After a six-year struggle with unionised dockworkers and corrupt politicians, I somehow managed one and only shipyard in the nineties. After a stint in the oil and gas-related marine industry in Europe I returned to the motherland with grandiose plans to develop the blue economy
The long struggle started with a plan to establish Yacht Repair and boatbuilding yard in Galle harbour. After a marathon run with the Sri Lankan bureaucracy, it took two years to sign the agreement with ports authority. Though the investor was very much frustrated, commenced building the yard. After few months investor bolted away due to the fiasco in Aluthgama.
A few years went and man new investor could not be he mustered.
SLPA canceled the agreement in 2014.Five years since the cancellation of the agreement SLPA has not yet attracted an investor.
Moved to Beruwala fishery harbour and hauled few ships to repair. Fishermen blocked the activities and we retreated.
Moved to Mutwal in Colombo and managed to lease out the inactive fishery harbour and completed the development of a shipyard with local investment.
Local banks supported by providing loans. Since the beginning of this year ships were not arriving for repair and bank loan could not be serviced.
Last week bank advertised to auction all the assets of the shipyard. Sri LANKA customs were also gunning after the directors of the shipyard for a shortfall of duty payment due to a genuine error.
Customs sent a letter giving 10 days to pay or
directors will be arrested
Such a national industry, much needed for the island will see a natural death.
Before I land in jail after such a struggle to develop the Marine industry, I would like to tell the politicians in Sri Lanka that the whole country is on the wrong track.
Parliament on Friday, July 26: Attorney General Dappula de Livera listening to Additional Solictor General Nerin Pulle. Additional Solicitor General Sumathi Dharmawardena, PC sits between them. State Counsel Malik Aziz looks on. This was taken before de Livera left the PSC having declined to particptate in the process.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) made quite a revelation on Friday, July 26, 2019, before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing the Easter Sunday attacks.
The CBSL team comprised the Governor of the Central Bank, Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Director of Financial Intelligence Unit, D.M. Rupasinghe, and Director of Department of Supervision of Non-Bank Financial Institutions R.R. Jayaratne. Rupasinghe testified in-camera on a request made by Dr. Coomaraswamy.
Dr. Coomaraswamy succeeded disgraced Singaporean, Arjuna Mahendran, in early July, 2016.
Jayaratne and Dr. Coomaraswamy set the record straight as regards the Finance Act of 2017, after Power, Energy and Business Development Minister, Ravi Karunanayake, challenged CBSL condemnation of the Finance Act. Having stated that the Batticaloa Campus Limited and the Heera Foundation had received funds from Saudi Arabia on seven and 15 occasions, respectively, Jayaratne didn’t mince his words when he declared the new Act weakened the CBSL regulatory role, vis-a-vis illegal transactions.
M.L.A.M. Hizbullah is under investigation over clandestine money transactions, amidst accusations that both Batticaloa Campus Limited and the Heera Foundation were involved with the National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ), responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks. At the time of the Easter Sunday attacks, Hizbullah functioned as the Governor of the Eastern Province, having served the current parliament as a UPFA National List member. Hizbullah moved to the East, in early January, 2019.
M.A. Sumanthiran, head of the Public Finance Committee, was present on the panel of lawmakers at the time CBSL made the shocking revelation. The PSC consists of its Chairman, Ananda Kumarasiri (UNP/Moneragala District), Ravi Karunanayake (UNP/Colombo), Dr. Rajitha Senaratne (UNP/Kalutara), Ashu Marasinghe (UNP National List), Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka (UNP National List), LSSPer Dr. Jayampathy Wickremaratne (UNP National List), M.A.Sumanthiran (TNA/Jaffna District) and Rauff Hakeem (UNP/Mahanuwara District).
When Jayaratne explained as to how the Exchange Control Act, introduced by the incumbent government, had impeded CBSL and was weaker than the one previously in operation, an irate Ravi Karunanayake, one-time Finance Minister, challenged the CBSL.
Ex-Finance Minister Karunanayake switched ministries with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, in May 2017. President Maithripala Sirisena removed Karunanayake from the cabinet of ministers, in early August 2017, in the wake of shocking revelations, in the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (P CoI) on CBSL bond scams involving the disgraced Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL). Karunanayake was again accommodated in the cabinet of ministers, in Dec 2018, in the wake of the failed constitution coup.
RK vs CBSL
Karunanayake: Where does it say such transactions cannot be inquired into in terms of the new Act?
Jayaratne: In accordance with 2017 Exchange Control Act, Section 30, action cannot be taken.
Karunanayake: You prepared that Act. Why are you pretending as if you don’t know anything, about it?
CBSL amended it several times and sent it back.
Perhaps Jayaratne could have faced a ministerial onslaught if not for Dr. Commissary’s swift intervention. Had Dr. Coomaraswamy opted to remain silent, Jayaratne, probably would have had to suffer in silence unable to talk back to a powerful Minister
Dr. Coomaraswamy: No Sir. The Act actually was not drafted by us.
Karunanayake: Why not?
Dr. Coomaraswamy: No Sir. It was done outside. We were actually very upset about it.We were not included. That was drafted without the CBSL being involved. We were asked to comment on it
JVP MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa: If Batticaloa Campus last received money in 2017, Hizbullah was aware of the new Act being drafted.
Jayaratne: Yes.
Nalinda Jayatissa: It could have had happened.
Jayaratne: Present Act does not at least interpret what it meant by wrong.
Jayaratne: Unauthorized money transactions were taking place all over the country. Foreign currencies are kept illegally. Transactions do not come into official banking system, not even one USD.
The exchange between Karunanayake and the CBSL erupted when lawmaker Ashu Marasinghe, sought a clarification as regards the difference in the current and the previous Exchange Control Acts.
Chief of the Public Finance Committee Sumanthiran remained silent during the exchange between Karunanayake and the CBSL.
Surprisingly, the PSC refrained from questioning Hizbullah over widely reported clandestine meetings he had with several Saudi nationals, at a Pasikudah hotel, soon after the Easter attacks.
The circumstances in which the Finance Act had been introduced have been disputed by no less a person than the CBSL Governor. It would be pertinent to recall the advice given by Dr. Coomaraswamy to the electorate late last year. Dr. Coomaraswamy issued the advice before President Maithripala Sirisena dissolved parliament at midnight on Nov 09, 2018 following the sacking of Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Crucial advice to electorate
Dr. Coomaraswamy’s statement, made before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCol) on irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka, couldn’t have been made at a better time for those who expected a genuine change in the political environment. Unfortunately, the media, pathetically, failed to provide sufficient coverage to, undoubtedly, the most important statement made by a respected public official, in the recent past, on any issue.
Dr. Coomaraswamy told the P Col that the country was facing a non-virtuous cycle of debt and it was a very fragile situation which could even lead to a debt crisis.
“Of course my colleagues in the debt department have plans and capability to manage it. But it’s the duty of every citizen to act responsibly as regards the government policy,” he told the PCol.
Dr. Coomaraswamy emphasized that people should elect MPs who were prudent enough to handle fiscal and monetary matters of the country. “I am not referring to any government, but it’s been the case ever since independence.”
The shocking CBSL revelation, before the PSC, certainly justified Dr. Coomaraswamy’s statement, before the P CoI late last year. Jayaratne deserves to be publicly applauded for his forthright stand before the PSC. If Jayaratne hesitated, Dr. Coomaraswamy, probably, wouldn’t have had an opportunity to expose an utterly corrupt procedure adopted through the enactment of the new Exchange Control Act. Parliament should inquire into the circumstances under which the said Act was brought in.
With the 2019 presidential election, scheduled for Nov-Dec, followed by the general election, Dr. Coomaraswamy’s advice is of crucial importance.
The CBSL stand before the PSC didn’t receive the coverage it really deserved. The media, both print and electronic, should review their coverage, pertaining to vital developments. Perhaps, the July 26 proceedings, in the PSC, were the most important, since the sittings began in early June 2019 – about eight weeks after the Easter Sunday attacks.
In spite of the PSC being accused of being a Temple Trees project, meant to save the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) leader Rishad Bathiudeen, MP, alleged to have been involved with the NTJ, some members of Deputy Speaker Kumarasiri’s outfit proved their mettle.
The UPFA obviously failed to take advantage of the PSC. The UPFA, comprising the JO and the SLFP, missed a golden opportunity to question those summoned by the PSC. They probably felt comfortable in boycotting the PSC. Gampaha District Catholic MP Dr. Kavinda Jayawardena, too, squandered a chance to grill those summoned by the PSC.
Thanks to the PSC, it has been proved beyond doubt the negligence on the part of the Attorney General’s Department led to the Easter Sunday attacks. It has been established that local security authorities quite correctly recognized the growing threat posed by Zahran Hashim, in early 2017. Having inquired into Zahran’s activities, and that of the NTJ, the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID), in June 2017 sought the AG’s approval to neutralize the threat. The AG didn’t respond to the TID request till the NTJ squad carried out near simultaneous attacks, on three churches, in Colombo, Battcaloa and Negombo, and three luxury hotels in Colombo.
The PSC was told as to how the AG summoned the police, for a meeting on March 12, 2019, to discuss Zahran’s matter, in response to the TID’s request, made in June 2017.
Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, served as the AG at that time. Jayasuriya now functions as the Chief Justice. It was also revealed, before the PSC, as to how Senior State Counsel, Malik Aziz, handling Zahran’s file, delegated the responsibility for watching video clips of Zahran to another person. Perhaps, the PSC should summon that unidentified person and ascertain how he felt when Zahran’s gang struck devastating attacks.
Shocking lapse
The following question and answer session, involving lawmaker M.A. Sumanthiran, Prof. Ashu Marasinghe, Dr. Jayampathy Wickremaratne, Senior Deputy Solicitor General Sumathi Dharmawardena as well as Malik Aziz, is revealing:
M.A. Sumanthiran: The police sent you CDs containing video clips of Zahran, did you receive them?
SDSG Dharmawardena: Yes
Prof Marasinghe: Did you watch them?
SDSG Dharmawardena: You cannot ask me whether I watched them.
Prof Marasinghe: I am not asking from you as a person but I am asking from the Department.
SDSG Dharmawardena: Senior State Counsel Malik Aziz had instructed another official to watch them and, as per the minute we have here, they have compiled a report on May 12, 2019.
Dr Wickremaratne: So you commenced the inquiry, in June 2017, and compiled the report only one month after the bombs went off?
Sumanthiran: Did the Department ask for reports on updated situation from the police?
SDSG Dharmawardena: No
Sumanthiran: Isn’t it the usual practice to rely on contemporaneous evidence?
SDSG Dharmawardena: I need to refer back to the file to respond to that question.
At the onset of the proceedings, lawmaker Kumarasiri raised serious lapses on the part of the AG’s Department, from Dappula de Livera. Livera succeeded Jayasuriya, in early May this year.
On the part of Kumarasiri, there was absolutely no hesitation to seek an explanation as to why the AG’s Department neglected its responsibilities, thereby paving the way for Zahran’s murderous endeavour.
Dappula declined to answer on the basis his statement before the PSC could undermine his role as the AG. Livera asserted that if he testified before this commission, rather this committee, as a witness, that would compromise his functions as AG in the discharge of his duties in cases in respect of the Easter Sunday attacks. President’s Counsel on behalf of the PSC accepted Livera’s position following consultations among the members.
What transpired after Livera left the PSC, bared the criminal negligence on the part of a department. Ashu Marasinghe exposed the irresponsible conduct of Senior State Counsel Malik Aziz who sat on the file for nearly two years while Zahran made meticulous preparations for the operation.
Ashu Marasinghe a posed contentious query to Aziz as to how he felt after the Easter Sunday carnage? Aziz, obviously, struggled to cope up with Marasinghe’s line of questioning. Marasinghe reminded Aziz as to how he ignored a note dated May 31, 2018, that reminded him of Zahran’s matter.
Proceedings on July 26, 2019 proved beyond doubt that Sri Lanka could have thwarted the attack on its own. Proceedings also underscored that though some attributed Zahran’s success to the arrest of DIG Nalaka de Silva in charge of the TID, in late Oct 2018. Before him being given bail, in early May 2019 pending investigations, the police headquarters named DIG Waruna Jayasundera as DIG, TID. Nalaka de Silva is under investigation for conspiracy to assassinate President Sirisena and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The police, too, appeared to have not done enough to secure the required approval especially after Zahran carried out an attack on Kattankudy – based opponents.
Contrary to claims that arrest of intelligence personnel by the yahapalana government weakened the intelligence apparatus so much that Zahran was able to launch attacks, the police had sufficient evidence to zero in on Zahran, though the AG felt otherwise.
Marasinghe sought an explanation from Aziz whether he was conversant with the ICCPR (The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights) and could Zahran be dealt with that law. Aziz, reluctantly acknowledged that Zahran could have been dealt with the ICCPR. It was nothing but admission of guilt on the part of the Senior State Counsel.
