උපුටාගැණීම ලංකාදීප

එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ සංවිධානයේ ඉහළ තනතුරක් ලබා ගැනීමේ අරමුණින් මුදල් අමාත්‍ය මංගල සමරවීර මහතා දිගින් දිගටම රණවිරුවන් සහ රට පාවාදෙමින් සිටින බව පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත‍්‍රී එස්. බී. දිසානායක මහතා කොළඹදී පැවසීය.

මංගල සමරවීර මහතා අයවැය මගින් සිදුකළ වංචාවන්ට සහ එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ සංවිධානයට රට පාවාදීමට ගත් උත්සාහයන්ට විරුද්ධව ඉදිරියේදී දැඩි ක‍්‍රියාමාර්ග ගන්නා බවද දිසානායක මහතා කියා සිටියේය.

පුංචි බොරැල්ලේ පිහිටි පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත‍්‍රී තිලංග සුමතිපාල මහතාගේ නිවසේ පැවැති මාධ්‍ය හමුවකට එක්වෙමින් මන්ත‍්‍රීවරයා මේ බව පැවසීය.

එහිදී වැඩිදුරටත් අදහස් දැක්වූ පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත‍්‍රී එස් බී දිසානායක මහතා මෙසේද කීවේය.

‘‘මෙවර අයවැය ලේඛනයේන් පෙන්වලා තියෙන ආදායම සම්පූර්ණයෙන්ම වැරදියි. ඒක ව්‍යාජයි. එක පැත්තකින් බොරු ගොතලා තියෙනවා. අනික් පැත්තෙන් වැරදි දත්ත ඉදිරිපත් කරලා තියෙනවා.

කැෂිනෝ ක‍්‍රිඩාව එක්ක යන රුචිනෝ ක‍්‍රීඩාවට මිලියන 200ක වාර්ෂික බද්දක් තිබුනා. මෙවර අයවැයෙන් එය මිලියන එකක බද්දක් පනවනු ලැබේ කියලා සදහන් කර තිබෙනවා. මෙතන කරලා තියෙන්නේ මිලියන 200 මිලියන එකකට අඩුකිරිමක්. මෙමගින් මිලියන 10ක අලූත් ආදායමක් උපයනවා කියලා සඳහන් වෙනවා. මේක සම්පූර්ණ වංචා කිරීමක්.

කැසිනෝ ක‍්‍රීඩාවට ඇතුළු වෙන සියලූදෙනාගෙන් ඩොලර් 50ක ගාස්තුවක් අයකරන බව සදහන් කරලා තියෙනවා. හැබැයි මෙයට ඩොලර් සියයක ගාස්තුවක් අය කිරීමට තිබුනා. අයවැය මගින් පෙන්වනවා ඩොලර් 50 දැමීම මගින් මිලියන 980ක අමතර ආදායමක් උපයනවා කියළා.

මෙහෙම බදු අයකිරිම් අඩුකිරීම් කරහම අයවැය ලේඛනයේ ආදායම් ලේඛනයෙන් මෙච්චර මෙච්චර අඩුවෙනවා කියලා සදහන් වෙනවා. හැබැයි ඒ මොකවතත් මේ සැරේ කරලා නැහැ. ආදායම මෙච්චරයි වියදම මෙච්චරයි කියළා පමණයි එහි දක්වලා තියෙන්නේ.

මේකේ ගණන් සම්පූර්ණයෙන්ම වැරදියි. ඒ නිසා මේ ගැන සවිස්තර වාර්ථාවක් ඉදිරිපත් කරන්න කියලා ශ්‍රී ලංකා මහබැංකුවට ඉදිරිපත් කරලා තියෙන්නේ.

විදේශ අමාත්‍යවරයා විදියට මංගල සමරවිර මහතා මානව හිමිකම් කොමිසමේ තිහයි එක යෝජනකාවට එකඟ වුනේ නැත්නම් අද අපිට කිසිදු චෝදනාවක් නැහැ. එහෙනම් අපි අද මේ කාරනාවෙන් සම්පූර්ණයෙන්ම නිදහස් වෙනවා. දැන් මේ යෝජනාව අවුරුදු දෙකකින් නැවත සලකා බැලිමට නියමිතයි

මේ රටට බේරේන්න තිබුණ අවස්ථාව අහිමිකරගෙන රට පාවාලා දීලා, රණවිරුවන් පාවාලාදීලා මේ සියල්ලම මංගල සමරවිර මහතා සිදුකලේ 2025 වසරෙන් පස්සේ එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ සංවිධානයේ තනතුරකට යන්නයි’’ යැයිද එස්. බී. දිසානායක මහතා එහිදී වැඩිදුරටත් පැවැසීය.

– lankadeepa

උපුටාගැණීම අද දෙරණ

Viewpoint by Manish Uprety F.R.A.S. and Jainendra Karn Courtesy quora.com

And do those who had committed these crimes, and who have been enriched by the proceeds of these crimes, have a reparatory case to answer?

How Reparations Can Help Eradicate Poverty and Secure SDGs

Photo: Mother in shreds of clothing with child begging on the streets of Calcutta during the Bengal famine of 1943 (left), and a family on the sidewalk in Calcutta during the Bengal famine of 1943 (right). Source: Wikipedia  

NEW DELHI (IDN) – Dealing with numbers can take a toll and might make one seek fulfillment in other spheres. No wonder the most influential poet of the last Century penned The Waste Land in 1922 when he was dutifully employed with the foreign transactions department of Lloyd’s, an austere English bank in London.

Another case that one can think of is of Peter Bone, an accountant by training and Conservative party Member of Parliament in England from Wellingborough and Rushden who in November 2018 found glee when he made no bones about how and where the Republic of India should spend its resources. The latter reminds one of the famous aphorism Par Updesh Kushal Bahutere.

With immense challenges to meet in the sphere of development especially in developing countries, and many policy options and opinions available, one is but tempted to explore the issue a bit more diligently as one has finite resources and limited avenues to generate them.

In 2015, world leaders agreed to the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, a set of 17 goals for a better world by 2030. These goals aim to end poverty, fight inequality and address the urgency of climate change among others, and seek the participation of governments, businesses, civil society and the general public to work together to build a better future for everyone.

It seems like the typical case of old wine with a new label. Following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000 and the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration, all 191 United Nations member states at the time, and at least 22 international organizations, committed to help achieve the eight UN Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015. Each goal had specific targets, and dates for achieving those targets but unfortunately could not be met.

Critics of the MDGs complained of a lack of analysis and justification behind the chosen objectives, and the difficulty or lack of measurements for some goals and uneven progress, among others. Anyway through Resolution 70/1 of the United Nations General Assembly on September 25, 2015, that has the 2030 Development Agenda titled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” the eight UN MDGs transformed into seventeen SDGs and 169 targets.

However, the learning from MDGs experience was also typical in many ways especially in terms of the utilisation of development aid. It is interesting to note that the aid from the developed countries to secure the MDGs, more than half went for debt relief, and most of the remainder toward disaster relief and military aid, rather than to further development.

During the launch of the Human Development Report (HDR) for 2014 by the United Nations which for the first time considered the concepts of vulnerability and resilience in assessing human development progress, Helen Clarke, Administrator of the UNDP had noted that while every society is vulnerable to risk, some suffer far less harm and recover more quickly than others when adversity strikes.

A society is all about its experiences. Colonization by the European countries had an extremely deleterious effect on societies of Africa and Asia. Its pernicious impact can be witnessed even in the contemporary times and judged by the development indices.

When the SDGs were announced in 2015, it was understandable that success on global goal no. 1—eradication of extreme poverty—depended on Africa’s performance. However, recent forecasts from the United Nations and the World Bank suggest that Africa is not going to make it.

Why has poverty in Africa stayed so stubbornly high despite record economic growth and what role has its historical experience to play would be an interesting study?

According to the World Bank report, three main reasons:

(i) less of Africa’s growth translates into poverty reduction because of high initial poverty, including low asset levels and limited access to public services, which prevent households from taking advantage of opportunities;

(ii) Africa’s increasing reliance on natural resources for income growth rather than agricultural – and rural development excludes the 85 percent of the poor population living in rural areas; and

(iii) Africa’s high fertility and resulting high population growth mean that even high growth translates into less income per person—a point too often ignored in discussions on the sub-continent and in Washington.

It is not difficult to infer that high initial poverty and reliance on natural resources and lack of agricultural development have a direct link to European colonization.

Regarding Asia, the famed British economic historian Angus Maddison had calculated that in 1600, of the world GDP (GDP being computed in 1990 dollars and in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms) total share of China and India was 51.4%, with China accounting for 29% and India 22.4% of world GDP.

A hundred years later, China’s GDP had fallen but India’s went up to 24.4% of world output. By 1820, however, India’s share had fallen to 16.1%. By 1870, it further went down to 12.2%.

Noted economist Utsa Patnaik has calculated that over roughly 200 years, the East India Company and the British Raj siphoned out at least GBP 9.2 Trillion (or USD 44.6 Trillion; since the exchange rate was USD 4.8 per GBP sterling during much of the colonial period) from India.

In the colonial era, most of India’s sizeable foreign exchange earnings went straight to London—severely hampering the country’s ability to import machinery and technology in order to embark on a modernisation path similar to what Japan did in the 1870s. 

Harvard educated renowned statistician-economist and Indian Member of Parliament Dr. Subarmanian Swamy who has worked with Nobel laureates like Simon Kuznets and Paul Samuelson calculates the amount looted by the British from India to be USD 71 Trillion.

Under the British Raj, India suffered countless famines. The worst hit was Bengal in 1770, followed by severe ones in 1783, 1866, 1873, 1892, 1897 and lastly 1943-44. Earlier when famines had hit the country, indigenous rulers were quick with useful responses to avert major disasters. But not only a ruthless economic agenda but also a total lack of empathy for native citizens was a prominent trait of the European colonization.

The famine of 1770 alone killed approximately 10 million people, millions more than the Jewish holocaust during the Second World War or the Belgian genocide in the Congo. It wiped out one-third the population of Bengal. John Fiske, in his book The Unseen World, wrote that the famine of 1770 in Bengal was far deadlier than the Black Plague that terrorised Europe in the fourteenth century.

We should all be concerned, but what can be done? The recent World Bank study, Accelerating Poverty Reduction in Africa, offers governments and stakeholders both new suggestions as well as new takes on old recommendations. It should also have considered reparations to the colonized countries by the European colonizers, and the important role reparations can play to accelerate the process of development and secure the UN Global Goals.

In 2013 Caribbean Heads of Governments established the Caricom Reparations Commission (CRC) with a mandate to prepare the case for reparatory justice for the region’s indigenous and African descendant communities who are the victims of Crimes against Humanity (CAH) in the forms of genocide, slavery, slave trading, and racial apartheid.

The CRC asserts that victims and descendants of these CAH have a legal right to reparatory justice, and that those who committed these crimes, and who have been enriched by the proceeds of these crimes, have a reparatory case to answer.

One can only speculate what a developing country like India currently ranked at number 130 in HDI with its 46.6 million children who are stunted because of malnutrition can achieve if it manages to secure USD 71 Trillion from Britain as reparation.

Monetary inputs have the capability to initiate virtuous economic and development processes in a society. A good example of it is the 1948 Marshall Plan or the European Recovery Program. More than USD 13 billion under the Marshall Plan helped to facilitate the recovery of Europe’s national economies and helped build a ‘new Europe’ with a political economy that was based on open markets and free trade, rather than protectionism and self-interest. It was a stimulus that set off a chain of events leading to a range of accomplishments.  However, aid is always conditional where terms are dictated by the donor.

Therefore the CRC sets a wonderful precedent to establish the moral, ethical and legal case for the payment of Reparations by the Governments of all the former colonial powers and the relevant institutions of those countries, to the nations that were colonized.

In fact, it is far a better alternative than the same old clarion call to mobilize resources for the poor” made to the Asian and African governments to raise taxes as a share of GDP or the strings that come attached with overseas aid.

It’s November 2019. Would Right Honourable Peter Bone and others including international institutions help set a continuing historical wrong right, and kindly pay heed to make reparations play a mainstreamed role to eradicate poverty and secure UN Global Goals, and pave way for a more just and humane world?

* Manish Uprety F.R.A.S. is an ex-diplomat and Jainendra Karn is a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP). [IDN-InDepthNews – 01 November 2019]

Photo: Mother in shreds of clothing with child begging on the streets of Calcutta during the Bengal famine of 1943 (left), and a family on the sidewalk in Calcutta during the Bengal famine of 1943  (right). Source: Wikipedia

IDN is flagship agency of the International Press Syndicate.

By Shivanthi Ranasinghe Courtesy Ceylon Today

Last week, in typical Yahapalana style, the Cabinet approved the USD 480 million Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact project (MCCC). The US Embassy did not lose any time to express their happiness.

 However, it appears that it is only the US Embassy that is happy about it. Until that moment, with the Presidential elections just round the corner, the MCCC was the furthest in people’s minds. Therefore, the approval comes as a complete shock to the nationalists. 

On the whole, though, many do not know about the MCCC or its implications. This in a nutshell sums up the West imported democracy we got since 2015 in the form of Yahapalana Government.

These five years of the Yahapalana Government are marked with the numerous controversial commitments that Sri Lanka had been roped into agreeing.

 In every one of these instances – from co-sponsoring the infamous Geneva Resolution 30/1 to the Yahapalana presidential candidate’s manifesto – the Yahapalana Government had taken great care to keep the details wrapped and away from the people.

In 2015, it may be recalled that soon after the general elections, the Yahapalana Government prioritised appointing the Foreign Minister than the cabinet.

 Appointing the Cabinet itself was unprecedentedly delayed by weeks. Thus, newly appointed Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera went to Geneva on Sri Lanka tax payers’ account and at the UNHRC co-sponsored the Resolution 30/1 that was brought against Sri Lanka.

He did so without the Cabinet approval and without the knowledge of the people.

 He did so even though the conditions stipulated in the Resolution contravened the Constitution of Sri Lanka. He did so when he did not have the authority to thus commit the Parliament.

 The reason being, he participated at the UNHRC session in the capacity of a Minister, which is essentially the executive arm. 

However, he undertook the commitments to be fulfilled by the Parliament, which is the legislator. The Executive and the legislature are two separate, exclusive bodies in Sri Lanka. Therefore, he undertook a commitment that he was not allowed by the Constitution.

The Yahapalana Government had to resort to very creative means to fulfil the conditions that came with co-sponsoring the Resolution. They provoked the then Joint Opposition into invading the well of the Parliament. 

Taking advantage of that commotion, they passed the OMP Bill. The Enforced Disappearance Act was passed during the days of the Digana riots. 

The entire country’s attention was on the riots and certain entities were insinuated that the Buddhist monks were behind the attacks on the Muslims. The Act was passed whilst the monks were busy defending themselves from the unfounded allegations.

The MCCC was first sprung on us just days after the Easter Sunday Massacres. Tourism, which was one of our most lucrative and rising industries, took a hit as never before. 

Even during the days of the LTTE, Sri Lanka was a relatively safe destination for the tourists as they were never a target. The Easter Sunday bombers on the other hand zeroed in on the tourist hotspots.

The economy was already in dire straits due to the mismanagement of the Yahapalana Government. At such a time for a rising industry to fall as it did with the Easter Sunday massacres was a matter that concerned many. 

It was at such a time where all were reeling with the shock of losing so many lives and the meaningless destruction that Mangala Samaraweera as the Finance Minister, announced with an ear-to-ear grin that something good had come out of tragedy.

He spoke of receiving USD 480 million from MCCC. However, in true Mangala fashion he omitted to mention that this would be for a project that would engulf 28% of our land for a so-called economic corridor. Considering 

the expanse of land under consideration, which is around 1.2 million acres, it is not clear if Sri Lanka is getting its lands’ value. 

There is no dispute that USD 480 million is a large sum of money. However, this money is to come on the form of mega projects to reduce traffic congestion in Colombo and improve interprovincial connectivity. This is to be a five-year project.

However, the many questions and gray areas that surround this project are yet to be answered. 

The economic corridor that the American Ambassador assured was a gift from the American people to Sri Lankan people would effectively cut right across the country. 

The plan is to construct an electric railway line connecting the Trincomalee port with the Colombo Port.

 This will cut through our historic places such as Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. It is being said that there will be an electric fence to guard the railway lines.

 That area thus protected by the electric fence would be for international conglomerates to establish their factories. It is also being said that this area would not be subjected to Sri Lankan Law.

Apart from these questions, there is also a question on the guarantee. It is not clear if there would be a binding clause to complete the project once started. 

Otherwise, we would be left with incomplete infrastructural developments that would eventually fall on the government of the day to complete.

 It is also not clear on our obligations that we must fulfil for these projects to proceed unhindered.

 We must take into account America’s history and present attitude of the American High Commissioner Alaina Teplitz, who has violated her mandate by interfering in our internal matters.

Time before also MCCC had approached Sri Lanka somewhere in 2006-7. However, just as suddenly they had appeared, they had shut the door. 

Their only explanation had been that the human rights violations in the country. 

With the war against terrorism reaching its peak during that time, it is really surprising that they expected a different scenario.

 The point of lesson for us however is not to allow a group of people who do not have a grasp of ground reality from forcing themselves as our moral compass.

 The last thing we need is this economic corridor and the USD $ 480 million to be used as a carrot stick to get us into directions we do not want to go.

We need to also understand the overall picture once the SOFA and ACSA comes, into force. This Yahapalana Government came into life by discrediting our political leaders. It started its journey by persecuting our war heroes.

 Hundreds of our military leaders and intelligent units have been questioned and even incarcerated.

 This persecution had been extended to the Buddhist monks as well and over various allegations as many as 50 monks have been incarcerated by this Yahapalana Government.

Thus if ACSA and SOFA comes, into effect, it will do so when our leadership from all three fronts have been decisively attacked and weakened.

  In such a situation, can we safeguard our natural resources, with American soldiers and contractors in and out of Sri Lanka, carrying any weapon or equipment of their choice, enjoying diplomatic immunity is a very serious question that needs to be answered with clarity.

If true democracy exists, these questions would have been discussed and clarified before the Cabinet gives its approval. When the above questions and concerns were voiced, the MCCC disappeared as quickly as it 

appeared. However, making use of the upcoming elections to which everyone’s attention is fixed, the MCCC has surfaced in the most unexpected manner. This very sequence of events questions the intention and integrity of the MCCC.

One would have expected Sajith Premadasa, a powerful member of the Cabinet, deputy leader of the ruling political party, presidential candidate of the Yahapalana Government to speak up about the MCCC. At the time of writing this, he had not articulated his opinion – for or against – the MCCC. 

The fact that his voter would need a direction from him and the floating voter would need to understand his stance is apparently lost on him.

Most unfortunately, it is not only on MCCC that Sajith Premadasa is being quiet. 

The first postal vote was held on 31 October. However, even by that time Premadasa had not presented his manifesto. He is clearly expecting people to vote for him in blind faith and the absurd promises he makes on his platforms.

 It is being said that his ridiculous statements are only absurd to the educated for he strikes a chord with the rural and the uneducated.

If that is indeed the case and if he does win the presidential election, then it would be a very sad reflection of the intellectual capacity of us as a nation. In the meantime, the seriousness that the MCCC poses must not be underestimated.

If we do not manage this “gift” America is giving us unsolicited, we might find ourselves in a situation similar to a foreign invasion without a single shot being fired in our defense.

ranasingheshivanthi@gmail.com

By Sugeeswara Senadhira Courtesy Ceylon Today

With Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Sajith Premadasa as main contenders in the arena, the questions that arise in one’s mind is whether the current foreign policy will be continued with a minor change, or whether we are in for a major shift in foreign relations.

In the face of the policy statements of the main two candidates, there is not much change in their international outlook. 

In his first Media interaction after filing his candidacy, Gotabaya said Sri Lanka would maintain a neutral foreign policy and friendly ties with all Nations.

Sajith too spoke in a similar tongue, stating, “We are firmly committed to maintaining a policy of friendship with all Nations, both in the region and beyond.”

Of the ten policy facets unleashed by Gotabaya’s election manifesto, the first is “priority to national security” and the second is “friendly and non-aligned foreign policy.” Gotabaya’s party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna 

(SLPP), in its manifesto, highlights improving relations with the members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Nations on national security. 

“We aim to foster better understanding with India, SAARC and BIMSTEC countries on regional security,” it stated.

Like his elder brother, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa often stated during his reign from 2005 to 2015, Gotabaya too vows to resist foreign power interference.

 His manifesto emphasises that Sri Lanka would not cringe before any foreign power in maintaining foreign relations and international trade. 

“We will negotiate on equal terms as a sovereign Nation to preserve the national pride,” it says.

Sajith also assured that he would formulate policies to cater to the national needs of this country. 

He added that international trade agreements are important, political agreements are important and the relative advantage that these agreements bring towards Sri Lanka is important.

 He said if there is no advantage that is accrued to the country, then that agreement is detrimental to the Nation.

ACSA, SOFA, MCC

Sajith added that, in the recent past, agreements such as the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) with the United States were the subjects of public debate.

 He noted that when they are making these policy decisions, what they should actually do, is consider the pros and cons of these agreements. He added that all of this must be considered with the country at the centre.

In fact, the ACSA was signed in 2007 when Gotabaya was the Defence Secretary in the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government.

 Two years ago, the US proposed to upgrade ACSA to SOFA, resulting in a major debate on alleged attempts by America to interfere in internal affairs of Sri Lanka.

The proposed MCC grant was delayed due to opposition by President Maithripala Sirisena, and finally it was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers last week. 

After Cabinet approval, President Sirisena asked Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera to put the MCC Agreement on hold, until the Presidential Election on 16 November.

 Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa too urged the Government not to sign the Agreement on the eve of an election.

Sajith also jumped in, saying that all personal preferences must be left aside, because although it is one person who signs these agreements, the effects are felt by the entire country. 

Therefore, he added that when they are scientifically assessing these agreements, we must consult all stakeholders in that relevant field.

 He went on to note that they can easily conduct a cost-benefit analysis and clearly identify the pros and cons.

Sajith said, when dealing with foreign countries, every transaction should bring benefit and add value to our country, which is exactly how his father had also chosen to act. 

Incidentally, Sajith’s father, Ranasinghe Premadasa, as Prime Minister, opposed the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement of 1987 and induction of Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) in North and East Sri Lanka. 

When he became President in 1989, he gave the quit notice to the 150,000-strong IPKF battalion, and they withdrew in March 1990.

Interestingly, Sajith Premadasa was the minister-in-waiting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2015 visit to the island, the first in 35 years.

Elaborating on his foreign policy, Sajith said last week that considering our geographic location, our foreign policy will focus on working with all Nations in partnership, to transform Sri Lanka into a hub in the Indian Ocean, with a knowledge-based, competitive, social market economy.

