties. The minority allies of the UNP will also back him in such an exercise.
The UNP, the grandest old party of Sri Lanka formed on September 6, 1948 by D.S. Senanayake who became the first Prime Minister of Independent Sri Lanka, gave leadership to the right-of-centre forces since inception.
In the event of an alliance being formed by Premadasa, it will be challenging for the grand old party. Some MPs loyal to Premadasa believe that the fate that befell the SLFP after the emergence of the SLPP would befall the UNP in such an eventuality.
One can draw parallels between the two contexts in this manner. However, the political theory that worked well for one force will not yield in the same fashion for the other due to circumstantial differences.
After the 2015 elections several reasons contributed to the re-emergence of Rajapaksa. After Rajapaksa’s defeat, then President Maithripala Sirisena, who was elected with the main backing of the UNP, took control of the SLFP. After the General Election, the SLFP took a drastic step by forming a unity government with the UNP. It left the left leaning forces politically rudderless since they began to see the SLFP only as an appendage of the UNP. The left wing political forces cried out for Rajapaksa to take the leadership. Rather than an orchestrated political process, it was more of a spontaneous development.
Sajith faction contemplates formation of new party
Alongside, Rajapaksa, as the President who gave political leadership to end the 30-year-old war, was a towering political personality. So, he could keep people with him and get their support for the new party.
But, the situation of the Sajith Premadasa faction of the UNP is different. Premadasa could not prove his strength as a rallying figure at the presidential elections. Also, the political cultures of the two formations differ sharply. Circumstances also vary. So, the application of the same theory in different contexts would not produce the same result. If a new party or an alliance is formed independent of the UNP, success will depend only on the circumstances to be unfolded in the future.
The Premadasa faction will, however, expedite the formation of a new party only if the UNP leadership post cannot be secured before the General Elections. They would try to exert pressure on . Wickremesinghe to give way to Premadasa.
Come what may, the last two presidential elections- 2015 and 2019- brought about dramatic changes in the political landscape of Sri Lanka. The circumstances that unfolded after the 2015 Presidential Polls gave birth to a new party called ‘SLPP’ replacing the SLFP. A similar threat looms for the UNP as the other main political force of the country after the 2019 Presidential Elections.
These UNPers have only given mind to the registration of a new party at the moment. They will make the next move depending on future developments.
New front against TNA before General Elections Former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.K. Sivajilingam who contested the last Presidential Elections took another radical step this week by establishing a new party called ‘Tamil National Party’. Former MP N.Srikantha is the President of the party.
This party is now planning to cobble together an alliance with some other parties in the north including that of former Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran. That is to be formed as an amalgam opposed to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which currently dominates Tamil politics in the north and the east.
It means a new political front would emerge in the north as a rival force to the TNA in the north and the east ahead of the Presidential Elections.
At the Presidential Elections, Tamil people voted according to a clearly defined line. It does not mean that the TNA could get the Tamil votes en bloc at the General Election. It would face some challenges from other Tamil parties .
UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe would not step down as the party leader any time soon
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena this evening (18) received a telephone call from the Foreign Minister of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis regarding the status of the Sri Lankan employee at the Swiss Embassy in Colombo, who arrested and remanded.
On 25 November 2019, the local employee of the Swiss Embassy reported that she had been abducted in Colombo to force her to disclose embassy-related information.
She was arrested and remanded on December 16 on the grounds that she allegedly made false statements.
Ms. Garnier Banister Francis is presently in custody on reasonable suspicion of committing offenses under Sections 120 and 190 of the Penal Code, that could justify a criminal charge of disaffection towards the government, and fabricating false evidence for the purpose of being used in any stage of a judicial proceeding, in her alleged abduction claim,” the Ministry of Foreign Relations said.
Considering the good bilateral relations between the two countries, the Swiss Minister requested that all possible cooperation be extended to expedite the process.”
Noting that Ms. Francis is a Sri Lankan citizen, and that the matter was presently in Court, Minister Gunawardena said the Government of Sri Lanka will do whatever it can according to the law of the land, the statement said.
Minister Gunawardena re-affirmed that Ms. Francis has been granted with all possible facilities and that all her rights have been protected.
Referring to the Swiss Foreign Ministry statement of Tuesday (17 December), Foreign Minister Gunawardena emphasized that Sri Lanka has fully complied with national law and international judicial standards, and that any assertion to the contrary was factually inaccurate.
He detailed the steps taken from the time the incident was first reported, through the presentation of Ms. Francis by the Swiss Embassy to the CID 13 days since the alleged incident, to the present, and emphasized that due process has been adhered to at each step, in keeping with international norms respected by both countries,” the ministry said.
Reaffirming the commitment to consolidate bilateral relations, Minister Gunawardena agreed that the Foreign Ministry will continue to engage in further discussions in this regard, with the Swiss Ambassador in Colombo.
Switzerland has expressed its displeasure at the way Sri Lanka is handling the case against its Sri Lankan employee, Garnier Banister Francis, who stands accused of having falsely claimed that she was abducted and threatened by an unidentified group to reveal Swiss Embassy-related information. It has made known its concerns in a strongly-worded media statement.
The statement from Bern says, inter alia: “The FDFA [Federal Department of Foreign Affairs] has repeatedly called for due process to be followed. In particular, the FDFA has criticised the 30-hour interrogation to which the employee was subjected over three days in spite of being in poor health …” One may be justified in being critical of the manner in which the CID has questioned Francis. However, that is how it usually questions people. Its interrogation sessions go on for hours on end unnecessarily. But Bern should explain why the alleged victim had been kept inside the Swiss Embassy, in Colombo, if she had been so ill; she should have been admitted to hospital immediately. There was absolutely no need for arrangements to be made for an air ambulance to be brought here. How come she suddenly got fit enough to make a statement to the CID, following a court order? Curiously, Francis did not look unwell when she appeared before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court.
The Swiss government’s statement is also critical of the fact that some Sri Lankan officials made public statements before the investigations into the alleged abduction were over. True, they should have acted with restraint without expressing their views. Similarly, some UNP politicians also acted in such a manner that one thought they had been given access to the alleged victim, whom the police were prevented from meeting to record a statement.
A UNP MP told the media that the abductors of Francis had thrust a pistol into her mouth and molested her. One may argue that he would not have made such a serious statement unless he had spoken to the alleged victim or at least some responsible officials at the Swiss mission. He and other UNP politicians did their darndest to have the whole world believe that the much-dreaded White Van abductions had resumed under the new administration. Government politicians sought to counter that allegation by making public statements. All these politicians and officials should have exercised control over their restless tongues until the probe was over.
The Swiss Embassy could have prevented the alleged abduction from becoming a political issue by co-operating with the Sri Lankan government without denying the police access to its employee. It should not have waited until the police moved courts to do so. It kept on demanding an investigation while denying the police access to its employee. If it had allowed the police to record a statement from her immediately after they were informed of the alleged incident, perhaps, she would not have had to visit the CID headquarters at all.
What one gathers from the FDFA statement is that the Swiss government is under the impression that the nub of the problem is that the principles of fairness and due process have been breached anent the legal proceedings against Francis. Due process has been defined differently but, basically, it means that the law is carried out according to the established rules and principles. It also refers to the exercise of the powers of government within the confines of the law and sanctions to ensure that the individual rights are safeguarded. Thus, the statement issued by Bern, implying that due process is lacking in the way the case against its employee is being handled is tantamount to a very serious allegation. Colombo has reason to protest.
On 16th December 2019, soon after a face-to-face meeting of Swiss Ambassador Hanspeter Mock with Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) has issued a statement to the media criticising the lack of due process in the case against their local employee, who is detained (after a court ruling) for falsely claiming that she had been abducted and threatened.
The statement, as a whole, is trying to tell the world, indirectly, that the Sri Lanka authorities (including judiciary) are not following due procedures, not complying with national and international judicial standards, and not protecting the safety and rights of the accused. https://www.fdfa.admin.ch/eda/en/fdfa/fdfa/aktuell/news.html/content/eda/en/meta/news/2019/12/16/77584?pk_campaign=communique&pk_kwd=@swissmfa&fbclid=IwAR2aoF7BJJqHnw0L5JMabFrV-SUrAlYdVO6iFMr-yq9zk5DN8uMypkPm5i4
Meanwhile, addressing the heads of media institutions, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said the local staffer attached to the Swiss Embassy had not been abducted. He has alleged that the embassy employee hadn’t co-operated with the police during the investigation.
The entire country is now aware how the Swiss Embassy tried to take the Sri Lankan woman concerned to Switzerland, in an air ambulance, while denying the Sri Lankan police access to her. Since the employee is a Sri Lankan citizen, she does not come under diplomatic immunity. The Sri Lankan authorities had to get a court order to access the woman concerned, since the Embassy failed to provide the identity of the their so-called victim, although the embassy gave wide publicity, throughout the world, regarding the alleged abduction plot.