Marasinghe pointed out as to how those who neglected their responsibilities in Zahran’s case pounced on award-winning writer, Shakthika Sathkumara, allegedly for a story on a gay monk. Marasinghe explained the utilization of ICCPR to remand Sathkumara pending investigations. Sathkumara is still in prison.
Role of the CNI
Indian Intelligence services obviously had followed Zahran, and his cohorts, much more closely than our own law enforcement authorities. The PSC should definitely inquire into as to why the police immediately didn’t get in touch with the AG after the Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) retired DIG Sisira Mendis – a member of the National Security Council (NSC) – the received the Indian alert on April 04, 2019. The country knows all about how the NSC neglected its responsibility. Police headquarters owed an explanation as to why an immediate threat assessment wasn’t done as regards Zahran and the NTJ in the wake of the Indian warning. Strangely, the PSC so far made no attempt to establish as to why Army’s Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), Sri Lanka’s premier intelligence agency, was deprived of the Indian warning. The previous Rajapaksa administration created the post of CNI to accommodate top intelligence veteran Maj. Gen. Kapila Hendavitharana. As the CNI, Hendavitharana oversaw the entire intelligence apparatus, since 2007 till January 2015. However, soon after the presidential poll, Hendavitharana was replaced by retired DIG Sisira Mendis, a very experienced investigator. Unfortunately, he lacked experience in running an intelligence service. It would be interesting to know as to who decided that the CNI shouldn’t share vital information with the DMI.
Mendis retired amidst a media furor. President Sirisena again entrusted the duties of the CNI with the military. Maj. Gen. Ruwan Kulatunga now functions as the CNI.
Army Commander Lt. Gen. Mahesh Senanayake is on record as having said that DMI was deprived of the Indian warning. Senanayake said so in response to a query from Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith when he visited the Catholic leader at the Bishop’s House, Borella, immediately after the Easter attacks and at the President’s House, in response to the writer’s query at a meeting chaired by President Sirisena.
The PSC never bothered to ask DIG Mendis whether he received instructions to stop sharing information with the DMI or who issued such instructions, if any. The PSC should have asked Lt. Gen. Senanayake when DMI realized the halt in intelligence sharing process.
The AG’s failure and the enactment of the Exchange Control Act, detrimental to the national economy underscored the urgent need to overhaul the current system. Have you ever heard of a parliament bringing in a law that impeded existing regulatory systems, especially those run by the CBSL. The pivotal importance of CBSL cannot be ignored. The current opposition in parliament should take up CBSL revelation as well as the pathetic AG’s Department. The AG’s Department cannot absolve itself of the responsibility for the Easter Sunday attacks. The Department allowed the time and space for Zahran to go ahead with his operation.
Close on the heels of revelations in parliament as regards the dismal performance of the AG’s Department, the Buddhist clergy lodged complaints with police headquarters, demanding the immediate arrest of Senior State Counsel Aziz. Law enforcement authorities cannot, under any circumstances, afford not to investigate whether the Senior State Counsel was subject to any sort of pressure by interested group/groups not to authorize police action.
Zahran had access to many, including politicians. In response to a query posed by the writer, National Front for Good Governance (NFGG) leader and entrepreneur Abdul Rahuman, in late May, 2019, admitted as to how Zahran summoned those contesting the Batticaloa district for a meeting in Kattankudy, in the run up to the 2015 August 17 parliamentary election. The Island raised the issue at a special media briefing, called by NFGG, at Mandarina Hotel, on the Galle road.
When The Island sought an explanation from Rahuman as to how he had contested the August 2015 parliamentary polls as his NFGG received recognition only in 2017, he said that he contested on the SLMC ticket. Rahuman disclosed how he secured nomination as a result of what he described as a tripartite agreement involving the UNP, the SLMC and the NFGG. “The SLMC contested in Batticaloa on its own though in Trincomalee all contested under the UNP ticket. The NFGG fielded a medical doctor in the Trincomalee District.” Rahuman alleged that photographs taken at the meeting arranged by the NTJ, in Kattankudy, way back in 2015, had been used to link the NFGG to those involved in the Easter Sunday carnage.
With the father of two of Zahran’s suicide bombers on the JVP National List (was arrested soon after the blasts), a hardcore NTJ operative infiltrating the parliament staff (was taken into custody) in addition to Dr. Seigu Siyabdeen Mohammed Safi of the Kurunegala making an abortive bid to enter parliament on the UNP ticket at the last general election (Safi received nomination due to Rishard Bathiudeen’s intervention – given bail pending investigations into alleged sterilization project) the threat faced by Sri Lanka is not yet over. Anyone trying to dispel fears of fresh NTJ attacks for political reasons will only invite trouble.
UNP MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, yesterday, said that the Attorney General’s Department owed an explanation as to why it had sat on hardcore National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) member Zahran Hashim’s file for nearly two years
Nearly 270 perished in seven separate suicide blasts, and another 500 were wounded with Colombo Shangri-La targeted by two persons, including Zahran.
Addressing the media at the Sri Lanka Foundation, the former Justice Minister said that the AG’s Department couldn’t remain silent in the wake of shocking revelations made before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) last Friday (July 26).
Pointing out that the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) had sought AG’s approval in June 2017 to take action against Hashim in terms of the ICCPR (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights), MP Rajapakse said the then AG Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, had handed over Zahran’s file to Deputy Solicitor General Azad Navavi and then to State Counsel Malik Aziz.
Referring to the incumbent AG Dappula de Livera moving court against now suspended IGP Pujith Jayasundera and the then Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando over their failure to thwart Easter Sunday attacks, MP Rajapakse asked who would indict AG Department officers.
When The Island pointed out that he was making use of revelations made before the PSC, which he had opposed, Rajapakse said he had raised objections for the sake of the intelligence officers.
Claiming that the CID since the change of government in January 2015 had questioned about 322 intelligence services personnel, MP Rajapakse compared the inquiry undertaken by the PSC with the disastrous police raid on Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) in 2002.
Responding to another query, Rajapakse expressed surprise at the Joint Opposition’s strategy. Immediately after the Easter Sunday attacks, the JO demanded a PSC to probe the attacks. Subsequently, the JO had decided against participating in the process, the former Minister said.
Rajapakse underscored the importance of ascertaining why those who were authorised to decide whether Zahran could be arrested as he posed a grave threat to the society had refrained from doing so.
Rajapakse acknowledged that the PSC was quite useful though he had written a letter to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya requesting him not to constitute it.
The PSC consists of Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri (Chairman), Ravi Karunanayake, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Rauff Hakeem, M.A. Sumanthiran, Dr. Jayampathy Wickremaratne, Ashu Marasinghe and Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.
Rajapakse said that the PSC was meant to clear All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) leader Rishad Bathiudeen, MP, in addition to saving Pujith Jayasundera and placing the blame on President Maithripala Sirisena.
At the onset of his briefing Rajapakse alleged that western powers had undertaken a high profile destabilisation project here consequent to the incumbent government handing over the Hambantota port on a 99-year-lease to China. The former justice minister alleged that the Muslim community and the Islamic State were used by interested parties.
Rajapakse said that he handed over a private member’s bill to parliament yesterday (30) requesting parliament to annul the agreement with China on the basis of it having caused an unprecedented security crisis.
The investigation into a complaint filed against State Counsel Malik Azeez of the Attorney General’s Department has been handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) by the Police Headquarters.
The complaint was filed by the General Secretary of the Sinhala Ravaya organization Ven. Magalkande Sudatta Thera at the Police Headquarters yesterday (29).
The Thero in his complaint accuses the Attorney General’s Department of purposely neglecting their duties with regard to the Easter Sunday attacks and calls for the arrest of the official in question and the former Attorney General.
While giving evidence before the Parliamentary Select Committee probing the Easter Sunday terror attacks, the State Counsel had admitted that he had received a document regarding the mastermind of the attacks, NTJ leader Zahran Hashim, back in June 2017 and that he had not taken further action on that.
Meanwhile the ‘Sinhale National Movement’ had also requested an inquiry from the Attorney General’s Department regarding State Counsel Malik Azeez.
The government has not taken any measures to curb the ideological terrorism called ‘Wahhabism’ but reinstated the Muslim politicians who were accused of allegedly supporting it, says Mohamed Muzammil, the spokesperson of National Freedom Front (NFF).
Speaking at a press conference held today (30), Muzammil said, Wahhabism is largely capable of creating suicide bombers and in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday on the 21st of April, it was revealed that there are various means for Wahhabism to expand across the country.
The government has taken no steps to remove the syllabuses taught in Muslim schools that induce the spread of Wahhabi terrorism and regulation of these syllabuses, deporting foreign preachers who teach at Madrasas in secret, the NFF spokesman said.
The incumbent rulers have no intention of taking any action on the issues pertaining to the Muslim marriage law and the verdicts delivered by Kadi courts, the NFF spokesman alleges.
Muzammil commented that the government did not heed taking any measures to prevent the ideological terrorism that has suffused in the Muslim community but reinstated the accused Muslim ministers on time. This was a ‘drama’ enacted together by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the ministers who came under fire.
Speaking on Dr. Mohamed Shafi’s case, the NFF spokesman said, the accused doctor was granted bail, however, now the director and the staff of the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital have been accused. The victims who dies in the attacks at the churches at Katuwapitiya, Kochchikade, Batticaloa and the luxury hotels in Colombo have become the accused, while the accused ministers took up their positions again, he stressed.
It is up to the general public to answer these issues at the upcoming elections, Muzammil pointed out.
COLOMBO — One-time top government trade negotiator Gomi Senadhira, yesterday, called for tangible measures to solve the importation of the British garbage to Sri Lanka. Senedhira, who had previously warned the government of dire consequences of importing of garbage of all sorts in accordance with the Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SL-SFTA) said tough measures were required. Senadhira expressed his views in the wake of Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera revealing in Parliament last Friday UK garbage imports began in 2017.
Stop the controversial process now or face an unprecedented crisis,” Senadhira, who served successive governments over a period of 32 years as a commercial diplomat, told The Island.ADVERTISEMENT
The former Director General of Commerce (2009-2011) and Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (2004-2006), Senadhira called the much-touted agreement on UK garbage imports a total sell-out.
Senadhira had served in Sri Lankan missions in Baghdad, Kuwait, Moscow, Geneva, Washington (1998-2001) Brussels (2001-2003) before returning home to assume duties as Director General of Commerce.
Senadhira issued the following statement: Just three months ago, President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to ‘declare war’ on Canada. The reason was simple – Canadian garbage. Over one hundred containers of them.
So, in a hard-hitting speech, the president of the Philippines warned I will declare war against them. I will advise Canada that your garbage is on the way. Prepare a grand reception.” During his speech, the president not only threatened to ship containerloads of garbage back to Canada but also warned that he would dump some of the garbage at Canada’s embassy in Manila. That was tough language, even for Duterte, a man known for using the language of a street fighter than that of a statesman. But then I suppose his frustration is perfectly understandable and it was the time for a tough talk with Canada. Over one hundred shipping containers filled with Canadian garbage had been rotting in a port near Manila, for nearly six years. All the previous attempts to ship them back to Canada had failed.
Now, we have finally joined the ranks of the garbage importing nations, sorry recycling nations, and with over one hundred containers filled with British garbage rotting in our port, most for nearly two years, it is easy to recognize the eerie similarities between the two situations. Given the predicament we are in there are important lessons to be learned from the Filipino experience with the garbage without borders. So, let me briefly sum up what happened in the Philippines.
From June 2013 to January 2014 nearly one hundred containers arrived in the Philippines from Canada. Most of them were declared to contain recyclable plastic scrap materials. The containers were not claimed by the consignee and in January 2014 customs opened some of the containers, as part of measures regard to shipment not claimed for a long period, and discovered garbage including, plastic bottles, plastic bags, household garbage, and even used adult diapers. Then the customs decided not to open the rest of the containers as those also may contain hazardous waste.
All this is very similar to our own experience with imported British garbage. What happened after that?
In February 2014, just a few weeks after the containers were open the customs filed smuggling complaint against the company which allegedly imported the garbage shipment and its licensed Customs brokers. In March 2014, the Department of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to the Canadian Embassy in the Philippines requesting for assistance in shipping the garbage back to Canada.
But then, the Canadian government refused to take the garbage back as it … has no domestic or international authority to compel the shipper to return the shipment to Canada,” and suggested that they would like to explore with the Philippines options for processing the rest of the shipment – in accordance with Philippine law – in the Philippines.” To make matters worse, then-president Benigno Aquino III did not even discuss the issue of the illegally shipped Canadian garbage when he met with then Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper during a state visit in May 2015. Aquino – the scion of a political family, unlike his successor, was a genteel politician and he too believed the issue has to be addressed locally.ADVERTISEMENT
After that nothing, much happened other than the exchange of polite diplomatic notes and dumping of part of the garbage (26 containers) in a local landfill in spite of protests from environmental groups. Towards the end of the year, the new Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who visited Manila to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November 2015, was also non-committal on the garbage issue as there was … a problem that needs fixing within our own legislation,” and believed there are loopholes here that were allowed to be skirted that we need to make sure we close, both for Canada’s interest and for our good relationships with our neighbours.”