 For this purpose, open trade, freedom of navigation, and a rules-based world order are essential. Sri Lanka will remain firmly committed to these principles, he said.

He added that Sri Lanka would work closely with countries with which the country already had development assistance programmes, trade partnerships and strong people-to-people contacts, while forging new and stronger connections with Indian Ocean Nations and beyond.

 “We recognise the significance of our geographic location in the East-West maritime highway, and we want to ensure that we have mutually beneficial, meaningful and constructive partnerships with all Nations. Air and maritime connectivity will play a critical role in our Nation’s progress.”

Trade pacts

Sajith also talked about trade pacts. Trade is essential for our sustenance. As you are aware, Sri Lanka’s first modern and comprehensive free trade agreement with Singapore came into force in May last year. Sri Lanka was also the first country to enter into an FTA with India.

 I remain committed to pursue a path of enhancing trade and economic connectivity with States in the region and beyond.

 I also recognise the need to carry forward the regulatory reform agenda to enhance ease of doing business with Sri Lanka. 

Maximizing Sri Lanka’s location, heritage, and diversity in fauna and flora to enhance the tourism industry and also promote Sri Lanka as a Rest and Recreation Centre in the Indian Ocean with sports tourism and newer forms of tourism is also on our agenda.

Although the manifestos give basic policy guidelines, practical implementation could be somewhat different. 

Political analysts believe Sajith is likely to toe a pro-Western line, as his key supporters, like Malik Samarawickrama, Mangala Samaraweera, and Dr. Harsha de Silva are pro-West. 

The controversial MCC agreement was presented, last week, to Cabinet, by Minister Samaraweera, and the pro-West ministers backed him fully.

Some experts are of the view that Sajith might also sign the controversial Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the US, giving the US military extra-constitutional rights in Sri Lanka. 

India may not oppose such a move, as its main concern now is to keep China away. 

However, China would frown upon such close cooperation with the US. China has a deep economic interest in Lanka, and it will not be in the national interest to sour relations with Beijing. 

On the other hand, Gotabaya is expected to keep the US at bay, despite the fact that until recently he was an American citizen. 

He might keep to the good side of India, while continuing with the close economic collaboration with China – indeed a tightrope walk.

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa states that extremist terrorism will not be allowed under his rule.

He mentioned this holding a public rally in Kirindiwela, Gampaha, yesterday (02).

He pointed out that the past government implemented a security plan following the civil war in order to prevent a repeat incident.

This ensured that there was no act of terrorism during the past regime, Rajapaksa said.

The former Defense Secretary says that the current government paid no attention to national security and is subjected to various foreign influences.

Weakening intelligence officials and imprisoning war heroes is the reason why bombs blasted in the country once again, he further said.

Courtesy Adaderana

As the Millennium Challenge Cooperation (MCC) Agreement has been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, it will be submitted to Parliament for approval after it is signed, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said.

Copies of the Agreement, which the Attorney General has deemed to be legal under the constitution, have been issued for the reference of the public, he said.

He pointed out that although some who do not know of parliamentary procedures comment that the Agreement should be tabled at the parliament before being signed, an uncertified document cannot be debated at parliament.

Reportedly, the Agreement itself mentions that the Agreement will only be considered valid only after the passage of an Act of Parliament to enforce that Agreement.

The Finance Minister stated that once the Agreement is gazetted any citizen who is deemed to be aggrieved by the Agreement can go to the courts against it.

There are no legal issues to the signing of the Agreement as the Attorney General has already agreed to this, said Samaraweera.

The people who create a phobia of the MCC Agreement among the public, when it has already been approved by the Cabinet, should come forward and point out the adverse effects of the Agreement on the public and the country, he further said.

Courtesy Adaderana

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Presidential Candidate of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), stated that he will complete everything that is said in his manifesto during his tenure as President.

He says that his manifesto contains practical goals that can be achieved rather than promises.

Rajapaksa stated this speaking at a public rally held in Dematagoda today (03).

This rally was attended by the grandson of the late President J. R. Jayawardena, Pradeep Jayawardena.

Meanwhile, a Colombo Municipal Councilor of the United National Party (UNP) also joined in supporting Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Addressing a public rally held in Wattala, the former Defence Secretary stated that he will act to arrest all involved in the Easter Sunday terror attacks.

He emphasized that he will not allow extremist terrorism under his administration.

Courtesy Adaderana

The Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) has decided to support New Democratic Front (NDF) Presidential Candidate Sajith Premadasa at the upcoming Presidential Election.

The main party of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the ITAK had will support Minister Sajith Premadasa at the Presidential Election 2019, stated ITAK Media Spokesperson MP M. A. Sumanthiran.

Reportedly, the decision has been arrived at through the central committee meeting of the party.

Sumanthiran stated that TNA Leader R. Sampanthan has been requested to inform the decision of TELO and PLOTE, the two remaining parties in TNA, through discussion within the parties.

---

උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්

අද හාඩ්ටෝක් විශේෂාංගය තුළින් සෘජුවම ප්‍රශ්න කෙරෙන්නේ පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී ආචාර්ය විජේදාස රාජපක්ෂ මහතාගෙන්

උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්

මාතර උයන්වත්ත ක්‍රීඩාංගනයේදී අද පැවති මාතර දිස්ත්‍රික් කාන්තා බල මණ්ඩල රැස්වීමේදී මුදල් අමාත්‍ය මංගල සමරවීර මහතා කාන්තා සනීපාරක්ෂක තුවා සම්බන්ධයෙන් අදහස් පල කළා

උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්

ලෝක ආර්ථික ප්‍රවණතාවයන්ට ගැලපෙන රැකියා අවස්ථා තරුණයින්ට ලබාදීමට විශේෂ වැඩපිළිවෙලක් ක්‍රියාත්මක කරන බව ශ්‍රී ලංකා පොදුජන පෙරමුණේ ජනාධිපති අපේක්ෂක ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ පවසනවා.

ඒ, පානදුර ප්‍රදේශයේ අද පැවති ජන හමුවකට එක්වෙමින්.

මේ අතර, දෙමටගොඩ ප්‍රදේශයේ ඊයේ පැවති පොදුජන පෙරමුණේ ජන හමුවකට හිටපු ජනාධිපති ජේ.ආර්. ජයවර්ධනගේ මුණුබුරා වන ප්‍රදීප් ජයවර්ධන එක්ව සිටියා.

උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්

මහා පරිමාණ කප්පම්කරුවන් යොදා ගනිමින් මුදල් අමාත්‍ය මංගල සමරවීර සුරාබදු දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවෙන් කප්පම් ලබා ගත් ආකාරය පිළිබදව තවත් දින කිහිපයකින් හෙළිදරව් කරන බව සිංහලේ ජාතික සංවිධානය පවසනවා.

කොළඹ අද පැවති මාධ්‍ය හමුවකදී ඒ සම්බන්ධයෙන් අදහස් දැක්වූ එහි මහලේකම් පූජ්‍ය මැඩිල්ලේ පඤ්ඤාලෝක හිමියන්.

උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්

ජනාධිපතිවරණයේදී නව ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදී පෙරමුණේ ජනාධිපති අපේක්ෂක සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාසට සහය දැක්වීමට ඉලංගෙයි තමිල් අරසු පක්ෂය තීරණය කර ඇති බව දෙමළ ජාතික සන්ධානයේ මාධ්‍ය ප්‍රකාශක, පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී එම්.ඒ. සුමන්දිරන් ප්‍රකාශ කළා.

ඉලංගෙයි තමිල් අරසු පක්ෂයේ මධ්‍යම කාරක සභාව අද පෙරවරු 9.30ට පමණ වව්නියාවේ පිහිටි එම පක්ෂ කාර්යාලයේදී රැස්වූ අතර පස්වරුවේ එහි තීරණය ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කරමින් එම්.ඒ. සුමන්දිරන් මන්ත්‍රීවරයා කියා සිටියේ දෙමළ ජාතික සන්ධානයේ තීරණය දැනුම් දීම සඳහා පක්ෂ නායක පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී ආර්. සම්බන්ධන්ට බලය පවරා ඇති බවයි.

පැය 7කට ආසන්න කාලයක් පැවති මෙම සාකච්ඡාවට ඉලංගෙයි තමිල් අරසු පක්ෂයේ නායක පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී මාවෙයි සේනාධිරාජා, හිටපු නායක ආර්. සම්බන්ධන් ඇතුළු පක්ෂ ජ්‍යෙෂ්ඨයින් එක්ව සිටියා.

මේ අතර, මෙම සාකච්ඡාව පැවැත්වෙන අතරතුර එම ස්ථානයට රැස්ව සිටි යුද සමයේ අතුරුදන්වූවන්ගේ සංගමයේ ඥාතීන් පිරිසක් පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී ආර්. සම්බන්ධන් ඇතුළු දෙමළ දේශපාලනඥයින්ට එරෙහිව විරෝධතාවක නිරත වුණා.

දෙමළ මන්ත්‍රීවරුන් පැමිණෙන අවස්ථාවේ විරෝධතාවට එක්ව සිටි කාන්තාවක් තමා පැළද සිටි පාවහන් ගලවා ප්‍රහාරයක් එල්ල කිරීමට උත්සාහ කරන අයුරු දක්නට ලැබුණු අතර එය තවත් කාන්තාවක විසින් වළකනු ලැබුවා

උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්

සුරක්ෂිත රටක්, අභිමානවත් දේශයක් සඳහා ජනතාව වෙනුවෙන් සිය යුතුකම ඉටුකරන බව ශ්‍රී ලංකා පොදුජන පෙරමුණේ ජනාධිපති ධුර අපේක්ෂක ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ පවසනවා.

ඔහු මේ බව කියා සිටියේ වත්තල ප්‍රදේශයේ ඊයේ පැවති ජන රැළියකට එක්වෙමින්.

මෙහිදි ජනතාවගෙන් ජනාධිපති අපේක්ෂක ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂට උණුසුම් පිළිගැනීමක් හිමිවුණා.

මේ අතර කිරිඳිවැල ප්‍රදේශයේ පැවති ජන හමුවකට එක්වෙමින් ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ අදහස් පළකළා.

By : A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA

I thought that I have given sufficient coverage in my previous two articles GOTA PHOBIA – Part VII A and Part VII B and was planning to write another article in the GOTA PHOBIA series on a different subject.  But I was compelled to change my intention of finding a statement in the LankaCNews.lk that had been made by the former JVPer and bogus Buddhist Pa.Cha.Ranawaka insulting our great King Maha Parakramabahu and angry responses presented by over 30 readers of this article. 

This bogus Buddhist who grabbed power of the former political formation Sinhala Urumaya” and made it a racist outfit under the name of Jatgika Hela Urumaya” in his recent elevation to American slavish politics has said that the horrendous Millenium Challenge Corporation proposal is a proposal of King Parakramabahu and what Ranil is doing is a work of the king Parakramabahu.  He has said that saying that America will get several million acres of land of this country through this agreement is a blatant lie and identifying 4 corridors is for the future welfare of this nation. He has stated that there are plans to bring future settlements to incorporate in these corridors.  Speaking further this panchayat has said that initially this proposal was brought forward by king Parakramabahu.

Addressing a media conference in Colombo he has said that in the initial periodMr. Ranil Wickremasinghe was referred to as Don Juwan and the change of Ranil Wickremasinghe and in his opinion, it is highly admirable the change that has occurred to get him portrayed as the great Parakramabahu. 

Now let us see the 30 comments that have been made by readers:

Raterala says:

November 2, 2019 at 6:34 am

Pacha Ranawaka, you are insulting the great king Maha Parakrasmabahu. That King never betrayed the motherland to foreign countries.

Saliya says:

November 2, 2019 at 7:54 am

The wonder of these spit-lippers betraying their souls! Lies being said without any feeling.  God knows what these kind fellows will do to this country.

අපි ගොන්නු නේ….(We are bovines) says:

November 2, 2019 at 8:08 am

In this way, these guys would say that the statue holding an ola-leaf book in its hand is not an ola-leaf book, but a sanitary pad (Sajith’s promised gift for females) And even at that time Pads were distributed,

සුරා (Suraa)says:

November 2, 2019 at 6:38 am

It is sad to note that this kind of politicians to have born in this country.  Fellows who eat water monitors as iguanas. These are guys who will take from their tongue even a cent in a cesspit.

සිරිතේක්කු (Sirikku)says:

November 2, 2019 at 6:43 am

This idiot has even distorted the history of this country.  It is to insult our great leaders that this kind of lies is being told.

අලව් යකා (Alaw Ghost)says:

November 2, 2019 at 6:43 am

Do not know why America is getting so much trouble about our country. It is sin – No! We have heard that someone plucks a bee-hive noto to lick the hands – Have you not heard such a thing?

Dp says:

November 2, 2019 at 7:27 am

You are a bone licker of the bankrupt aily news

ඩී ජේ prasada(S J Prasada) says:

November 2, 2019 at 6:45 am

Lies of this bugger….The great King Parakramabahi did not make such a proposal….He did not surrender to foreign countries but conquered foreign countries.

jayasiri says:

November 2, 2019 at 6:47 am

Oh God whappenedto this guy! Is this an inborn quality of this guy? This sodomised the pious ladies who placed the cross to Hela Karumaya.

Karu says:

November 2, 2019 at 6:50 am

Easily transferable government lands means any company will have opportunity to purchase them.

ඩී ජේ prasada (D J Prasada) says:

November 2, 2019 at 6:52 am

This guys lies…….

The great King Parakramabahi did not surrender to foreign countries but conquered foreign countries.

Lanka says:

November 2, 2019 at 6:58 am

UNP yamaplanaya know how to twist our history. Let’s show these pathetic liars on 16 th where to go. Otherwise, not even god can help this time.

AJITH says:

November 2, 2019 at 7:12 am

All srilankans will be deprived their homes under this act.

Fernando says:

November 2, 2019 at 7:18 am

Mewage une ula teya mariya yutue menisune budimathwa x gasanna natnam rtak nati wei

(This kind of fellows should be killedpearsed by spears.  Men place your X wisely.  Otherwise, we will not have a country for us.

rdy says:

November 2, 2019 at 7:53 am

Tamat pruthugisi nam pawichi karana ayawat ula teya mariya yutue

It is those who still use Portuguese names that should be killed by piercing through spears.

JANATHAAWA says:

November 2, 2019 at 8:53 am

What a treacherous comment for their survival? They want to turn things upside down for their greediness for power. They seem to think that the people in our country are fools to believe such bullshit.

Sun says:

November 2, 2019 at 7:21 am

Please go and check your head. Probably it is disoriented after living with this type of crooks in politics. These are the leaders heading democracy without understanding the meaning even just following the leader,s footsteps like dogs following the boss. This is the mentality of people living in politics now like the real American politicians as leaders of unseen democracy.

Chandapala says:

November 2, 2019 at 7:26 am

This opportunist political worm destroyed all the political parties he associated with.  The UNP also will get destroyed after this election.  He misled the Buddhist monks of the Hela Urumaya.  He misled Mahinda and now he is targeting Ranil and the UNP.  This eunuch who does not have a vote base of his own is attempting to reign from the votes of other parties. Mr Ranil be careful.

Gamini Abaya says:

November 2, 2019 at 7:37 am

DID YOU HEAR THAT KING PARAKRAMABAHU TELLING THIS……….STUPID.

MJ says:

November 2, 2019 at 7:41 am

The great king made this country self-sufficient.   Like UNP he did not devour the country and sell the country to foreigners.

උපාසක (UpasakA – The pious)says:

November 2, 2019 at 7:44 am

With which country Jing Parakramabahu Attempted to enter into Agreements?

Saman says:

November 2, 2019 at 7:46 am

Please enlighten the people in your area about this guy.  He may even chase them out from their houses.

MD says:

November 2, 2019 at 8:06 am

Expel this of bloody Sinhalese from our country who do not even allow our great ancient kings to attain nirvana. (Those like Champika, Rajitha,Ranil, Chandrika, Wickramabahu)

Nandasoma Suriyaarachchi says:November 2, 2019 at 8:22 am

Alas, Shame on fellows like this!

Politicians who insult our great kings like King Parakramabahu!!

King Parakramabahu did not take steps to sell lands in our country to America!!! You fellows cannot deceive our people by telling lies!!!!

Nandasoma Suriyaarachchi says:

November 2, 2019 at 8:25 am

What will happen from this is that the people in the South will have to take from America and obtain Visa to go to the North.

ගමරාළ (village headman)says:

November 2, 2019 at 8:27 am

Champakayo without uttering nonsense like a lunatic keep on chewing the bone given by Ranil and remain silent for the next two weeks.

Nayani says:

November 2, 2019 at 8:42 am

Cardinal has quite rightly asked the government not to sign this agreement at this moment as the public and even most parliamentarians are not aware of the terms and conditions. He says it should be put to parliament and approved at a referendum. This is the opinion of the Mahanayakas also.

හෙලයා (Helaya)says:

November 2, 2019 at 8:52 am

Champukaya is a No,1 policy less opportunist. Don’t ever vote for him.

The great betrayal severe than the barren lands Act is ready. America joins the government in the death bed for the millennium corporation agreement”

Attached is  a speech delivered by traitor Pa Cha Ranawaka’s erstwhile colleague and now bete noire Attorney at Law MP Udaya Gammanpila at the Stop U, S, A” media conference

Last Tuesday (29^th September) cabinet approval was obtained to sign the Millenium Corporation agreement which grants permission for America to acquire lands in Sri Lanka for a song. The Prime Minister says that this agreement will be signed prior to the Presidential Election. The President promised to us that he will not allow for the signing of this agreement prior to the presidential election. However, there is a possibility that the Prime minister and minister Mangala may get this agreement signed on the sly creeping through the ears of the President.

The Prime Minister has asked what is the fault in signing this agreement when we get the U.S.$ 480 Million as a gift? We ask the Prime Minister if he gets a good price for his mother, whether he will be ready to sell his mother?  We will tell the Prime Minister that although he may be ready to sell his mother, we are not prepared to sell out motherland at any cost.

In the Millenium Challenge agreement, there are two projects.  Transport project and the land reforms project.  We have no objection to the transport project.  Our objection is in respect of the land reforms project.  The business community of this country certainly objects for the land reforms projet.   The CEO of the.CC proposes that the funds from the land reforms project also to be used for the transport project and widely implement it.  However, Amerca is not agreeable to it.  If America does not have a hidden agenda of plundering our lands why it not willing to abandon the land reforms project?

The American War Expert Robert Kaplan states that this century is Asia’s century and Sri Lanka which is located in the centre of Asia is the most important country in this century.  Therefore, the real intention of the MCC is for America to get settled in Sri Lanka, the most important country of this century. Accordingly, if America succeeds in getting the MCC agreement signed, Sri Lanka will become the centre point of the global power struggle and thereby will become a fire zone and a pool of blood. No one will be able to prevent this. In page No. 6 of the report sent to the U.S.Congress by the MCC, it is stated that two draft Acts based on land reforms have already prepared by the Sri Lanka government and MCC funds will be released on the progress of getting these Acts adopted.

The 1^st draft Act was presented to the parliament about two months ago. We challenged at the Supreme Court and the Court has ruled that it should get the consent of all Provincial Councils and until that time presenting it to Parliament is inconsistent to the constitution.  As regards the other Act we have not even seen the colour of it. It is very clear that these are being done with the utmost secrecy. 

The British colonialists plundered the lands of the people of this country through the 1940 Barren Lands Act.  Thanks to Madam Sirimavo Bandaranaike we were able to get these lands back through nationalisation. What the British did by force in 1840, the Americans are trying to get the same thing achieved in 2019 through a puppet government. 

In conclusion, we would like to tell the Americans that this government is a perishing government in its death bed inhaling the last breaths, Therefore we do not consider agreements signed with corpses inhaling its last breath. Also, we would like to give the final and firm message to the Americans that the people of this country will not permit to acknowledge agreements signed with corpses.