As per latest local media reports, the CID has uncovered the involvement of several other employees attached to the Swiss embassy based on mobile phone records of the detained local staffer.
The said Swiss statement said the FDFA and the Swiss Embassy in Colombo will continue to meet their responsibilities as an employer, and do everything in their power to assist the member of staff concerned.
Since several staff members of the Embassy are involved in this plot, as per the latest information, it is the responsibility of the Swiss Embassy, at least now, to meet its obligations and co-operate with the Sri Lankan authorities to exercise the rule of law in order to find out the actual culprits of the plot, and the real motive of the fabricators to tarnish the image of the elected President of the host country.
Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Friday (18) told Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis that due process has been adhered to at each step, in keeping with international norms respected by both countries regarding the investigations into the Sri Lankan employee of the Swiss Mission.
Minister Minister Gunawardena informed this when he received a telephone call from the Foreign Minister of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis Friday evening regarding the status of the Sri Lankan employee at the Swiss Embassy Ms. Garnier Banister Francis. Foreign Minister Gunawardena emphasized that Sri Lanka has fully complied with national law and international judicial standards, and that any assertion to the contrary was factually inaccurate,” the ministry said in a statement. The minister also detailed the steps taken from the time the incident was first reported, through the presentation of Ms. Francis by the Swiss Embassy to the CID 13 days since the alleged incident, to the present, and emphasized that due process has been adhered to at each step, in keeping with international norms respected by both countries.” Considering the good bilateral relations between the two countries, the Swiss Minister requested that all possible cooperation be extended to expedite the process. Noting that Ms. Francis is a Sri Lankan citizen, and that the matter was presently in Court, Minister Gunawardena said the Government of Sri Lanka will do whatever it can according to the law of the land. Minister Gunawardena re-affirmed that Ms. Francis has been granted with all possible facilities and that all her rights have been protected. Referring to the Swiss Foreign Ministry statement of Tuesday (17 December), Foreign Minister Gunawardena emphasized that Sri Lanka has fully complied with national law and international judicial standards, and that any assertion to the contrary was factually inaccurate. He detailed the steps taken from the time the incident was first reported, through the presentation of Ms. Francis by the Swiss Embassy to the CID 13 days since the alleged incident, to the present, and emphasized that due process has been adhered to at each step, in keeping with international norms respected by both countries. Reaffirming the commitment to consolidate bilateral relations, Minister Gunawardena agreed that the Foreign Ministry will continue to engage in further discussions in this regard, with the Swiss Ambassador in Colombo, the statement added.
The controversy over the alleged abduction of a Sri Lankan employee of the Swiss embassy in Colombo continues to drag on with the two countries engaging in a war of words and the saga taking a dramatic turn this week with the arrest of the employee by local authorities.
The incident began in late November when the employee, now identified as Garnier Banister Francis, alleged that she was abducted by unknown men in the vicinity of the Swiss embassy in Colombo and threatened.
It was alleged that Francis was threatened and details sought from her regarding the granting of political asylum to Nishantha Silva, a police officer who left the country in the aftermath of the recent presidential election.
The initial claim by Ms. Francis, raised through Swiss ambassador Hanspeter Mock at a meeting he sought with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, indicated that the Swiss authorities attached a high degree of credibility and significance to this accusation. Following this, Prime Minister Rajapaksa assured a full investigation.
Negative coverage
However, international media such as The New York Times which reported the alleged incident displayed a degree of bias, headlining the story ‘Sri Lankan critics fear a crackdown is underway, and some flee’. This led to concerns at the highest levels in Colombo about the country’s image in view of the negative coverage the alleged incident was generating.
Muddying the waters further was former minister and Cabinet spokesman of the previous government, parliamentarian Rajitha Senaratne. At a media briefing, Senaratne claimed that a pistol was inserted into the mouth of the embassy staffer and information was demanded from her, raising questions as to how he was in possession of such graphic details of the alleged incident.
What ensued in the days that followed was a diplomatic stand-off. The Swiss Embassy, while demanding an inquiry into the alleged incident was denying access to the employee. This was on the basis that the staffer’s health condition was such that she would not be able to provide a statement. Even the identity of the employee was not disclosed by the embassy.
A request was even made that the employee be allowed to leave the country in an ‘air ambulance’ for medical attention. This request was denied on the basis that the employee, being a citizen of Sri Lanka, was subject to the immigration laws of the country.
Authorities in Colombo were faced with a dilemma. On the one hand, serious accusations were being made against the government alleging that an employee of an embassy was abducted and threatened, resulting in widespread negative publicity for the new administration. While the Swiss embassy was demanding an inquiry, it was also not providing ready access to the employee who made the claims.
The Police meanwhile had commenced investigations into the alleged incident. They had established the identity of the employee as Ms. Francis. By assessing evidence available through modern technology such as phone records and data available on transport apps, they were able to establish that some of the claims made by the embassy employee were inaccurate.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Relations Ministry issued a statement in this regard. The sequence of events and timeline of the alleged incident, as formally presented by the Swiss mission on behalf of the alleged victim to the CID, did not in any way correspond with the actual movements of the alleged victim on that date, as borne out by witness interviews and technical evidence, including Uber records, CCTV footage, telephone records and the GPS data,” it noted.
Sri Lankan investigators
Colombo based envoys including Swiss envoy Hanspeter Mock who were following this series of events with great interest were also briefed on the developments. However, it appeared that Switzerland still had reservations regarding the evidence produced by Sri Lankan investigators.
Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Germany with concurrent accreditation to Switzerland, Karunasena Hettiarachchi was summoned to Bern by the Swiss State Secretary Pascale Baeriswyl. Ambassador Hettiarachchi was asked to explain the evidence that contradicts Switzerland’s version of events.
Following this meeting the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) issued a statement. It said that Ms. Baeriswyl confirmed that the employee concerned still cannot be questioned on health grounds, stressing that the individual’s health must take priority” but noted that the FDFA takes its responsibilities to its staff very seriously.”
Colombo however had decided to proceed with its investigations. Based on the findings of these investigations, Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne ordered the embassy employee to make a statement to investigators. The Magistrate also restricted her travel overseas.
This was followed by another series of manoeuvres that were aimed at having Ms. Francis questioned at the Swiss embassy. This request was denied by the Magistrate who noted that the embassy premises would be considered Swiss territory and could create legal complexities.
Finally, Ms. Francis provided a statement regarding her alleged abduction over several days to local Police. Following a request by Police and a subsequent court directive, she was also produced before a panel of psychiatrists at the National Institute of Mental Health in Angoda.
It was against such a backdrop that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa met Swiss envoy Hanspeter Mock. Initial accounts of this meeting appeared to suggest that the meeting paved the way to clear any misunderstandings between the two governments in Colombo and Bern.
It was reported that President Rajapaksa explained to the Ambassador the progress of investigations into the incident so far, observing that it was well established that the alleged abduction was a total fabrication.
Irrefutable evidence such as Uber reports, telephone conversations and CCTV footage point to this fact. The Embassy official must have been compelled by some interested parties to bring myself and my government into disrepute,” the President was quoted as saying.
These reports also quoted President Rajapaksa as saying he saw no wrong” in the initial reaction of the Swiss Embassy to the alleged incident. It is justifiable. If a member of its staff is in trouble, the Embassy has to intervene,” the President reportedly said.
In a subsequent meeting with newspaper editors and head of electronic media institutions, President Rajapaksa elaborated on the controversy. Again, he re-iterated that the government did not have any suspicion and doubt about the conduct of the Swiss Embassy in Colombo over the matter.
They acted according to their duties and responsibilities. When one of their employees levelled an allegation, they complained about it to the government. That is their responsibility,” he said but observed that he himself was the victim in this issue as accusations were being made against his government just a few days after he assumed office.
The President revealed that investigations were ongoing to determine why the staffer acted in the way she did. If there was hope that the meeting between the President and the Swiss envoy and these comments would have cleared the air, it was short lived.
That was after Ms. Francis, the employee who made the allegations, was detained by Police subsequently. This was after the Attorney General’s Department had instructed the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to arrest her, charged under the penal code with inciting or attempting to incite disaffection against the State as well as for giving or fabricating false evidence.
The Attorney General asserted that there was sufficient evidence to charge Francis under sections 120 and 190 of the Penal Code and to arrest her under section 32 (1) (a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act which allows the Police to arrest an individual without a warrant based on credible information received or on the existence of reasonable suspicion against the person.
Employee’s personal rights
This was to elicit a swift response from the FDFA in Bern. Issuing a statement, it said that the FDFA is concerned about this development and calls on the Sri Lankan judicial authorities to ensure better protection of its employee’s personal rights in any further proceedings and compliance with national law and international standards.”
The FDFA has repeatedly called for due process to be followed. In particular, the FDFA has criticized the 30-hour interrogation to which the employee was subjected over three days despite being in poor health and the public statements by senior Sri Lankan officials questioning her account before the investigations had been completed.” The statement noted.