It took Trudeau two more years to agree that it was theoretically” possible for Canada to bring back the containers as Those regulations and those impediments (which prevented Canada from taking back the trash) have now been addressed,” … However, he continued to emphasize that there were other issues to iron out – like who will shoulder the costs of shipping back the trash to the country of origin.
Wheels also turned in the Philippines (though very slowly almost like in Canada). In June 2018 the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the suspension of the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary in connection with the shipment as he had … acted with gross inexcusable negligence.” In November 2018 they finally appointed a technical working group composed of representatives from the Departments of justice, environment, foreign affairs and customs to resolve the issue.
Though the governmental wheels turned slowly environment activists and NGOs backed by the international activists and NGOs continued to lobby with Trudeau to take back the garbage as the shipment of garbage violated the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal…a convention, ratified by both Canada and the Philippines. They also continued their demonstrations outside the Canadian embassy.
” But garbage continued to rot in the port. So, by April 2019 President Rodrigo Duterte obviously was at the end of his tether and declared ‘Yung basura ng (The garbage of) Canada, I want a boat prepared. I give a warning to Canada, maybe next week, they better pull their thing up or I will set sail sa (to) Canada, ibuhos ko basura nila doon (I will dump their garbage there), … I’ll declare war against them, isauli ko talaga tingnan mo (I will really return that, you’ll see),… I will advise Canada that your garbage, prepare a grand reception. Eat it if you want to.”
Having done that, he gave Canada deadline to take back their garbage – May 2019. When Canada rejected it Duterte recalled the Philippine’s Ambassador to Canada and instructed to ship the containers across the Pacific and dump them in Canadian waters, if necessary.
That solved the problem the garbage left the Philippines on June 1 for a voyage across the Pacific Ocean to Metro Vancouver incinerator.
The final cost to Canadian taxpayers was C$1.14 million for shipping and another $375,000 for the garbage to be burned in the incinerator. What can we learn from the Filipino experience? What is the way forward?
Be tough. A threat to ‘declare war’ or to recall the high commissioner may not be required, at this stage. But polite diplomatic notes may not deliver the required result. This is an issue that should be dealt at the highest level – PM to PM. Take action against those who were responsible, including the officials who facilitate such activities. Close the loopholes in our laws, regulations and bilateral agreements (such as FTA with Singapore) that allow garbage to move into Sri Lanka.
Don’t expect the government to solve the problem that they have created. Environmental activists and NGOs need to get involved. Use this opportunity to promote public awareness against the import of garbage. Launch a local and global campaign (with the support of international NGOs and activists) to send the garbage back.
A ‘certificate of renunciation’ that purported to show that former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa was conclusively rid of the US citizenship that could prevent him from contesting the presidency in Sri Lanka was proven to be a fake yesterday within hours of being widely circulated on social media and messaging apps. The former Defence Secretary himself indicated to media last evening that he actually has the US citizenship renunciation in his possession but refused to display it to the news media.
Sources said parties linked to the former Defence Secretary’s election campaign were behind the distribution of the purported Certificate of Loss of Nationality of the United States which first reached the news media through business sources.
The fake certificate claimed that Gotabaya Rajapaksa had become a US citizen on March 13, 2003, and renounced his US citizenship at the US Embassy in Colombo on July 5, 2019. However, Rajapaksa was still in Singapore on July 5, having informed the courts in Sri Lanka that he was recovering overseas from heart-surgery.
The document circulated on social media last morning carried the signature of an US official named Joel Fifield.
Highly placed sources said the former Defence Secretary officially became a US citizen on January 31, 2003 and not on March 13.
The document purported to be Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s certificate of renunciation, bore a strong resemblance to a sample US Government document published in Wikipedia. The sample document in Wikipedia also bears the signature of one Joel Fifield”, and the seal of the US Consulate in Paraguay. The fake certificate supposedly held by Rajapaksa carries the same passport number and issuing date visible in the Wikipedia sample. Late yesterday, the former Defence Secretary admitted that the circulating document was a fake, but claimed he was in possession of the genuine certificate. He would produce it when it was required by the Elections Commission, he told the media. Rajapaksa said that he was not prepared to release the certificate in his possession proving he had renounced US citizenship to the media.
It remains unclear whether the circulation of the forged certificate was an attempt to embarrass the former Defence Secretary or an effort by his backers to bolster Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s chances of winning the SLPP candidacy.
Travelling the world is the stuff of dreams … until it’s not. Maybe it’s because we’re unfamiliar with local customs in other countries and don’t want to cause offence, or perhaps it’s just damned jetlag rendering us incapable of sensing trouble, but travel scams can happen to the best of us.
As a nation of travellers, we all have a tale of that time we were an unsuspecting tourist.
Here is a tale from a contributor who wanted to remain anonymous.
123RFI get hit by the full charge for the Tuk Tuk (file photo).
SRI LANKA HOTEL SCAM
I was in Sri Lanka for a block of meetings a few years ago and had an afternoon free. I decided to go for a walk from the hotel along the waterfront and look at the old cannons and anything else I could see.
When you are in meetings for several days, anything outside is better than staying in the hotel.
I had hardly crossed the road when I was approached by a very neatly dressed and extremely polite local who told me that he worked for the hotel I had just left and was I aware of the temple and elephants on display there. To which I said no of course.
Next, he tells me that he is going that way and he can show me the place, but it had to be today as the temple was not open for the rest of the week. Already I think that this is unnecessary but put it aside in my mind since he worked in the hotel I was staying, or so I thought.
So we start walking toward the central part of the city, and he says it is quite a distance and I might be more comfortable riding on a Tuk Tuk. Before I can say no, he signals one up and I feel obliged to get on.
By now, my feeling is this is not right, and I am getting wary. After a couple of kilometres, we arrive at a temple, and the Tuk Tuk is asked to wait for us.
So we go in, and I pay a donation to the temple as entry, but it was only about NZ$2 so not bad. The temple was quite lovely and yes it had an elephant, but I would not have rushed out to see it in reality.
After about 30 minutes we leave, and the Tuk Tuk takes us to an emerald store (ah-ha I go in my head – this is a commission trick to get you into store, and they get a cut of the sale).
The emeralds and other stones were very lovely, and I spent about NZ$100 on a couple of items that I really did not need, but in spite of pushed to buy more, I resisted and made it clear that this was all I was spending.
The pressure is subtle but strong, and I think it would have been hard to have just walked out or refused to enter.
We travel back to the hotel where I am hit with the full cost of the Tuk Tuk there and back of about NZ$30 – they are clearly working together on this.
At this point, I am over this and as lovely as the chap was I know that it is purely a scam to extract what they can get out of you. The chap then asked for a contribution for his time at which I point out that he will be getting a commission no doubt on the purchase and probably a cut of the fare and walked quickly back to the hotel much to his annoyance.
Next day I am talking with fellow meeting attendees over coffee and mention this scam and find out that not less than three others had exactly the same experience, although a couple admitted to spending more than I did.
So the message is just because they look the part and sound the part when you are travelling in this part of the world trust no-one. And no, the chap did not work for the hotel, that was a just ruse to get your trust upfront.
The only plus is I feel I was scammed by one of the best and perhaps smoothest operators that have ever tried one on me.
A
group of UNPers, convinced they are going to lose the next presidential
election big-time, is spreading false information saying that the next
president will not have the same powers President Sirisena now enjoys. They
argue 19A provisions relating to the powers of the president come into effect
when his first term ends. This is a nonsensical view unfortunately popularized
by a leading lawyer. However, he is not the only lawyer!
19A has no transitional provisions
from the time it was passed to the end of Sirisena’s term. Therefore, the full
impact of 19A is already effective since 2015 when it was passed. The President
can change the Prime Minister at will. Only problem is if the another MP has
real support far more than the appointed Prime Minister, then chaos results.
This was the case even before 19A. The MP who would not cause the ruling party
to lose its grip on power was appointed for this reason (no matter how
ridiculous he was).
Sirisena was elected in 2015 for a
term of 6 years to end on January 8, 2021. However, with the 19A, the
presidential term was limited to just 5 years. Sirisena’s term after 19A ends
on January 8, 2020. As per the Constitution, the presidential election must be
held at least two months before that. How come this provision came into effect
immediately but other provisions come into effect after Sirisena? It is an
absurd argument.
The other side of the argument is
the Prime Minister will assume president’s powers. This is a joke. The prime
minister is part of the legislature and the head of the legislature. How come
the same person be the executive! 19A very clearly states that the president is
the Head of the Cabinet (the other institution that has some executive powers).
What seems to confuse the confused
is the draft 19A that was struck down by the Supreme Court as it trespassed
into the powers of the President. That was not passed. And that was not
gazetted. It was changed and the changed bill was passed. If presidential
powers were to be restricted, it must be approved by the people at a referendum.
The regime that fears elections will never hold a referendum.
In fact, the next president will
have far more powers than Sirisena now enjoys. Sirisena’s hands are tied as his
party is just a fraction of parliament. The next president will get a parliament
of his choice within months of his/her election.
Those who popularize the nonsensical
argument that the next president will be merely ceremonial are affected by the
‘sour grapes’ syndrome. Their preferred candidate has no chance of winning it
so they play down the importance of the office of the president. However, all
candidates, voters and media know it is the most important of all elections.
2019 November presidential election
will be the most keenly contested presidential election ever. Once the president
is elected, everything else falls into place. The president at his/her
discretion decides when to dissolve parliament and have parliamentary
elections. Timing will be to maximize the benefit for his party and most
damaging to the rival party. The Attorney General will also be appointed by the
President and the Chief Justice too. Of course the Prime Minister and all other
ministers are appointed by the president. Win presidency and everything else is
a cakewalk. The president has all the powers, rightly or wrongly.
19A just created confusion. It
didn’t achieve anything useful other than bring back the two-term limit,
prevent foreigners from entering parliament and the office of the president and
raise the minimum age of the president to 35.
UNP should be preparing for the 2024
presidential election than spread false information. 2019 is a foregone
conclusion. UNP will be wiped out at all elections (provincial, presidential
and parliamentary) to be held within the next 8 months. The last time the UNP
won a presidential election was in 1988. That too thanks to the lowest voters’
turnout in history, violence in both the north and the south, IPKF invasion and
shameless appeasement of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress via Constitutional
amendments just two days before the election.
I
saw a picture on Facebook on (27-07-19) that made me silently cry. It was the
garbage-strewn river mouth of the Kelani Ganga. It is literally a giant carpet
of garbage, the thickness of which could be anyone’s guess.
Then
came the containers. The ghostly shapes stuffed with garbage sitting somewhere,
on this pristine land of ours, its filth slowly leaking to the ground, its
stink penetrating and permeating through the air around started to play tricks
on my mind. The boxes of metal now glistening as if livid with demonic rage
began to float in front of me, a grotesque, savage dance prophesying the
ill-health of the nation.
People
from all walks of life, the poor and the not so poor are talking about it. It
has taken media on all fronts and formats by storm. It is about this
despicable, disgusting act, which is tantamount to spitting on ones’
‘Motherland’ with spite and venom, by heartless rogues and I wonder if it
doesn’t make any sane person, even with a modicum of care, concern and love for
the country of his/her birth, fume, what else can?
These
containers are said to contain garbage and filth, some even carrying human
remains.
I
heard somewhere that those containers cannot be sent back, according to ‘Basal
Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and
their Disposal’, which prohibits cross-border (land/sea) traffic of garbage
transport. And this ‘Treaty was also designed specifically to prevent transfer
of hazardous waste from developed countries to less developed countries
(Wikipedia)’. I think this is quite relevant and applicable to Sri Lanka as
regards this present case since part of the garbage is said to contain
health-hazardous hospital garbage including human remains, which ought to be
considered hazardous by Sri Lanka in any case, which is the country of import.
The
covenants, conventions and treaties have to be fair by all parties. An illegal
act has taken place at the point of origin, where the despatch of the cargo was
initiated and subsequently effected. Consequently its voyage to its present
location was illegal too. So why that cargo cannot be sent back? I am not a
lawyer. Yet, common sense and fair play suggest that it should be so.
Mr
President, you were born and bred in a village. I am sure you have heard the
enchanting sounds of humming bees and chirping birds, seen how beautiful the
greenery can be, smelt that uniquely refreshing fragrance coming from a meadow,
felt the breeze and smelt its delicate scents, which only a clean and pristine
environment can give. And I am sure you had many a dip and swim in those
pristine waters of our ‘ala, dola and ganga’.
And
then you are also the Minister, who is responsible for looking after our
environment. Therefore, please make it a task of highest priority to initiate
an island-wide campaign to handle and properly manage the disposal of garbage.