(முறைசாரா மொழிபெயர்ப்பு)( 29.10.2019இ தாமரை கோபுரம் கொழும்பு)

ஐஏ. சீன – இலங்கை பொருளாதார தொடர்புகள் பற்றிய சில உண்மைகள்

சீன – இலங்கைக்கான நடைமுறை திறன்மிக்க கூட்டுறவூ மீதான கலந்துரையாடலில் உயர்ஸ்தானிகர் செங் சியாவூன்ஸினது குறிப்புகளின் சுருக்கம்.
( 29.10.2019இ தாமரை கோபுரம் கொழும்பு)
ஐஏ. சீன – இலங்கை பொருளாதார தொடர்புகள் பற்றிய சில உண்மைகள்

1. சீன அரசாங்கமானது இலங்கையின் சமூக பொருளாதார அபிவிருத்திக்காக அவசியமான மூலதனத்தை வழங்கியூள்ளது.
   சீனாவானதுஇ இலங்கைக்கான பாரிய முக்கியத்துவமான பங்குதாரரும் மிகப்பெரிய வெளிநாட்டு முதலீட்டாளருமாகும். உள்நாட்டு யூத்தத்திற்கு பின்னர் இலங்கை அரசாங்கமானது நாட்டை மீள் நிர்மாணிப்பதற்கும் பொருளாதாரத்தை அபிவிருத்தி செய்வதற்குமாக வெளிநாட்டு வளங்களை பெற்றுக்கொள்ள வேண்டிய ஒரு நிர்க்கதிமிக்க தேவையில் இருந்தது. சீனாவானது உண்மையான நண்பனாகவூம் அயலவனாகவூம் இலங்கைக்கு அதிகம் தேவைப்பட்ட நிதி உதவிகளை வழங்கியது. சீனாவிடம் இருந்து பெற்ற அனைத்து கடன்களும் விஞ்ஞான ரீதியான மதிப்பீட்டிற்கு பின்னரே வழங்கப்பட்டதுடன் இலங்கை அரசாங்கத்தினதும் தொழில் முயற்சிகளினது வேண்டுகோளின்படியூம் அமைந்தது.
   இலங்கை மத்திய வங்கி மற்றும் நிதியமைச்சின் வருடாந்த அறிக்கையின் படி 2018 ஆம் ஆண்டின் இறுதியில் மொத்த வெளிநாட்டு கடன் தொகையானது 52 பில்லியன் அமெரிக்க டொலராக அமைந்ததோடு அதில் 6 பில்லியன் சீனாவிடம் பெற்றதாகவூம் அது 11.5 சதவீதமாகவூம் அமைந்தது. இதில் மிக முக்கியமாக 6 பில்லியனில் 60 சதவீதமானது முன்னுரிமையான கடனாக அமைந்ததோடு வட்டிவீதமானது சந்தையின் சராசரி மட்டத்திற்கு மிக குறைவாக அமைந்திருந்தது. இதன்படி மீள் செலுத்துகையின் அழுத்தமானதுஇ உண்மையில் வெளிநாட்டு மேற்கத்திய நாடுகளின் சர்வதேச பன்னாட்டு முறிகளிடம் இருந்தே உருவாகியது. பல சந்தர்ப்பங்களில் இலங்கை அரசாங்கமானது சீனாவிடம் இருந்து பெறப்பட்ட குறைந்த வட்டிவீதத்தில் அமைந்திருந்த கடன்களில் இருந்தும் மேற்கத்திய நாடுகளிடம் இருந்து பெறப்பட்ட உயர் வட்டிவீதத்திலான கடன்களை மீள் செலுத்தியது. சீனாவானது கடன்பொறியை உருவாக்காது மாறாக அதிலிருந்து இலங்கையை மீட்டெடுப்பதற்கே உதவி செய்கிறது.
   சீனாவிடம் இருந்து பெறப்பட்ட கடன்களில் அதிகமான அளவில் துறைமுகங்கள்இ பாதைகள் மற்றும் நீர் பாதுகாப்பு செயற்திட்டங்களுக்கே உபயோகிக்கப்பட்டதுடன் இது மக்களின் வாழ்க்கை தரத்திற்காகவூம் இலங்கையின் சமூக பொருளாதார அபிவிருத்திற்கான நெருக்கடியை பூர்த்தி செய்வதாகவூம் அமைந்திருந்தது. சீனாவிடம் இருந்து பெறப்பட்ட கடன்களும் கூட்டுறவூ செயற்திட்டங்களும் அதிகளவில் உட்கட்டமைப்பு நிர்மாணத்தை சீர்திருத்தியதோடு பொருளாதார முன்னேற்றங்களை மேம்படுத்தியூம் வாழ்வாதாரத்தை முன்னேற்றியூம் இலங்கையினது எதிர்கால அபிவிருத்திக்கு அதிக சக்தியையூம் கொடுத்தது. பொதுவாக குறிப்பிடப்படும் கடன்பொறியானது மேற்கத்திய ஊடகங்களினால் புனையப்பட்ட ஒரு பொய்யான செய்தி என்பதை சொல்ல தேவையில்லை. அவர்களது ஒரே நோக்கமானது சீனாவினதும் ஏனைய அபிவிருத்தி நாடுகளினதும் பொதுவான அபிவிருத்தியை மட்டுப்படுத்துவதாகவே அமைந்திருக்கின்றது.
2. சீன – இலங்கையினது நடைமுறை திறன்மிக்க கூட்டுறவின் தன்மையானது பரஸ்பரம் நன்மை பயக்ககூடியதும் வெற்றி வெளிப்பாடுகளையூம் கொண்டது.
   நுரைச்சோலை அனல்மின் நிலையத்தை ஒரு உதாரணமாக எடுத்துக்கொள்ளலாம். இது இலங்கைக்காக 50 சதவீத மின் இணைப்பு சட்டகத்தில் இருந்து மின்சாரத்தை தருவதோடுஇ மின்சார பற்றாக்குறை பிரச்சினையை தீர்ப்பதற்கு உதவூவதோடு ஒரு நிலையான மின்சார வழங்கலை உறுதிப்படுத்தி சராசரியாக மின்சாரத்தின் விலையை 20 சதவீதத்திற்கு குறைவடைய செய்கின்றது. இலங்கை மக்களும் நாடும் இந்த மின் நிலையத்தினால் பயன்பெறுகின்றார்கள்.
3. சீன – இலங்கைக்கான நடைமுறை திறன்மிக்க கூட்டுறவானது அதிகளவிலான வேலைவாய்ப்பு சந்தர்ப்பங்களை கொண்டு வருவதே அல்லாது அதற்கு எதிரானதல்ல. எதிர்காலத்தில் இலங்கையின் மிக பிரதானமான தேவையான திறன்மிக்க இளைஞர்களை பயிற்றுவித்தல் செயற்பாட்டிற்கு இது உதவூகிறது.

முற்றுப்பெறாத புள்ளிவிபரங்களின் அடிப்படையில் இந்த இருதரப்பு கூட்டுறவானது ஒரு இலட்சத்துக்கும் மேற்பட்ட வேலைவாய்ப்புகளை உருவாக்கியதோடு 10இ000 தொழில்நுட்ப மற்றும் முகாமைத்துவ திறன்களை பயிற்றுவிக்க உதவியூள்ளதோடுஇ இலங்கையினது சுய அபிவிருத்திக்காக ஒரு திடமான மென்வலு அடித்தளம் இடப்பட்டுள்ளது.

சீன அரச நிர்மாண பொறியியல் துறைக்கான கூட்டுத்தாபனம் வரையறுக்கப்பட்டதானது நேரடியாக 30க்கும் மேற்பட்ட இலங்கை முகாமையாளர்களையூம் 2000 தொழிலாளர்களையூம் தொழிலுக்கு அமர்த்தியூள்ளது. ஹம்பாந்தோட்டையில் இக்கூட்டுத்தாபனமானது உள்@ர் மக்களுக்காக பாதுகாப்பு பயிற்சி மற்றும் தொழில் நிலையம் ஒன்றை ஸ்தாபித்துள்ளது. இந்நிலையமானது 2000 சதுர மீற்றர் பரப்பினை கொண்டதாகவூம் 12 பாதுகாப்பு பயிற்சி செயற்திட்டங்களையூம் 06 தொழில்சார் பயிற்சி நிகழ்ச்சி திட்டங்களையூம் கொண்டுள்ளதோடு பல உள்@ர்வாசிகள் பயிற்சிகளிலும் மதிப்பீடுகளிலும் சித்தி பெற்று தொழில்சார் பயிற்சி பத்திரங்களை பெறுவதற்கு வசதி செய்துள்ளது.

எதிர்வரும் ஆண்டுகளில் கொழும்பின் துறைமுக நகரத்தில் 83இ000 தொழில்வாய்ப்புகள் உருவாக்கப்படும்.

1. சீன – இலங்கைக்கான நடைமுறை திறன்மிக்க கூட்டுறவானது உயர் தொழில்நுட்பத்தையூம்இ தரப்படுத்தலையூம்இ சூழல் பாதுகாப்பினையூம் மேற்கொள்வதற்கு முன்னுரிமை வழங்குகின்றது.
2. சீன கம்பனிகளும் கூட்டு செயற்திட்டங்களும் சமூக பொறுப்புகளை செயற்படுத்துவதோடு நன்கொடைகளையூம் வழங்குகின்றது.
3. சீன – இலங்கைக்கான நடைமுறை திறன்மிக்க கூட்டுறவானது இலங்கையின் இறைமைக்கும் பாதுகாப்புக்கும் ஒரு போதும் தீங்கு விளைவிக்காது. சில வெளிநாட்டு ஊடகங்கள் சீன துறைமுகங்கள்இ விமான தளங்கள் ஆகியவற்றை நிர்மாணித்து நடைமுறைப்படுத்துவதன் மூலமாக இராணுவத்தளம் ஒன்றை உருவாக்குவதற்கு திட்டமிடுவதாக குரலெழுப்புகின்றன. இது மூடத்தனமாக அல்லாது இருக்க முடியாது. ஜனாதிபதி மைத்ரிபால சிறிசேனஇ பிரதம மந்திரி ரணில் விக்ரமசிங்கஇ சபாநாயகர் கரு ஜெயசூரியஇ முன்னாள் ஜனாதிபதி மகிந்த ராஜபக்ஸ ஆகியோர் இந்த கூற்றுக்களை விமர்சித்துள்ளனர்.

வரலாற்றில் சீனாவானது ஏகாதிபத்தியம் மற்றும் குடியேற்றவாதம் ஆகியவற்றால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட நாடாகும். சீனா தன்னுடைய இறைமையின் சுதந்திரத்தையூம் பிரதேச ஒருங்கிணைப்பையூம் மிக அதிகளவில் மதிப்பதோடு வெளிநாட்டு தலையீட்டினை எதிர்ப்பதோடு ஏனைய நாடுகளின் பிரதேசத்தையம் இறைமையையூம் ஒரு போதும் மீறுவது கிடையாது. சில வெளிநாட்டு சக்திகள் ஜனநாயகம் போன்ற பதாதையின் கீழ் தன்னிச்சையாக சீனாவில் இராணுவ மயப்படுத்தலை குற்றம் சாட்டி அவர்கள் அதையே இரகசியமாக செய்து வருகின்றனர். இலங்கை அரசாங்கமும் மக்களும் நியாயமான தீர்ப்பினை மேற்கொள்வார்கள் என நம்பப்படுகின்றது.

ஏ. சீன – இலங்கைக்கான நடைமுறை திறன்மிக்க கூட்டுறவின் அடுத்த படிகள் பற்றிய விதந்துரைகள்.

1. நாங்கள் இணைந்து இலங்கையின் நிர்வாக மற்றும் சட்டவாக்க உறுப்புகளை மேம்படுத்த வேண்டும். சர்வதேச அனுபவம் குறித்த கொள்கைகளையூம் பொருத்தமான சட்ட ரீதியான சட்டகங்களையூம் ப+ர்த்தி செய்ய வேண்டும்.

வெளிநாட்டு முதலீடுகளை கவரக்கூடிய மிக சாதகமான சூழலை உருவாக்க வேண்டும். மிக சாதகமான பலனை தரக்கூடிய பாரிய செயற்திட்டங்களுக்கு உதவி செய்ய வேண்டும்.

1. ஒப்பந்தங்களின் வர்த்தக நம்பகத்தன்மையையூம் சட்ட ரீதியான செல்லுபடி தன்மையையூம் நாங்கள் அதிகளவில் மதிக்க வேண்டும். நடைமுறைத்திறன் மிக்க ஒத்துழைப்பை உறுதி செய்யூம் செயற்திட்ட ஒத்துழைப்பை குறிப்பாக பாரிய செயற்திட்ட ஒத்துழைப்பை நிலையான கொள்கையை பேணுவதோடு அவை அரசாங்கத்தின் மாற்றங்களினால் பாதிக்கப்பட கூடாது.
2. இரண்டு நாடுகளினதும் ஊடகம் மற்றும் கல்வி சார் நிலையங்கள் முழுமையாக தங்களுடைய சமூக பொறுப்புகளை வற்புறுத்துவதோடு மூன்றாம் தரப்பினரின் பொய் செய்திகளையூம் கட்டாயமான உத்தேசங்களை பிரதிப்பண்ணுவதை தவிர்ப்பதோடும் பொருத்தமான ஒத்துழைப்பு பற்றிய கள ஆய்வூ செய்வதோடு புறச் சார்புள்ள நியாயமான ஆய்வூகளை நிகழ்த்துவதோடு இரண்டு அரசாங்கங்களுக்கும் வர்த்தக சமூகத்திற்கும் நல்ல ஆலோசனைகளையூம் நல்ல விதப்புரைகளையூம் செய்ய வேண்டும். இதனை செய்வதன் மூலமாக மாத்திரமே பொது மக்கள் சீன- இலங்கைக்கான நடைமுறை திறன்மிக்க கூட்டுறவின் ஒத்துழைப்பு பற்றிய மிக சரியானதும் அறிவூப்பூர்வமானதுமான புரிதலையூம் பெற்றுக்கொள்ள முடியூம்.

(2019 ඔක්තොබර් 29 වැනි දින කොළඹ නෙළුම් කුඵණෙ හි – චීන – ශී‍්‍ර ලංකා ආර්ථික සම්බන්ධතා පිළිබඳ කරුණු කීපයකි.

1. ශී‍්‍ර ලංකාවෙහි සමාජ ආර්ථික සංවර්ධනය සඳහා අත්‍යවශ්‍ය ප‍්‍රාග්ධන ආධාර චීන රජය විසින් සපයනු ලැබ තිබේ.
   ශී‍්‍ර ලංකාවෙහි අතිශය වැදගත් හවුල්කරුවකු වන චීනය එහි විිශාලතම විදේශීය ආයෝජකයා ද වෙයි. අභ්‍යන්තර යුද්ධය නිම වීමෙන් පසුව නැවත රට යථා තත්ත්වයට පත් කරවීමත් ආර්ථිකය සංවර්ධනය කිරීමත් පිණිස විදේශීය සම්පත්වල අවශ්‍යතාව ශී‍්‍ර ලංකාවට දැඩිව දැනෙමින් තිබේ. හිතෛශී මිත‍්‍රයකු මෙන් ම අසල්වැසියකු ද වශයෙන් ශී‍්‍ර ලංකාවට අවශ්‍යව තිබෙන මූල්‍යමය සහාය චීනය වෙතින් ලැබිණි. සියලූ ම ණය චීනය විසිින් ලබා දෙන ලද්දේ ශී‍්‍ර ලංකා රජයේ සහ එහි ව්‍යවසායයන් ගේ ඉල්ලීම මත නිසි විිද්‍යාත්මක විිශ්ලේෂණයකින් ද අනතුරුව ය.
   ශී‍්‍ර ලංකා මහ බැංකුවෙහි සහ මුදල් අමාත්‍යංශයෙහි වාර්තාවනට අනුව 2018 වසර අවසානය වන විට සමස්ත විදේශීය ණය ප‍්‍රමාණය එක්සත් ජනපද ඩොලර් බිලියන 52 කට ආසන්න වූ අතර චීනය වෙතින් ලබාගෙන තුබුණේ ඉන් 11.5% වූ රුපියල් බිලියන 6 ක් පමණි. එකී බිලියන 6 න් 60% ක් ම වෙළෙඳපොළ සාමාන්‍ය අනුපාතයට ද වඩා අඩු පොලියක් මත ලබා ගැනුණු වරණීය ණය වන බැවින් විශාල වශයෙන් ම ආපසු ගෙවීම බරක් බවට පත්ව තුබුණේ බටහිර රටවලින් ලබාගැනුණු ණය වීම මෙහි දී කැපී පෙනෙන තත්ත්වයකි. බොහෝ විට ඉතා විශාල පොලියක් මත බටහිර රටවලින් ලබාගන්නා ලද ණය ආපසු ගෙවීම සඳහා එසේ චීනය වෙතින් ලද ණය පහසුකම් ප‍්‍රයෝජනයට ගැනීමට ශී‍්‍ර ලංකාව විසින් පියවර ගනු ලැබේ. චීනය කරන්නේ ශී‍්‍ර ලංකාව ‘‘ණය උගුලකට’’ හසු කිරීමක් නොව ඉන් මිදීම සඳහා සහාය වීමකි.
   චීීනයෙන් ලබාගැනුණු ණය වැඩි වශයෙන් යෙදැවී තිබෙන්නේ ශී‍්‍ර ලංකාවෙහි සමාජ ආර්ථික සංවර්ධනයෙහි ලා ප‍්‍රබලව අවශ්‍ය වී තිබෙන හා ජන ජීවිිතය විිෂයෙහි ද විිශාල ලෙස බලපාන වරාය ද මහා මාර්ග ද ජල සංරක්ෂණ ව්‍යාපෘතීන් ද වෙනුවෙනි. චීනය වෙතින් ලද සහයෝගිතා ව්‍යාපෘතීන් හා ණය පහසුකම්, යටිතල පහසුකම් ගොඩනැංවීමත් එමගින් ආර්ථික ප‍්‍රගමනය ප‍්‍රවර්ධනය කරවීමත් ජනතා ජීවනොපායයන් වැඩි දියුණු කරවීමත් අනාගත සංවර්ධනය සඳහා අවශ්‍ය බලශක්තිය සපයාගැනීමත් පිණිස විිශාල ලෙස දායක වී තිබේ. ‘‘ඊනියා ණය උගුලක්’’ පිළිබඳ කතාව බටහිර මාධ්‍ය විිසින් ගොතන ලද තවත් මුසාවක් ම වන බව නො කිව මනා ය. ඔවුන් ගේ එක ම අභිලාෂය වන්නේ චීනය ඇතුළු වෙනත් සංවර්ධනය වන රටවල සංවර්ධනය අවහිර කිරීම බව පෙනෙන්නට තිබේ.
2. හැමට ජය ගෙනෙන අන්‍යොන්‍ය ශුභ සිද්ධිය චීන – ශී‍්‍ර ලංකා සාඵල්‍ය සහයෝගිතාවෙහි ස්වභාවයයි. නොරොච්චෝලේ විදුලි බලාගාරය උදාහරණ කොට ගනිමු. ජාතික විදුලි බල පද්ධතිය 50% කින් පමණ පෝෂණය කරන්නේ නොරොච්චෝලේ බලාගාරය විසිනි. විදුලි බල හි`ගය ඉන් පිරිමැසෙන අතර අඛණ්ඩව විදුලිය සැපයීමේ හැකියාව ද ඉන් ලැබී තිබේ. විදුලිය සඳහා අය කැරෙන ගාස්තු ද 25% කින් පහත හෙළීමට ද එමගින් හැකි වී ඇත. එම විදුලි බලාගාරයේ ප‍්‍රතිලාභ ශ‍්‍රී ලංකා ජනතාව දැන් භුක්ති විිඳිති.
3. රැුකියා අවස්ථාවන් විශාල ප‍්‍රමාණයක් නිර්මාණය සඳහා චීන – ශී‍්‍ර ලංකා සාඵල්‍ය සහයෝගිතාව දායක වෙයි. අනාගතයේ දී ශී‍්‍ර ලංකාව සඳහා අවශ්‍ය වන්නා වූ නිපුණතා සහිත තරුණයන් පුහුණු කරවීම පිණිස ද ඉන් සහයෝගය ලැබේ.
   නිම නොවූ සංඛ්‍යා ගණනයන්ට අනුව රැුකියා අවස්ථාවන් 100,000 කට අධික ප‍්‍රමාණයක් නිර්මාණය කිරීම ද 10,000 කට අධික තාක්ෂණ හා කළමනාකරණ කි‍්‍රයාකාරීන් පුහුණුකරවීම ද තුළින් ශී‍්‍ර ලංකාවට තනිව වර්ධනය වීමෙහි ලා ඉවහල් වන්නා වූ ශක්තිමත් ‘‘මෘදු බල’’ පදනමක් නිමවීමට මෙම ද්විපාර්ශ්වික සහයෝගිතාව විසින් පියවර ගනු ලැබ තිබේ.
   ශී‍්‍ර ලාංකික කළමනාකරුවන් 30 කට අධික ප‍්‍රමාණයක් හා 2,000 කට අධික ශ‍්‍රමිකයන් ප‍්‍රමාණයක් චීන ජාතික ඉදිකිරීම් හා ඉංජිනේරු ආයතනය තුළ සේවයෙහි යොදවනු ලැබ සිටිති. ස්වදේශිකයන් සඳහා වූ ආරක්ෂා සහිත වෘත්තීය හා පුහුණු වීම් මධ්‍යස්ථානයක් ද චීන ජාතික ඉදිකිරීම් හා ඉංජිනේරු ආයතනය විසින් ඉදි කරනු ලැබ ඇත. වර්ග මීටර 2,000 ක වපසරියකින් යුතු මෙම මධ්‍යස්ථානය ආරක්ෂා සහිත අභ්‍යාස කි‍්‍රයාවලීන් 12 කින් ද වෘත්තීය පුහුණු වැඩසටහන් 6 කින් ද සමනවිත ය. මෙම මධ්‍යස්ථානයෙහි පුහුණුවීම්වලින්් සහ පරීක්ෂණයන් ගෙන් සමත්ව වෘත්තීය නිපුණතා පිළිබඳ සහතිකපත‍්‍ර ලබාගැනීමට ස්වදේශිකයනට හැකියාව ලැබී ඇත.
   ඉදිරි කාලයේ දී තවත් රැුකියා අවස්ථාවන් 83,000 කොළඹ වරාය නගරය තුළ ශී‍්‍ර ලංකාව සඳහා නිර්මාණය වනු ඇත.
4. දියුණු තාක්ෂණය අධ්‍යයනය ද ප‍්‍රමිතිකරණය ද පාරිසරික සුරක්ෂිතතාව ද චීන – ශී‍්‍ර ලංකා සාඵල්‍ය සහයෝගිතාව විසින් ප‍්‍රමුඛත්වයෙහි ලා සලකනු ලබන්නේ ය.
5. සමාජ වගකීම් ඉටු කිරීමෙහි ද පරිත්‍යාගයන් සිදු කිරීමෙහි ද චීන සමාගම් සහ ඒකාබද්ධ ව්‍යාපෘති නිරත වෙති.
6. චීන – ශී‍්‍ර ලංකා සාඵල්‍ය සහයෝගිතාව කිසි විටෙක ශී‍්‍ර ලංකාවේ ස්වෛරීත්වයටත් ආරක්ෂාවටත් හානි නො කරයි. වරායයන් සහ ගුවන් තොටවල් පිහිටුවීම තුළින් යුද හමුදා කඳවුරක් නිර්මාණය කරගැනීමට චීනය සැලසුම් කරතැයි ඇතැම් බටහිර මාධ්‍ය විකාර මැසිවිල්ලක යෙදෙති. ජනාධිපති මෛතී‍්‍රපාල සිරිසේනගේත් අග‍්‍රාමාත්‍ය රනිල් වික‍්‍රමසිංහගේත් හිටපු ජනාධිපති මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂගේත් දෝෂ දර්ශනයට එබඳු ප‍්‍රකාශයන් භාජන වෙමින් තිබේ.
   අධිරාජ්‍යවාදයේ හා යටත් විජිතවාදයේ පීිඩාවට අතීතයේ දී චීනය භාජන වී ඇත. ස්වකීය ස්වෛරීත්්වය සහ කලාපීය එකමුතුකම අතිශයින් ම අගය කරන චීනය බාහිර මැදිහත්වීම්වලට විිරුද්ධ වනවා පමණක් නොව, සෙසු රටවල ස්වෛරීත්වයට ද ඔවුන් ගේ කලාපීය එකමුතුභාවයට ද කිසි විටෙක හානි නො කරන්නේ ය. යුද ගිනි අවුළුවාලීමෙහි රහසේ නිරත වෙමින් සිටින ඇතැම් බාහිර බලවේග ප‍්‍රජාතන්ත‍්‍රවාදයේ කඩතිරයට මුවා වෙමින් හිතුමතයේ ප‍්‍රකාශ කරන්නේ චීනය යුද ගිනි අවුළුවන බවයි. මේ පිළිබඳව ශී‍්‍ර ලංකා රජය සහ ජනතාව සාධාරණව විනිශ්චය කරනු ඇතැයි යන්න අප ගේ විශ්වාසයයි.
   ඪ චීන – ශී‍්‍ර ලංකා සාඵල්‍ය සහයෝගිතාවෙහි ඊ ළ`ග පියවර පිළිබඳ යෝජනා
7. ශී‍්‍ර ලංකාවෙහි පරිපාලන හා නීති සම්පාදන ආයතන ප‍්‍රවර්ධනය කිරීමටත් ජාත්‍යන්තර පරිචයන් ගුරු කොට ගනිමින් අදාළ නෛතික ආකෘතීන් සහ ප‍්‍රතිපත්තීන් කඩිනමින් සම්පූර්ණ කිරීමටත් විදේශීය ආයෝජනයන් ආකර්ෂණය කරගැනීම පිණිස වැඩදායක වන්නා වූ පරිසරයක් නිර්මාණය කිරීමටත් එසේ ම, හැකි ඉක්මනින් ප‍්‍රතිඵල ලබාගත හැකි වන පරිදි මහ පරිමාණ ව්‍යාපෘතීන් වෙත සහයෝගය ලබා දීමටත් අප එක්ව කි‍්‍රයා කල යුතුව තිබේ.
8. ගිවිසුම්වල නෛතික වලංගු භාවය හා වාණිජමය විශ්වසනීයත්වය අප ගේ ගෞරවයට පාත‍්‍ර විය යුතු අතර අචල ප‍්‍රතිපත්තීන් හි පිහිටා කටයුතු කිරීම තුළින් රජයන් ගේ වෙනස් වීම්වලින් බලපෑමක් සාඵල්‍ය සහයෝගිතාව විෂයෙහි, විිශේෂයෙන් ම මහ පරිමාණ ව්‍යාපෘතීන් විෂයෙහි ඇති නොවන බවට වග බලාගැනීම ද අප ගේ වගකීම වේ.
9. තෙවැනි පාර්ශ්වීය අසත්‍ය පුවත් සහ හිතාමතා ප‍්‍රචාරය කැරෙන කල්පිතයන් ප‍්‍රතිරාවය නො කිරීමත් එකී සහයෝගිතා වැඩ පිළිවෙළ පිළිබඳව ක්ෂේත‍්‍ර අධ්‍යයනයන් හි මෙන් ම විෂයමූල සාධාරණ පර්යේෂණයන් හි නිරත වීමත් මගින් දෙරටෙහි රජයන් හා ව්‍යාපාරික ප‍්‍රජාව වෙත වැඩදායක උපදෙස් හා යෝජනා ඉදිරිපත් කරමින් ස්වකීය සමාජ වගකීම ඉටු කිරීම දෙරටෙහි මාධ්‍ය සහ අධ්‍යාපන ආයතනයන් හි යුතුකම වන්නේ ය. චීන ශී‍්‍ර ලංකා සාඵල්‍ය සහයෝගිතාව පිළිබඳව වඩාත් නිවැරැුදි වූත් යථාර්ථවාදී වූත් අවබෝධයක් පොදු ජනතාව තුළ ඇති වන්නේ එපරිදි කටයුතු ක්ිරීම තුළින් පමණකි.