In what appeared to be an attempt to dispense with diplomatic niceties the statement added that Switzerland wishes to emphasize that in this high-profile case Sri Lanka’s reputation as a country that upholds the rule of law is at stake.”
Thus, there still appears to be significant differences of opinion between Colombo and Bern with the former declaring that its investigations point to the fabrication of a non-event and the latter questioning the credibility of these assertions.
It is clear that in the weeks to come, the Sri Lankan judicial process will take its due course in respect of Ms. Francis. Thus far, the government, despite the concerns that have been raised by Bern, has won plaudits for its handling of the issue and its frank statements, outlining what the investigations have revealed. Time will soon tell if Bern has blundered in attempting to defend the indefensible.
The Swiss has issued a strange statement criticizing Sri Lanka for the
lack of due process. The truth is quite the opposite. It took a magistrate’s
order to finally get the Swiss embassy to produce its local staffer to make a
formal complaint to the CID on Sunday 8th December 2019, exactly 13
days after the alleged incident and keeping the supposed victim inside embassy
compound with her family. What is the Swiss reputation for keeping an alleged
victim inside an embassy compound for almost 2 weeks without even offering medical
attention inspite of them claiming she was suffering ‘deteriorating health’? It
is now clear that all those who made statements on behalf of this local recruit
prior to 8th December 2019 were all incorrect. It has also been
proven that the allegations made by the local recruit are also incorrect &
contradictory and that was the reason for her arrest. Sri Lanka has wasted time on a bogus abduction case that did not take
place when Sri Lanka should have been questioning Switzerland over giving instant
political asylum to Switzerland to a Sri Lankan police officer wanted for
murder. Is this Swiss ‘due process’
giving asylum to a man and his family fleeing a crime? If the woman is arrested for false allegations, what is the crime the
Swiss have committed in for aiding and abetting the false allegations? Sri
Lanka please continue to follow due process and question Switzerland for harboring
a murderer wanted in Sri Lanka!
The response of the Swiss
following the arrest has been to issue a press release.
Sri Lanka was using national laws
and international standards to arrest Sriyalatha following the Swiss embassy wasting
everyone’s time for over 2 weeks.
It is good for the Sri Lankan
authorities to check whether the Swiss have been paying EPF/ETF of this woman to
see how far Swiss has held their end of responsibilities as an employer. As per
Swiss press release, the Swiss is continuing version that she was ‘abducted’ on
25th Nov 2019 but where is the evidence to prove it?
The Swiss press release errs as
the Swiss did not disclose the name of the victim or bring the victim to make a
formal statement of complaint as an international standard procedure required.
The embassy only produced the victim” before the deadline given by the
Magistrate ended. If the embassy and the supposed victim had given statements immediately
after the incident – there would have been no requirement for so much of
cross-examinations and cross-questioning.
The Swiss embassy must take total
responsibility for not following protocols and international standards without
trying to pin blame on Sri Lanka.
Has the Swiss embassy produced
the video-conferencing virtual medical examination report for this is a crucial
evidence to establish her health condition and match it against actual medical examination.
We question Swiss ‘due process’
and ‘rule of law’ in the case of Sriyaltatha Perera/Garnier Barrister Francis
She was not abducted
There was no white van
There were no ‘unidentified abductors’
She was not questioned for 2 hours
She was not ‘threatened’ or ‘detained’ on the
street
She was not asked ‘embassy-related information’
There was no incident as sensationalized by the
New York Times article
There was certainly no ‘deteriorating health’
that required an air ambulance that the Swiss embassy requested to fly her and
her entire family to Switzerland
Whatever the Swiss embassy said, whatever the
Swiss government said have all been proved as incorrect and not corresponding
with the contradictory statements issued by the woman who was never abducted.
Swiss must explain
Why Swiss envoy would need to visit Sri Lanka’s
PM at his residence when it was clear her story did not make sense
Their incompetency to cross examine its own
staff member to collaborate her story given that Swiss are screening people
before visas are given.
Requesting air ambulance to fly Sriyalatha to
Switzerland with her family when the embassy knew she was not the least sick. The
Sri Lankan General public are shocked at the shallowness of a diplomatic
mission to have lied as they did after seeing the woman appear for the first
time showing no signs of deteriorating health. Is this the due process Swiss is
bragging about?
What was equally shocking and
noted by the general public was the excessive hugging and embracing of the woman
by Swiss embassy female staff and on the day of the arrest by a foreign male. It
makes a mockery of her refusal to be examined by a male doctor! This was quite
a weird looking scenario in the light of the daily statements that revealed she
was obviously not telling the truth and it now makes us wonder whether all this
was part of a set up to defame the government but getting badly backfired
during the process.
While Sriyalatha’s lies are getting
exposed. What Swiss cannot hide:
Over 640 political asylums given by Swiss
embassy in past 2 years
Swiss gave over the desk visa to a wanted
murderer and family CID CI Nishantha Silva and other officers who had given
evidence against senior military officials probably on the assurance of being
given asylum to Switzerland.
These are no proper ‘due process’
for which Switzerland’s reputation is marred.
Sri Lanka doesn’t have stolen
wealth. Sri Lanka didn’t relax bank regulations to store wealth during Wars and
use bank confidentiality clauses to continue to bank stolen wealth. Therefore,
Sri Lanka is no rich country. Sri Lanka is no home to terrorist runaways or Sri
Lanka does not bank terrorist funds and Sri Lanka also does not provide safe
haven for bogus asylum seekers or facilitate political asylum for people wanted
for murder in another country.
So, what is the Swiss now
blabbering about? To answer that we have to go back over 12 days to November 25th
the day originally mentioned as the ‘Temporary Abduction’ of a local recruit of
the Swiss embassy.
The Government must now issue the
exact sequence of events against the lies and fake news spread.
The Government must officially
and publicly request apology from all who were promoting a distorted version
and request them to make a disclaimer correction to their news releases.
The Government IT team must carry
a short description in all of its news giving an account of what really
happened to nullify the promotion of lies to discredit Sri Lanka.
The GoSL must apply the same due
process and the Swiss are preaching and question Swiss on aiding and abetting
people wanted for murder as political asylum seekers.
GoSL must not be deterred by the fancy press releases issued but go by rule of law that Sri Lanka has upheld and which could have concluded investigations if only the Swiss did not hide an alleged ‘victim’ in its embassy compound from 25th Nov to 7th December without producing them before the police to make formal complaint.
A non-politician is today Sri Lanka’s President.
Within a month itself not only has he reconfirmed confidence of those who voted
for him, he is tilting the confidence of those who didn’t in his favor. It is
without doubt that the country is visibly inspired and rejuvenated judging by a
wave of changes taking place across the country – artists and youth are painting
walls in themes & colours, our youth are winning international sports
awards, we have the Mrs. World, Mrs. Asia and Mr. Universe, youth starting
farming trend, the roads looking cleaner and everyone being sent a message to
do their bit and the country would automatically rise and shine.
On 16th
November 2019 Sri Lanka went to the polls to elect a President. By 17th
November morning itself the outcome was clear. It was to become a historical
landslide victory, a shock to many but a win for the nationalist and patriotic
forces of Sri Lanka who gathered to once more protect the nation from division
or separation. Whatever any say, the voters converged realizing the nation was
at grave risk as a result of the weak and appeasing policies of the former
government. Gotabaya Rajapakse promised them a nation that would prosper on Sri
Lanka’s historical heritage terms.
18
November: Taking Oaths as 7th President of Sri Lanka in Anuradhapura
Breaking
traditions Gotabaya Rajapakse took oaths at sacred Maha Maluwa of Ruwanwelia
Maha Seya, Anuradhapura, our first citadel in front of Chief Justice Jayantha
Jayasuriya. Noteworthy was his address to the Nation that he would lead the
nation based on the Buddhist philosophy which upholds principles of equality
& justice. He called upon nations to respect the sovereignty of Sri Lanka.
He invited all to join in the journey of delivering his vision for Sri Lanka.
Heads
of India, Pakistan, China wish the new President
Sri
Lanka’s stock market rises to highest in year
All
state institutions to remove photos of President & replace with National
Emblem
19
November: Assumes duties at the Presidential Secretariat, Colombo
Former
President Maithripala Sirisena together with many other political party leaders
were present
19
November: Appointment of 3 Secretaries & Director General of TRC
President’s
Secretary – Dr. P B Jayasundara
Defense
Secretary – Maj. Gen. Kamal Gunaratne
Treasury
Secretary/Min of Finance – S R Attygalle
Director
General of Telecommunication Regulatory Commission – Oshada Senanayake
Inspector
General of Police Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri
Fernando have been further remanded
Former
President Maithripala Sirisena has been reappointed as the Chairperson of the
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)
The
President received by the Diyawadana Nilame. President paid calls to the
Mahanayaka theroes.
Ravinatha
Aryasinha appointed Foreign Secretary
21
November: Former President sworn as Prime Minister / 6 New Governors sworn
Former
President Mahinda Rajapakse sworn in as Prime Minister. Also present were
former President Sirisena and former PM Ranil Wickremasinghe having tendered
his resignation earlier that day.