Transferring of garbage from one place to another is an eyewash. It is not
only unsustainable, it defeats the purpose too, which is to make our
environment free of garbage and trash. I have read about few small-scale
garbage sorting and recycling plants in operation in some locations. Why not
make this an island-wide project, where each council has its own to cater to
garbage produced in the area that comes under its jurisdiction? Or a few can
work together, where capacities come into the equation, having one plant to
serve them all. And I have also heard that as one would expect these days that
there exist ‘garbage mafia outfits’ too in many a locality or council and you
should be prepared to handle them as well.
Sir,
please make sure that those containers will be leaving Sri Lankan shores to
whatever the destination without delay. And also make sure that all those, who
are behind this despicable act, will also be expediently dealt with, if there
is enough legal grounds for such action.
Please
do not let our beautiful country drown in a sea of garbage!
Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan’s Closing Message for first trip to the United States conveyed at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington D.C. USA (23.07.19)
The Honourable Prime
Minister has clearly stated that the basis of international relations should be
on mutual trust and friendship and not on financial aid provided by the richer
party. Such a policy will safeguard the national interest of the weaker
and less wealthy party as well. Sri Lanka should at all times adopt such
a principle in
international relations without humbling oneself to receive such tainted money
tied to various conditions. Please see the 3 minute video interview given by
His Excellency, Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan just before his
departure from the USA to head home.
Filing a writ application in Court, the tenth accused in the Treasury Bond case, Ajahn Punchihewa has stated that he could have given vital information regarding investigations over the Bond scam, as he had information about a penthouse apartment in Singapore, valued at Singapore Dollars 7.6 million, occupied by the family of Arjun Aloysius, which was purchased by a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands.
The tenth accused Ajahn Gardiye Punchihewa had filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal citing 16 respondents including the Attorney General, the director of the CID, Inspector General, and the other nine suspects who were named as accused in the indictment.
The Petitioner had stated that the decision to initiate action against him before the High Court by the Attorney General was unreasonable. Therefore, he sought an interim relief be given until the final determination of this petition suspending the inclusion of his name on the indictment, and charges against him contained in the indictment. He also sought interim relief to restrain commencing of any proceedings against him in the High Court and taking any measures to extradite him over the case.
The Petitioner in his petition has also requested a final order in way of writ of certiorari and prohibition to issue a mandate quashing the charges against him pertaining to the charges stipulated in the indictment and to prohibit respondents from commencing further proceedings against him based on the indictment.
In his petition, Ajahn Punchihewa had comprehensively informed the court that he had no connection with the matters that happened during the time that the alleged Bond auction was taken place on February 27, 2015. He had stated that he was appointed as a director of the board of Perpetual Treasuries Ltd on February 18, 2015, on the request of Arjun Aloysius. However, he states that he did not participate in, and is not aware of any meeting of the board of Directors of PTL, whether formal or informal, during the month of February 2015. And the very first meeting to which the Petitioner was invited was for the month of March 2015. Furthermore, he had not been part of any decision making whatsoever of PTL until 13th March 2015, when the Petitioner attended a board meeting for the very first time.
The Petitioner said that he had started gathering relevant information in order to assist the CID, after he received notices on April 14, 2019, from the Chief Magistrate’s Court over the inquiry to appear before the CID on June 26, 2019.
The Petitioner states that as of his receipt of the said notice, the Petitioner had already commenced gathering further information connected to the affairs of PTL as well as the assets of Mr. Arjun Aloysius and his family, in order to assist the ongoing investigations, and in preparation to provide a detailed and truthful statement.
The Petitioner had taken the following steps:
-The Petitioner requested details of his Credit Card statements from the Standard Chartered Bank, in the belief that such details would allow him to corroborate his account of certain transactions related to his tenure at PTL.
-The Petitioner sought and obtained electronic records of various Singapore State agencies, including incorporation documents for a suspicious company operated by the wife of Arjun Aloysius , who is also the daughter of Arjuna Mahendran, in belief that certain monies and properties may have been held by the said companies and/ or have been transferred to other entities by using the said company.
-The Petitioner had obtained the title deed for a penthouse apartment in Singapore occupied by Arjun Aloysius and his wife, whose owner is a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands named “Perpetual Holdings Worldwide Limited”. The petitioner has also obtained evidence that during August 2017, the name of this company was altered to remove the word “Perpetual”.
The Petitioner states that while he had no knowledge and/ or involvement whatsoever about PTL’ s role in the alleged bond auction, he was still willing to fully assist the ongoing investigations to the best of his knowledge and ability, and was making all preparations to make a comprehensive statement before officers of the Criminal Investigation Department on or before the 26th of June 2019, as stipulated in the Notice.
The Petitioner stated that, in the meantime, he had learned that the Attorney General was going to initiate actions against him also by deliberately ignoring that the Petitioner was not given fair and reasonable opportunity to respond to the allegations against him, as the investigation was not concluded at the magisterial level.
The Petitioner further states that the CBSL is still conducting the forensic audit pertaining to the bond issue, and the said audit is not yet completed.
The petitioner had stated that indicting him and nine others in High Court put the Petitioner in jeopardy, as he was already prepared with a comprehensive statement to be given to the Criminal Investigation Department with a wide range of documents, corroborative materials, and information pertaining to PTL, and Mr. Arjun Aloysius which would immensely assist the ongoing investigations.
The information he had gathered:
-A first-hand account with documentary records of a large number of securities transactions involving Mr. Arjun Aloysius that may serve as evidence of systematic securities frauds and including possible “dumping” of overpriced shares on public entities, over a long period of time prior to January 8, 2015;
– how at the 13th March 2015 board meeting, Mr. Kasun Palisena responded to queries raised by certain directors about improprieties that had by then been publicly alleged about PTL’ s role in the 27th February 2015 bond auction, including means by which investigators could independently corroborate the account of the Petitioner;
-Emails between Mr. Arjun Aloysius, directors, officers and company secretaries of PTL over a period from March 2015 – July 2017 that establish the extent to which Arjun Aloysius was covertly involved in the executive decision-making process of PTL
– telephone calls between Mr. Arjun Aloysius and Mr. – Kasun Palisena overheard by the Petitioner and near-contemporaneous emails that corroborate the Petitioner’s account of these conversations, which may serve as evidence of possible offences under the Registered Stocks and Securities Ordinance and other relevant laws
– Evidence of Financial transactions that may be connected to proceeds of the crime including possible efforts to mask the ownership of overseas assets in 2017 during the term of the Commission of Inquiry into the Issuance of Treasury Bonds;
-instances– in which the Petitioner personally witnessed events connected to the incorporation of a company in Singapore at the instance of Mr. Arjun Aloysius, with the initial directors being Mr. Atjun Aloysius’s wife, and an officer of PTL;
-Information about overseas assets such as the particulars of a penthouse apartment in Singapore, valued at Singapore Dollars 7.6 million, occupied by
the family of Mr. Arjun Aloysius, which was purchased by a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands.
Mr.Uditha Egalahewa PC with Mr.N.K.Ashokbharan appeared for the Petitioner.
Mr.Parinda Ranasinghe PC – ASG, with Ms.Shaheeda Barrie SSC appeared for the Attorney General
The Bench comprising Justice Shiran Gooneratne, Justice Mahinda Samayawardhana, Justice Arjuna Obeyesekere ordered to reissue notices on the respondents and
Three Muslim ministers, who had resigned from their posts, have sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena to their previous ministerial portfolios today (29).
Accordingly, Parliamentarians Rishad Bathiudeen, Rauff Hakeem and Abdullah Mahroof have taken up their previous ministerial posts again.
A discussion was held between the resigned Muslim ministers at the official residence of MP Rauff Hakeem earlier today (29), on re-assuming their ministerial positions.
Accordingly, the newly appointed Ministers are:
Rauff Hakeem – Minister of City Planning, Water Supply and Higher Education Rishad Bathiudeen – Minister of Industry & Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Co-operative Development and Vocational Training & Skills Development Ameer Ali Mohamed Shihabdeen – State Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Economic Affairs Abdullah Maharoof – Deputy Minister of Ports and Shipping
The
regime change that took place in January 2015 has brought about unprecedented
and shocking changes to Sri Lanka at virtually every level. In all probability
those that make up what we were then promised was good governance – yahapalana,
maybe themselves grinning & bearing the changes which they too know are
threats to Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. Their pride will never allow them to admit
their folly or will to reverse them or probably the exposure of the handouts
given may be used as threat against them. Be that as it may it is important we
take stock of the situation. We cannot allow an island nation with such a proud
history to become a slave state when at no time in history Sri Lanka had been
invaded except for those that gifted the island nation to foreign forces for
their own personal gains.
Infiltration
It
is clear that every public office has been infiltrated with their stooges
placed in important positions leaking classified information, helping obtain
sensitive information etc. We have noted the traitors in foreign ministry,
elections commission, parliament, important ministries, even secretaries &
senior officials have probably been tapped. All of them must be investigated at
a future date & exposed.
Foreigners drafting our Legislations
The
revelation by the Central Bank Governor at the PSC confirmed that the CB was
not consulted on the monetary exchange bills passed in parliament &
immediately raises the question – who then drafted the Bills that Parliament
controversially passed often without a majority vote? The land privatization
act is another such Bill that had been drafted by foreigners with local names
plugged for cosmetic purposes. Bills have got passed controversially and its
removal now requires 2/3 majority. This cannot be accepted.
We
have to also realize that all those who planned, funded & executed the
regime change of January 2015 did so with a bigger plan and it was far more
than getting rid of Rajapakse. These plotters are unlikely to wish to give up
all that they had spent time & money on. Understandably, they have
increased the accelerator to fast forward their plans & implement them
through the puppets they have placed in power before the puppets are overthrown
at the next election. So we have to now be more conscious of what they will
plan to do next – obviously they are playing with different sets of plans,
putting forward different groups of people, all with back up plans as well. We
need to begin guessing what these likely scenarios are and how to handle them.
The
Opposition has a formidable task ahead of them. They cannot do this alone but
they must take the stewardship on behalf of the people. Staying silent so as
not to anger the external parties plotting against the country is something our
voters are today smart enough to read through.
The
Opposition must be mindful that just as the voters are fed up with the ruling
government they are not so gaga about the Opposition unless they present a plan
for how they are going to take Sri Lanka out of the mess the present government
has put the country in.
The
Opposition must also take into account that various initiatives are already
being rolled out to break the votes. The Opposition must ensure that the voters
are not taken for another ride of lies and bogus promises like last time.
How
do we address this? Firstly, it is important for all to realize that the
‘ethnic’ ‘minority’ card will be used in different formats closer to elections
with more power.
The
Sinhalese are today quite disgusted with how the minorities have misused and
abused the Sinhalese. Yes, in 1983 Tamils were attacked. No, the Tamils were
not attacked by Sinhalese. Yes, the Tamils were attacked by goons despatched by
the UNP. These thugs did not have any ethnicity or religion – they were just
overjoyed about looting homes. Yes, Tamils got an opportunity to go overseas as
refugees. No, the Tamils that went as refugees were not ALL victims of 1983,
they just made use of the slogan to apply & gain refugee status. This
‘discrimination’ sing song has been drummed enough & more times. Sinhaless
have kept silent because they knew that minorities were simply wanting to go to
a western country & start a better life & help their families. But, when
this lie is repeatedly told & now people are paid to be trained to cry
& accuse Sinhalese of crimes they did not commit, we think it is now time
to stop the lies. Sinhalese are really fed up being used as a battering ram for
other people’s agendas. It’s just not fair by the Sinhalese and we are thankful
that some minorities are also realizing this now.
Ask the minority alliances to produce evidence of
discriminations & their solutions (begin a dialog before coming to power)
The
Opposition having made alliances with various minority ethnic parties must
immediately assign them to present what they perceive are minority grievances
& what they perceive to be the solutions based on the premise that no right
can be demanded if it infringes on the rights & freedoms of others.
This
document is important for it should be used as a basis for the Opposition to
reach out to the minorities & present to them what their own people have
proposed.
It
would be good for the Opposition to prepare a list of questions that these
minority alliances must answer.
We
need to somehow put to rest this bogus notion of minorities being discriminated
or facing discriminations because they are a minority.
This
is also a good way to filter minority parties who for political advantage are
part of the Opposition and not for any other reason.
It
is important for the Opposition to implement this for this will nullify any
attempts by external forces to drum ethnic racial beats closer to elections.
Report on every Bill passed by Yahapalana since January
2015
The
Opposition must also appoint a high-profile Committee of experts to study every
Bill that the Yahapalana Govt has passed in Parliament and circulars or gazette
notifications issued so that a clear picture will be seen as to who drafted the
proposals and to whose advantage these proposals are and it will be crystal
clear that all of the proposals passed as Bills have been produced by foreign
lawyers, foreign experts, IMF/WB/ADB officials and a plethora of transnational
corporate lobbyists who are experts are implementing neocolonial agendas in
developing nations.