(29 October 2019, Lotus Tower Colombo) (Informal Translation)

I. The hard-earned achievement made by the People’s Republic of China during the past seven decades lays an important foundation for China-Sri Lanka relations to grow stronger

This year marks the 70^th anniversary of the establishment of People’s Republic of China, which is a fundamental moment and a great chapter in human history. 70 years after 1949, China has become the second largest economy, largest industrial country, ranking first in terms of trade volume and foreign exchange deposit. China’s GDP has grown by 175 times at an annual rate of over 8%, GDP per capita increasing from 119 yuan in 1949 to 65,000 yuan in 2018. Urban population proportion grows from 10% to 60%. 700 million people, which made up 70% poor people worldwide, have been lifted out of poverty. The incidence of poverty has dropped to less than 2% from 98%, creating a miracle in poverty alleviation history. The life expectancy has also been prolonged from 35 to 77 years old. 

It’s believed that China becomes increasingly important for the international society. China’s development cannot be separated from the world and the world’s progress needs China. From closed-door policy to opening-up in all dimensions, China contributes 18% annually to world economic growth. The Belt and Road Initiative(BRI) proposed by President Xi Jinping, have gained extensive support from over 160 countries, regions and international organizations. China insists on supporting free trade and multilateralism while fighting against protectionism and unilateralism. The steps of reform will become steadier and China will open even wider. The BRI development will be shared to more countries. In the next five years, China will introduce products and service worth over 10 trillion US dollars. The total outward investment volume will increase to 750 billion US dollars, outbound tourists to 700 million, which means a significant opportunity for Sri Lanka and the world as a whole to further develop.

II. Despite the complicated and ever-changing international economic situation, China’s economy in 2019 still maintains great momentum

1. Overall economic stability. In the first 3 quarters, China achieved overall economic stability at an increase rate of 6.2%, ranking fastest in terms of world trillion dollar economies. Various index shows that the healthy and stable foundation of China’s economic growth has not changed.

2. Stable employment. Unemployment rate in September is only 5.2%. In the first 3 quarters, the number of newly employment has reached 10million, a completion of 99.7% of the annual goal.

3. Better business environment. Distribution service” reform has been deepened and people are encouraged to do business creatively and drive innovation altogether. From January to September, 19,900 enterprises get registered daily.

4. The strong domestic market potential. From January to September, total retail sales of consumer goods has increased by 8.2% and domestic demand has contributed more than 80% to China’s economic growth.

5. Stronger Neo-Engines. In the first three quarters, the value-added of high-tech manufacturing increased by 8.7%, investment in the industry by 12.6%.

6. New achievement in opening-up. In the first three quarters, the import and export volume between China, and ASEAN, EU, BRI countries has increased by 11.5%, 8.6% and 9.5% respectively.

III. China-Sri Lanka relations are in the best period of history.

China and Sri Lanka are good neighbors, good friends and good partners. The past seven decades also witness the development of our bilateral relations, which has been renewed and pushed forward steadily and smoothly, developing even better under the guidance of BRI and entering into a rising period in history. China has become the largest partner to Sri Lanka in terms of foreign investment, contracting construction, tourist volume, and foreign aid. China-Sri Lanka friendship and cooperation is gradually becoming a cross-political party, cross-nationality consensus.

The tradition of mutual support” further push forward the China-Sri Lanka pragmatic cooperation. In the past six months, China has responded to all kinds of emergency requests and provided the biggest assistance to Sri Lanka in a fast and efficient way, which was called Chinese Speed” and Chinese Determination”. Within one week after the incident, the Red Cross of China provided over 18 million rupees of cash aid. Within two weeks, China donated 10 police jeeps. Till last month, the Chinese government has already provided emergency security equipment valued about 2 billion rupees to Sri Lankan Police, Parliament and government. Besides, China also gifted a frigate to Sri Lankan Navy and invited dozens of senior officers to China for security training. Last Saturday, China donated 10 million rupees to April 21^st orphans at the musical extravaganza A Ray of Hope” organized by the Attorney General’s Department.

IV. Some facts about China-Sri Lanka economic relations

1. The Chinese government has provided essential capital aid for Sri Lanka’s socio-economic development.

    China is a most significant partner and largest foreign investor for Sri Lanka. After the civil war, the Sri Lanka government is in a desperate need to get foreign resources to re-establish the country and develop its economy. China, as a sincere friend and neighbor, offered the financial assistance that Sri Lanka need the most. All the loans from China are offered only after scientific assessment, and only at the request of the Sri Lankan government and the enterprises.

According to the annual report of Sri Lanka Central Bank and Ministry of Finance, by the end of 2018, the total foreign debt volume is about 52 billion US dollars, 6 billion of which is from China, making up only 11.5%. More importantly, 60% of those 6 billion are preferential loans, with interest rate far lower than the market average level, which means the repayment pressure is, in fact, mainly from the ISB issued by western countries. In many cases, Sri Lanka government are using low interest rate loans from China to repay the ones of much higher rate from western countries. China is not setting up, but instead helping Sri Lanka out of debt trap”.

Loans from China are mostly used on ports, roads, and water conservancy projects that matter to people’s livelihood, meeting the desperate need of Sri Lanka’s socio-economic development. The cooperation projects and loans from China have largely helped improve the infrastructure construction, thus promoting the economic progress, improving livelihood and providing more power for Sri Lanka’s future development. Needless to say, the so-called debt trap” is just another fake news fabricated by the western media. And their only purpose might only be containing the common development of China and other developing countries.

2. The nature of China-Sri Lanka pragmatic cooperation is mutual-benefit and win-win outcome. Take Norochchorlai Power Station as a good example. It provides  nearly 50% grid electricity for Sri Lanka, helps solve the power shortage problem, ensures the stable supply of electricity and makes the average electricity price drop by 25%. Both Sri Lanka people and the nation have benefited from the power station.

• China-Sri Lanka pragmatic cooperation brings huge employment opportunities but not the opposite. It also helps train skilled youths that Sri Lanka needs the most in the future.

According to incomplete statistics, the bilateral cooperation has created over 100,000 employment opportunities and helped train over 10,000 technical and management talents, laying a solid soft power” foundation for Sri Lanka’s own development.

The China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited (CSCEC) directly employs more than 30 Sri Lankan managers and more than 2,000 workers. In Hambantota, CSCEC also built a safety training and vocational center for local residents. The center covers an area of 2,000 square meters and has 12 safety excise projects and 6 vocational training programs, enabling many local residents pass the training and assessment, and obtain a vocational skills certificate.

In the years to come, the Port City Colombo will create another 83,000 jobs for Sri Lanka.

4. China-Sri Lanka pragmatic cooperation prioritizes the pursuit of advanced technology, standardization and environmental protection

5. Chinese companies and Joint Projects are performing social responsibilities and doing charities.

6. China-Sri Lanka pragmatic cooperation will never harm Sri Lanka sovereignty and security.

Some western media have been hyping up that China is planning to build military base” by constructing and operating ports and airports, which cannot be more absurd. President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa have all stood up criticizing those claims.

In history, China suffered from imperialism and colonialism. China extremely values its sovereign independence and territorial integrity, opposes any external interference, and never violates the sovereignty and territory of other countries. Some external forces, under the banner of “democracy”, have arbitrarily accused China of militarization while they are trying to do it secretly . It is believed that the Sri Lankan government and people will have fair judgments.

V. Suggestions on the next step of China-Sri Lanka’s pragmatic cooperation:

1. We should jointly promote the administrative and legislative bodies of Sri Lanka, accelerate the completion of relevant legal framework and policies with reference to international experience, create a more favorable environment for attracting foreign investment, and help the mega-projects to bear fruit as soon as possible.

2. We must earnestly respect the legal validity and commercial credibility of the contracts, maintain a stable policy, and ensure that pragmatic cooperation, especially mega-projects cooperation, will not be affected by changes of government.

• The media and academic institutes of the two countries must earnestly exert their social responsibilities, avoid copying third-party fake news and deliberate speculation, have field-study on the relevant cooperation, conduct objective and fair research, and provide good advice and suggestions to the two governments and the business community. Only by doing this, could the general public have a more accurate and rational understanding of China-Sri Lanka pragmatic cooperation.

By Noor Nizam. Peace and Political Activist, Political Communication Researcher, SLFP/SLPP Stalwart and Convener – “The Muslim Voice” – November 2nd., 2019.

Sri Lankan Muslims have read all the 1500 odd comments/rebuttals that “THE MUSLIM VOICE” has written since February 2015 till now in the www.jaffnamuslim.com, Ada Derana, Colombo Telegraph, Colombo Gazette, TKN, Veerakesari, Daily News, Lankaweb.com, Economy Next, Hiru News, Onlanka, Lanka Business online, Nation.lk, lankamuslims@yahoogroups.com, srilankamuslims@yahoogroups.com and a few more publications. 

YOU WILL SEE THAT WHAT “THE MUSLIM VOICE” HAS WRITTEN IS TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, about our “deceptive Muslim politicians and leaders, Insha Allah. “THE MUSLIM VOICE” was slammed and attacked by these “DECEPTIVE/MUNAFIQUE” gangs throughout these 41/2 years. BUT TODAY – ALHAMDULILLAH, THE TREND HAS CHANGED AND THE UNDERSTANDING MUSLIM VOTE BANK HAS TURNED TO SUPPORT GOTABAYA RAJAPAKSA AT THE NOVEMBER 16th., PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, Insha Allah. THESE DECETIVE/MUNAFIQUE PERSONS/GROUPS HAVE ACCEPTED THE REALITY AND ARE ORGANIZING POLITICAL CAMPAIGN MEETINGS AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO SUPPORT GOTABAYA – ALHAMDULILLAH. THEY HAVE EVEN NOW STATRED TO APPEAR BEFORE TV CAMERAS AND SPEAK ON STAGES AT PUBLIC CAMPAIGN MEETINGS APPEALING TO THE MUSLIM VOTE BANK TO VOTE GOTABAYA. 

TO GOTABAYA, EVERY SINGLE SRI LANKAN VOTE IS VITAL AND “THE MUSLIM VOICE” IS HALLP ABOUT IT, ALHAMDULILLAH. ACCORDING TO THE POLITICAL ANALYSIS CONDUCTED BY “THE MUSLIM VOICE” 30% (THIRTY PERCENTAGE) OF THE NEARLY 950,000 to 1 MILLION MUSLIMS VOTES WILL BE POLLED IN FAVOUR OF GOTABAYA RALAPAKSA, Insha Allah.

What “The Muslim Voice” has been doing – “May All praise be to God AllMighty Allah, Alhamdulillah” is to kindle the aspirations and inspirations of the humble Muslim Ummah/Jamaath in Sri Lanka to rethink politically and otherwise in order it will help our community regain our “DIGNITY”, “HONOUR”, “RESPECT”, “RIGHTS” and the STATUS OF “HIERA-UMMATH”. The writing and wide political knowledge of “The Muslim Voice” belongs to God AllMighty Allah. “The Muslim Voice” is  on a CRUSADE to expose the fraudulent, hypocritical, unscrupulous and dishonest corrupt Muslim Politicians of whom “The Muslim Voice” has much knowledge, by the grace of God AllMighty Allah and “HAD” a duty to challenge them as a “democratic institution” in a “Democratic Society”, Insha Allah. 

The Convener of the Muslim Voice, “The Muslim Voice” had been blessed to mingle in the corridors of political power and witness the manner in which these fellows lead two lives, one in the mist of their creed and corrupt selfish and self centered political partners and the other how they show a different, God fearing, dedicated humanitarian character, behaving very religious and reminding “Insha Allah” or “Masaha Allah” at every turn they make to hoodwink the poor Muslim voters. The time has come that these tricksters have to be challenged and EXPOSED to Safe Guard the Rights and DIGNITY of the Sri Lanka Muslim UMMAH, Insha Allah. A new Muslim Political Culture that can create a New Political Force has to be born soon, Insha Allah, and that is the Political message that “The Muslim Voice” is trying to send out, Insha Allah. If this endeavour of “The Muslim Voice” is true, honest and sincere, then God AllMighty Allah will give success to this message to reach every nook and corner in Sri Lanka and abroad where Sri Lankan Muslims are living and to reach every Sri Lankan “Muslim Makkal”, Insha Allah. 

Brother Ali Sabry and a few Mahinda/Gotabaya/Basil loyalist Muslims have called for this ” MUSLIM POLITICAL CULTURE” Alhamdulillah.

by C.A.Chandraprema Courtesy The Island

November 2, 2019, 6:54 pm 

* No mention of Unitary State
* Formulation for a federal system
* Sajith holding baby disowned by RW

UNF presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa launched his election manifesto in Kandy on Thursday. It’s called “Sri Lankawe idiri gamanata seemawak netha: Ekwa gamana yamu.” Loosely translated this would mean “There are no limits to what Sri Lanka can achieve: Let’s go on this journey together”. If there was one section of the population that was waiting eagerly for the launch of this manifesto other than the members of the UNF itself, it was the groups of political parties around the Tamil National Alliance led by R. Sampanthan and the Tamil Makkal Koottani led by C.V.Wigneswaran. The various political parties around these two groupings had held a meeting last Wednesday to decide on whom they were going to support.

However that meeting had ended inconclusively and the decision taken was to wait for the launch of the UNP manifesto which was going to take place the next day. The Northern Tamil political parties had been dithering for weeks unable to make up their minds. Even by the time the postal voting began, they had not made up their minds and only C.V.Wigneswaran had issued a statement calling on the Tamil people to cast their postal votes for a candidate of their choice. The other political parties did not say even that. It was after the end of the first day of postal voting that the UNP candidate released his manifesto. It must be said that the UNP did not disappoint the Tamil political parties that had been waiting for oxygen from the south.

Two pages of the manifesto (pages 15 & 16) are dedicated to constitutional reform and this chapter is titled “Janathawage vyawasthawa” or People’s Constitution. These two pages are the most important section of the manifesto and what the Northern Tamil political parties were waiting for. The political parties belonging to the TNA and TMK groups had signed a joint declaration at the behest of university students making 13 Demands which presidential candidates were to agree to if they were to obtain the support of the Northern political groups. Even though the SLPP rejected these demands out of hand, what we heard from the UNP was silence. Not a single UNP leader uttered a word about these proposals. If one looks at these 13 Demands, only the first one related to constitutional issues.

The first of the 13 Demands

The first of the 13 demands relating to constitutional matters went as follows:

“New constitutional processes that uphold unitary system of rule should be rejected. The Tamil national question of Ilangkai [Ceylon] must be resolved through a federal framework with the realization that Tamils constitute a nation with distinct sovereignty and that nation is entitled to the Right of Self-Determination under International Law.”

The other 12 demands related to non-constitutional matters such as repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act, the release of all remaining LTTE detainees, the release of the land still occupied by various military units etc. If we break up the first of the 13 demands which relates to constitutional reform into its constituent components, what emerges is the following:

1.   The concept of the unitary state must be rejected

2.   The federal concept must be accepted

3.  The idea that Tamils constitute a nation with distinct sovereignty must be accepted

4.      It should be accepted that this nation has the right of self determination.

This was the closest approximation to the Vadukkodai resolution of 1976 ever put out by democratic political parties in the north. Unsurprisingly, it was rejected out of hand by the SLPP. After remaining silent about the 13 demands, the UNP has put out a manifesto which has essentially accepted the first two of the four components mentioned above. The section on constitutional reform in the UNP manifesto certainly does not say that Tamils constitute a nation with distinct sovereignty or that this nation should have the right of self determination. What the UNP manifesto has done is to stop at the formulations put forward in the draft constitution that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe tabled in Parliament earlier this year.

That draft constitution which had the fullest backing of the TNA and indeed is believed to have been drafted by lawyers associated with the TNA, did not speak of a Tamil nation that had claims to sovereignty or that this nation was entitled to the right of self determination. What it sought to do was to win a degree of federalism that borders on independence. That draft constitution never used the term federalism which has earned a bad name in Sri Lanka, but had provisions for a federal form of government without the name. What that draft constitution did was to carefully avoid describing Sri Lanka as a ‘unitary state’ and instead to describe Sri Lanka as ‘a State which is undivided and indivisible’.

The phrase ‘unitary state’ in English has a specific meaning which is crucial in describing the nature of the Sri Lankan state. The Sinhala phrase ‘ekieeya rajya’ does not cover all the nuances of the concept of a unitary state. So it is absolutely vital to hear the word ‘unitary state’ in English. The version of the UNP manifesto that came out last Thursday was the Sinhala version. This writer downloaded a copy from the UNP’s facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/UNPofficialpage/) An English translation of the manifesto is not available. Even in the Sinhala original, there is no mention at all of the unitary state or ekieeya rajya. In one place there is a sentence which goes as follows: “apage maubime ekeeyathwaya, bhaumika akandathawaya, swairee bhawaya ha deshapalana swadheenathwaya apa visin araksha karannemu.”

That sentence however is not a reference to a unitary state. The Sinhala word ekeeya rajya does not have the same strict technical connotations of the English word unitary state. Ekeeya can also mean unity which is what it means in the sentence mentioned above. Translated, that sentence would mean “We will protect the political independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of our motherland”. The technical meaning of the phrase unitary state is absent in the above sentence. It is because of the imprecise nature of the Sinhala phrase ekeeya, that the draft constitution tabled in Parliament earlier this year by the Prime Minister proposed to describe Sri Lanka as an ekeeya rajya in Sinhala and as an ‘orumiththa nadu’ in Tamil, wthout however using the English phrase unitary state even in the English version of the document!

If those constitutional proposals had been passed, the Sinhalese would have been under the impression that they were living in a unitary state while the Tamils would have been under the impression that they were living in a federal state and the English reading public would have known that Sri Lanka was no longer a unitary state  even though it was described as an ekeeya rajya in Sinhala! The TNA had adopted the policy of giving the label to the Sinhalese and taking the substance for themselves and having a federal system which does not describe itself as federal.

Maximum devolution of power

It is in the light of such semantic issues that we have to consider the constitutional proposals in the UNP manifesto. There is no mention at all of the unitary state. Instead what we have is a sentence which says “Nobedunu ha wen kala noheki lankawak thula uparima balaya beda hereemak kriyathmaka kere.” (The maximum devolution of power within an undivided and indivisible Sri Lanka.) This is identical to the phraseology of the above mentioned draft constitution which also spoke of ‘a State which is undivided and indivisible’. It is easy to see why the draft constitution and the manifesto has carefully and deliberately avoided using the term ‘unitary state’ and instead speaks of ‘a state which is undivided and indivisible’. The moment the phrase unitary state is used, it automatically precludes a federal state.

The whole purpose of the proposed draft constitution was to create a federal state out of the present unitary state. Now with the UNP manifesto also avoiding the use of the term unitary state and speaking instead of a State which is undivided and indivisible, the TNA influence on the UNP’s constitutional proposals can clearly be seen. Not that there is anything surprising in this. It is because of the TNA that the UNP was able to form a government in 2015 and the former has stood with the latter through thick and thin. Even though there is no formal coalition between the UNP and TNA, they are partners for all practical purposes. Furthermore the UNP has ho hope at all at this presidential election without the TNA.

So what we see with regard to the UNP’s manifesto is that it stops at the point reached by the draft constitution without going all the way as sought in the 13 demands. There are other indications also to the effect that the constitutional proposals in the UNP manifesto are based on the draft constitution. Take for instance the following provisions in the manifesto and their similarity to the provisions that appeared in the draft constitution.

1.      According to the manifesto, the powers and functions of the provincial councils will be decided after taking into account the various proposals that had been made under Presidents Ranasinghe Premadasa, Chandrika Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa. (The draft constitution also envisages a change of the powers and functions of the provincial councils. In fact the draft constitution does not have a list of powers of the provincial councils and this has been left unstated to be filled in later. Going by the general tenor of the draft constitution, it is easy to see that what is intended is an increase of the powers and functions of the PCs and certainly not a reduction. The fact that the manifesto has pledged to decide on the powers and functions of the PCs afresh means clearly that they intend going beyond the provincial council powers mentioned in the Ninth Schedule of the present Constitution. Such an increase in powers is consistent with the move towards a federalism bordering on a separate state that the TNA has been aiming at.)