This is
the 3rd occasion Mahinda Rajapakse has served as PM
History
is made with two brothers holding posts of President & Prime Minister.
6 new governors also sworn:
Raja
Kollure – Uva Province
Seetha
Arambepola – Western Province
J. M.
Muzammil – North Western Province
Lalith
U. Gamage – Central Province
Willy
Gamage – Southern Province
Tikiri
Kobbekaduwa – Sabaragamuwa Province
22
November: New Cabinet of Ministers
16 member cabinet
Extraordinary
Gazette issued calling
on armed forces to maintain public order
27
November : 35 State Ministers & 3 Deputy Ministers sworn in
Cabinet
of Ministers has decided to reduce the Value Added Tax (VAT) from 15% to 8%.
The ceiling for VAT has been raised to Rs. 25 million turnover per month from
existing Rs. 1 million
Cabinet
approved to remove the Nation Building Tax (NBT), Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Tax
and Withholding Tax on interests
Cabinet
has further decided to reduce the telecommunications levy by 25% (from 30% to
5%)
income
tax on the construction industry has also been reduced from 28% to 14%.
all
religious places are exempted from taxes.
28
November: 6 Member Committee of Professionals appointed
Appointments
to State institutions will be via recommendation of a panel comprising headed
by Sumith Abeysinghe, former Secretary to the Cabinet and Lalith Weeratunga and
others include Susantha Ratnayake, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, Dian Gomes, Dr.
Prasanna Gunasena and Prof. Jagath Wellawatte. Applications for posts called
with deadline put at 18Dec2019.
IT
sector to be exempt from all taxes – Bandula Gunawardena
President
departs for India for first overseas visit
Foreign
Min. issues release on threatening incident concerning local Swiss Embassy
worker
29
November: Indian Foreign Minister calls on President
Subramanyam
Jaishankar arrived to formally invite President to visit India.
Indian
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval also called on the President
30 November: President
visits India
President
Gotabaya meets India’s President Ram Nath Kovind
India
grants $400m credit line to Sri Lanka with additional $50m to combat terrorism
President
visited Sri Lanka High Commission in New Delhi and planted a tree to mark his
visit.
President
meets 2 army staff officers who had trained with him in India. Dr. V K Singh
was Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways.
1
December: GOSL orders investigation on alleged Swiss embassy abduction
Secretary/Foreign
Relations Ravinatha Aryasinha together with Secretary/Defence Major General
(Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne and relevant officials met with the Ambassador for
Switzerland in Sri Lanka Hanspeter Mock and the Deputy Chief of Mission to
brief on investigation
Will
drop 19A if we get 2/3 majority, President tells foreign media
2
December: GOSL orders investigation on alleged Swiss embassy abduction
An
incident allegedly to have been committed on 25 Nov 2019 of a local recruit
working for the Swiss embassy Colombo being abducted
Canadian
High Commissioner in Sri Lanka David McKinnon calls on President
Director
General of the Dept of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and former
Ambassador to China calls on President
3roviding
relief to natural disaster struck districts via District Secretaries and
Disaster Management Centre.
Sri
Lanka Parliament prorogued till 3rd January 2020
3
December: UAE and NZ Envoys calls on President
UAE
envoy in Sri Lanka Ahamed Ali Al Mualla paid a courtesy call on President
Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat
Joanna
Kernpkers envoy of New Zealand in Sri Lanka also called on the President
Former
COPE Chairman and Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti has instructed to keep the
forensic audit reports of the CBSL Scam at the COPE Secretariat as a
confidential report until the next COPE Committee is established.
A. R.
Deshapriya has been appointed as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC).
Swiss
court rules Tamil Tigers not a criminal organization, acquits 12 suspected
fundraisers
4
December: Governors to North Central & Eastern Province sworn in
Ms.
Anuradha Yahampath as Eastern Governor
Prof.
Tissa Vitharana as North Central Governor
UPFA
MP Ranjith De Zoysa passes away
UK
Conservative Party manifesto endorses two-state solution for Sri Lanka
Singapore
AG’s Chamber studying documents requesting Mahendran’s extradition to SL
Permits
for transport of sand, soil, clay abolished
The
Foreign Ministry of Switzerland and the Swiss Ambassador in Sri Lanka has
requested permission to take the Swiss embassy staffer,
5
December
64
suspects arrested for having links with NTJ further remanded
National
Colleges of Education to be upgraded into university faculties – a program to make all teachers of the
country graduates.
Cabinet
also approved the appointment of an expert committee representing the fields of
Education and Higher Education to implement the program.
Ranil
nominates Sajith as Opposition Leader
6 December
Gazette
issued banning re-export of spices & allied products
UK
court finds Brigadier Priyanka Fernando guilty, imposes fine of GBP 2,400
7
December: President visits Vidyalankara Pirivena & calls on Chancellors of
Kelaniya & Sabaramaguwa Universities
Chancellor
of University of Kelaniya Ven. Dr. Walamitiyawe Kusaladhamma Thero
Chancellor
of the Sabaragamuwa University Ven. Prof. Kumburugamuwe Vajira Thero.
The
President also visited Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya and met Chief Incumbent Ven.
Kollupitiye Mahinda Thero and Ven. Bengamuwe Nalaka Thero and other Maha Nayaka
Theros.
The
President also visited the Chief Incumbent of Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya Ven.
Aluth Nuwara Anurudda Thero .
President
Gotabaya Rajapaksa later arrived at the Abhayarama Temple in Narahenpita.
government
has established a National Authority under the Ministry of Defence to ensure
the safe use of Scheduled Chemicals In the industrial sector without hindering
their proper functioning
Sri
Lanka’s Caroline Jurie crowned Mrs. World after 35 years
Port
City: Ceremony to add 269 hectare of land to Sri Lanka commences – Colombo Port
City officially declared part of Sri Lanka
Sri
Lanka tops India in South Asia Games athletic events after 28 years
8
December
Brigadier
Suresh Sallay appointed Head of state intelligence
Brigadier
Chandana Wickremesinghe has been appointed as the new Spokesperson for the Sri
Lanka Army.
9
December: Secretaries to State Ministries appointed
32
Secretaries appointed to State Ministries
President
tells new State Ministry Secretaries to commit to attitudinal transformation
10
December
Brigadier Priyanka Fernando has been appointed as the new Director of Real Estate and Quartering of the Sri Lanka Army
11
December
No
place for Sri Lankan refugees in India’s citizenship amendment bill?
12
December: Afghan envoy calls on President
Ambassador
of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to Sri Lanka M. Ashraf Haidari
President
met officials of Ministry of Power & Energy & institutions under its
purview
Govt.
decides to increase number of national schools to 1,000
Cabinet
grants approval for change in Z-Score system
Daya
Ratnayake appointed Ports Authority chairman
13
December: Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister and delegation meet President /
ASEAN leaders also arrive
Cooperation
in Information and communication technology (ICT), harbor infrastructure
including Eastern Container Terminal
(ECT), expressways, agriculture, digitalization of television transmission,
disaster prevention and security cooperation discussed.
ASEAN
envoys from Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Malaysia joined arrived
to wish the President.
Constitutional
Council unanimously approved the nomination made by President Gotabaya
Rajapaksa, to appoint High Court judge Ms. M.D.S. Abeyratne as the Court of
Appeal Judge.
UK General Election: Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party wins
overall majority
Overseas travel ban imposed on Patali Champika
Public cautioned of persons using President’s name fraudulently
14 December
Japanese Foreign Minister calls on Sri Lankan counterpart &
PM Rajapaksa
Two persons who made white van” claims at Rajitha’s media
briefing arrested
Kotahena Police logbooks replicated with fabricated information
on Easter attacks, PCoI told
15 December
State Minister of Railway Services C. B. Ratnayake said that
steps will be taken to introduce a prepaid card for railway passengers
British PM Boris Johnson thanks Tamil community in UK
The new National Policy Framework titled ‘Vistas of Prosperity
and Splendour’ has been released to the public by the government
Public
urged to inform on imposters misusing President’s name
Minority
Tamils misled for decades by politicians – President
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has directed the authorities of the
Presidential Secretariat to cease the use of plastic drinking water bottles
AG
orders for arrest of Swiss Embassy staffer
Swiss
Ambassador calls on President
17 December
US
Embassy issues security alert for American citizens in Sri Lanka
The country is off to a good start but
as the Swiss bogus abduction example and Swiss reaction shows the external
elements that have contributed to Sri Lanka’s inability to sustain its growth are
likely to be once more up to mischief.
The country must be now alert to these
dangers & mechanizations more than ever. It is therefore time that the
country and citizens begin to remove the political lens and put on patriotic
lens and chip into rebuild the nation.
All the nation-haters can please apply for asylum or think of re-locating to countries they feel happier in without trying to help external elements destroy Mother Lanka.