All
of these Bills that the government has happily implemented via the budgets
presented have nothing of value for Sri Lankan citizens except for some $
handout shown as investment after which the foreign companies end up draining
Sri Lanka of its resources and plundering whatever we have left. Money is
slowly eating up our sovereignty because we have a bunch of politicians unable
to understand how the global sharks function. The dangerous implications of the
Bills passed simplified & presented to the People will make them understand
the plight the country is in & who brought the country to this status.
Opposition must now NAME & SHAME
This
is no time to be playing buddy buddy with politicians in Parliament. The
Opposition has a major role to play and it is not to simply come to power. From
the 19a to all of the illegal and dangerous Acts that have been passed the
Opposition MPs must divide subject matter and bring out these treacheries to
the public. This is far better election campaigning than simply shouting and
pointing fingers at each other.
People
today want facts & evidence, the Opposition must now give them that. With a
rising floating vote, people disillusioned and angry with the CHANGE that was
promised & was never meant to be given, the People are waiting for an
opportunity to take their revenge. The Opposition must now educate the voters
to help them decide.
If
the Opposition wants to come to power, they must realize that winning an
election is not enough. They must have a plan to either nullify all of the
detrimental agreements signed or a means to neutralize their effect on Sri
Lanka & its people.
The
Opposition is dreaming if it thinks that the People are voting for them just to
get rid of the present government if the Opposition plans to continue all that
the present Government has passed. The people are not interested in exchanging
the pillow unless the contents of the pillow they are changing has something
better to offer them.
Opposition Leader,
Opposition Presidential Candidate & Opposition – The ball is in your court
The name of Gotabaya Rajapaksha spread in the political
arena in Sri Lanka like a wildfire. This name blows island wide within a
very short period uplifting the downfallen people’s mind. This political storm
spreading a huge amount of high hopes in peace-loving people’s minds and fear
and terrible feelings in underworld dirty gangs. The Sri Lankan people who are
terribly oppressed by the underworld government strongly expected a new
leadership for the liberation struggle. History shows us the people’s high
hopes, great expectations, and great feelings got the power to create strong
leadership to face crucial situations. We could see the new creation is
illuminating in Sri Lankan politics. This god gifted creation is a target for
both powers. Positive and negative powers fix their eyes on Gotabaya
Rajapaksha. Liberation forces keep exceptional expectations on him and the
traitors are having terrible painful sufferings.
This is not a playground. People must treat this is like a
war front. Our liberation forces must turn their faces to traitors direction
and investigate on their each and every single action with eagle eyes.
Desperate traitor uses all the weapons to stop the ongoing liberation struggle.
The enemy forces deploy everywhere, even inside our forces. The most important
thing at this stage is the protection of Gotabaya Rajapaksha. The people should
know the danger very well and they do not let Gotabaya Rajapaksha come out.
Our power is people. Sri Lankan people’s power is much
stronger than dirty international forces. We proved the whole world how much
power we are defeating the most ruthless terrorist organization. Within ten
years time, the enemy forces got the power to stand another terrorist group
against us. President Sirisena and PM Wickramasinghe used their all political
power to stand the terrible looking camel, but the Camel stands in front of the
Lion who killed the Tiger.
At this stage very important to understand the strategies of
enemy forces and their deployments. Their forces spread everywhere in the
country among us. Starting from the United Nations Organization, leading
western embassies and leading Muslim countries who engage in dirty wars in the
middle east are masterminding this dirty game. They are the foreign forces who
give all the strategies and the financial support for all terrorist activities
inside Sri Lanka. Their local forces are the government and all the government
mechanism, JVP, leading Tamil and Muslim parties, Labour unions, NGOs and
Students organizations. At the same time, they deploy their agents inside
Anti-government organizations too. This is a very huge network all these
organizations are working together. We must understand the enemy agents who are
living with us and trying to come into us. If we recognize and study all these
things wisely we could see the enemy strategies easily. That’s how we wrote an
article and published in the year 2016 regarding anticipated ISIS attacks in
Sri Lanka.
Now we have to prepare for another fight within a very short
period. Sometimes you might get a presidential election, sometimes not. It
depends on enemies strategies. All these things are in front of Sri Lankan
people. Anyway, the enemy wants to carry on this government without an
election. If they fail they will try to give false election results with the
support of election commission. We are giving all this information to you from
international experiences. we must get ready to face all these dirty
tricks.wisely.
Anger cannot give any solution for Sri Lankan peace-loving
people. Think wisely, flock together, get together, strongly stand with
Gotabaya Rajapaksha at this stage. You will reach to the winning post smoothly.
Contamination
is a term used for the action or state of making or being made impure by
polluting or poisoning. The target of this action of polluting or poisoning
could be food, water, human minds, passions, thoughts, feelings and countless
other things physical or metaphysical. I remember, somewhere in the first week
of May 2018, a Pakistani scholar Professor Shazia Ghaffar presented a paper at
the 3rd International Conference on Integrated Management for
Sustainable Development at Tunisia, Sousse. The presentation paper said, Water
is the most precious resource on the earth. Unfortunately, advancement in
technology is resulting in the deterioration of quality of water by
contaminating it and this contamination is a direct threat to the food chain
which guarantees the quality of human life.” It means advancement in any field
of life does not make sure the enhancement in quality of life. A bitter truth
is that things are getting painfully complicated rather contaminated with the
so-called human progress. The sublime social values and serene human traditions
seem breathing their last. Just for trivial worldly gains we are contaminating
rather distorting the pure essence of life.
Terrorism
is also an act which is contaminating and disfiguring all societies. Though terrorists
are no doubt the most heinous characters in this rapidly contaminating world
but more horrible are the faces of those who patronize the terrorists; the master-minds
behind every act of terrorism. If we analyze the case of the Indian Naval
Officer Kalbhushan Yadav, we find the master-mind behind is the government of
India; always supervising and patronizing him in accomplishment of his heinous
plans. It is a more painful reality that the government of India tried all its
best to label this terrorist by labeling him as innocent. Thank God that the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) did not fall a prey to the crocodile tears
in case of Kalbhushan Yadav. The recent verdict of the International Court of
Justice against Commander Kalbhushan Yadav has simply shown to the world that
no terrorist deserves any sympathy or kindness. In other words the honourable
court has given a line of action to the world that the terrorists must
everywhere be treated as criminals as they are responsible for contamination of
a society.
‘Founded
on June 26, 1945 in San Francisco, California, United States, the International
Court of Justice is ranked as the principal judicial organ of the United
Nations. Its primary functions are to settle international legal disputes and
give advisory opinions on legal issues referred to it by the UN’, says a report
on ICJ. Taking the Kalbhushan case to the International Court of Justice is
itself a step of the Indian government largely criticized everywhere. People
are asking if the arrest of Kalbhushan Yadav was really an international legal
dispute. The story of Commander Kalbhushan is very simple, without any legal
complexities or diplomatic confusions. Kalbhushan is a proven officer of Indian
security services who traveled to Pakistan for more than 17 times with a fake
identity. He himself admitted in his confession statement after his arrest that
he was on a mission assigned to him by Indian Intelligence Agencies. He being a
very competent officer performed his duties marvelously and set up a very integrated
type of net-work in Pakistan to disturb the peaceful social atmosphere of the
country. His target areas were Balochistan and Sind specifically. He was arrested in the Pakistani province
of Balochistan. The government of Pakistan provided his mother and wife an
opportunity of meeting him in a very respectable manner. According to the
international rules and regulations, a terrorist could not be given the
facility of meeting his country’s consular, so this terrorist was also not
given this facility. A legal case was registered against him after very careful
investigations. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to death.
Commander Kalbhushan filed a mercy-petition which is still under consideration
of the honorable President of Pakistan. In short Pakistan did no injustice to
this Commander of the Indian Security Services. Even then, the government of
India dragged the matter to the International Court of Justice but there was
nothing the International Court of Justice could do. The Indian government simply wasted its time
and money over a useless matter. Certainly the Modi government will have to
clarify its position to the people for this wastage of time and money. Pakistan
being a peace-loving and international law-abiding country would certainly keep
in mind the directions given by the ICJ in Kalbhushan case not as a compulsion
but simply for the supremacy of international harmony. Recently, keeping in
view the same sublime spirit, the Government of Pakistan has decided to grant
consular access to the Commander Kalbhushan as Pakistani law does not stop it
from doing so. Hopefully this kindness of the Government of Pakistan would be
portrayed as a ‘legal-success’ in India but realities are realities and they
could never be buried under the dirt of false hue and cry.
New Delhi: The Easter Sunday bombings case in Sri Lanka is likely to be the first case for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe after Parliament amended an Act empowering it to investigate terror cases abroad, officials said on Sunday.
With Parliament giving its nod to the the National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill on 17 July and the law ministry issuing a notification in this effect on 25 July, the first case to be investigated abroad is going to be Sri Lanka blasts, a home ministry official privy to the development said.
File photo of St. Sebastian’s Church after the Easter Sunday blasts. A Gamage/101Reporters
A two-member team of the NIA had visited Sri Lanka in May and had held discussions with authorities there about claims that some terrorists, owning allegiance to the dreaded terror group Islamic State (IS), had travelled to India, including Kashmir. However, so far the NIA has not been able to register any case due to lack of its jurisdiction. But with the amended law, the agency can probe the case, the official said.
The amended Act gives powers to the NIA to probe terror attacks targeting Indians, Indian interests abroad and having links with India. The latest amendments will enable the NIA to additionally investigate offenses related to human trafficking, counterfeit currency, manufacture or sale of prohibited arms, cyber-terrorism, and offenses under the Explosive Substances Act, 1908. A special court in New Delhi will preside over such cases, according to the amendments.
Over 250 people were killed when nine suicide bombers carried out a series of blasts in Sri Lanka on 21 April.
Before the Easter Sunday bombings, India had alerted the island nation that IS terrorists were planning to carry out strikes there. India had been regularly sharing intelligence inputs about a possible terror attack in Sri Lanka targeting the Indian High Commission and religious places there, officials said. The inputs to Sri Lanka were sent through diplomatic channels.
Earlier, the NIA had stumbled upon videos of National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) leader Zahran Hashim during the investigation of a terror case and the videos were indicative of a terror attack on religious places as well as the Indian High Commission in Colombo, officials said. Hashim was among the nine suicide bombers who carried out the series of blasts in Sri Lanka.
The videos showed Hashim asking youths from Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to establish an Islamic rule in the region.
After the blasts in Sri Lanka, the NIA had arrested 29-year-old Riyas A, also known as Riyas Aboobacker or Abu Dujana, a resident of Palakkad in Kerala.He is alleged to be in touch with Hashim on social media platforms, the officials said. The accused had disclosed during investigations that he had been following speeches of Hashim for more than a year and has also followed the speeches delivered by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, currently based in Malaysia.
According to inputs with the central agencies, Hashim had spent time in India last year during which he attempted to influence youths in Tamil Nadu and Kerala to join him.
Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, the commander of the Sri Lankan Army, had claimed that the suicide bombers had travelled to some cities in India, including Kashmir. “They (the suspects) have gone to India, they’ve gone to Kashmir, Bangalore, they’ve travelled to Kerala state. Those are the information available with us,” he had told BBC in May.
However, the Jammu and Kashmir Police had denied it and had asked Sri Lankan authorities to share more information about it.
Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith feared that the investigations into the 21 April Easter Sunday bombings would be swept under the carpet and added that the attacks were part of an ‘international conspiracy’.
Cardinal Ranjith was addressing a special mass at the newly renovated Katuwapitiya Roman Catholic Church, where some 115 persons perished and scores of others were injured as an Islamic Jihadist carried out a bloody suicide bomb attack.
He said, the political leaders have failed in their duty and are more interested in meeting the agendas of their foreign masters.
He added that the 21 April attacks were purely an international conspiracy that favours human rights defenders and Non-Governmental Organisations, and the Government should not support their agendas.
Even before the Easter Sunday attacks, the extremists had emerged in Mawanella and Wanathawillu but the Government and the State security agencies did very little to arrest the growing trend.
More recently, a Special Human Rights Envoy from the United Nations (UN) was in the country but instead of visiting the survivors and victims of the 21 April attacks he had opted to look into the welfare of the Islamic Jihadists currently in custody and Dr. Shafi Shiabdeen. The UN works to a particular agenda and this Body thinks it could control the entire world,” the Cardinal said.
He added that the National Security Council has not convened since October 2018.
The Muslim community in the country should not be penalised or made to feel guilty over the Easter Sunday carnage.
These attacks were carried out by a small group of misled youth, who were a part of a wider international conspiracy with a draconian agenda,” Cardinal Ranjith said.
Lotus-bud to bloom
The first invitation to the National Convention of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) was ceremonially handed over to Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa last morning at his Wijerama Mawatha residence.