2.      A second chamber of Parliament is to be set up with the participation of the representatives of the provincial councils.  Its purpose will be to ensure the devolution of the centre’s powers, and to enable the provinces to exercise their powers. (The setting up of a second chamber was also a part of the draft constitution. The purpose of the second chamber in the draft constitution was also to restrict the power of the centre further by imposing a fetter on Parliament. The UNP manifesto has now explicitly accepted the position that the purpose of the second chamber is indeed to fetter Parliament by saying that its purpose will be to ‘ensure’ the devolution of the centre’s powers and to ‘enable the provinces to exercise their powers’.)

3.      In the manifesto, there is a broad statement which says that ‘the provinces will be able to raise the funds they need’. (There is no indication of whether this entails raising funds both domestically or overseas. In any event, the draft constitution also had a separate chapter on public finance which specified the powers over public finance of the central government and the provincial units as befits a federal arrangement. In contrast to this the present chapter on public finance in the present Constitution deals only with the powers of the central government.)

4.      The district secretaries and divisional secretaries are to function as the representatives of the centre when exercising the powers of the centre and as representatives of the provincial councils when implementing powers devolved to the provinces. (The Subcommitte on the Public Service of the Constitutional Assembly had suggested that the divisional secretaries be brought under the provincial councils. The UNP manifesto essentially follows the same line and has gone beyond the Public Service Subcommittee by bringing the district secretaries under the PCs as well. The federalist tilt in the manifesto is unmistakable.)

5.      The manifesto proposes to to take away the constitutional jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and to give it to a Constitutional Court which will adjudicate in disputes between the centre and the provincial councils, and between provincial councils. (This too features prominently in the draft constitution. The creation of a judicial body to adjudicate in disputes that arise between the centre and the provinces and between the provinces shows that the purpose is to create units that are more or less independent of one another.)

Disowned by RW but accepted by Sajith!

The foregoing analysis would show that the manifesto put out by the UNP for this presidential election is on all fours with the draft constitution that was tabled in Parliament earlier this year by the Prime Minister. The difference however is that in tabling that draft constitution in Parliament the Prime Minister disowned it saying that it was just a document prepared by a panel of experts and that the final decision over what provisions to adopt would have to be decided by the Constitutional Assembly. However the manifesto passes off as Sajith Premadasa’s personal agenda for which he is directly responsible. Sajith is now holding Ranil Wickremesinghe’s and Sumanthiran’s baby.

The UNP and Sajith Premadasa, kept silent when the Northern Tamil parties made the 13 Demands. Now with this manifesto and its clearly federalist tilt, the public is going to assume that the UNP kept quiet because they were in cahoots with the TNA all along. Everyone knows that the UNP is heavily dependent on the Northern and Eastern Tamil vote. Everyone is going to assume that chapter on the constitution in the UNP manifesto was designed to enable the TNA to call on the Tamil people to vote for the UNP candidate. At the time that these words are being penned, the nationalist organizations have not yet noticed the contents of the chapter on the constitution in the UNF manifesto. But sooner rather than later, they are going to see it, and all hell is going to break loose.

Even Maithripala Sirisena’s manifesto in 2015 had not toed the TNA line in such an explicit manner. Furthermore there is a mismatch between what Sajith states verbally and what appears in his manifesto. When he went to present his manifesto to the Ven Mahanayakes and Anunayakes, he was heard to mention the term ‘ekeeya rajya’ when speaking to one of the Anunayaka Theras. However there is no unitary state in his manifesto. As we pointed out earlier, the single reference to ‘maubime ekeeya bawa’ is about the unity of the motherland and not the unitary state. The TNA can now support Sajith Premadasa, because the UNP has officially adopted the TNA’s platform.

However because the manifesto does not explicitly accept that Tamils constitute a nation with distinct sovereignty and that they are entitled to the right of self determination, this manifesto may not be acceptable to C.V.Wigneswaran and his allies and to the Students who now seem to be acting as a pressure group on all the Tamil political parties in the north and east. Furthermore the TNA promised the sun and moon to the Tamil people in 2015 and delivered nothing. So it’s a moot question as to whether the ordinary voter of the north will go into raptures after seeing the TNA influence on the UNP manifesto. There is also the fact that if the TNA openly expresses support for the UNP, the latter will lose votes in the south.

While the TNA now has the ability to canvass for Sajith on the basis of the contents of the chapter on the constitution in the manifesto, they may need to carry the other signatories to the 13 demands with them. The TNA had a more gradualist approach than other leaders like Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and C.V.Wigneswaran. The TNA’s approach was to don sheep’s clothing and win federalism bordering on independence first, leaving the self determination part for later. However, Ponnambalam and Wigneswaran appear to have been skeptical about this approach. Perhaps the latter two have good grounds for their skepticism. The best opportunity there was for the TNA’s sheep skin approach to succeed was between January 2015 and about the end of 2017 when President Sirisena who won because of the TNA’s support was the President and the UNP-SLFP-JVP combine could muster a two thirds majority in Parliament to be able to pass a new constitution.

But during this period, the TNA could not even get a draft constitution placed on the table leave alone getting it passed. When it was finally tabled in Parliament, the Prime Minister promptly disowned it. The reason why the TNA’s efforts failed is not because of resistance by Sinhala nationalists. It was because all other minority communities in the country such as the Muslims and Up-country Tamils have no appetite for what the TNA wants. The TNA through Clause 237(3) of the draft constitution wants to see a merged north and east which is anathema to the Muslims because that would turn them into a minority in a Tamil dominated province.

If nine semi independent federal units are created as the TNA envisages, the Up-country Tamils will be split into scattered communities living in Sinhala dominated provinces. The same thing happes to the Muslims living outside the north and east. What meets the needs of the Muslims and the Up-country Tamils is the unitary state where they can use their electoral strength for a share of power at the center. They may not openly voice their stand out of consideration for the sensibilities of the northern Tamil parties. But through studied indifference they make it impossible for the TNA’s agenda to move forward. So even if the TNA once again persuades the Tamil voter to vote for Sajith to get federalism bordering on independence, once again, it will be the same story. So the more skeptical approach taken by Ponnambalam and Wigneswaran is well founded.

Courtesy Adaderana

Courtesy Adaderana

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna’s frontrunner for the upcoming presidential election, Gotabaya Rajapaksa assures that any form of extremist terrorism will not be allowed in Sri Lanka.

Speaking at a public meeting held in Pannala, Rajapaksa also emphasized that he will not let anyone attempting to segregate this sovereign country.

This is the reason we had to reject the proposals made by the extremist Tamil political parties,” Rajapaksa pointed out.

Attending another rally at Alawwa, Rajapaksa stated the Police service must be expanded in order to make it efficient and to introduce an 8-hour working shift for police officers.

We established an outstanding hospital for the military, likewise we expect to build one for the Police,” he promised.

Police service will be made a people-friendly service, Rajapaksa said further.

The country needs an excellent Police service to make certain that terrorism, drug menace and underworld figures do not have the opportunity for a revival, he stressed.

By Aruni Mallawarachchi Courtesy Ceylon Today

UPFA Member of Parliament Prasanna Ranatunga says those accused of involvement in the Easter Sunday attacks and bank thieves are all on Sajith Premadasa’s stage.

Excerpts:

How is the election campaign of your faction coming along?Are you satisfied with the progress?

A: We see that the people are working towards the victory of Gotabaya Rajapaksa with huge expectations and massive commitment. We have held a series of meetings at village and divisional level and have successfully declared open several campaign offices in these areas. We were able do all this ahead of time because Gotabaya Rajapaksa was named as the SLPP candidate for the Presidential Election early. As a result we were able to prepare for it in time. But we are still having a problem with fulfilling all our tasks as time is limited.

Although you named your candidate ahead of time, it is not easy to maintain the heat of the election, isn’t it?

A: Actually when we consider the situation that prevails now, we are running out of time. I am of the opinion that the time period given to carry out an election campaign is not adequate. The reason is there are so many rallies that must be organised. We do not have enough time to hold all of them. There are only about twenty days left. For someone like me, the time given to work within my district is inadequate. It would have been better if there was more time given to us to campaign at electorate level. 

What is your opinion regarding the President being ‘neutral’?

A: I think that his stance is good. When you consider how he acted in conjunction with the UNP after winning the election as the common candidate and how the people reacted to his move, I think he made the correct decision. He said so himself.

We saw certain sections of the crowd hooting at SLFP members at meetings held by your coalition. Why can’t you put a stop to things like that?

A: This was something that had been planned and carried out by a certain group. I am saying this for a reason. There was no room left for such a thing to happen at the meeting we held in Kadawatha. We strengthened our security to face such a situation. At the Party Leaders’ meeting Mahinda Rajapaksa said something like this could take place in Kadawatha during the rally. But we did not allow such an incident to take place in Kadawatha. That is why I said that this was being carried out by an organised group. I do not think it will happen in the future. 

It seems as if the people do appreciate certain politicians from the SLFP joining hands with the SLPP?

A: Now, see who is on our opponent’s stage. There are people like Rauff Hakeem and Rishad Bathiudeen. They are people who have connections with those who carried out the Easter Sunday attacks. They worked for the past four and a half years as extremists. The entire country is aware of that. These are the type of people who are on Sajith Premadasa’s stage. The other groups are those who robbed the Central Bank. Sujeewa Senasinghe, who wrote a book trying to justify the incident, Ajith Perera and others who put footnotes, Ravi Karunanayake and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe are all on his stage. The TNA, which is trying to create disunity and divide this country, is also going to support NDF Candidate Sajith Premadasa.

When the people see the kind of people supporting Sajith Premadasa they want to join us and ensure victory of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. His brother Mahinda was defeated in 2015 because of wrongs committed by certain politicians of the type you mentioned who were in our government. If the Local Government election had been held first then, the people would have sent these persons packing. But since the Presidential Election was expedited, they thought that victory was assured and they would also escape punishment, but they were wrong. 

What was the delay in introducing your Election Manifesto?

A: When the SLFP joined us we had to consider their proposals as well when preparing the Election Manifesto. What they had proposed were mostly things that benefitted the country. We gave room for those too. 

Although Sajith was named the Candidate of the UNP he still has no viable plan for the country. Not only is he deceiving the people when he speaks at election rallies, but the promises he is making can never be achieved and are fairytales or as we say in Sinhala Chun Katha. He is playing to the gallery. It shows he does not have a proper programme of work planned out. 

After this Government came into power, the President, Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance have brought in 16 financial statements within three and a half years. The economy has collapsed as a result. But if we take over the Government even tomorrow, we have a programme in mind. It is this programme our Candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa speaks about on stages across the country. 

Gotabaya Rajapaksa said fertiliser will be given free of charge. If the fertiliser is to be given free of charge, a sum of between 35-40 billion rupees will have to be spent. When such promises are given, critics would argue you have no knowledge either about the Gross National Income or the budget deficit. 

A: The fertiliser subsidy was provided by our Government. When Mahinda Rajapaksa was President the cost of a bag of fertiliser was Rs. 350. What Gotabaya Rajapaksa said was that we can provide the fertiliser subsidy and increase agri-products in the country which will enable us to export our products to a large number of countries including the Middle-East and earn a huge income through that. So, even if the fertiliser is given free  he said it will not be a loss. 

Persons such as S. B. Dissanayake who is now in your camp have mentioned that people like Hizbullah are with you?

A: S. B. Dissanayake represented the SLFP before joining us. Subsequent to that statement we issued a very clear statement that Hizbullah was not connected to us. Certain things utterred on political stages are their own views. The SLPP cannot take the responsibility for it. If the leader of our Party or the Media Spokesman of the Party had made such a statement we could have been held responsible for it. S.B. Dissanayake represented a separate group, Hizbullah was with the SLFP in the past. It must have been about that that S. B. was mentioning. 

Do you not think that the press briefing held recently at the Shangri-La Hotel was disadvantageous to you?

A: I think the event went off very well. We set a precedent through that. The message that given was that when Gotabaya becomes President, he will not embrace power himself but decentralise powers. Is it the same with Sajith Premadasa? He always speaks about what he hopes to achieve and his goals and dreams. Therefore, I think that that media briefing was very successful. Rather than a single individual rising to the top, the support of the entire group was highlighted there. 

How is the work on the Alliance with several other smaller parties that have gathered around the SLPP going?

A: At this moment attention is mainly focused on the Presidential Election. But after that, based on the agreements we have with the other parties involved, how to proceed will be decided at a Party Leaders’ meeting along with how we will contest the upcoming General Election. I think the Alliance will be formed prior to the General Election. 

You are said to be preparing to obtain more positions for the Pohottuwa within that Alliance? Why are you all trying out for a limited number of positions?

A: Today the main Party in the new alliance is the SLPP. Therefore we need to have more say in what happens within the alliance.We are of the opinion that leadership roles should be granted to both former Presidents as well.

Until Parliament is dissolved in March, Ranil Wickremesinghe will remain the Prime Minister. If Gotabaya Rajapaksa becomes President would he appoint someone else to that position immediately?

A: I will tell you my personal opinion. I objected during the 51-day Government. The reason is because it is not suitable to change heads and take over the political leadership of a Party. When Gotabaya Rajapaksa wins the Presidency the entire Cabinet including the Prime Minister will have to resign. Then the authority to appoint a Prime Minister will revert to the President. If we can obtain a majority at that time, we will do so. The Party will decide whether it will be Mahinda Rajapaksa or someone else. If someone inquires about my personal opinion, I would say that Mahinda Rajapaksa is the ideal candidate for this post. It will be a great source of strength to Gotabaya to have his brother as the Prime Minister. At the same time, I believe that it will be possible to dissolve Parliament by March next year and obtain a majority at a Parliamentary Election and Mahinda Rajapaksa will get the opportunity to become the Prime Minister of this country. That is the expectation of the people of this country. The Party should decide whether a change should be brought about during the period from November to January. Therefore it is necessary for Gotabaya to become President.

As soon as Gotabaya Rajapaksa wins people will line the streets with betel leaves looking for positions and portfolios.

In addition to what you mentioned, a problem could arise if two persons from the SLFP and the SLPP come forward to contest one electorate?

A: We have not made a decision as to whether we will contest together or separately, as yet. We will make a decision at the appropriate time. 

Your candidate said that the Cabinet will be reduced to 30 members when he wins. Even though it is good for the country, is it practical?

A: Problems will arise. That is why I said a large number from the UNPers will contest together with us at the next Parliamentary Election and ask for membership through the National List. My suggestion is that membership through the National List should be given to persons who have a practical knowledge of the problems that exist in the country and those who have an understanding about the subjects coming under them. If not, granting memberships through the National List to useless persons will mean having to face allegations from the people, which happened last time. They should ask themselves what they have actually achieved on behalf of the nation to warrant such a privilege.

There are those who accuse the Rajapaksas of taking control of the Party and keeping hold of power by sharing it amongst themselves. They question whether there is no other alternative for the SLPP?

A: The first thing is that a majority of people in this country voted in favour of Mahinda Rajapaksa. When he was defeated in 2015 the people said they needed him to govern the country again. The Rajapaksas earned that respect mostly because they ended the war. With the passing of the 19th Amendment Mahinda was unable to contest again, so the people asked for Gotabaya. Therefore, the Rajapaksas were requested for by the people.

People who are jealous of family dynasties are those who do not have families. They are the ones who accuse the Rajapaksas of nepotism. Ranil Wickremesinghe who speaks about such things does not even have children. Even though Sajith Premadasa talks about nepotism his father was once the President of this country. Sajith came into politics following in the footsteps of his father. However, after him there is no one to carry on his legacy since he does not have children. Patali Champika’s wife and children do not live together with him anymore as he and his wife have separated. Write all this without fear! Such persons are the ones who are talking about nepotism today. Those who talk most about this are people who do not have families and are jealous of those who do. 

Are minority votes going to be a decisive factor at the upcoming Presidental Poll?

A: Yes.

If that is so, most of the politicians who represent the minorities are gathered around your opponent. As you yourself said Rishad Bathiudeen, Rauff Hakeem and even the TNA have pledged their support to him. Therefore, what strategy do you have to win them over to your side or can you win without the support of the minorities?

A: The people of our country are intelligent. Rishad Bathiudeen and Rauff Hakeem are not leaders who represent the general Muslim people in the country. They are leaders of groups which represent Muslim extremists. With the intention of achieving their political objectives they arouse racism. The Tamil National Alliance only obtained 33% of the votes at the Local Government elections in their electorates. The Tamils in general are not in favour of the TNA. The leaders of political parties who represent conservative Muslims and Tamils are on our side. 

UNP members who did not like Ranil, have reawakened with Sajith Premadasa becoming the Presidential Candidate. Couldn’t that reawakening be a disadvantage to your candidate?

A: The UNP obtained only 3.5 million votes at the Local Government Elections. There is no reason to hope that it will increase this time round as well. People know very well what happened since they came to power. If there was a re-awakening, would there be hooting taking place in Laggala? It was members of the UNP who hooted the leadership. The people of Laggala decided that if Ranil Wickremesinghe contested they would not vote for him.

Although they decided to vote for Sajith, when it was announced that Ranil will be made Prime Minister should Premadasa become President, they objected. Even if he becomes Opposition Leader after defeat or the Party Leader, UNP leaders are against it. That is why people hooted while they were on stage together. Therefore their campaign will soon collapse. The second fact is that Sajith Premadasa does not have a programme of work. When we see what is posted on Facebook, it is apparent that Sajith Premadasa has become a joke. He is not actually suited to be President. He is suitable to be the palace clown and crack jokes when the President is bored.

(Pic by Gemunu Wellage)

උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්

සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස මහතා ප්‍රමුඛ නව ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදී පෙරමුණ මෙවර ජනාධිපතිවරණයේදී බලය ඉල්ලා සිටින්නේ 2015 දී උතුරට ලබාදුන් පොරොන්දු ඉටු කිරීමට බව අමාත්‍ය රාජිත සේනාරත්න මහතා පවසනවා.

ඔහු මේ බව සඳහන් කළේ අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් වව්නියාවේදී පැවති වැඩසටහනකදී.

උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්

වත්මන් ආණ්ඩුවේ ඊනියා මාධ්‍ය නිදහස – අප අද ජනතා මතය විමසන්නේ ඒ පිළිබඳවයි.

උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්

දෙමළ දේශපාලන පක්ෂවල ඉල්ලීම් ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කිරීමට සිදුවූයේ එකඟවිය හැකි කරුණු එහි ඇතුළත් නොවීම හේතුවෙන් බව ජනාධිපති අපේක්ෂක ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ පවසනවා.

ශ්‍රී ලංකා පොදුජන පෙරමුණේ ජනාධිපතිවරණ රැළියකට කුරුණෑගල – කටුගම්පොල ප්‍රදේශයේදී එක්වෙමින් ඔහු මේ බව කියා සිටියා.

එම ජන රැළියට විපක්ෂ නායක මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ, පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී අනුර ප්‍රියදර්ශන යාපා, පිවිතුරු හෙළ උරුමයේ ප්‍රධාන ලේකම් පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී උදය ගම්මන්පිල ඇතුළු පිරිසක් එක්ව සිටියා.

උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්

හිටපු ජනාධිපතිනි චන්ද්‍රිකා බණ්ඩාරනායක කුමාරණතුංග වර්තමානයේදී මීට වඩා බුද්ධිමත්ව කටයුතු කළ යුතු යැයි විපක්ෂ නායක මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ පවසනවා.

විපක්ෂ නායකවරයා මේ බව කියා සිටියේ ශ්‍රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂය මාතලේ – නාවුල ප්‍රදේශයේ අද සංවිධානය කර තිබූ ජන හමුවකට එක්වෙමින්.

මේ අතර, පක්ෂ තීන්දුවට එරෙහිව ජනාධිපති අපේක්ෂක සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාසට සහය පළ කිරීම සඳහා ගිවිසුමකට අත්සන් තැබීම හේතුවෙන් හිටපු ජනාධිපතිනී චන්ද්‍රිකා බණ්ඩාරනායක කුමාරණතුංග ඇතුළු පිරිසකගේ පක්ෂ සාමාජිකත්වය අහෝසි කිරීමට පියවර ගන්නා බව නිදහස් පක්ෂ මහලේකම් පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී දයාසිරි ජයසේකර ප්‍රකාශ කළා.

ඊට අදාළ අවසන් තීන්දුවට ලබන අඟහරුවාදා පස්වරුවේ රැස්වන ශ්‍රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂ මධ්‍යම කාරක සභා රැස්වීමේදී එළඹෙන බවයි මන්ත්‍රීවරයා හිරු ප්‍රවෘත්ති අංශයට කියා සිටියේ.

ජනාධිපති අපේක්ෂක සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස සමඟ හිටපු ජනාධිපතිනිය ඇතුළු දේශපාලන පක්ෂ කිහිපයක් එක්සත් ජාතික පෙරමුණ යටතේ සන්ධානගතවීමට අදාළව ඊයේ අවබෝධතා ගිවිසුමකට අත්සන් තබනු ලැබුවා.

ශ්‍රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂ මහලේකම්වරයා චෝදනා කළේ ශ්‍රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂය විනාශ කිරීමේ කටයුත්තක හිටපු ජනාධිපතිනිය මේ වනවිට නිරතව සිටින බවයි

Ever since a regime change was choreographed in 2015 January, the US has been using its lackeys in government to exert tremendous influence in 3 areas – Sri Lanka‘s economy, Sri Lanka‘s Parliament and Sri Lanka‘s armed forces. Based on media articles, press releases and whatever other information has been made available to the public, an overview of the extent to which Sri Lanka’s sovereignty has been compromised can be deduced. Sri Lanka is a sovereign nation and Sri Lanka must uphold that sovereign status. Any new government must understand the fundamentals of what it means to be sovereign and ensure national policy is drafted to ensure that and for any gain that sovereignty is not compromised.

Timelines:

1950s – United States Information Service (USIS) set up cultural centers in Colombo, Kandy and Jaffna (objective to instill American values” among Sri Lankans – 5 live concerts also held

1951 – US-Ceylon agreement for Voice of America station to broadcast to all of Asia

1952 – US- Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission founded – scholarships awarded for postgraduate studies to US

1956 – US objects to Rubber-Rice pact with China (which JRJ opposed too) & cuts off aid as punishment. US forced France, Italy & Japan to withhold supply of Sulphur fungicide needed for rubber plantations.

1950s – when Sri Lanka sought Rs.50 aid US refused

1977 – President Jayawardene   permitted US naval ships to enter Trincomalee and wanted to give the Trincomalee oil tanks to America.  Voice of America started to broadcast from Iranawila.