My dear Hanspeter Mock, Patriotic Sri Lankans who love their country of birth want to know what the bloody hell you rouge undiplomatic ambassadore Hans Peter Mock doing in my country? What a mockery Mr. Mock? What a fiasco Mr. Mock? What an indecent act you committed Mr. Mock? Mr. Mock, your rouge country is instead of a written public appology saying they are concerned of the rouge local staffer. Either you are a headless rooster or dumb dumb in your thick head. Your rouge country is a safe heaven to protect the wanted criminals and black money squandered by the rouge politicians world wide. Your bloody country after smuggling out of the country that wanted murderer criminal police man Silva and to cover up that highenous act of yours, you cooked up another false story of abduction and sexually assaulting your local staffer Siriyalatha. You bloody mutt can only think of abduction and abduction. The native Sinhalese are not dumb as you dumb and crook undignified Swiss idiots. You have the odacity having committed lowest of the low crimes in the broad day light instead of a public appology you are concerned of the law and order of my country. While you are enjoying the full luxury and hospitality of the host country you undiplomatic rascall pointing the finger at my country. What kind of a fair trading is this Mr. Mock? Mr. Mock this is my humble and simple advise to you: IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE WAY WE ARE, YOU ARE FREE TO BUGGER OFF ANYTIME YOU LIKE. Yours truly, Stanley Perera Melbourne Australia.
This is a re-enactment of the disappearance of Prageeth Eknaligoda the Media Journalist! This latest episode makes one believe The Swiss Embassy could be the silent provider to make VANISH much talked locals to discredit, embarrass Rajapaksas either in Power or not!
This latest episode after worldwide publicity was given damaging the reputation of the new Presidents Government through, Al Jazeera, Times of America and the UK. Now that the case has been proved as purely a fabrication, the Swiss Embassy as a matter of courtesy on the Host Country should respectfully request the above-said Media outlets to publicly apologize for publishing fake news!
Furthermore, it’s of utmost importance to ascertain when this woman’s assumed the name Gania Banister Francis dropping Siriyalatha Perera, is it before or after being employed by the Embassy. This becomes important as that’s the start of the FICTION! Suppose Prageeth Eknaligoda too had fled the Country after assuming an Alien name and happily lives there or some other foreign soil!
Now let’s divert our attention to a possible scenario had this woman managed to flee immediately after the BASTARD, RAJITHA SENARATNE made in that Media interview where she was SEXUALLY MOLESTED and a REVOLVER was RAMED DOWN HER THROAT! Then the WHITE VAN story the torture and subsequently feeding her body to CROCKERDILES becomes true for the Embassy to communicate to his foreign affairs in Switzerland while she and her family HAPPILY live in Switzerland!
Which makes the World Media paint the new President Mr. Gotabhaya in par with Philipines President Rodrigo Duterte alleged to have committed heinous crimes!
So, the whole story fell through the Swiss Ambassadors’ fingers due to poor SCRIPT of the local author! This IDIOT underestimated the investigating s of the present teams!
And finally, we see the drama of the highest order when this seemingly friendly Envoy from the Switzerland who, in my assessment may have made to vanished some locals to discredit Sri Lanka in the past, now admits an error of Judgment (to that effort) been made in this instance and in response, President Mr.Gotabhaya assures no hard feeling (to that effort) between the parties!
But we are no fools to swallow that these two are not CHEATING EACH OTHER! This is what’s called DIPLOMACY!
PS If the whole saga took place after
she has changed her name after employment in the Swiss Embassy, the motives are
dishonest, Hence I see no reason why The government allows such missions to
exist that are scheming to discredit the Government!
The universally accepted and
acknowledged Encyclopaedia Britannica (EB) states that Sri Lanka had a
continuous record of human settlement for more than two millennia and Sri Lanka developed a unique identity over the
ages that ultimately set it apart from its neighbour mainland India. Cultural
traits brought from India necessarily underwent independent growth and change
in Sri Lanka, owing in part to the island’s physical separation from the
subcontinent. Buddhism, for instance, virtually disappeared from India, but it
continued to flourish in Sri Lanka, particularly among the Sinhalese. Moreover,
the Sinhalese language, which grew out of Indo-Aryandialects from the mainland, eventually became indigenous solely to Sri Lanka and developed its own
literary tradition.
The EB indicates that the Tamils were later immigrants from
areas of Central, eastern and Southern India where Dravidian languages were spoken.
As per historical records Tamils have been brought to this country initially
as agricultural labourers for cultivation of Tobacco in the North and East as
the native Sinhalese refused to work as labourers under the Dutch rulers. This was followed by the British
Imperialists as well when the native Sinhalese refused to work in the tea
plantations as coolies. A third group of Tamils from the low castes came to Sri
Lanka from time to time and they were known as Kallathonis (the boat people)
and they settled down in urban areas, and they were small in numbers and they
worked in the Municipal Councils and Urban Councils as scavengers and they were
called as Sakkiliyas. Another group of
them worked as barbers and helpers, and some others lived as Gypsies
(Ahikundakayas). The early immigrant Tamils completely ignored these Tamils and
never admitted them to their functions despite they too spoke their own
language and worshipped their own Gods.
The history we have learnt states that originally several different indigenous clans lived in the country
during the pre-Vijaya era (before 505 BCE). These clans of Sri Lanka and the mystical kingdom of Lanka were mentioned in the
great epics of Mahabaratha, Mahavamsa, Manimekalai, Ramayana and Sangam. It is believed that four main clans lived in
Sri Lanka before king Vijaya explored the island. The four clans are Yaksha ,
Naga, Deva, and Rakshas. The Nagas were serpent-worshippers, the Yakkas were
spirit worshippers, and it is said that even today, the Sri Lankan culture has
some elements that originated from the culture of the Yakkas and Nagas. The
majority of the native population were farmers and cattle herders. They had
knowledge about healing arts (ayurvedic), built irrigation systems and temples.
There were trade relations and royal intermarriage between the indigenous people
of Sri Lanka and their neighbours in the South India kingdoms.
It was an acknowledged and accepted fact that
Prince Vijaya who was deported by his father with his companions upon arrival
here with the help of Kuweni conquered all the four clans and unified this
country as a Sinhala nation. Accordingly
the country remained as Subhale and was ruled by several native Kings and
during the time of King Devanam Piyatissa, the son of Emperor Ashoka, Arahat
Mahinda brought the religion of Buddhism which was embraced by the King and the
people. From then onwards this country
became a Sinhala Buddhist nation.
This fact was acknowledged universally and by
all Tamil leaders although they resisted the majority Sinhala community on
racist grounds. The Tamil racism based
on spurious superiority was invented by British Imperialist stooges Ponnambalam
Arunachalam and Pommambalam Ramanathan
and was comprehensively followed by the generations under G.G.Ponnambalam,
S.J.V.Chelvanayagam. Appapillai Amirthalingam, megalomaniac Prabhakaranand the
Octogenarian Sambandan and their followers.
As things were such, the utter chauvinist
Pottu Papa Wigneswaran who is longing to assume to take over the leadership of
the Tamils in the North and East after the imminent demise of Sambandan shortly
has invented a hitherto unheard and unknown history of Tamils being the
original inhabitants of Sri Lanka, that they were Tamil Buddhists and that they
got converted to their original religion of Saivaism later. If Buddhism was their original religion why
he when he was functioning as the Chief Minister of the Northern Province made
all attempts to chase out the Buddhists from the Northern Province, and banned
placing of Buddha statutes and planting of Bo-Trees and establishment of Buddhist
temples and monasteries in the North?
In a lengthy article published in the Colombo
Telegraph this Pottu Papa chauvinist says the Upcountry Tamils have come to Sri
Lanka within the last 200 odd years and they occupy areas outside the North and
East and they have had no compunction in learning Sinhala and integrating with
the Sinhalese. So too the Colombo Tamils.
the Northern and Eastern Tamils,
hesays, are different. This Pottu Papa
states that they have always occupied the area now roughly covered by the Northern
and Eastern Provinces and there had been continuous occupation of the North and
East throughout history by the Tamil people. In fact their occupation extended up
to Negombo in the Western Province and up to Kathirgamam in the South East and
the Sinhalese have never occupied the North and East in large numbers except
after 1833 when the country was bought under one administration by the British.
He says that there had been influx of Tamils during different eras first by the
Pandians and there after the Cholas, Pallavas, Cheras and Nayaka Kings last.
But that only meant they added to the number of indigenous Tamils of this
Country and reiterates absurdly the
Tamils were the original inhabitants of this Island.
He explains that they could trace
their ancestry to the inhabitants of the Continent of Lemuria which covered the
greater part of the present Indian Ocean in times gone by and adds that the
Lemuria Continent which was gobbled up by the Indian Ocean extended from
Western Australia to Eastern Africa joining up with the Indian subcontinent.
Therefore the present Tamils of the North and East feel themselves to be the
descendants of a long line of Tamil speaking people who have been occupying the
Northern and Eastern regions continuously from pre Buddhistic times and recently
it has been accepted that Tamil is one of the oldest living language in the
world.