The SLPP signed a Memorandum of Understanding with 10 recognised political parties that are not represented in Parliament. The MoU was signed under the auspices of Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa at his official residence at Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo. The event was named Susanyogaya”. The MoU was signed by the United Tamil Freedom Front, Ceylon Workers United Front, Mawbima Janatha Party, Illawar Democratic Front, Nawa Sinhala Urumaya, Muslim Ulama Party, Democratic National Movement, Bhumi Puthra Party, the Liberal Party and the United Lanka Maha Sabhawa. Four parties that supported the United National Front in the 2015 Presidential Election were also among the parties that signed the MoU.
Speaking at the event, Rajapaksa said that it is their duty to defeat the Government on behalf of the unborn generations as they are destroying and selling off land in the country. He further said that when the Government sold the port saying that they had a rock in the middle of it, for billions of rupees, that they had not paid the loans back.
The Opposition Leader further said that no one knows what was done with this money because Ranil Wickremesinghe got a Minister from the SLFP to sell off the port.
He says that when Arjuna Ranatunga had refused to sign the document, Wickremesinghe got a Minister from the SLFP to sign it. Further, former President said that although the 19th Amendment was introduced the President claims to not even see it, while also saying that there were many reasons to conduct the process of approval under wraps which ultimately swung back to the UNP who are now trying to bring in the 20th Amendment.
He added that the Government does not have the right to change the Constitution again and that their Government which would come to power next will be the one that holds the right to amend the Constitution again.
Meanwhile, Parliamentarian Chamal Rajapaksa said that he has still not taken a firm decision on contesting the forthcoming Presidential Poll.
He made this remark when journalists sought his views on Wednesday (24) on whether he had taken a decision on contesting the next Presidential Poll.
Meanwhile, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa who was in Singapore after undergoing surgery returned home on 23 July night.
Walking down memory lane
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Maithripala Sirisena were seen together at two separate events last Friday (26). Both were present at the Khettarama R. Premadasa Stadium where thousands of cricket fans gathered to bid adieu to legendary fast bowler Lasith Malinga as he played his last ODI.
Earlier of the day the duo along with Speaker Karu Jayasuriya was seen taking a trip down memory lane at the maiden exhibition of the Photojournalists Association of Sri Lanka (PASL) titled ‘Mass Media Photo Exhibition’ at the J. D. A. Perera Art Gallery at Horton Place.
President Sirisena and Opposition Leader Rajapaksa were recalling to memory and describing each photograph with additional background stories to others including Speaker Jayasuriya. Rajapaksa was all smiles when the two of them stood in front of a photograph in which handcuffed MP Namal Rajapaksa was seen being escorted by law enforcement authorities. He must have told the President something like Oh this was when your Government arrested my son, Namal.”
Seeking divine help
While the two leaders were busy, attending various events in the country, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his wife Maithree Wickremesinghe performed ‘Nava Chandi Homa’ and offered special prayers to Goddess Sri Mookambika at Kollur on Friday.
Due to inclement weather, Wickremesinghe, accompanied by an eight-member team, had to travel by road from Mangalore International Airport. The entourage was accorded a grand welcome on the Mookambika Temple premises by Udupi Deputy Commissioner Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, SP Nisha James, officials and temple representatives, Indian media reported
Wickremesinghe and his wife Maitree reached Kollur at 11:10 a.m. and were whisked to the RNS Guest House. He arrived at the temple at 11:30 am and took part in the religious rituals held inside the temple. Maithree is said to be the devotee of the Goddess.
Later, the temple’s Chief Priest Dr K.N. Narasimha Adiga, under whose guidance the Homa was performed, told media persons that the Sri Lankan Premier performed the ‘Nava Chandi Homa’. The homa had begun on Thursday at 8 a.m. and the ‘Purnahuti’ (end of Homa) was performed at 12 noon on Friday.
He offered ‘Mahapooje’ to the Goddess after participating in Purnahuti. The Sri Lankan Prime Minister prayed for the welfare of his people in his country. He also prayed for peace and prosperity of the country. He also prayed for a better political future. He promised to visit the temple again after some time,” Dr. Adiga has said.
The couple participated in the ‘Rathothsava’. An ‘Archane’ in the name of the couple was also performed. Dr. Adiga said Kollur Mookambika Temple and Shankari Devi shrine in Sri Lanka are parts of Shakthi Peeta. Both are essential parts of the Mukhya Peeta. Both the Peetas have their own significance. Both India and Sri Lanka share a bonding since the times of Ramayan,” he added.
Wickremesinghe was also accompanied by PSO Ashoka Yatigammana, Sergeant PMSD, Sunil Ratnayake, Physician Dr. Sanka Gunavardhane, Deputy High Commissioners from Chennai V. Krishnamurthy and Yasontha D’Silva. The couple was at the temple for an hour and were served delicious prasadam at the guest house.
The couple left the temple immediately after the pooja and after staying at the guest house for some time. They departed at 2 p.m. En-route, Wickremesinghe had boarded a helicopter at Areshiroor and proceeded to Kasargod. Tight security was in place all along from the airport to Kollur and all the establishments were shut down as a precautionary measure. Wickremesinghe had visited the temple and had participated in the ‘Shata Chandi Havana’ in November 2017.
PM Wickremesinghe’s visit to India for religious rituals incidentally falls in the same time the opposition against his presidential candidacy within the party is also on the rise.
The UNP Parliamentarians’ Group Meeting last week reportedly reached explosive levels with UNP Chiarman Minister Kabir Hashim saying Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa should be nominated as the presidential candidate because the UNP could not afford to lose this time.
Hashim is reported to have taken a swipe at the party hierarchy for planning to form an alliance with the like-minded parties without his knowledge and said he learned about such an alliance through the media.
However, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe responded saying that Hashim was privy to talks conducted in this regard.
Several Ministers including Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Ashok Abeysinghe, Harin Fernando and Eran Wickramaratne are said to have expressed their support to the views expressed by Hashim.
Wickremesinghe said he would take a decision at the right time after consulting the other party leaders.
Meanwhile, a group of UNP Ministers are planning to initiate a peaceful intervention, at the inauguration of the new UNP-led alliance, known as the Democratic National Front (DNF), on 5 August, to make Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa the candidate for the next presidential poll, sources at Sirikotha claimed.
They said, on that date these UNP Ministers are planning to bring down scores of Party supporters to the Sugathadasa Stadium, to exert pressure on the party leadership to make Premadasa the presidential candidate.
Minister Kabir Hashim had, at a recent meeting at Sirikotha, proposed that Premadasa be made the candidate. He was backed by Ministers Malik Samarawickrama, Harin Fernando, Thalatha Atukorale, Sujeewa Senasinghe, and Ajith P. Perera.
However, during that meeting, Minister Ravi Karunanayake had insisted that the UNP candidate has to be the choice of a majority of Party members.
Meanwhile, it has been decided to give the reins of the soon to be formed Democratic National Front (DNF) to UNP Leader Wickremesinghe. Source said that it has also been proposed to appoint Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratna, who had worked tirelessly from behind the scenes towards the formation of the new political alliance as its Secretary. However, this proposal has not been received too well by the party strongmen.
Maithri and Mahinda to meet
Meanwhile, President Sirisena, and Opposition Leader Rajapaksa are to meet soon for bilateral talks in a bid to iron out several key issues. The meeting was discussed at the SLFP Central Committee meeting last week, in which several senior SLFP members have pointed out that they are losing strong SLFP Parliamentarians to the SLPP increasingly.
They have also pointed out that if this continues the plight of the Party will be in dire situation, thus needs to address it soon.
President Sirisena on the other hand, has instructed the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to seek the opinion of the Supreme Court on the order of conducting the upcoming provincial council and presidential election.
These instructions had been issued during SLFP Central Committee meeting, UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera said.
During the meeting, the President, who is also Chairman of the SLFP, had pointed out that the Elections Commission has been insisting that the provincial polls should be held first. Meanwhile, President Sirisena had also advised his party members to continue their talks with the SLPP, in order to face the elections as an alliance under a common banner.
One-time top government trade negotiator Gomi Senadhira, yesterday, called for tangible measures to solve the importantation of the British garbage to Sri Lanka. Senedhira, who had previously warned the government of dire consequences of importing of garbage of all sorts in accordance with the Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SL-SFTA) said tough measures were required. Senadhira expressed his views in the wake of Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera revealed in Parliament last Friday UK garbage imports began in 2017.
“Stop the controversial process now or face an unprecedented crisis,” Senadhira, who served successive governments over a period of 32 years as a commercial diplomat told The Island.
The former Director General of Commerce (2009-2011) and Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (2004-2006), Senadhira called the much-touted agreement on UK garbage imports a total sell-out.
Senadhira had served in Sri Lankan missions in Baghdad, Kuwait, Moscow, Geneva, Washington (1998-2001)Brussels (2001-2003) before returning home to assume duties as Director General of Commerce.
Senadhira issued the following statement: “Just three months ago, President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to ‘declare war’ on Canada. The reason was simple – Canadian garbage. Over one hundred containers of them.
“So, in a hard-hitting speech, the president of the Philippines warned “I will declare war against them. I will advise Canada that your garbage is on the way. Prepare a grand reception.” During his speech, the president not only threatened to ship containerloads of garbage back to Canada but also warned that he would dump some of the garbage at Canada’s embassy in Manila. That was tough language, even for Duterte, a man known for using the language of a street fighter than that of a statesman. But then I suppose his frustration is perfectly understandable and it was the time for a tough talk with Canada. Over one hundred shipping containers filled with Canadian garbage had been rotting in a port near Manila, for nearly six years. All the previous attempts to ship them back to Canada had failed.
“Now, we have finally joined the ranks of the garbage importing nations, sorry recycling nations, and with over one hundred containers filled with British garbage rotting in our port, most for nearly two years, it is easy to recognize the eerie similarities between the two situations. Given the predicament we are in there are important lessons to be learned from the Filipino experience with the garbage without borders. So, let me briefly sum up what happened in the Philippines.
” From June 2013 to January 2014 nearly one hundred containers arrived in the Philippines from Canada. Most of them were declared to contain recyclable plastic scrap materials. The containers were not claimed by the consignee and in January 2014 customs opened some of the containers, as part of measures regard to shipment not claimed for a long period, and discovered garbage including, plastic bottles, plastic bags, household garbage, and even used adult diapers. Then the customs decided not to open the rest of the containers as those also may contain hazardous waste.
“All this is very similar to our own experience with imported British garbage. What happened after that?
“In February 2014, just a few weeks after the containers were open the customs filed smuggling complaint against the company which allegedly imported the garbage shipment and its licensed Customs brokers. In March 2014, the Department of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to the Canadian Embassy in the Philippines requesting for assistance in shipping the garbage back to Canada.
“But then, the Canadian government refused to take the garbage back as it “… has no domestic or international authority to compel the shipper to return the shipment to Canada,” and suggested that they “would like to explore with the Philippines options for processing the rest of the shipment – in accordance with Philippine law – in the Philippines.” To make matters worse, then-president Benigno Aquino III did not even discuss the issue of the illegally shipped Canadian garbage when he met with then Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper during a state visit in May 2015. Aquino – the scion of a political family, unlike his successor, was a genteel politician and he too believed the issue has to be addressed locally.
“After that nothing, much happened other than the exchange of polite diplomatic notes and dumping of part of the garbage (26 containers) in a local landfill in spite of protests from environmental groups. Towards the end of the year, the new Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who visited Manila to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November 2015, was also non-committal on the garbage issue as there was “… a problem that needs fixing within our own legislation,” and believed “there are loopholes here that were allowed to be skirted that we need to make sure we close, both for Canada’s interest and for our good relationships with our neighbours.”
“It took Trudeau two more years to agree that it was “theoretically” possible for Canada to bring back the containers as “Those regulations and those impediments (which prevented Canada from taking back the trash) have now been addressed,” … However, he continued to emphasize that there were other issues to iron out – like who will shoulder the costs of shipping back the trash to the country of origin.
“Wheels also turned in the Philippines (though very slowly almost like in Canada). In June 2018 the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the suspension of the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary in connection with the shipment as he had “… acted with gross inexcusable negligence.” In November 2018 they finally appointed a technical working group composed of representatives from the Departments of justice, environment, foreign affairs, and customs to resolve the issue.
“Though the governmental wheels turned slowly environment activists and NGOs backed by the international activists and NGOs continued to lobby with Trudeau to take back the garbage as the shipment of garbage violated the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal…a convention, ratified by both Canada and the Philippines. They also continued their demonstrations outside the Canadian embassy.
” But garbage continued to rot in the port. So, by April 2019 President Rodrigo Duterte obviously was at the end of his tether and declared “‘Yung basura ng (The garbage of) Canada, I want a boat prepared. I give a warning to Canada, maybe next week, they better pull their thing up or I will set sail sa (to) Canada, ibuhos ko basura nila doon (I will dump their garbage there), … I’ll declare war against them, isauli ko talaga tingnan mo (I will really return that, you’ll see),… I will advise Canada that your garbage, prepare a grand reception. Eat it if you want to.”