2004 – US tried to persuade Sri Lanka to sign US Tropical Forestry Conservation Act of 1998 (claiming to reduce debt by allowing a committee of representatives from US & INGOs to manage forest – if signed US would control our forest assets, have exclusive access to our medicinal plants) heavy protests stopped signing of agreement.

US support to Tamil separatism

US envoy James Spain told Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister not to refuse India’s Indo-Lanka Agreement (Izeth Hussein)

We were hounded & intimidated by the US to stop the war against the LTTE” (envoy N. Godage)

US used satellites to spy on Sri Lanka during final conflict to incriminate them for war crimes

US allegedly tried to rescue trapped Prabakaran using US ship in May 2009.

US did not expect LTTE to be annihilated. US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations sent 2 Senators to Sri Lanka in Nov 2009 – they reported – Rajapakse was a threat to US as he was drifting towards China. US was advised to adopt a ‘less confrontational approach’.

ANTI-US sentiments has a background

USA has supported dictators like Pinochet, Marcos, Suharto, Somoza, Pol pot.

Both Saddam Hussein & Osama Bin Laden were former CIA agents

US has been involved directly/indirectly covertly/overtly in coups, invasions, regime change, election interferences etc.

US was the only country to drop the atomic bomb twice (on Japan) and used chemical agent Orange in Vietnam which continues to disable Vietnam children. 5

US is part of the secretive intelligence alliance called – FIVE EYES” (UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, US) Singapore also partners with them.

The 5 Eyes became 9 Eyes with Denmark, France, Holland, Norway joining. Then 14 Eyes with Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain & Sweden joining.

US & Asia / China’s Maritime Silk Route

US interests were on the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, South East Asia (5 out of 7 US security alliances are with Asia-Pacific countries / defense pacts with 69 countries which account for 75% of world economy)

With China’s focus on Indian Ocean, the strategic location of Sri Lanka came into play as Sri Lanka had the ability to control or impede free flow of resources to & from China. Half the world’s container traffic passes Sri Lanka. US needed a weak Sri Lanka to dominate & force its presence.

US & Yahapalana (themes used: US committed to peace, reconciliation, accountability)

Immediately after overthrowing Rajapakse govt US indicated its role in regime change.

John Kerry Secretary of State arrived in May 2015 Your country sits at the crossroads of Africa, South Asia, and East Asia. The Indian Ocean is the world’s most important commercial highway. And with its strategic location near deep-water ports in India and Myanmar, Sri Lanka could serve as the fulcrum of a modern and dynamic Indo-Pacific region….. The US could play a leadership role in making this happen”.

Regime Change in Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Burma cost $585 from US Complex Crisis Fund (CCF) of which USAID gave $3.4m to Yahapalana’s 100 day program.

Yahapalana visits to US

Jun2016 – PM Ranil paid a quiet visit to New York – reason given to the Sri Lanka public was that Wickremesinghe was visiting New York for medical purposes – he went to meet two officials from the White House. PM Ranil also addressed the United Nations Ocean Conference & you cannot address a conference without it being planned ahead.

Sept 2016 – Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to Washington to sign agreement with J. Roskam, Chairman House Democracy Partnership, of House of Representatives.

Sept2018 – Sagala Ratnayake Minister of Youth Affairs and Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister visited USA & met Thornberry, also Ted Yoho, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, as well as senior officials of the National Security Council, the Department of State, the Department of Defence, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). 

Visits of US officials to Sri Lanka

• 2014 – Stephen J. Rapp , the US Ambassador on War Crimes – Rapp heads the Office of Global Criminal Justice at the US State Department.
• July, August, December 2015 – Nisha Biswal, US Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs  
• July 2015 -Tom Malinowsky US Assistant Secretary for Democracy & Human Rights  
• November 2015– Samantha Power, US ambassador to the UN   
• December 2015 -Thomas Shannon Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
• Jul2016 – Nisha Biswal, Assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs, had visited Sri Lanka six times by July 2016
• Feb2017 – US House of Representative delegation (3days) part of House Democracy Partnership (HDP) program in which 20member US House of Representatives work directly with partner countries. 8-member delegation from Democrats & Republicans. US signed a Collaboration Agreement with Sri Lanka’s Parliament on 14 September 2016 in Washington.
• March2017 – US Congress delegation visits Hambantota Port & Yala National Sanctuary. US Sri Lanka sign 2 programs –
• Aug2017 – Alice Wells US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs meets government officials, business leaders and civil society representatives. She joins candlelight vigil at Vihara Maha Devi Park, to mark the UN Day of the victims of Enforced Disappearances accompanied by US Ambassador in Colombo Atul Keshap & joined by the top representatives of the Tamil National Alliance
• Sept2017 – Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Mark Linscott to ask SL Govt to implement policies that will increase trade and improve the business climate he wanted 1 year resident visa for foreigners changed to 3 years.
• Sept2017 – Alice Wells Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, told a Congressional Sub Committee, the US was seriously concerned over unsustainable debt burden on Sri Lanka due to non-concessional loans from China” US was the largest grant provider of assistance channeled primarily to NGOs working to the US agenda
• 2017 – Rear Admiral Donald D. Gabrielson, of the US Navy, declared at the Galle Dialogues that every country should be cautious when working with China for want of transparency in certain engagements.
• 2017 – 5 member USAID team led by Davnie Eston arrived to map out how USAID could collaborate on ventures of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce including working with private sector.
• Feb2019 – Thomas J. Vajda US Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State dealing with South and Central Asia  
• May 2019 – former envoy Robert Blake visits Sri Lanka  
• June 2019 – US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo but last minute visit was cancelled due to public uproar over US controversial pacts
• October 2019 – US State Dept holds ‘Human Rights in South Asia” hearing on Burma and Congressman Brad Sherman announced they would focus on human rights situation in Sri Lanka too.

US funding projects to realign their agenda in Sri Lanka

• $135m for Youth Empowerment grants covering over 100 programs since 2010 (leadership training / advancing ‘rights of marginalized communities’
• US Senate Committee sought $43m ($35m economic support fund / $6.8m non-proliferation and anti-terrorism & $500,000 in foreign military financing and $500,000 for training military personnel
• US plan was to work with YOUTH, use civil society groups (indirectly to create subversive groups)
• $1m for 2 projects – strengthen media / reconciliation identifying youth & women
• 2016 -$13.7m by USAID to 8 civil society organization to ‘strengthen accountability & good governance) (SDGAP) administered by private US company – Development Alternative Inc (DAI) – a CIA front’ Office of Transition Initiatives(OTI). DAI is set up to destabilize governments. SDGAP project is not subject to Sri Lankan law but to the laws and regulations of the US. SDGAP does not come under the purview of Sri Lanka’s Auditor General. DAI also plans to ‘engage’ with the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (Public Service) Note: SDGAP also implemented in Afghanistan, Colombia, Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Macedonia and Mongolia. USAID STAIR program in AG’s dept (project claiming to reform public financial management)
• 2016 – US plan to provide aid to Jayawardenapura University to document historical buildings in Galle Fort. Cheryl Edison arrived in 2017 & was holding free classes for representatives from ICTA – SLASSCOM and held seminars for University students from Jayawardenapura & University of Jaffna.
• 2017 – Youth Climate Summit funded by US embassy
• Feb2017 – Mojo, an American band arrive on a U.S. Embassy sponsored visit – public performances in Jaffna and Colombo; workshops for music students; and master classes for Sri Lankan musicians.
• 2.3m aid offered for flood victims – disaster experts from USAIDOFDA and Civil Military Support Element attached to US embassy also involved.
• Sri Lanka to receive only US$ 3.38 million for its USAID programmes in 2018, a drop of 92% percent from 2016
• March2017 – 2 programs signed Strengthened Partnership for Democratic Reform & Social Integration” & Increased & Equitable Growth and Public Financial Management”
• 23 Aug2019 – The Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade together with the USAID-SAIL project hosted a Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) on Global Trade for businessman in Kandy District at Hotel Suisse, Kandy.

Other notable CIA fronts include

International Republican Institute (IRI),

National Endowment for Democracy (NED),

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI),

Freedom House

These organizations transfer US funds to opposition parties and other pro-American groups in countries of strategic interest, using the pretext of ‘promoting democracy’.  

The OTI’s charter is to finance civil society groups (NGOs) for use in their subversive activities including regime change in strategically important nations with governments unwilling to succumb to US dictates.

US & USAID INTERFERENCE in Sri Lanka (YOUTH – WOMEN TARGETS)

5-member USAID team led by Davnie Eston arrived in 2017 and mapped out ways and means in which USAID could collaborate on ventures of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. We are empowered to work with the private sector” said USAID.

USAID was asked to improve the soft skills of Lanka Sathosa personnel

Sept2017 – U.S. Department of State’s Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program and the World Customs Organization (WCO) trained 34 Customs Officials from Sri Lanka in strategic trade controls 

October2017 – USAID & business leaders and Sri Lankan Government launched the $12m ‘You Lead’. a new employability and skills development project to create a more market-oriented, skilled and flexible youth workforce (ages 16 to 35). You Lead’s regional focus is on the provinces with the highest youth unemployment, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Southern and Northern Provinces. 

USAID YouLead” program and Microsoft Sri Lanka signed a partnership to launch the new $12m YouthWorks” information technology portal at the Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training in Colombo).

YouLead is implemented by the International Executive Service Corps (IESC) and administered by the Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA).

YouLead will work with Microsoft, the Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training, and the private sector to develop and upload content for the YouthWorks portal in Sinhala, Tamil and English. The portal is currently being used in 18 countries

Mar2018 – U.S. Embassy launched American Innovation Hub (iHub) in partnership with the Matara District Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The iHub is located in the Matara Chamber of Commerce building. The iHub offers thematic programs, all free of charge, and a selection of U.S. books and DVDs. It is intended to promote English language learning, encourage study in the United States, and introduce the local community to American culture and values. (American English – American VALUES!)

The U.S. Embassy also has American Spaces in Colombo, Kandy and Jaffna. These locations offer books, DVDs, English language programs, entrepreneurship programs, U.S. speakers, and more.

2017 USAID funded a project for more female representation in local government bodies.

Harvard Centre for International Development (HCID) helping Sri Lanka to attract foreign direct investments (FDIs) promoting emerging exports, targeting new non-existent industries, identifying and engaging with potential new investors, fixing the investment climate for new emerging industries and figuring out how to create new tourist destinations.

BOI staff receiving training programmes conducted by Harvard University’s Centre for International Development, McKinsey Consulting and the World Bank Group.

USAID funding project in Election Commission with Vasu Mohan being a paid member

US EMBASSY INTERFERING IN SRI LANKA’S ELECTIONS

US intervened in Presidential Elections in Jan2010 and Jan2015

Former US Envoy Michelle Sisson openly talking politics at embassy functions – she had insisted that the candidate to challenge Mahinda Rajapaksa should not be a UNP candidate but a common candidate

US Senate Dept finance report (2016) – US invested $585m in 2015 for regime change in Myanmar, Sri Lanka & Nigeria under ‘Democracy, Human Rights & Governance’. US focus was to partner with civil society, citizen’s movements, faith leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators.

USAID had given $3.4m to Yahapalana’s 100-day program from the US Complex Crisis Fund (Hassina Leelaratne – America’s Freedom of Information Act)

US INTERFERING IN SRI LANKA’S CONSTITUTION

MP Keheliya Rambukwella said ‘there is no point in debating the interim report of the Constitutional Assembly Steering Committee as the final draft of the new constitution has already been prepared by the US and given to the government.  A group of Sri Lankan MPs including me visited the US recently. We were attending a Congress meeting on Sri Lankan affairs. David Price, a US Congressman, told us that the US had prepared the final draft of the new constitution and sent it to the Sri Lankan government” Price said almost everybody had accepted the draft except a bunch led by Mahinda Rajapaksa. 

US interfering in Sri Lanka’s Parliament

1. House Democracy Partnership (a bipartisan, twenty-member commission of the U.S. House of Representatives) of the US House of Representatives launched a Collaboration Agreement with the Parliament of Sri Lanka.  Speaker Karu Jayasuriya signed for Sri Lanka. The purpose was to strengthen partnership between the two legislatures – exchange of information on the legislative systems of each country, sharing knowledge, and offering consultations on effective legislative management; and cooperating and assisting each other through training programs for the members and staff of the legislatures. The program is operating in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Colombia, Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Macedonia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Peru, Timo-Leste and Ukraine.

2. US-Sri Lanka Open Government Partnership (Oct2015)

Sri Lanka is the only South Asian participating country in the OGP.

To be eligible for OGP governments must demonstrate commitment to open government principles in – Fiscal Transparency, Access to Information, Income and Asset Disclosures, and Citizen Engagement.

Sri Lanka is supposed to have scored 14 of a total of 16 points.

The NGOs involved in the OGP in Sri Lanka –  Center for Policy Alternatives, (CPA) International center for Ethnic studies (ICES), Sarvodaya, Transparency International, Management Development Centre and Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA).

3. ‘Strengthening Democratic Governance and Accountability Project’ (SDGAP) a $13.7m project for the reform of Sri Lanka’s public sector. US has selected Development Alternatives, Inc (DAI) of Maryland, to implement the project.

DAI would work closely with Sri Lanka’s Parliament, Independent Commissions and related ministries.

USAID allocated $3 million for project in September 2016 and the program was launched in November 2016. 

SDGAP was subject to the laws and regulations of the United States, with oversight from USAID’s Office of Inspector General.

SDGAP claims to help GOSL increase transparency, accountability, good governance, strengthen systems and processes for public accountability & policy development.

June2019 – Prasad Kariyawasam was appointed by Parliament as an International Affairs advisor to the Speaker – first time a Speaker has had such an advisor and such a position did not exist in the list of officials in Parliament while being paid by a foreign country. Speaker Karu admitted that Kariyawasam was paid by DAI – Development Alternatives Institute (a CIA front) & implementing agency for USAID. DAI is paying the salaries of Prasad Kariyawasam and G. Hettiarachchi former Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration.

DAI had given Rs.2000m for Parliamentary Diplomacy program which funds MPs for ‘study tours’ overseas.

Due to objections in July 2019 Speaker Karu informed that Prasad Kariyawasam’s salary would be paid by Parliament funds reconfirming he was paid by foreign funding.

PrasadK had also arranged to have ambassadors of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries to meet Speaker Karu though this task has to be done by Foreign Ministry or Foreign Secretary. The IGP and Intelligence chief was also summoned by the Speaker, another first. How can PrasadK run a parallel operation which should be done by the Foreign Ministry?

4. US / Sri Lanka Partnership Dialogue – strengthen and enhance bilateral relations in the widest sense. 

US INTERFERING IN PUBLIC SECTOR – National Labor Advisory Committee (NLAC)

July2017 – Govt informs decision to appoint World Group on Labor Law Reforms proposed by Ministry of Development Strategies & International Trade in collaboration with USAID. Trade Unions objected claiming the Ministry nor USAID had any right to intervene in reforming labor laws in Sri Lanka.

US INTERFERENCE IN SRI LANKA’S LAW & ORDER

US State Department Special Project made provision for a Resident Legal Advisor in Colombo to provide anti-corruption and asset recovery training and also support the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC)

(The Global Forum on Asset Recovery: Assistance for Combating Corruption in Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, and Ukraine)

US PEACE CORPS IN SRI LANKA

Feb2018   Yahapalana signed an agreement with the US to re-establish a US Peace Corps programme in Sri Lanka. first 25 American Peace Corps Volunteers to arrive in late 2019 and undergo three months of comprehensive cultural, language and technical training before they are given their assignments to serve for two years.  Peace Corp volunteers will focus on supporting the Education Ministry, schools, and community groups in coordination with the Sri Lankan English Teachers’ Association.  They will be given diplomatic privileges The Diplomatic Privileges Act provisions have been invoked to accord equitable treatment to the Volunteers and persons performing functions under contract with the Peace Corps and their dependents. Government will provide to the Peace Corps the same exemptions with respect to taxes on payments that they receive to defray their living costs, on income derived from their officials duties, and on income from other sources outside Sri Lanka; customs duties or other charges on their personal property introduced into Sri Lanka for their own use; and all other taxes or other charges (including immigration/visa fees), except licence fees as provided to members of the administrative and technical staff of the Embassy of the United States in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

GOSL will exempt all taxes (including value-added taxes) customs duties, and other charges all equipment, supplies, and other goods and services introduced into or acquired in Sri Lanka by the US Government or any contractor financed by it, for use to enable the US Government to discharge its responsibilities under this agreement.

GOSL will exempt such persons, members of their families forming part of their households who are not citizens or permanent residents of Sri Lanka from all taxes or income derived from their Peace Corps work or other sources outside Sri Lanka, from all customs duties and other charges on their personal property introduced into Sri Lanka for their own use, and from all other taxes or other charges (including immigration/visa fees) except license fees.

Why is America arriving to teach English to remote Sri Lanka so close to elections?

US Peace Corps was in Sri Lanka from 1962-64 / 1967-70 / 1983-1998

PM Sirimavo Bandaranaiake kicked them out after she became PM in 1970. They came back with every UNP govt.

US Peace Corps evolved from a CIA Front known as International Voluntary Services Inc. (IVS), during war against Vietnam. The US Peace Corps has been expelled from a number of countries for spying for the CIA and covert activities, meddling in local politics, and running drugs.

In September 2017, Cambodia’s Prime Minister demanded the withdrawal of the US Peace Corps for conspiring with the opposition leader Kem Sokha to overthrow his government.

In 1965, Indonesia ordered US Peace Corps out after 16 months.

In 1966, Guinea asked PCs to leave.

In 1967, Mauritania asked PCs to leave.

Pakistan and India also refused to renew approval of PC projects in their countries in the early 1970s.

Burkina Faso Peace Corps programme was closed in 2017

US INTERFERENCE IN SRI LANKA’S MILITARY

US-Sri Lanka Military Collaborations

• 2002 – US Pacific Command team invited to report on the Sri Lanka armed forces
• 2012 US officials in Colombo meet business executives representing companies importing/exporting to/from US. The US embassy wanted regular feedback about security related matters in SL. The meeting was sponsored by the Overseas Security Advisory Council of the US State Department which looked after US business interest.
• 2015 – Sri Lanka Marine Corps set up
• 2016 – Head of the US Pacific Command Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr. even attended the Sri Lanka Navy’s Galle Dialogue 2016.
• US 7^th fleet in Trincomalee – held joint public concerts at the Galle Fort, Tangalle City Centre, Hambantota Beach Park, Bata Atha Agro Park, Matara Beach Park and several schools. Pacific Partnership team attended a pinkama at Ambalantota  Sunadararamaya.
• Mar2016 – USS Blue Ridge (first US ship to arrive) arrived with over 900 sailors (many felt Sri Lanka was being turned into another Philippines by US)
• Jul2016– USS New Orleans visited    
• Aug2016 – 1^st US-SL operational level bilateral defense dialogue
• Aug2016 -US war ship USS Frank Cable, a submarine tender vessel
• Aug2016 – US Pacific commands Operation Pacific Angels stayed a week in Jaffna providing medical care to 4000 people and renovating 6 schools.
• Nov2016 – Theatre Security Cooperation (TSC) project with Sri Lankan Navy’s newly formed marine force & US 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
• Dec2016 – US navy Poseidon aircraft, an advanced US maritime patrol aircraft, left Mattala   
• Jan2017 – US guided missile destroyer USS Hopper arrived on a goodwill visit 
• March2017 – USS ‘Comstock’ arrived for a four-day training workshop at Colombo harbor. ‘USS Comstock’ is part of the 7th fleet.  This is the third such military-to-military exchange between U.S. Sailors and Marines and their Sri Lankan counterparts in the past 12 months, the authorities observed, ‘and this will form the basis of further cooperation between our militaries.’
• Mar2017 – USNS ‘Fall River’ a transport ship of U.S. Pacific Fleet arrived in Port of Hambantota to engage in the first Pacific Partnership goodwill mission. Chief of US Pacific Fleet, Rear Admiral Gabrielson said Sri Lanka was selected as the first of four nations for the 2017 Pacific Partnership programme because Sri Lanka government had made the request. The Pacific Partnership medical teams will join Sri Lankan doctors and nurses for training at the General Hospital and Nurses Training School in Hambantota, the Tissamaharama Base Hospital and other local clinics and hospitals. Free public medical and dental clinics in select cities. Some 325 US marines were in Sri Lanka.
• May2017 – Officers of the US 7th Fleet and Sri Lanka Navy met for 2^nd time at the Naval Headquarters – US wants to establish base in Trinco for its 7^th fleet (Island newspaper Sept2015)
• Jun2017 – 33 US army cadets from US Army Reserve Officers Training Corps arrive on familiarization tour visiting SL Military Academy, SF HQ, SL Light Infantry HQ, Regimental HQ of SL Engineers, Army School of Artillery at Minneriya
• 2017 -Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka (INSSSL) briefed a delegation from the Young Alakai Warriors of the U.S. Army Pacific on Security Challenges of Sri Lanka in the Next Decade” 
• Oct2017 Sri Lanka included to Cooperation Afloat Readiness & Training (CARAT) exercise in Trinco by US Navy & Marines.
• Oct2017 – A Group of US ships visit – warship USS Nimitz, cruiser USS Princeton, destroyers USS Howard, USS Shoup, USS Pinckney, USS Kidd. USS Nimitz is one of the world’s largest war ships – 23 stories high and 333meters long and accommodating 5000 US Marines. It was parked 150 nautical miles off Colombo.
• Oct2017 – 3rd Annual Colombo Air Symposium United States Air Force Major General James Eifet called for increased partnership and information sharing among nations in the Indo-Pacific region in the face of a nuclear threat from North Korea. Eifet castigated China over its claims in the South China Sea
• Galle Dialogue 2017 – Admiral Scott Swift, Pacific Fleet Commander expressed desire to expand military relations.
• Galle Dialogue 2017 Rear Admiral Donald D. Gabrielson, of the US Navy, declared that every country should be cautious when working with China for want of transparency in certain engagements.
• April2018 – A 17-member delegation of the United States Land Forces in the Pacific Command arrived in Sri Lanka for participation in ‘Land Forces Pacific Programme’ sessions. 
• 25April2018 – The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy” arrived in Trincomalee to conduct the 2018 Pacific Partnership mission.” Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR) preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. Personnel from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Peru, and Japan took part. USNS Mercy” contains 12 fully-equipped operating rooms, a 1,000 bed hospital facility, digital radiological services, a medical laboratory, a pharmacy, an optometry lab, a CAT-scan and two oxygen producing plants. The ship is equipped with a helicopter deck capable of landing large military helicopters. The team successfully completed a cholecystectomy, or gall bladder removal, on a Sri Lankan citizen using a Da Vinci XI Robot Surgical System. This was the first time I have ever operated aboard a ship,” said Dr. Vyramuthu Varanitharan, a general surgeon at the Muttur Base Hospital. They also treated over 5,500 patients conducting medical clinics at various locations in and around Trincomalee in addition to over 500 veterinary surgeries and vaccinations. From medical clinics to free public concerts, our sailors will bring the best of America to local communities,”
• During the ship’s stay, USN doctors along with Lankan doctors performed 24 varying surgeries onboard, out of which the robotic surgery performed onboard was the 1st in the world. 
• Jun2018 – Sri Lanka participated for the 1^st time in biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise 2018 held in Hawaii and Southern California in June 2018.,
• Jun2018 Army Commander Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake attended the US Army’s ‘LANPAC Symposium and Exposition’, organized by the Institute of Land Warfare in Honolulu, Hawaii. The theme was ‘The Future of Land Force Integration; Multilateral Approaches across the Indo-Pacific’. Army Commander called on US Army Commanding General, Pacific Command, General Robert B. Brown and discussed matters relating to continuing defence cooperation. Senanayake was also among the invitees to a special banquet, hosted by General Brown. Lieutenant General Senanayake’s retinue to Hawaii included Military Assistant to the Army Commander Colonel K.A.A. Udaya Kumara and Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) Warrant Officer I.W.M.S.P. Wijesinghe, perhaps for the first time in the Army history in a Commander’s entourage”.
• US Air Force Airmen from across the Indo-Pacific met with their Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) counterparts at the SLAF Headquarters in Colombo. According to Maj. Gen. Eifert the engagement was very successful.
• June2018 –  Dr. Geoffrey F. Gresh, Department Head of International Security Studies – National Defense University in Washington, D.C and Associate Professor at the College of International Security Affairs (CISA), paid a courtesy call on Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Admiral Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne.  He was accompanied by LTC Douglas Hess, Defense attache, US Embassy.  
• Aug2018 Amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23), and 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived at Trincomalee Port 
• Apri2019 – last joint US-SL naval exercise Cooperation afloat readiness and training exercise CARAT) saw participation of 2 US shops (USS Spruance & USS Millinocket) & SLNS Sayurala & SLNS Samudra participated.
• US embassy also wanted to have display of US Air Force aircraft in Colombo with an air parade over Galle Face Green but was disproved by the Foreign Ministry

Noteworthy:

US-India partnership to curtail China. US has even created a new region – ‘Indo-Asia-Pacific Region’, which includes the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

Jun2016 Joint trilateral military exercise US-India-Japan   

2016 US-India signed agreement allowing use of each other’s land, air, naval bases for repair & resupply.

2016 US-India military exercises near Indo-Sino border   

US National Defense Authorization Act 2017 recognizes India as a major US defense partner

Joint Naval Exercises

May 2018, delegation from the House Armed Services Committee of the U.S. Congress visited. The House Armed Services Committee, a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives, is a powerful Committee, responsible for the supervision of armed forces and the Department of Defense. The delegation was led by its Chairman Mac Thornberry and US embassy arranged for them to meet civil society organizations and TNA privately.