Then this Pottu Papa chauvinist
misinterprets the history, the universally accepted history and says that Sinhalese came by
their Sinhala language only in the 6th or 7th Century AD.
That is 1300 or 1400 years ago only and there was no Sinhala Language before
that time. Blaming the historians for getting his appetite fulfilled he says Some
historians have painted all ancient Buddhists as Sinhalese. That is because
since there was Buddhism in Sri Lanka before the Sinhala language came into
existence they have identified earlier era Buddhists as Sinhala Buddhists. He
impishly states that those who were Buddhists at that time were Tamil
Buddhists.
Writing
further this Pottu Papa states there are those who refer to Sinhala Prakrit as
proof of the presence of the Sinhalese language from pre Buddhistic times. This
is like saying my grandfather lived 100 years ago therefore I lived 100 years
ago because I came from my grandfather! He claims that there was no Sinhala
language until 1300 or 1400 years from now and asks how could you refer to
Sinhala Prakrit of a by- gone age 2000 years or more ago? The Sinhala language
was not even contemplated at that time. He states that the truth would be that
those words of ancient times (Prakrit) may have been Pali or Tamil or other
dialects in Sri Lanka which later came to make up the Sinhala Language and says
that Sinhala is a conglomeration of languages.
This chauvinist Pottu Papa claims
that at least 40% of the Sinhala words are Tamil and its alphabet formation is
similar to Tamil and South Indian Languages. He says that lots of Hindi words
were imported into Sinhala language as recent as in 1956-1965 when Professor
Malalasekara was Ceylonese High Commissioner in India and he brought in lots of
Hindi words into the Sinhala Language thus Sinhalacising” the Hindi words and
adds that lots of legal terms in Sinhala for example are derived from the Hindi
words used in North Indian courts. He says we have a habit of taking over
something today and trace its origin to sources centuries ago and saying that
that something existed so many centuries ago.
He also states that lots of names of
Tamil Villages in the North and East were found appropriate Sinhala names
during the past 70 odd years and we have transported those Sinhala equivalents
to centuries earlier to say those Sinhala villages existed at that time!
Kandarodai for example was Kandarodai always at least for centuries. The Sinhala word for it Kadurugoda was coined very
recently. Now it is said Kadurugoda was the original place name! Then he claims
that Kandarodai Buddhist remains are Tamil Buddhist remains. There were no
Sinhalese at that time contemplated even!
This chauvinist pottu Papa claims
that the Northern and Eastern Provinces have never been Sinhala and they were
areas of residence of the Tamil people and Tamils were Buddhists for quite some
time until they reverted to their original religion Saivaism when the Bakthi
cult in South India influenced them. He says the ayanmars have sung hymns to
the deities in Thirukoneswaram and Thiruketheswaram before the Sinhala language
was born. Further the Tamil literature of 2000 years ago were Buddhistic or
Jain religion oriented and there was no Sinhala language then.
Again
this Pottu Papa emphasizes that it is wrong to say Sri Lanka is a Buddhist
Country. The Tamils who became Buddhist centuries ago jettisoned Buddhism and
reverted to Saivaism Tamils at one time being Buddhist and that too long before
the Sinhala Language was born, does not give the right to anyone to claim that
Sri Lanka is a Buddhist Country. He stresses that the North and East must be
separated as being majority non – Buddhist.
He states that the Sinhala people
have been given a wrong understanding of history based on the fiction written
in Pali by a Buddhist Priest in the 5th Century AD. The author says
that at the end of every stanza he was writing the fiction for the
glorification of Buddhism. If he was writing history he would not have said so!
He says that the North Eastern Tamil
people are conscious of their antiquity. They are conscious of the richness of
their language. They have a highly emotional bond towards their traditional
homelands. But they feel constrained that the majority Sinhalese are not
allowing them to blossom out on their own in their region but want to control
them. There are certain rights which the Tamils have. In terms of the
International Covenants they have their common language, they have their
religions – Islam, Christianity and Hinduism, they have their traditional
homelands where their forefathers have lived continuously from pre Buddhistic
times. They also have their separate culture and way of life all different from
the Sinhalese though there are many commonalities between the two communities
due to their common origin as per DNA tests concluded recently. They would therefore like to preserve their
individuality. They are entitled to self
determination in terms of International Law. Owing to the
above said they abhor anyone trying to control them and dominate them on false
premises. The Tamils, he says, have always occupied the North and East and they
still are the majority in the North and East.
The
Sinhalese historians and others, especially the Buddhist clergy, have set up
lots of falsities as history saying that this country is theirs. This is false.
The original inhabitants of this country were Saivite Tamils he stupidly
claims..
They say all Tamils were immigrants
into a predominantly Sinhala Country. This is also false according to this
Pottu Papa. Though it is true there were
several influxes of Tamils at various times in history the existence of the
Tamils in the North and East of this Island continuously as the majority
community until today cannot be disputed.
They
say the North and East were originally Sinhalese. This is also false. Simply
because Buddhism existed in the North and East and there are Buddhist
historical / archaeological remains in the North and East that does not prove
the existence of the Sinhalese at some period in our past history, this fellow
states. It only proves there were Tamil Buddhists – Demala Buddhayo! The
question that needs to be asked him is where these so-called Demala Bauddhauo
now and whether they have perished and how?
Mahavansa,
he says, is a fictional work written in Pali before the Sinhala language was
born. It is not a historical document though its background particulars could
help understand history.
Therefore we Tamils of the North and
East are conscious of our antiquity, our history, our rights to self
determination and therefore until our intrinsic rights to the right of self
determination is recognized and respected we would find it difficult to march
together with the other communities, specially the Sinhalese who have usurped
our history and antiquity and trying to falsify those fields of study. If the historical facts just mentioned by me here are
not accepted by the Sinhalese intelligentsia they are free to set up a
Committee of Sinhala, Tamil, Indian and other International Historians and
Archaeologists to re-write our history truthfully and affirmatively.
The above is a valid suggestion and
early steps should be taken to hold an open debate with the participation of
historians and archeologists to disprove Pottu Papa’s stupid and doctored
allegations and clear the true historical facts. Otherwise that the vicious Tamil diaspora in
the European countries would launch a campaign to accept the canards being said
by this chauvinist as they succeeded making the world to blindly believe
illusory imaginations in the Darusman report including the so-called killing of
40,000 never existed people.
Muslims
and Upcountry Tamils have no such common historical background to stand on.
They have not lost anything as we are losing our lands, our language (still the
Central Government often sends letters in Sinhala only to the North and East),
our religions, our culture and our identity. Until they are restored to the
Northern and Eastern Tamils how do you expect us to march together with others?
First
recognise our individuality and our history. (Your history was that you were
labourers brought from South India similar to those in the hill country and
were provided special privileges by the European invaders and made you to
dominate over the indigenous Sinhala Buddhist people of this country)
Then
we will march hand in hand. When I was young prior to Independence we
Sinhalese, Tamils, Burghers, Muslims, Malays and even Chinese were able to look
upon this Country as our own. When the Sinhalese claimed this Country as
Sinhala Buddhist only, our individuality collapsed, and we have been made
fourth class citizens! The Muslims and the Upcountry Tamils enjoy a freedom
which the Northern and Eastern Tamils do not enjoy today.
You
shed your arrogance, allow the Tamils in the North and East to think freely,
act freely and live freely without being slavish to repugnant myopic Vellala
politicians. Don’t trample them similar
to they were used as human shields by the tiger terrorists.
The whole country is clamouring for immediate actions against the culprits of yahapalanaya.
From bond scams to the outrageous press conferences there are so many issues to be dealt with and punished.
Chief among the culprits are Mangala,Rajitha,Ravi, Champika,Rishad and Malik.
However on the top of the list is Ranil too.
However I do plead the government not to hurry up these cases until after the general elections.
If we prosecute and bring charges against them they will not get nominations from the UNP.
In fact this will be welcome by Sajith clan to go to the polls with a clean sheet. The government will be doing an immense favour to them by removing them from their nominations.
The Sajith clan or UNP cannot deny nominations to these seniors in their party however much they want to. That is why I noticed some UNP MPs urging the government to prosecute the wrong doers as soon as possible to get their baggage off.
As long as these fraudsters and those humiliate our race and Buddhism remain in the UNP ranks a two third majority is a foregone conclusion to SLPP.
Just start cases slowly until the general election for them to face the tune after elections.
The most asked
question on Google in the year 2019, according to reports, is ‘Where is
Sri Lanka?’ I am not sure who is looking for Sri Lanka or why. Maybe it
has something to do with Sri Lanka being picked as the No 1 island to
visit. Again, I am not sure who concluded this or why.
Sri
Lankans know where Sri Lanka is. Most Sri Lankans know what Sri Lanka
is. Of course there are those who think Colombo is Sri Lanka and vice
versa and who, consequently, don’t think that non-Colombots really count
and therefore are often shocked at how politics unfold. That’s a
different story.