“Having done that, he gave Canada deadline to take back their garbage – May 2019. When Canada rejected it Duterte recalled the Philippine’s Ambassador to Canada and instructed to ship the containers across the Pacific and dump them in Canadian waters, if necessary.
“That solved the problem the garbage left the Philippines on June 1 for a voyage across the Pacific Ocean to Metro Vancouver incinerator.
“The final cost to Canadian taxpayers was C$1.14 million for shipping and another $375,000 for the garbage to be burned in the incinerator. What can we learn from the Filipino experience? What is the way forward?
“Be tough. A threat to ‘declare war’ or to recall the high commissioner may not be required, at this stage. But polite diplomatic notes may not deliver the required result. This is an issue that should be dealt at the highest level – PM to PM. Take action against those who were responsible, including the officials who facilitate such activities. Close the loopholes in our laws, regulations and bilateral agreements (such as FTA with Singapore) that allow garbage to move into Sri Lanka.
Don’t expect the government to solve the problem that they have created. Environmental activists and NGOs need to get involved. Use this opportunity to promote public awareness against the import of garbage. Launch a local and global campaign (with the support of international NGOs and activists) to send the garbage back.
Former People’s Alliance MP M M Zuhair, PC, yesterday, warned that proposed Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) would transform Sri Lanka into a US military facility.
Zuhair, who was a onetime top Attorney General’s Department officer and envoy to Teheran during the PA/UPFA administration said that the Acqusition and Cross Servicing Agreemment (ACSA) had been finalized in early August 2017.
Zuhair, who backed Maithripala Sirisena’s campaign at the last presidential election said:
“SOFA, proposed by the US, temporarily stayed by the President, would create a ‘separate state’, having an independent power structure for the US military and its contractors, within the territory of Sri Lanka. The following is the text of President’s Counsel Zuhair’s response to The Island queries as regards SOFA: “That state will be run from Washington by the US Defense Department. The Sri Lankan government, it’s Parliament, the country’s judiciary it’s armed forces or the Police will have no say, under the published agreement, over the US armed forces entering Sri Lanka at their will and pleasure, freely transiting, exiting or remaining without exiting, within any part of the territory of Sri Lanka in vehicles, vessels and aircrafts, wearing uniforms, armed with communication equipment and weapons.
“The unwritten objective of the proposed agreement would be for the US to obtain from Sri Lanka, the non-consultative status of using at any time, any part of the Sri Lankan territory, as a permanent or transit point for the military activities the US is habitually and perennially engaged in, outside the Western world.
“For the first time, fully armed American men and women can freely move within any part of Sri Lanka, as persons above Sri Lankan laws, if Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana PC replies, without reservations, the forces agreement proposed by the US Embassy in Colombo. US armed forces can move anywhere in the island both individually as well as collectively with arms and ammunition. All the recognised ingredients that constitute a technologically virtual ‘separate State’, though an unrefined concept in international law are to be found sandwiched in SOFA.
“With SOFA in hand, the Americans do not require a military ‘base’ in Sri Lanka’s Eastern city of Trincomalee or elsewhere here, because the whole island will be a US controlled super State operating above the Sri Lankan laws and State. The consequences would be the country will abdicate its sovereignty, in respect of an unprecedented list of powers exercisable by the Sri Lankan State, to the US President and his successors. US money power will also enjoy structural facilities in the island that can be used to influence future elections. Eventually the US might want a puppet regime elected or installed to consolidate more effectively and permanently its presence in this admittedly strategic location.
“As per the agreement, the US armed forces and its civilian components, while in Sri Lanka, will not be subject to Sri Lankan criminal or civil laws, hitherto applicable under the Visiting Forces Act No 31 of 1949. Several other privileges are available for US defense contractors. The list of US contractors is open ended. It will include contractors signing with the US Defense Department in the future and the future employees of the contractors, over whom Sri Lanka will have no control. The US armed forces and its civilian personnel will be governed only by US laws while enjoying privileges, exemptions and immunities in Sri Lanka that even the country’s Head of State, our Mahanayake Theros or Sri Lanka’s Judges or Generals do not have.
“Lately, we have seen the US over active in Sri Lanka under colour of joint military exercises. Almost every other month they are here. Enemies of the US in the Asian region, though pretending to be asleep, will soon fully wake up. Are we going to allow our country to be used for engineering external wars and internal conflicts?
“The US Ambassador here had tried to call the SOFA as the Visiting Forces Agreement. The one is entirely different from the other. In fact the Visiting Forces Act of 1949 is more than adequate to serve the objectives the Ambassador had been publicly posturing on this issue. She is yet to deny the document SOFA, already published in the Sri Lankan media. She has on the contrary claimed in a recent TV interview that the US is working on a new military pact with Sri Lanka to tackle ‘red tape’ in the island, citing the example of the 2017 floods here. The Visiting Forces Agreement and the Public Security Ordinance, the latter empowers Sri Lanka’s Head of State to declare emergencies, are adequate to receive any emergency assistance. But red tape is absolutely necessary to exercise due diligence before foreign forces are allowed into the country. SOFA is not limited to any emergency in Sri Lanka. It applies to any emergency the US is getting itself entangled in, presently in the Middle-East and very soon in Asia.
” The agreement is a clear threat to the national security of the country, particularly vis a vis competing international forces which the American government treats, from time to time, as its enemies.
“This country cannot afford to get dragged into the present or future wars that the US government has a devastating record of getting involved in third world countries. As the respected Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcom Ranjith said after the gruesome 21/4 suicide bombings, the West justifies, unjustified wars to market weapons and explosives manufactured by them. Regrettably it is the American arms industry that runs the US government and the world at large. Sri Lanka will have to pay a heavier price than the returns from exports to the US, when Sri Lanka is used by the US as a front line launching pad for its military operations, which could include wars in the Middle-East and Asia to confront its real and fake enemies.
The US will not give up the agreement so easily as some anticipate. No doubt the US can force its way. But to surrender in advance to the US, with its declared policy of ‘US interests first’ will turn out to be a national disaster. “
Muslim women’s rights organisations around the country yesterday urged the government to implement necessary reforms to Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA).
Veteran Human Rights Activist Deshabandu Jezima Ismail addressing the media conference said that MMDA has been widely discussed for a long period with the current act permitting child marriages in the country.
She recollected that there were many incidents in the past which women who had visited her for counselling because of oppressed situations in their lives due to the present act.
It is not only the laws. It is the legal system that has also broken down in the country,” she said.
She said that this issue has been running in the country for a long period of time and they had established the Muslim Research and Action Forum.
As it’s a man-made law, amendments are compulsory where there is a necessity,” Counsel Ermiza Tegal said at the conference.
She said that the act does not need a change in ‘bits and pieces’ which make no difference to Muslim women’s lives.
They also highlighted that Muslim lawmakers had agreed to a 14 points proposal to amend the MMDA in July but certain groups had protested on behalf of the reforms.
In their press release, the groups had pointed out several issues which needed reforms in the Act. They are:
Minimum age of marriage for all Muslims must be 18 without any exceptions.
Women should be eligible to be appointed as Quazis (a Muslim court judge), members of the Board of Quazis, marriage registrars, jurors, and registrars.
MMDA must apply to all Muslims irrespective of their sect.
Signature of both the bride and bridegroom is mandatory in an official marriage.
Mandatory registration required for the legal validity of a marriage.
Polygamy to be permissible only under exceptional circumstances, with just cause, under specific conditions including financial capacity, consent of all parties, and with court authorisation.
Procedures for divorce initiated by husband and wife must be the same.
Expand dowry to include immovable assets and make recoverable at the time of divorce. Granting and obtaining dowry without recording during marriage registration to be illegal and be subjected to a penalty.
Introduce, recognise, and facilitate the concept of the marriage contract to be entered into by a Muslim couple prior to marriage.
Upgrade the quality of the quazi court system as effective family-friendly courts by improving the qualifications of quazis to ensure efficient access to justice for women and men, and a robust monitoring mechanism. (
The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) will take legal action against those who imported the containers of industrial waste without the proper a licence resulting in a public outcry, CEA Director General Hemantha Jayasinghe said.
He said Hayleys Free Zone Ltd., ETL Colombo (Pvt) Limited and Ceylon Metal Processing Corporation (Pvt) Ltd, were responsible for the importing, reprocessing and re-exporting the consignment of industrial waste.
These companies had not obtained either the Environmental Protection License or the Hazardous Waste Management License from the CEA for such imports,” Mr Jayasinghe said.
He said the CEA had directed Hayleys Free Zone Ltd. also known as Advantis, to export the waste material to the country of origin with immediate effect and directed the company to take immediate steps to prevent any liquid or other effluents polluting the environment.
The CEA said the import of waste material needed the consent of the relevant country of origin on the basis that Sri Lanka is a signatory to the Basel Convention.
Meanwhile, Hayleys Free Zone Ltd (HFZ) said it had no connection to the 102 containers lying at the Port of Colombo, but said the company had processed and re-exported 29 containers out of the 130 container loads of used mattresses currently stored at the HFZ yard.
With regard to the 130 container loads of used mattresses, the company said they were imported by Ceylon Metal Processing Corporation (Pvt) Ltd., which was the actual owner of the cargo. (
With
presidential elections round the corner and increasingly drawing the attention
of all, there is a question the country must answer. Where are we after seventy
years of Independence? Where are we after seventy years of democracy and
universal suffrage: voting rights for all, men and women?
The three major upheavals since Independence in the method of governance of the country relate to SWRD, to JRJ, and to MaRa. One was focused inward, while the other was outward-oriented. That last was SELF-centered. The first was aimed at ‘bringing the top layers of society to the bottom’ and, theoretically at least paving the way for the bottom rung to reach the top. Therein lay the great expectancy of the masses. The first purpose was an apparent success. The second, however, was not.
The
inward politics pushed the theory of ‘apey
aanduwa’, even going to the extent of a pretentious control of the judicial
system with the ‘apey usawiya’
catchword. The three branches of government: legislature, executive and
judiciary were ‘apparently’ amalgamated within the ‘pancha maha balavegaya’ – the Sangha (Clergy), Veda (Physicians),
Guru (Teachers), Govi (Farmers) and Kamkaru (Workers). But the concept ultimately
was a flop.
When SWRD died, murdered by members of the first of the above-mentioned groups, power was taken back from the people, first by parliament, and then, by family rule. The widow of SWRD, the world’s first prime minister consolidated power in her hands, aided by members of the family: the Bandaranayake-Ratwatte clans. What her husband conceived as ‘apey aanduwa’ now blatantly became ‘magey pauley aanduwa’. Her period of office witnessed the first youth insurrection by the JVP, of poor village youth into whom so much hope had been infused but who remained bereft of resources and of a future worth aspiring to.
What the movement preconized was ultimately the communist model. It will be remembered that Sirima’s two major foreign trips were to China and Russia where she decried the politics of the ‘rapacious West’. What the two Bandaranayakes wanted to put in place was an economic structure in which all liberal professions would function under the total control of the State. But the State went bankrupt and was unable to deliver, this in spite of its stringent, even cruel measures to practice what it had preached. Those found in violation of the draconian exchange control laws, with those even very advanced in age, were bound to their hospital. beds in chains.
Those who were able to flee the country did so even reaching India in padda boats. These are deeds that bring to our minds the plight of present-day migrants trying to reach the USA. The inward movement went so backward, that the population was compelled to subsist on ala, batala and magngnocca during the final years of that rule. That system crashed.
And so the idea of pulling the top to the bottom met with resistance. This was amply symbolized in an encounter that took place between Mr.Themis who was a postal peon and gained election to parliament on the ‘bottom to top’ policy of the Bandaranayakes. He once met Sir John Kotelawela in the corridors or the Parliamentary complex and addressed Kotelawela with the words: Hello John. That inflamed every hair on the body of the laird of Kandawala. What Themis next got was a thundering slap with the words: to fellows like you I am always SIR JOHN. Indeed the Bandaranayake policies did change society in many ways. ‘Sir’ and ‘Madam’ appellations lost their place. They were replaced by ‘uncle’, ‘aunty’ and similar.
The Bandaranayake government under Sirima took anti-British steps that helped to darken the horizons making the demonic LTTE specter to pop up. She had the British naval bases of Colombo and Trinco closed. That was also the wish of India. By doing away with that protective shield on the high seas, Sirima left the ocean open for LTTE personnel to enter the North. The LTTE had India’s help to the extent of having LTTE training camps in spite of the closely fostered relationship between Sirima and Indira. It was during the Sirima regime that Alfred Duraiappa, the SLFP mayor of Jaffna was gunned down by Prabhakaran himself which was the first open act of war by the LTTE.
In
addition to shoving the British aside, Sirima’s government also set aside the
British Privy council, Sri Lanka’s final court of appeal, from our judicial
system. This was the first and predominant step of placing our judicial system
on the slope of descent towards the degradation it presently finds itself in.
But prior to the LTTE bursting on the scene, it was the JVP revolt that broke loose. The poor, down-trodden village youth, even university students of the same breed without any foreseeable future, staged a coup, which, with support of India and even the European countries and the USA which Sirima had distanced herself from was crushed. Tens of thousands of such youth, including young monks, were brutally killed.