June/Aug2018 – The world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise (Rim of the Pacific – RIMPAC) took place in the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California

Jul2018 – visit of US Army’s Pacific Region Head Gen. Robert B. Brown

Jul2018 The Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) exercise inaugurated at the Special Boat Squadron Training School (SBSTS) in Trincomalee. 

Jul2018 – third KDU-CNA Track 1.5 Dialogue on Naval at the Faculty of Graduate Studies, General Sir John Kotelawala Defense University (KDU). Discussing collaborative initiative between KDU and the Center for Naval Analysis (CNA), USA, facilitating interaction between the navies of Sri Lanka and the United States, along with the participation of relevant academics.

Aug2018 – United States to provide nearly $300 million in security assistance to improve security relationships across the Indo-Pacific region, including Sri Lanka announced Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo at the ASEAN Regional Forum 

Bay of Bengal Initiative launched – United States to ‘work with other partners in the Bay of Bengal, including Bangladesh 

Aug2018 U.S. Department of State announced approximately $39 million in Foreign Military Financing for Sri Lanka, pending Congressional approval

Aug2018 – The U.S. Coast Guard handed over a high endurance cutter, formerly the USCGC Sherman, to the Sri Lankan Navy

Aug2018 a joint humanitarian assistance mission called Pacific Angel, sponsored by US Pacific Command (USPACOM) at the Alagalla School in Vavuniya to provide humanitarian civic assistance and carry out civil-military operations in the Pacific region,

Air Logistics Hub concept using Sri Lanka’s strategic location to ensure the quick availability of relief supplies, equipment and other material when needed by the US and partner militaries and humanitarian organizations.

US INTERFERING IN SRI LANKA’S ECONOMY

US-Sri Lanka & Economy

25% of our exports go to US and 70% of that is garments.

Jan2016 – 3 year plan revealed at Sri Lanka Economic Forum by team led by Harvard University academic Ricardo Haussmann funded by Open Society Foundation head George Soros. (locals highlighted its dangers)

June2018 – US Dept of Agriculture with GOSL launched Market-Oriented Dairy Project to strengthen and grow SL’s dairy sector. The 4.5-year, US$14.1 million initiative is implemented by US-based International Executive Service Corps.

STATUS OF FORCES AGREEMENT (SOFA)

1995 US-SL sign agreement regarding status of US military personnel & civilian employees of the Department of Defense.  SOFA seeks to update 1995 agreement to include Annex B.

Jul2019 PM Ranil announced in Parliament that Govt was negotiating a fresh military deal with US replacing 1995 SOFA giving US military easier access to Sri Lanka.

US embassy Colombo sent new draft SOFA – a 5page document dated 28 Aug 2018 to Foreign Secretary Prasad Kariyawasam who initiated discussions with support of Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. Discussions was between only US embassy & Foreign Ministry and excluded Ministry of Defense. The US draft claimed that the acceptance of the US draft by the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs constituted ‘acceptance’ of the GOSL as disclosed to a select local media by the US embassy Public Affairs Office.

President Sirisena responded by recalling Prasad Kariyawasam who returned on 31 Oct 2018 and SOFA was put on hold though negotiations continued.

May2019 – SOFA was listed for discussions at the SL-US Partnership Dialogue in Washington at which new Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana & US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed. Marapana sought to change 2 clauses – diplomatic immunity for US troops in Sri Lanka & subjecting all actions to US laws.

Jun2019 – President Sirisena declared he was against proposed SOFA & would not accept military agreements with US including SOFA. President Sirisena phoned Marapana in Washington & asked not to sign SOFA without his approval.

SOFA puts Sri Lanka’s independence, territorial integrity & freedom of action at stake. Treaty once signed is binding. The Agreement provides diplomatic immunity for US troops & contractors and employees of US armed forces. 

DANGERS OF SIGNING SOFA for SRI LANKA

(Sri Lanka Abdicating its Sovereignty & US legally invading Sri Lanka)

• Sri Lanka transformed into a US military facility – Signing SOFA means US does not require setting up a military base in Trincomalee because US has been given access to entire island. US will be using Sri Lanka’s territory as a permanent transit point for military activities.
• A virtual ‘separate state’ as US troops/officials/staff will run a defacto rule with US laws not abiding by Sri Lanka laws. Sri Lankan Govt, Parliament, Judiciary, Armed Forces, Police will have no control over US troops/contractors/employees in Sri Lanka
• American men/women and anyone working for America (individually or collectively) US troops wearing uniform will be able to enter / leave / remain /use their vehicles/vessels/aircrafts in any part of Sri Lanka and carry their weapons. US civil & armed personnel will be able to move anywhere across the island and be above Sri Lankan laws. US armed forces & civilian personnel will be governed by US laws not Sri Lankan laws but they will enjoy privileges, exemptions & immunities that even Sri Lanka’s President, Mahanayake Theros, Sri Lanka’s Judges or Generals do not have.
• US Defense Dept is also authorized to construct buildings and not be subject to any local taxes. Property / equipment, supplies, material, technology training will all be exempt from license, restrictions, customs duties, taxes or any charges within Sri Lanka.
• US Defense Dept is also authorized to construct buildings and not be subject to any local taxes. Property / equipment, supplies, material, technology training will all be exempt from license, restrictions, customs duties, taxes or any charges within Sri Lanka.
• Dept of Defense will be allowed to operate its own telecommunications systems. Use of radio spectrum will be functioning in parallel to Sri Lanka’s communication systems.
• The US list of contractors is open-ended and includes all contractors/their employees signed with the US Defense Dept in the future.

US envoy to Sri Lanka called SOFA the ‘Visiting Forces Agreement’ however Visiting Forces Act (VFA) of 1949 empowers Sri Lanka’s Head of State to declare emergencies & receive emergency assistance but there was red tape before allowing foreign forces into the country.

As per 1949 VFA US troops & civilian components in Sri Lanka were not subject to Sri Lankan criminal or civil laws.

There is no emergency in Sri Lanka to have any SOFA or VFA.

Acquisition and Cross-Servicing agreements (ACSA)

SOFA is a follow-up of the ACSA agreement (83page) signed by UNP Govt & USA in 2017. ACSA allows US troops to make use of any military bases & ports whenever they want & Sri Lankan Govt must provide necessary support. Joint training exercises under US directives. Our Armed Forces have to take orders from US Armed Forces hierarchy.

SOFA provides facilities & conditions to implement ACSA agreement. With SOFA US troops, support staff, contractors can enter Sri Lanka without visa or passport merely by showing their US identity card. They will not be checked. Their equipment will not be checked. Their civil/military planes, vessels, vehicles will not be checked and they can bring anything without paying any duties /levies or taxes.

Full text of draft SOFA agreement dated 28 Aug 2018 was published by Sunday Times on 30 June 2019

Why are these agreements kept secret from public before signing?

SALLYPORT – US firm offering jobs

SALLYPORT a US firm offering a comprehensive range of global protective, security & mission support solutions to both US govt and foreign allies of US govt as well as to private & commercial clients announced full time and part time jobs in Sri Lanka. Another company Michael Baker Global Service owned by Caliburn International is also outsourced protection of building materials, furniture, fixtures etc.

ACQUISITION AND CROSS SERVICING AGREEMENT (ACSA)

In 2002 US tried to finalize ACSA formerly known as ‘NATO Mutual Support Act’ with Sri Lanka after signing CFA on 21 February 2002 but failed.

ACSA is a bilateral agreement which involves combined exercises, training, deployments, allows US troops to obtain food, fuel, transport, ammunition (logistics supplies) – reimbursement in cash or in kind.

US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage announced plans for ACSA after meeting with PM Ranil in Washington 2002 with Minister Milinda Moragoda playing a key role in the project. In December 2002 Ambassador Wills requested use of Sri Lanka’s port & air space to invade Iraq, Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando explained the country’s objection and ACSA was shelved.

Foreign Minister Kadiragamar visiting Washington in 2005 demanded that ACSA not to be included into agenda talks.

ACSA was signed in March 2007 (almost identical to ACSA US signed with Australia in 2010). ACSA Australia is a public document but ACSA Sri Lanka is not. US wanted it to be kept secret as it did not wish for Sri Lanka to request features in the agreement during the LTTE operation.

The agreement allowed US to transfer & exchange logistics, supplies, support & refueling during peace keeping missions, humanitarian operations or joint exercises. Excluded from 2007 ACSA were weapons systems such as missiles, naval mines, torpedoes, nuclear ammunition & items such as warheads, chemical ammunition etc. subject to the Atomic Energy Act 1954. US assured there would be no US bases in Sri Lanka. US provided vital information to the Sri Lanka Navy to apprehend 6 LTTE vessels in 2007 (Memoirs of Admiral Karannagoda) The the 8 page ACSA signed in 2007 ended in March 2017 and on 4 August 2017 PM Ranil entered into a new ACSA with 83 pages & over 50 annexures. Annexures included all US military establishments that could have boots on the ground in Sri Lanka. This list was available in the Sunday Times of May 2019.

The 2017 ACSA features had inserted that Sri Lanka was to be used for ‘unforeseen circumstances or exigencies’ for supplies, support & services.

This means Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces have to comply as part of US military operations. It also allows every single security or military apparatus in the United States access to Sri Lanka. These security commands are listed & Point of Contact is also defined. Though it says RECIPROCITY – will Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces require similar military facility in the US?

While 2007 ACSA was for 7 years (ending 2014) 2017 ACSA was open ended – its termination required mutual written consent of both or one party giving 180 days’ notice in writing.

2007 ACSA allowed US military vessels to enter SL on a ‘one-off’ basis

2017 ACSA is ‘open-ended’

Ambassador Hettiarachchi is on record to say that during renewal negotiations of ACSA in 2017 Prasad Kariyawasam then SL envoy to US & then Foreign Minister Mangala S pressurized to expedite ACSA. Their pressure led to draft ACSA sent for cabinet approval. The armed forces commanders/officials were not given time to study it. Admiral Ravi Wijegunaratne had expressed reservations on ACSA. Defence Secretary Kapila Waidyaratne, a former Additional Solicitor General said that he had been compelled to sign the document since the Cabinet had approved it. ACSA was not discussed in Cabinet or presented to Parliament. A brief to the President on ACSA on 30 June 2017 in Sinhala was 9 pages with no annexures. The Sinhala version of ACSA given to Cabinet had no translations of annexures. English version was 83 pages with over 50 annexures.

ACSA 2017 was kept secret with US envoy Atul Keshap denying media coverage or publicity. Bar Association President Kalinga Indatissa wrote to the Foreign Minister Marapana in June2019 under Section 3(1) & Section 24 of Right to Information Act 12 of 2016 and Article 14A of the Constitution requesting copy of the ACSA.

Millennium Challenge Corporation

A US foreign aid agency established by US Congress in 2004. Through MCC US offers grants to foreign countries.

MCC is regarded as a US govt ‘arm twisting’ tool aligned to US foreign policy and explains why the secrecy of the agreement.

MCC is like a Treaty as it does not come under Sri Lankan Law.

MCC receives cabinet approval 29 October 2019 (has Sri Lanka’s sovereignty been sold for $480m as MCC has to be taken along with SOFA & ACSA provisions)

Dec2016 – Board of Directors of US Govt’ss MCC compact selected Sri Lanka to develop a 5-year development grant (Compact)

$7.4m original funding

Jul2017 – MCC US officials visit Sri Lanka & meet Govt officials, industry representatives, civil society. $700m was announced. Sri Lanka established a Compact Development Team’ in the PM’s Office.

3year economic plan done by Ricardo Hausman, Director of Harvard Centre for International Development & Robert Z Lawrence, Professor of International Trade & Investment in Sri Lanka to restructure Sri Lanka’s economy (Funded by Open Society Foundation of George Soros). Harvard Business School & World Bank are advising BOI.

25Sept2018 – Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Nash visited Sri Lanka for discussions on the proposed MCC Sri Lanka Compact. MCC informed they were giving Sri Lanka a grant of USD 480 million as development aid.

13 Aug2018 – MCC informs US Congress a Congressional Notification of intent to negotiate MCC Compact with GOSL.

25 Apr2019 – MCC Board approves 5year $480m Compact to GOSL (days after Easter Sunday attacks)

1 Jul2019 – World Bank classifies Sri Lanka as an upper middle income country

To qualify for MCC grants, countries must be low income or lower middle income countries.

Compact Development Team was set up in the PM’s Office.

Has the President signed MCC Compact as Chairman of the National Physical Planning Council & has it been gazette? No one knows. In June 2019 the PM’s office denied it has been signed.

GOSL claims it sought help of Centre for International Development at Harvard University to do a constraints analysis to identify what hampered economic growth – access to land, weakness in transport/logistics infrastructure & planning / policy instability (were concluded) – did they have to go all the way to Harvard to find this out! 

GOSL & MCC herded the same ‘civil society’ private sector ‘pro-US’ groups and held meetings to justify seeking public opinion. 

MCC Transport Development Proposal

• Set up Advanced Traffic Management System covering Colombo Metropolitan area – to reduce travel time, congestion, reduce traffic emission, accidents & improve efficiency & safety
• Bus Transport Sector Modernization – improve public bus system combining state-private buses.
• Developing & improving 137km road sections in Central Ring Road covering & connecting Sabaragamuwa, Uva, North Central, Central Provinces to markets in Western Province.
• Relocate & finance locations for wholesale storage of agro produce in collaboration with private investors at locations on the CRR Road Network

MCC Land Administration Proposal

• Parcel Fabric Map & inventory of State Land.
• Improving Deeds Registry
• Improving land valuation system
• Land Grants Registration & Deed Conversion Activity
• Land Policy & Legal Governance Improvement Activity
• Land Policy & Legal Governance Improvement Activity

Above to be implemented in 7 districts –Kegalle, Kandy, Matale, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee (Gampaha was also included) (Economic Corridor)

Report – https://assets.mcc.gov/content/uploads/constraints-analysis-sri-lanka.pdf

MCC Grant – https://www.mcc.gov/where-we-work/program/sri-lanka-  compact

MCC LAND PLAN

MCC Land Plan included 4 Economic Corridors

• Colombo to Trincomalee (covering Negombo, Kurunegala, Dambulla – 1.2m acres physically dividing Sri Lanka into 2 parts via an electric railway line.
• Jaffna-Kilinochchi (North)
• Galle-Tissamaharama (South)
• Chenkaladi-Ampara (East)
• Anuradhapura & Kandy to be developed separately 

The corridors will be based on New National Physical Plan (2018-2050) replacing the 2011-2030 Physical Plan prepared in 2011 covering entire Sri Lanka.

The National Physical Plan has to be prepared under the Town & Country Planning (Amendment) Act 49 of 2000 and 2011 Plan followed these procedure which required Draft Physical Plan and hearings with experts, professionals & general public with provisional approval of Minister after which it is gazette with maps & plans for public scrutiny to propose revisions to the Draft Plan. Only thereafter that the final version is submitted to the National Physical Planning Council for approval.

The National Physical Plan 2050 was prepared by National Physical Planning Dept of Megapolis & Western Development Ministry & approved by the NPPC and National Economic Council and was to be gazette in February 2019. It has not been made public even by Jun2019.

If the National Physical Planning Council has not approved following required procedure – how valid is this final Plan and a future President can nullify it!

MCC Land Deeds

Is the Govts plan to dispose state land connected to the MCC land projects?

State Land (Special Provisions) Bill was gazette on 27 March 2019 to grant absolute title to state lands held by citizens given land grants. It will enable them to sell their land. The yahapalana govt is setting up a 20-member ‘Land Grants Committee’ consisting Ministry Secretaries, Heads of relevant institutions & 2 nominees of the President & PM to administer the Act.

The Bill was opposed claiming it did not have cabinet approval. The Land (Special Provisions) Bill will remove the Land Development Ordinance of 1935, Crown Land Ordinance & Land Grants Act. State land will no longer come under the State. Under the previous Land Laws the grant holder could not fragment the land, mortgage the land, dispose of it without the GA’s permission. Land Ordinance ensured State land was given only to citizens of Sri Lanka.

Giving title deed to land to a land grantee will lead to him selling the land when in financial trouble & likelihood of multinational companies buying the land is imminent. Factories would emerge. Gama, Keth Yaya, wewa, dagoba, pansala” concept around which villages were built would be destroyed along with agriculture. Displaced people living on state land for generations without lands or homes is a looming crisis.

The same Govt in 2003 attempted to change land laws but the 2003 Supreme Court ruling prevented it claiming that the Bill required 2/3 majority & a referendum. In 2015, the same Govt revived the Bill rejected in 2003. Land is held in TRUST as determined by Supreme Court in 1999 via Eppawela Phosphate case (SC884/99) State land is an inalienable right of the sovereignty of the People. Thus, absolute land grants cannot be given to some of the people as it is an asset that belongs to all.

The State Land (Special Provisions) Bill was challenged in Supreme Court in July 2019 the petitioners claiming Bill contained 36 clauses & a schedule violating the Constitution’s Articles 3, 4, 12(1), 12(2), 75, 154G. MCC Economic Corridor from Colombo to Trinco covering land mass of 1.2m acres to be leased to US for 200 years for a sum of $480 was also challenged.

MCC COLOMBO-TRINCOMALEE ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

Part of the MCC Compact is an Economic Corridor from Colombo Port to Trincomalee Port known as the Colombo-Trincomalee Economic Corridor (CTEC)

Road link – Central Expressway is to connect the two & is about 280km long.

Electronic Rail link –  On either side of the rail track 50km has been selected which would cut across 6 provinces & 10 districts. Colombo, Negombo, Kurunegala, Dambulla, Trincomalee covers 1.2million acres of land. It will divide Sri Lanka into two with parts of Anuradhapura also going to North.

Thus 42% of Sri Lanka’s land would be owned eventually by foreigners for 200 years. 58% of Sri Lanka’s population live in the 6 provinces/10 districts that will form the Economic Corridor. This 42% land with 58% of populace contribute 86% to Sri Lanka’s economy.

MCC – ADVOCATA – PATHFINDER

MCC was to be signed in December 2018 but got delayed due to political events. MCC Board approved grant again in April2019.  MCC Compact awaits Cabinet approval.

MCC only helps low/lower-middle income countries but Sri Lanka is supposed to be upper-middle-income & may not qualify for grant said ADVOCATA.

If by mid-Sept 2019 Sri Lanka does not sign, MCC may disqualify Sri Lanka said PATHFINDER Foundation.

US embassy said MCC had decided to extend $480m grant term.

Must be the world’s first time that a donor is begging recipient country to accept its grant!

Why would MCC Director Board (represents US military/trade interests) comprising US Secretary of State / US Secretary of Treasury / USAID / US Trade Representative / 4 private sector representatives keep extending time to give a grant without recipient country even asking for it.

MCC Compact proposal was prepared after study by Harvard University’s Centre for International Development (2015 to 2016), inputs from World Bank, Asia Foundation, Trimble & Sri Lanka’s Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) on Land Selling

MONLAR accuses Yahapalana of amending land laws to selling state land to foreign companies on excuse of investments and creating a cheap labor force to facilitate neoliberal economic policies. MONLAR highlights

• Serious crisis in rural economy created by Govts
• Multi-national companies will make small-time farmers bankrupt & buy off their agricultural land (handed over by Yahapalana via title deed)
• Replacing antiquated land laws & replacing with new land laws drafted by foreigners will result in Sri Lanka’s land falling into hands of foreigners.
• Farmers/citizens who lived on lands for generations will become landless & homeless.
• MONLAR said all documents approved by Cabinet between Jan2015 and Apr2019 on land reform were based on recommendations by World Bank & IMF

LAND SURVEYS & LAND BANK

US has surveyed our lands & recommended a State Land Bank enabling State land to be given even to foreigners.