There
are people from other countries who know where Sri Lanka is and have a
rough idea that the island is not only about tea. The more discerning
and aware know the island’s history, its strategic importance in the
Indian Ocean and of course who plundered what and when. Most,
however, have only a cursory knowledge of the island. Arundathi Roy,
for example. Gullible to the core, and yet sufferable in ways Boris
Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn are not.
Boris
and Jeremy, leaders of the Conservative and Labour Parties in the UK
had many things to talk about in the run up to that country’s
parliamentary elections. Usually, Sri Lankans are not really bothered
about by such processes, not least of all because the result, either
way, has little chance of changing the predatory and condescending
attitudes and actions of the UK government(s) with respect to Sri Lanka.
This time, however, both leaders mentioned Sri Lanka in the course of
their respective campaigns.
It’s
not hard to understand. There’s a significant number of Tamils of Sri
Lankan origin living in the UK who have the vote. Elections are about
votes. Politicians woo voters. They are a promising lot. The aim to
please. And so Boris and Corbyn had to say stuff that they believed was
music to the ears of this relatively tiny segment of the voting
population.
A
minor matter and it didn’t really count, but it nevertheless indicates
stuff. Jeremy talked of genocide. That’s a good thing. Britain know all
about genocide, ethnic cleansing, cultural erasure and plunder. Boris
wants to achieve ‘reconciliation, stability and justice.’ Across the
world, he says. In current or former conflict zones, he says. Yeah,
right!
Those
who get high on either Boris or Jeremy should relax. They are no
different. The only good thing is that we have to deal with just one of
them. As things turned out that would be Boris.
Now
Britain may have reconciled itself to forgetting the past and the
present when it comes to horrendous excesses (yes, a mild word, that).
However, if Britain wants justice, that’s good. Here’s stuff that
Britain could do.
First.
Return all the loot. Second. Compensate for genocide, torture,
dispossession and for having flowered up a people via divide-n-rule.
Third. LEAVE US ALONE!
That
country, folks, doesn’t know whether it is coming or going. It preaches
democracy but is just another monarchy. It could never tell East from
West and still believes the sun has not set on collective behind. It
believes that it is a free country when it is in fact a client state of
the United States of America. It is not sure if it is a part of Europe
or if it is not. It pretends to be one country in the United Nations but
when it comes to sports (like Rugby and Football) it ‘breaks’ into its
constituent parts.
And they want to give us direction. Wait. I need to laugh for a good ten minutes over that!
Alright. Done laughing. Seriously, folks, when you dig deep into all this, it is not funny. It’s gruesome. And it is unresolved.
Sri
Lanka is not the UK and not only because we haven’t really robbed other
countries or stockpiled weapons. We don’t do what they do. We don’t
tell others what to do. We don’t insist they inhabit our version of
their reality. We are not telling them to mind their own flowering
business.
Britain
has its own tumors to deal with. That much is clear. Xenophobia.
Terrorism. Chicken coming home to roost. That kind of thing. Perhaps the
likes of Boris and Jeremy feel good about themselves by dissing
countries like Sri Lanka.
And
we here they are fretting over something called ‘Brexit’. Britain +
Exit, that is. The first time I heard that term, I remembered Nanda
Malini’s catchy song in the ‘Pawana’ album, titled ‘Nidahas Baila’. This is how Sunil Ariyaratne saw it: sudda yanna giyeth nae, nogihin hitiyeth nae. (The white man did not stay, and neither did he leave)!
We’ve
been waiting for Brexit for more than two centuries. And it’s not their
fault alone. There are people among us who just don’t want them to
leave. Maybe ‘Brexit’ is a Sri Lankan project. An unfettering. It might
actually give a boost reconciliation, ensure stability and obtain
justice simply because we won’t have rank idiots telling us who we are,
what we are about and what we ought to do.
This article was first published in the ‘Sunday Morning’ [December 15, 2019]
Under normal circumstances, most Sri Lankans would have been happy if a Labour Government was elected in England, perhaps because we have a long tradition of being ruled by Left of Centre governments, and we have little faith in those representing the interests of big capital and land owning classes. However, under the present circumstances, all patriotic Sri Lankans should be extremely happy that at the British parliamentary elections the Conservative Party won a resounding victory. We should have celebrated the event with banners, Kiribath and dancing on the streets as we did at the election of Gotabaya Rajapaksa last month.
Why should we be happy? The simple answer is that at present the powerful Tamil diaspora based in England are all aligned with the Labour Party which was defeated. In many British parliamentary constituencies, the LTTE sympathizers can influence the outcome of the election. Thus, many Labour MPs are always ready to do the LTTE bidding. Meanwhile, the LTTE groups have developed the art of deception to a high level and accordingly, they feed Labour MPs with false facts and figures, creating highly unrealistic pictures of the situation in Sri Lanka. This false propaganda is then echoed in the British Parliament, European Parliament and in various UN forums etc. Sadly, our own government has been doing little or nothing to counter such propaganda. If the Labour Party is in office, it will invariably act on such falsehoods, due to pressure exerted by the Tamil Diaspora to bring discredit to our country.
This will not be the end of the story. As we know already, the ultimate outcome would be violation of our country’s sovereignty through international action, thanks to active cooperation of some of our own nationals in authority who have shamelessly co-sponsored resolutions against their own mother country at the UNHRC.
This is why Lord Naseby – a member of the House of Lords and a real friend of Sri Lanka, declared recently (before the British Election) that if Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour Party became the Prime Minister of UK it will be disastrous for Sri Lanka, as Labour will then threaten the country’s sovereignty as an independent nation. (See Island report on December 10). So, we have had a narrow escape this time for which we must be thankful.
It is also noteworthy that Lord Naseby, who is the President of the All Party British Sri Lanka Parliamentary Group in the British Parliament, has also taken up on our behalf, the matter relating to the statement about a ‘two-state’ solution for Sri Lanka. This erroneous statement was like a godsend to the Tamil Tiger Diaspora who probably went to town with it. Fortunately, the SL Government acted quickly this time, and the Conservative Party announced that it was an error and not what was intended. Apparently, this has been mistakenly included in the Conservative Party election manifesto. Nevertheless, this mistake would have cost the Conservative Party many votes of British Citizens, including those of Sri Lankan origin who do not support the LTTE project. However, it will be prudent to let this matter rest for the time being.
I think that all right-thinking Sri Lankans should be grateful to Lord Naseby. It is very clear that the previous government’s response to the offers of help by this great man were largely ignored for some unknown reason. The new government under Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa should take immediate action to change the timid and defeatist policies followed hitherto by enlisting the support of Lord Naseby, who has in his hands a wealth of new information which can be used to disprove many of the unsubstantiated conclusions on which the UNHRC Resolutions on Sri Lanka are based. According to news reports, Lord Nasby has already brought up this matter in the House of Lords despite the lukewarm attitude of the Sri Lankan Government. Therefore, we request the authorities follow up and start adopting a more aggressive stance on this issue at the forthcoming Geneva Meeting, by drawing attention of the UNHRC to Lord Naseby’s findings. We may start by inviting Lord Naseby to visit Sri Lanka and provide necessary advice to our officials who handle this matter.
The latest government decision to request the UNHRC to postpone consideration of its Resolution on Sri Lanka is rather disappointing. This suggests the new government is planning to continue the same defeatist policy of the previous regime. However, most Sri Lankans expect a new approach – a major change of strategy under the new administration. We sincerely hope the authorities will wake up to the danger facing the country now, and take some positive steps including those suggested above.
The CID has uncovered that several other employees in the Swiss Embassy were involved in a plot hatched by Garnier Bannister Francis, a local staffer of the diplomatic mission in Colombo, arrested and remanded for falsely claiming that she had been abducted and threatened. These persons include several female employees.
The CID has identified these individuals based on the mobile phone records of Francis and the statements she has given. The CID officials say that they have determined that Francis’ allegation that she was abducted and threatened is a total fabrication.
Francis was arrested, on Monday, and produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne, who remanded her till 30 December.
Earlier, the Attorney General’s Department asked the CID to arrest her.
Senior State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne confirmed that the Attorney General had given the order as Francis was accused of fabricating evidence.
The law should be implemented against all those who were involved in the alleged abduction case of the Swiss Embassy employee, says United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Dilan Perera.
Speaking at a press conference, the parliamentarian called the alleged incident a failed ‘drama’ created to sling mud at President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the new government.
However, the ‘drama’ cannot be ended by just arresting the local staffer of the Swiss Embassy, he stated.
He says that the ‘drama’ was produced by the United National Party (UNP), directed by former Minister Rajitha Senaratne and the actors are the Swiss Embassy employee and the others.
Accordingly, strict legal action should be taken against all involved in this ‘drama’, he added.
By P.K.Balachandran/Daily Express Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
Colombo, December 13: Nationalist and left wing members of the Sri Lankan parliament are putting pressure on the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government to drastically modify the US-Lanka Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact, which had been approved by the cabinet of the preceding Ranil Wickremesinghe government but had not obtained parliamentary approval.
Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena who belongs to the nationalist Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) has said that the MCC Compact, like other international agreements entered into by the Wickremesinghe government, will be reviewed.
Another nationalist MP, Udaya Gammanpila, who is allied with President Gotabaya’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), said that while the transport and road improvement parts of the US$ 480 million Compact (70% of it) is acceptable, the land registration part of it is not.
He feared that the latter could well be a Trojan Horse enabling Western and allied foreign companies to buy off land along the proposed Colombo-Trincomalee Economic Corridor.
While Sri Lanka is all for giving secure land titles to individuals to enable them to put their land to productive use, any attempt to make them available to foreign buyers as result of a pact like the MCC will not be unaccepted, Gammanpila said.
The MCC Compact, as approved by the previous government, says that one of the aims is to increase availability of information on private land and under-utilized State land in order to increase land market activity.” According to the MCC website, one of the aims of the MCC compact is to identify the root cause of problems in the land sector because of the difficulty in access to land for investment purposes.”
While the US Embassy has denied that the US will buy up any land under the MCC, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, a Leftist and State Minister for Water Supply, claimed that the land covered by the MCC Compact from Colombo to Trincomalee ( a very large tract) will go into hands of the US-Lankan joint company in which the US will use its financial clout to get land released for foreign buyers.
Sri Lanka will be obligated to accept such land transfers, having taken the US$ 480 million MCC as a grant” from the US, Gammanpila said.
We are going to change the law to ban foreigners buying land or taking it on long lease,” Nanayakkara asserted. Such land transfers will lead to the impoverishment of the rural masses, whose economy is land based.
We want the land project to be dropped and the transport and road connectivity projects retained. But the US wants us to accept the entire package or forego the grant. That is not acceptable,” Gammanpila said.
However, he clarified that Sri Lanka is all for a modernized system to register land which clearly establishes ownership and enables the purchase of land with a clear title. But we should do it ourselves,” he added.
A monograph of the Institute of Policy Studies says that only 30 to 40% of the lands in the rural areas have a clear title. In 1998, the government initiated a land title registration scheme called the Bim Saviya program. But it ran into financial and other problems and had to be abandoned. The MCC will fund its completion. But Sri Lankan nationalists would like it done independently.
Vasudeva Nanayakkara, State Minister
African Experience
According to literature on the working of the MCC in Africa where land is being acquired in vast quantities by foreign entities in the guise of promoting economic development, the project has many flaws. Gammanpila mentioned Madagascar in particular as a case Sri Lanka should study.
An article in www.grain.comsays that in the scramble for Africa’s land resources some of the players are turning up the heat to ensure that the corporate interests they defend get their piece of the pie. The MCC is indeed very private sector oriented, and its American and local partners will be predominantly from the private sector which will not come without profit in mind.
As experiences with its land projects in Mali, Ghana, Mozambique and Benin make plain, the MCC is playing a key role in commodifying Africa’s farmlands and opening them up to US agribusiness,” Grain.com says.
On Madagascar, the article says that in December 2008, it became apparent that the government that was using MCC funds to allocate certificates to thousands of rural Malagasy under the National Land Program was also selling off these lands to foreign investors.
The people of Madagascar were shocked to learn, via the international media, that their government had allocated a 1.3 million hectare land concession to the Korean company Daewoo Logistics, and that it was negotiating another agreement with the Indian company Varun, covering several hundred thousand hectares, both for large-scale farming projects.”
The Daewoo deal included lands where certificates had already been allocated through the MCC-funded program while Varun was proposing that the land program be extended to the area it was targeting, so that certificates could be awarded to farmers on condition that they make their lands available to Varun!”
In fact, the government had signed away, or was in the process of signing away, nearly 3 million hectares of agricultural land to foreign investors through a system of long-term leases (up to 99 years) that it established in 2008 as part of a new investment law supported by its donors.”
MCC’s Characteristics
About the MCC’s basic characteristics, the www. grain.com article says: The MCC’s approach is hard-hitting and akin to a structural adjustment program. It has a large budget (which Congress has increased under the Obama administration, by 26 per cent in 2010). This money is disbursed in the form of grants, not loans, to specific countries that the MCC deems eligible for funding. So there is a big carrot dangling to lure countries in.”
But even to become a candidate for funding, a country must first pass an MCC scorecard test, which looks at such criteria as ‘Encouraging Economic Freedom’ and is based on indicators taken from neo-liberal institutions like the World Bank, the Heritage Foundation and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).”
Having passed through these hoops, a country can then move into the process of developing and signing a Compact with the MCC, which will specify four or five projects for MCC funding.”
The way this usually works is that a team of US consultants flies in to guide the government in crafting the Compact proposal, pointing it towards those areas that are most salient to opening the country up to foreign investors.”
Once the Compact is approved, the money starts to flow, although the tap can quickly be turned off if the government changes direction in a manner that does not suit Washington. MCC funding to Nicaragua was cut off when the Sandinistas were elected to power, but was maintained in Honduras after the illegal coup d’état of 2009.”
With the signing of the Compact, the recipient government must set up an institution to administer the funds, often called a Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), which operates autonomously, with its own Board of Directors, yet under the oversight of a designated ministry.”
The Compact lasts typically for five years, with regular evaluations and strict targets that have to be met, each year or so, before new tranches of funding are released. Vincent Basserie, a land specialist with Le Hub Rural in Senegal, who has seen the MCC in action, likens it to a bulldozer – pursuing a strict ideological agenda, without regard for previous experiences.”
(The featured image at the top shows Udaya Gammanpila, pro-goverment MP)
Colombo, Dec. 16 – Sri Lanka will ban foreign contractors from competing for state project and give a slew of benefits for domestic construction companies, a government policy for for the next five years said.
Sri Lanka will all state construction work for the domestic construction firms” the policy document said, the EconomyNext reported.
The reduced competition could push up profits of construction firms and raise the cost of state procurement costs overall, analysts say.
Sri Lanka’s new administration had already halved income taxes for construction firms from 28 to 14 percent and also lifted value added tax from aparment and housing projects.
It is not clear how the ban will affect foreign tied funding projects.
Chinese projects in particular are funded with export-import bank financing for China-based contractors.
Some Sri Lankan firms which were sub-contractors to Chinese firms have got involved in joint ventures.
Small and medium subcontracting firms will be provided secure business through legislation, the new policy said.
Building construction approvals will be reduced to 3 weeks, by establishing a system that will enable all approvals to be obtained through one place over the internet, while urban construction will have to follow existing urban development plans.
Past loans taken by construction firms will be given grace periods and space to renegotiate, new policies showed.
A new system will be set up to manage relations between construction firms and banks via the central bank as well.
Existing licensing for procuring raw material for construction will be revised.
The government will set up an advisory committee of engineers and technologists to help construction firms obtain consultancy assistance, while also helping foster collaboration among the industry, architects association, Institute of Engineers and universities.
The government policy document envisions providing houses to those in need through easy payment plans based on household income.
Land for housing will be provided at reasonable prices for construction companies.
The price of land, especially in Colombo, has priced out housing for many, although housing costs also higher due to protectionist import tariffs on construction material such as aluminium, steel and ceramics.
Special housing projects will be initiated islandwide under a public-private partnership program, while housing schemes will be set up in rural agriculture areas where land for housing is limited.
Housing will be provided for those who are serving or have served in armed forces and war widows, police officers, displaced persons and those living in shanties.
Banks and private institutions providing loans exclusively for housing will be merged into one Housing Bank, which will provide low interest loans.
The government will create facilities to train workers to operate machinery in the construction industry, which is facing a labour shortage.
Youth will also be trained to take up technical or technology-related jobs in construction.
Colombo, December 17 (Xinhua): Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said the country will experiment with an imported genetically altered breed of mosquito designed to make female dengue mosquitos sterile in order to combat the rising dengue virus, local media reports said here Tuesday.
Speaking to newspaper editors, President Rajapaksa said that a sample of the mosquito breed had been brought to Sri Lanka on an experimental basis,” and the new experiment is currently underway.
President Rajapaksa further instructed all governors and health department workers to take immediate measures to combat the spread of dengue.
Sri Lanka’s health officials earlier this week warned of a dengue outbreak in the island country, as over 120 deaths have been reported so far this year and over 87,000 people affected from at least 11 districts.
Secretary of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) Haritha Aluthge said that the GMOA had informed Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi and the Secretary to the Ministry of Health of the seriousness of the issue as over 10 districts were affected by the rapidly increasing spread of the disease.
Continuous rains in many parts of the island country are one of the leading reasons for the spread of the virus.
Haritha said that while Colombo, Gampaha, in the outskirts of the capital and Kandy, in the central hills, were the worst affected districts, with 50 percent of the total of over 87,000 number of cases reported, for the first time an outbreak of dengue was also reported from the Jaffna District in the north.