Yahapalana Govt has removed many restrictions

• foreigners can now own land
• 50-acre limit restriction for individual land ownership removed

Land surveying has been outsourced to US firm Trimble Navigation.

US INTERFERING IN SRI LANKA’S LAND

Trimble Navigation-US based land administration company

A US company, forwarded a proposal for ‘Title/Tenure Regularization and Cadastral Registry Modernization’ in Sri Lanka in October 2015 – a proposal rejected in 2010.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) headed by Prime Minister’s senior advisor R. Paskeralingam had recommended this proposal and Cabinet approved it. Trimble demanded USD 170 million which was reduced to $154m taken on a 4% interest loan to be paid in 15years with a grace period of 5 years. The Finance Ministry’s External Resources Department was authorized to negotiate with Trimble to prepare land survey maps and create a streamlined database of 3.6 million parcels of state owned land. Trimble was to work with the Ministry of Lands to identify 2.5 million state-owned lands and help to give permanent titles to the persons currently occupying these lands. The argument was that the Survey Dept did not have technology to survey 1.1m parcels of Jaya Bhoomi & licenses land in 2 years.

Government Surveyors’ Association (GSA) alleged that Trimble Navigation was to be handed several operations of the Sri Lanka Survey Department (SLSD), including Land Information System (LIS) and Aerial Survey Operations for 15 years. They felt this would lead to the signing of US Tropical Forest Act which was abandoned in 2004.

Trimble would manage Sri Lanka’s survey dept resulting in 400 public surveyors and 200 additional private surveyors with crews serving under Trimble. Trimble would take control of Sri Lanka’s electronic land register & details of lands. This is a threat to National Security of Sri Lanka.

US company proposes to survey our land & Sri Lanka has to pay $154m for it and we have to take a loan to be paid in 15 years to pay the US firm? Are we crazy? Why should the functions of the Survey Dept, Land Information System, Aerial Survey Operations be given to a private foreign firm for 15 years? The 400 public surveyors, 200 additional private surveyors will all go under Trimble – who can at any time dismiss them! How can a government give a country’s electronic land register and details of lands to a foreign firm? The company will be using satellite imagery to survey land & issue land certificates – what is the role of the Govt especially when the company is immune from adjudications. Who is going to adjudicate when problems arise?

Dangers of ACSA-SOFA-MCC to Sri Lanka?

All 3 agreements with the USA involving Sri Lanka’s Territory & US Military/Civil & Contract Personnel & Equipment presence.

US needs to relocate from Diego Garcia following ICC ruling on US occupation of Chagos Islands as illegal & to be returned to Mauritius. Sri Lanka is that alternate choice.

Will Sri Lanka have to wait 200 years to be given similar verdict?

A chain of events are linked to these agreements

• Sept 2016 Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to Washington to sign agreement with J. Roskam, Chairman House Democracy Partnership, of House of Representatives.
• Under ACSA US aircraft carriers could dock in Trincomalee & US could use Trinco as a floating base for military activity.
• All agreements with US been known to only a few pro-US cabinet ministers & officials.
• ACSA was signed without informing public or tabled in Parliament
• Agreements impacting on Sri Lanka’s territory, its sovereignty are hidden from the Public
• SOFA – allows US armed forces (uniform/civil/contract) access to any part of Sri Lanka with our laws not applicable to them
• ACSA – envisages building an economic corridor from Colombo to Trincomalee/supplies equipment to be brought into Sri Lanka from all modes (sea/air) paying no duties/levies to Sri Lanka
• MCC – establishes a corporation to utilize land coming under the economic corridor.
• Complementing & facilitating the 3 agreements are the Land Special Provisions Act / State Land Bank Act – enabling land acquisition by foreign investors / forming corporations to develop these lands as they fit / turning our people into slave labor.
• US will use Sri Lanka to advance its military interest primarily & tighten its economic grip via American investors to make Sri Lanka dependent on them.
• 1.2million acres of land forming the Economic Corridor from Colombo to Trinco will be owned by US & Allied countries with the 2 ports under their control.
• US has already indicated it wishes future governments to honor these agreements.
• Legality of these agreements must be determined by patriotic lawyers & patriotic politicians
• No bilateral agreement whatever money is given can compromise the sovereignty of Sri Lanka and land ownership that is given in TRUST to the State on behalf of the People of Sri Lanka (living & future generations)

SOFA-ACSA-MCC TREATY OBLIGATIONS

The 3 agreements are between two sovereign states and constitute Treaty obligations.

Some say States are bound to fulfill obligations no matter what. Others say legitimacy of agreements depends on circumstances. Treaty laws are governed by 1969 Vienna Convention – Article 46 allows a country to back out saying it was against their laws of ‘fundamental importance’. When any agreement is signed by the Executive without concurrence of Parliament it is a violation of the law of ‘fundamental importance’. Sri Lanka’s Constitution says sovereignty is in the People & is inalienable. People’s sovereignty is exercised by Parliament & President TOGETHER on behalf of the People. They cannot exercise their powers separately (one without the other). Signatories to agreements must follow due process. In Sri Lanka due process is obtaining consent of 2/3 Parliament & consent of the Executive. Any Agreement/Treaty signed is signed in the name of the People & must have Parliament & Executive consent without that it is a violation. It is advised that the Supreme Court make a clear ruling on signing of bilateral agreements to prevent procedural flows tantamount to affecting the sovereignty of the People.

Opposition to US colonizing Sri Lanka

August 2019 Opposition MPs headed by Prof. Tissa Vitarana handed letter to the High Commissioner of South Africa in Colombo to hand over to Secretary-General, Indian Ocean Rim Association – Ambassador Dr. Nomvuyo N. Nokwe based in Mauritius.

Salient points covered in that letter

• Refering to decision of Council of Ministers of the IOR who met in Bengalaru in November 2011 to assign Maritime Safety & Security as its top priority, as a safe & secure Indian Ocean was required to social economic development.
• IOR recognized ‘maritime security’ needed for international peace & security, sovereignty/territorial integrity/political independence, security from crimes at sea, security of resources & environmental security.
• Sri Lanka facing situation likely to pose grave threat to regional and international peace & security giving Sri Lanka’s geostrategic location linking East-West maritime route.
• 3 agreements (SOFA-ACSA-MCC) military-economic related secretly negotiated between US & SL Govt & will turn Sri Lanka into a strategic military hub in the Indian Ocean.
• SOFA-ACSA-MCC agreements are incompatible with the UN Charter & violates sovereignty & independence/territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.
• ACSA signed on 4 Aug 2017 binds Sri Lanka to give US logistical & other support for ‘unforeseen circumstances or exigencies’(US Indo-Pacific Command forces can use SL’s strategic harbors, airports, military installations for military operations – SL will be a Launchpad for attacks of aggression against countries in our region that US considers its enemy)
• Status of Forces Agreement is being secretly negotiated. It permits Dept of Defense military & civil personnel, DOD contractors to occupy any territory of Sri Lanka. DoD personnel are exempted from criminal jurisdiction, they are given diplomatic privileges & immunities, they can enter Sri Lanka using only US identification, no visa requirement, they are allowed to move freely in any part of Sri Lanka wearing uniform, carrying weapons, their vessels and vehicles can also move anywhere in Sri Lanka & are exempt from inspection, restrictions, taxes or duties.
• Millennium Challenge Compact – is a land/transport project creating an ‘economic corridor’ involving 8 districts covering 1.2m acres & would divide Sri Lanka into 2 via an electric train connecting Colombo Port/Airport to Trincomalee Port. US have drafted and proposed drastic land law changes to privatize state land and permit purchase by foreigners. This will make poor farmers living on state land eventually landless and without livelihood. State lands used by schools, hospitals, parks, natural reserves are also in danger of being transferred to foreign transnational companies. This will cause massive displacement of Sri Lankans.
• This 1.2million acres covering MCC project contains natural resources, strategic assets, energy deposits, rare earth elements, minerals, rich biodiversity, water resources & UNESCO world heritage sites.
• The 3 agreements were negotiated under regular threats of unilateral coercive trade & economic measures, western interference into Sri Lanka’s internal affairs and targeting Sri Lanka via UNHRC by US & Allies
• Easter Sunday massacres saw a surge in US & Western Intelligence forcibly landing to offer assistance”
• The 3 agreements strengthen NATO activities in region & will impact on countries they deem their enemies.
• US President’s National Security Strategy 2017 & National Defense Strategy 2018 identified 3 sets of threat to US & Allies – all were located in Indian Ocean Region – China & Russia, Iran & North Korea, Jihadi terror”
• Agreements with US pose threat to Sri Lanka’s relations with member countries of the IORA.

The Opposition MPs requested the Secretary-General, Indian Ocean Rim Association to take the following measures conforming to the IORA Charter & the UN Charter

1. Safeguard fundamental principles based on which international cooperation among states is based – sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence, non-interference in internal affairs, peaceful co-existence & mutual benefit
2. Evaluate adverse consequences of the 3 agreements against principles of UN & IORA Charters
3. Take action under Chapter VIII, Article 52 of UN Charter concerning regional agreements
4. Implement UN Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace adopted by General Assembly Resolution 2832 (XXVI) which designates Indian Ocean as a zone of peace within limits to be determined” together with the airspace above & the ocean floor subjacent.
5. Take action under Chapter VI, Article 35 of UN Charter concerning Peaceful Settlement of Disputes which ‘authorizes any Member of the UN to bring to the attention of the Security Council or of the General Assembly, any dispute or any situation which might lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute in order to determine whether the continuance of the dispute or situation is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace & security”.

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION (ABA)

Why does the ABA want to register in Sri Lanka? ABA has been making numerous requests – 1^st in January 2018 requesting to set up a branch office under the Ministry of Justice & AG’s department. 2^nd request was in October 2018 when the AG sent a letter to the Ministry of Justice stating ABA was planning to hold a capacity building program for judges & prosecutors and requested the Ministry to issue a certificate. The letter was headed Official Letter of Authorization for the Establishment of a Branch Office of the ABA in Sri Lanka”.

BASL wrote in October 2018 to the Ministry of Justice giving its objections to the ABA setting up a branch as nowhere has a foreign bar association being set up as a branch office.

Setting up a US Bar Association office in Sri Lanka would be a threat to the legal profession & sovereignty of Sri Lanka. ABA will start making statements and comments on internal matters.

As a result of the objections ABA attempted to set itself up as a NGO and made a request to the Ministry of Justice through a local legal firm. This request was also referred to the BASL which submitted its objections in April 2019 to the National Secretariat for NGOs. However 2 batches of Senior Judges went to US in August 2018 and April 2019 on tax payers expense. A workshop for High Court judges was held at Taj Samudra, Colombo in December 2018. In July 2019 officials from AG’s dept attended a workshop in US. All these looked like attempts to influence the Judiciary. The secret tape MP Gammanpila spoke about referring to what the Sri Lankan judges were asked to do by the US confirms this.

ELECTIONS COMMISSION OF SRI LANKA

How independent is the Election Commission of Sri Lanka if it is receiving assistance from USAID through US based International Foundation for Electoral Reforms? Vasu Mohan, Regional Director for Asia Pacific was working inside the Election Commission paid by USAID. When questioned Mahinda Deshapriya Chairman Elections Commission strongly defended the project claiming Vasu Mohan was a Sri Lankan.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP – KANDY

The Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade together with the USAID-SAIL project hosted a Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) on Global Trade for businessman in the Kandy District on Friday 23rd August 2019 at Hotel Suisse, Kandy.

USAID launched the four-year SAIL project in October 2016 to support economic reforms and promote Foreign Direct Investment in Sri Lanka.

The event was the first to be held outside Colombo over 120 participants from ministries, government agencies, the business community, trade chambers, the private sector and other key stakeholders took part.

US FUNDS RENOVATION OF ANURADHAPURA ARCHAEOLOGY MUSEUM

Sept2019 – $150,000 grant from US Embassy in Colombo in 2015 through Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation funded the renovation of the Anuradhapura Archeological Museum to preserve artifacts. The Ambassadors Fund has also funded Dutch Forts of Batticoloa & Galle as well as Archaeological museum laboratories and monasteries in Payagala.

EASTER SUNDAY BOMB BLASTS & ARRIVAL OF FBI to Sri Lanka

Wherever US pivots jihadis follow too is often an adage mentioned internationally. Every country benefiting from the Belt & Road Initiative of China invariably becomes victims of ISIS Islamic terror. It was Sri Lanka’s turn in April 2019 and it came as no surprise when Western Intelligence agencies dashed to assist with investigations. FBI arrived on 23 April claiming to be on invitation of GOSL, British MI-5 sent 10-12 experts – over 40 such foreign experts arrived and still we don’t know who did it. They were all working with CID. President Sirisena says these foreign intelligence were not invited. What was the ‘work’ they did? What is the ‘technical assistance’ they gave? Why were FBI allowed to take the phones of suicide bombers & other devices? Didn’t this prevent local investigators examining the evidence? Even after 6 months we don’t who masterminded the gruesome suicide killings as the evidence have been taken overseas!

Immediately after 21/4 two US Govt employees were detected at Hilton Colombo Residence – sniffer dogs found explosives inside their apartment. Staff security at Hilton Colombo stopped 5 US officials checking in with 6 boxes on 30 July 2019 night. The US delegation denied the 6 boxes to be scanned. Then the boxes was loaded into a US embassy vehicle and sent somewhere else. What were in these boxes? MP Wimal Weerawansa released visa photos of the US team claiming they had arrived in a private aircraft. The team had left 2 days later WITHOUT the controversial cargo? MP Weerawansa questioned to whether the boxes were still in the country! The boxes were not checked at customs too. Nagananda Kodituwakku sought information from the Director General of Customs questioning why the US military cargo was exempted from mandatory checks?  

Is US/CIA applying ‘Shock Doctrine’ on Sri Lanka? Influencing a massive shock on society through extreme violence attempts to lead people to state of confusion & weakness which helps US to take over that society. Author of doctrine Naomi Klein applied it initially to economic change & is now being applied politically too.

Disasters leave citizens emotionally & physically distracted to mount resistance – this helps US push its controversial policies etc. MCC is being approved when people are distracted by a Presidential Election. People must therefore watch out for more communal attacks, bloodshed & other surprise attacks before elections! However, the way US thought people would react did not happen. The well-planned attacks in Gampaha also did not give the results expected. Somehow their plans are not working as planned. The Catholic Church and the Maha Sangha united to appeal and people listened. They echoed that foreign forces were behind the attacks & people accepted.

US TEAMING TO EXERT INFLUENCE OVER ASIA

Quadrilateral Strategic/Security Dialogue (the Quad”)

This is an INFORMAL dialogue between US, Japan, Australia & India initiated in 2007 by PM of Japan, US VP Dick Cheney, Australian PM John Howard and Indian PM Manmohan Singh.

The dialogue parallels with joint military exercises (Exercise Malabar)

The quadrilateral dialogue is primarily to respond to Chinese economic & military growth.

Australian PM Kevin Rudd withdrew from Quad but enhanced military cooperation with US with US marines being deployed in Darwin, near Timor Sea & Lomok Strait. However, Australia rejoined QUAD in 2017. Now the QUAD includes UK and France. US seeking to include Sri Lanka into its line of control in the Bay of Bengal.

Jan2019 –  US Indo-Pacific Command Chief Admiral Philip Davidson told the US Senate’s Armed Services Committee, during a Congressional hearing said that Sri Lanka was a significant strategic opportunity in the Indian Ocean.

Jan2019 – US envoy Teplitz said US-Sri Lanka security cooperation includes a variety of joint exercises and training helping among other things, inter-operationability….. designed to address our mutual security interests. Every joint exercise, every training in disaster response, is done at the invitation of our Sri Lankan hosts”. (a change of govt must ensure our troops are not used to attack US enemies)

Feb2019 – Thomas J.Vajda US Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State dealing with South and Central Asia visited Colombo

He said ‘we view Sri Lanka as a critical partner in the region.’

May2019 – US & Sri Lanka agree to expand ‘military-to-military’ engagement said a joint statement by Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry. (peace keeping, human rights training, visits by US ships & military officials) Engagement connotes a COMBAT role – is our ARMY going to be used to assist US troops with COMBAT against our traditional friends?

HOW COUNTRIES NEED TO DEAL WITH US

Iran – US interest in Iran was due to its oil. US companies were drilling Iran’s oil. Iran nationalized oil and US got rid of Iran’s democratic leader Mossadegh and replaced him with a dictator Shah Reza Pahlavi. The Shah’s secret police SAVAK was assisted by CIA & Israel’s Mossad. Shah was unpopular in Iran and US took him back to US. That was how Iranians came to hate USA.

US battle with Iran continues. Iran hostage crisis, Iran contra issue, Iran nuclear program are some of the issues. Iran has to fight not only with US but Israel & Saudi Arabia,

Venezuela – US meddled in Venezuela too. US doesn’t like Venezuela’s President Maduro. So US is supporting Opposition Leader Juan Guido. Guido’s wife was even invited to the White House to meet President Trump. US, Canada, EU and OAS countries claim Guido is Interim President. Maduro is supported by Russia, China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea & countries in UN have also issued support for Maduro. Maduro won the election.

India – is also having some cold feet with US & is connecting with Russia to settle disputes with China. China & India met in Chennai in October 2019.

Yahapalana however is continuing its link with US despite the clearly obvious strategy of US to capture Sri Lanka politically & militarily. Former envoy Blake visited Sri Lanka in May 2019.

Joint Partnerships with USA & ALLIES

• US-SL Military-to-Military Partnership
• Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (CPA) with Japan in Oct2015 (Japan is part of QUAD with US)
• Jun2019 – Tripartite agreement between Sri Lanka – India – Japan on Eastern Terminal of Colombo Port
• Mar2019 – Yahapalana is also attempting to link Sri Lanka with ASEAN requesting to be included into ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partnership. ASEAN is linked to US.
• US-SL ACSA expanded in 2017 allowing US to get logistics support, supplies & services from Sri Lanka. US army can come to Sri Lanka in any unforeseen situation. Over 50 annexures lists military units that can come to Sri Lanka. ACSA has not been presented to Cabinet or tabled in Parliament by PM since 2017. (2007 ACSA had only 8 pages but 2017 ACSA has 83 pages and over 50 annexures)
• SOFA – reduces Sri Lanka to a neo-colony. US aircrafts, vessels can arrive without inspection. None of Sri Lanka’s security can board any of these vessels or crafts to inspect them. They are free of license, customs duties, taxes or other charges. US troops can wear uniform, carry arms, take any radio communication equipment. US troops & contractors to be allowed to enter & leave Sri Lanka individually or collectively using only their US identity cards – no passports or visa required. US military can carry weapons and will not be subject to Sri Lankan laws for any criminal activity they commit in SL.
• MCC – Colombo-Trinco railway link will divide Sri Lanka, 1.2m acres make up an economic corridor which US wants to be freed to be taken by foreign companies and thus the privatization of state land is looked as a means to remove land grantees by giving them outright ownership & forcing them to sell land when financially cash trapped.

DOCTRINE OF R2P – RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT

R2P is used by powerful nations to justify international interventions into domestic affairs of other countries.

UN Charter covers objectives of global peace based on sovereignty & equality (chapters 6, 7, 8)

The International Commission on Intervention & State Sovereignty estabalished in 2000 headed by Gareth Evans of the International Crisis Group issued in 2001 report titled Responsibility to Protect” giving international community the responsibility to intervene militarily. ICISS report was rejected by national governments. Alternately US has set up other ‘interfering agencies’ to do R2P – HRW, Amnesty, ICG and Chicago R2P coalition. The form a global advocacy network for R2P and various players in Sri Lanka are also involved.  

LETS JOIN THE DOTS

US is constructing a huge embassy amalgamating the British High Commission.

US is funding all types of ‘good governance’ programs that give them access to Sri Lanka’s administrative mechanisms and documents.

US officials are drafting new Bills not Sri Lankan lawyers

US is funding training for MPs, Lawyers, Public Officials even Judges

US is also funding the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery & Corruptions

USAID-DAI all fronts of the CIA are heavily involved in both public & private sector including banks

US has meddled in elections in the past and has funded UNP to power.

The 2015 election victory – US spent $585m to ‘restore democracy’ in Sri Lanka Burma & Nigeria (John Kerry) as well as making $3.4m to Yahapalana between Jan2015 & Aug2015.

What are US plans for 2019 Presidential Elections?

US embassy goes to meet Arumugam Thondaman head of CWC to discuss elections. Since when do foreign embassies go to discuss elections?

WHY US IS INTERESTED IN SRI LANKA?

Sri Lanka sits in the middle of the busiest and strategically important sea lanes – Indian Ocean.

More than 80% of world’s sea trade/oil transits through Indian Ocean choke points – 40% passes through Straits of Hormuz, 35% through the Strait of Malacca & 8% through Ban el Mandab Strait.

These sealanes are gateways to control resources and markets in the Near East, Middle East, Africa, Asia

Sri Lanka is at the crossroad of energy, trade, air routes linking Africa, Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia & Australia.

Bay of Bengal is turning into a theatre of war. Indian Ocean is heavily militarized.

Sri Lankans do not wish to be dragged into a global war against China, a traditional friend. Our army cannot be used against our traditional friends. We cannot forget our friends who not only helped us during the conflict but who had been supporting us unconditionally in the UN/UNHRC through their statements.

Sri Lanka as a sovereign nation with a proud history must have the freedom to decide how it conducts relations internationally. Any dealing must have mutual benefit. Any deals must be transparent and open and discussed with the public. Governance is only given in trust to the politicians. They cannot take decisions in secrecy especially when it involves Sri Lanka’s territory and its assets and resources.

Sri Lanka has a history way longer than the countries dictating to us today about governance. Our kings had ruled and kept relations with foreign nations as well as had economic links with them. Our history is such that we have never been invaded by either South India or the 3 Europeans that arrived and it was only as a result of the treacheries by our locals that our Island was handed over to them. In the 21^st century to see such a repetition is very unfortunate.

Shenali D Waduge

Mahinda Karunaratne

First the Hakeem lead SLMC joined with Sajith the Swan candidate to ensure his victory, however, the former is the kingpins of Jihad and I.S. in the country are now in a dilemma knowing Gota is winning.

Now they are depicting a different picture by defecting some members to support Gota, Why?

The simple logic is that they are placing one foot on each side If Sajith wins everyone will join with him and obtain their intended portfolios to establish Safaristan, if Gota wins everybody will join him and offer the support, obtain maximum benefits through which they will open the way to future Safaristan.

What Pohottuwa and Gota should be aware of is that this strategy of SLMC, which is originating from their Quranic chapter of Al-Taqiya the lesson on Deceiving.

Pohottuwa should not take in any SLMC or their associates now or after the victory or it will be your suicide!