Mrs. B’s party was wiped out of power, being reduced to just eight seats with the lady herself having to face severe legal consequences for misdeeds.
The man who defeated her was literally voted into power by ‘hungry stomachs’. One of his first acts was to constitutionalize dictatorship. Surely he would have been inspired by Sirima’s family rule which was dictatorial all but in the name. With JRJ government did not become a family business because JRJ had no progeny with political ambitions. And so it became a ‘one-man show’.
He turned the Sirima economic policies inside out. JRJ turned the economy completely outward. The new trademark was a ‘free economy’. For a time all went well. The markets were flooded with goods and goodies. But there was a price to pay: subservience to the ‘International Community’ which primarily meant the USA and the European Community.
Then there was the ever-lurking danger gathering more and more strength, on the horizon. It took the form of the demon that was the LTTE. That demon was worshipped by all Tamil parties, including the Tamil Catholic clergy who even gave leadership to the war drums without a word of protest by their peers,
The outward trend led to abject servility to foreign powers, including India. And here JRJ was to learn a bitter lesson. He was called ‘yanky dicky’ and counted heavily on the USA. But Sri Lanka was not that close to the USA for pretentions of a personal relationship. He also fell out of favour with Indira who was promoting the LTTE. With the Indians under Rajiv hell-bent on invading our Island, JRJ could not count on the USA to stop it. The USA was more aligned with India than with Sri Lanka. JRJ felt compelled to bow his head to Indian dictates.
That
was the time of the infamous Indian invasion of Jaffna by air and sea and the
promulgation of the nefarious 13th Amendment. Making the Indian invasion as its
war cry, the JVP exploded in yet another armed insurrection crushed under
Premadasa rule. But the JVP had given a lead to the Tamil rebels. And so began
the Ealam war in earnest.
After years of war ups and downs, with the situation drawing more and more foreign attention all to the detriment of Sri Lanka, began the Rajapakse era. After much hesitance and goaded on by the Sangha, very reminiscent of the Duttu Gemunu era, Raja finally trod the warpath. Aided by very favourable international circumstances, especially the 9/11 in the USA, and the Bombay terrorist attacks by Pakistanis, all leading to the international banning of the LTTE heralded by George Bush, Raja won the war.
The country was in a state of euphoria. Epitomizing it all, Raja returning to the country from a trip abroad, knelt before the eyes of the nation and kissed the ground of Mother Lanka. He recapped the new reality with a resonating address to parliament. The song that expressed the gratitude of the nation went on the waves through the lips of a comely maiden. She was shown, her hands turned upwards as if invoking god almighty himself, and crying out in song: Ayubowewa Maha Rajaneni.
Everything seemed to have good forebodings. But the trend of dictatorship by family rule introduced by Mrs. B and incorporated into the constitution by JRJ as a one-man show reached its apex point under the Rajapakse family rule. His family rule became unashamedly blatant and overt. His family members were so numerous that he did not have enough posts to satisfy their ambitions for wealth and power. He had knelt in the gesture of adoration to kiss the feet of Mother Lanka. But what Raja kissed on that historical day was not the feet of Mother Lanka, but his own image in the mirror of himself. It was only an act of narcissism and nothing more.
Nothing else could satisfy Raja now but the title MahaRaja. The culmination of that trend was the impending law that was the 18th amendment before which his entire followership bowed its head. He was the king. That kingship was for life, for himself and his progeny. The authoritarianism of the Raja family rules visibly derived from the Sinhala monarchy. That right he wanted to write into the constitution with the 18th amendment. Furthermore, the King could do no wrong, And so MahaRaja and especially his brother Gotabhaya engaged in excesses unprecedented in every sense.
But these excesses were too much for the nation to accept. All this was combined with mysterious deaths and disappearances, and drastic manipulations of the judiciary leading to the shameless ouster of a chief justice who had refused to comply led to Raja’s fall. And so Raja fell. Indeed great was his fall. First, he had counted on the dubious foresight of a soothsayer. Finally, he was stabbed in the back by a Brutus of his entourage. This was an act of betrayal unlike one ever seen before in a democratic country. Sira, Raja’s Brutus committed that immoral act on the prodding and invitation mainly of one also aspiring to rulership. He betrayed his boss at the immoral instigation of his boss’s rival: Ranil.
For Ranil the co-conspirator, Sira was intended to be a figurehead. Sira, to show his goodwill, promised before the Dalada Haamuduruwo that he would be a one-term president, a transitional president who would undertake the castration of his presidential powers, yielding them to the parliament of which the overlordship would ultimately be exercised by his co-conspirator the Prime Minister – Ranil.
Once
ascended to the throne seat, the promises, even those to the Dalada Vahanse, were knowingly and
willfully thrown overboard. The 19th amendment made a mockery of power
renouncement, and that was it. From then on the President felt relegated to the
back seat while the Prime Minister exercised authority with a bunch of his
friends who were old school mates. Ranil was exercising dictatorial rule. The
new club was not family (Ranil does not, like JRJ have a political progeny,
indeed no progeny at all), it was a friends’ club or still better a Royal
College club. Sira was forced to look on powerless even as the bond scam took
place in broad daylight before his very eyes. His admonitions to his Prime
Minister fell on deaf ears.
President
Sira could stand that no longer. With the complicity of his former boss whom he
had earlier betrayed, and his followers especially the brothers, he tried to
cut the feet from under Ranil. He appointed his former boss the Prime Minister
at an evening party whether with hoppers or not. The latter, the previous boss
was a total accomplice to the second immoral act of betrayal of Sira. The next
morning Ranil was informed and told to vacate Temple Trees. But Ranil stayed on
provoking a constitutional crisis.
For
long months the country had practically no government. The matter dragged on
and on. The country had become a rudderless ship. Those with pretentions of
power did not care a damn for the country: be it Sira, Ranil or Raja. The ship
of Lanka had been cut from its moorings and was adrift. The country had two
prime ministers holding fast to empty seats, with no cabinet, no ministers,
only nominal ones bereft of power. It was a country in a state of total chaos,
the concern of no one, certainly not of its elected representatives.
And
so the Supreme Court had to intervene. Sira was proved wrong. He had betrayed
both, his erstwhile master and his erstwhile benefactor. Most especially he had
betrayed the sacrosanct constitution of the country several times at that. As
for the erstwhile master and the erstwhile benefactor, they were both privy to
his immoral and illegal conduct. They both, with full knowledge and full
intention accepted the backstabbing of the one and the other. Yet as the
traditional and pithy Sinhala saying goes: they had no qualms in slipping the
venomous serpent inside their underwear.
———————–
It is a country with such a recent history that is once again at the crossroads. For whom are we going to vote? For the wizards of K-OZ on both sides of the aisle of parliament? Must we put immoral backstabbers and their equally immoral accomplices in the highest seat of power? Are we determined to go along in the same vehicles as of the past: the inward bound, the outward bound or the nowhere bound, passively led by donors and creditors with the country put out for lease or better like woman sold into prostitution? Or are we willing to try out the third force? The identification of this third force is within the reach of the Sinhala-Buddhist mind. It is that force that built the foundation on which our history, civilization, and culture rests, and has prospered for two thousand six hundred years. It is for that force together with its adepts to sort out the modalities of the leadership of the Sinhala-Buddhist nation. Indeed what is at stake is the very existence of the Sinhala-Buddhist nation.
One
thing is certain, this country has nothing whatsoever to lose by rejecting
Sira, Ranil and Mara and their respective bands of marauders. A glance at their
histories will show that they are not worth their salts. Now for what use is
salt that has lost its savor except to be thrown out into the garbage bin and
confined to the fire?
If
this is not done soon, we will already hear the raban girls heralding the next presidential election results with
their song: Udapalagaththath wattakka,
bima palagaththatha wattakka, udapalagaththath bimapalagaththath punchi punch
gedi wattakka.
Under the present system, Sri Lanka will always remain the land of the Wizards of K-OZ.
The contentious bill that would criminalise instant triple talaq was passed by Lok Sabha
Indian Muslim women rest inside Jama Masjid in New Delhi. The bill now faces the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) test – most of the fence-sitters who sided with the government today over the amendments to the landmark Right to Information Act, have said they oppose the bill on triple talaq.Image Credit: AP
The contentious Bill to ban the practice of triple talaq among Muslims and punish the guilty husband with three years jail was on Thursday passed by the Lok Sabha despite the opposition’s demand for its scrutiny by a Standing Committee.
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 which prohibits divorce by pronouncing talaq thrice in one occasion by their husbands was passed with 303 votes in favour and 82 against.
Replying to debate, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who moved the Bill for passage, said the legislation is not related to politics or religion, but “a matter of women’s dignity”.
He said that Muslim women themselves have come up to him to tell him that after this law comes to be, they will celebrate Eid and Independence Day.
Noting many evils among Hindus in the country, such as sati and dowry, were penalised, Prasad said that penal law acts as a deterrent.
He said the only relevant stakeholders when it comes to the Bill are the Muslim women, not the Muslim Boards in the country.
The Minister said the Bill that advocates three years jail for a husband who goes for Triple Talaq was needed to provide gender justice and equality.
Citing the Supreme Court’s 2017 verdict striking down the illegal practice and asking Parliament to bring a law over the issue, Prasad said that women were being divorced by ‘talaq-e-biddat’ which is against gender justice.
He said the apex court had noted that 20 Islamic countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan, Egypt and Tunisia had outlawed triple talaq. “And if they could do it, why cannot it be done in India which is a secular country?” he asked.
“The Supreme Court has said that triple talaq is arbitrary and unconstitutional and asked Parliament to make a law. When we come up with a law, it is opposed. What should our Muslim women do in this situation? Should our Muslim sisters be left (in this situation)?”
He said the Indian Constitution’s core philosophy was gender justice. “The Indian Constitution is equal for all daughters. So the Bill is needed.”
The Minister said that three ordinances had so been promulgated as a similar Bill moved by the previous Modi government could not get parliamentary approval.
A fresh Bill was introduced by the new government in June. Under the Bill, divorcing through instant triple talaq would be illegal, void and attract a jail term of three years for the husband.
Prasad rejected fears that the proposed law could be misused and asserted that certain safeguards had been put in it including provision for bail before trial.
While the Bill makes triple talaq a non-bailable offence, an accused can approach a Magistrate before trial to seek bail. A provision has been added to allow the Magistrate to grant bail “after hearing the wife”, the Minister said.
BJP ally Janata Dal-United, however, opposed the Bill, saying there was a need to create public awareness on the issue with the help of Muslim community leaders, and then walked out of the house.
Participating in the discussion, JD-U member Rajiv Ranjan Singh said his party believed the Bill would cause harm to the society.
“The Bill will produce a different feeling in the society because no one wants that there should be differences in the relationship between wife and husband,” he said.
Giving examples of misuse of other laws, he said: “You made the Anti-Dowry Act and Section 498A (of the IPC to stop cruelty against women). But these laws are being misused. So if you will make another such law, it will be misused.”
Calling the Bill “politically motivated” to target a particular community, RSP’s N.K. Premachandran said that Supreme Court has never given a directive to the government to make a law on this.
He asked why is the government not ready to make a legislation on mob lynching when it has been directed by the Supreme Court and that consecutive promulgation of Ordinances is a fraud on the Constitution.
IUML’s P.K. Kunhalikutty said the divorce rate of Muslims is very low and accused the government of playing politics. “You have a political agenda, that’s why you are bringing this Bill in a hurry”.
Congress’ S. Jothimani said the government is playing a “divide and rule policy” among women.
“Irrespective of religion, women are subjugated to injustices and have been going through this for years. Rape and marital rape are also important issues that the parliament should take up with the same interest,” she said, adding the Bill goes strongly against the rights of Muslims, and especially Muslim women.
The Bill must be sent to the Standing Committee, she demanded.
AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi said that the Supreme Court has decriminalised homosexuality and adultery, but the government is criminalising talaq. He asked who bears the burden of proof.
Government defends bill on triple talaq
Opposition MP slams it as a move to target Muslim men
New Delhi : Lok Sabha on Thursday took up for consideration the contentious bill to make the practice of instant triple talaq illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband.
Moving the bill for consideration, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the legislation was a must for gender equality and justice as despite an August 2017 Supreme Court verdict striking down the practice of instant triple talaq, women are being divorced by ‘talaq-e-biddat’.
He said, since January 2017, as many as 574 triple talaq cases and since the Supreme Court order, more than 300 such cases were reported by the media.
Under this circumstances, what should we do? Should we allow Muslim women to be continued to be exploited,” he said.
20 Muslim countries in the world, including Pakistan and Malaysia, have banned the triple talaq. Why can’t a secular India do it?
– Ravi Shankar Prasad | Law Minister
The law minister said 20 Muslim countries in the world, including Pakistan and Malaysia, have banned the triple talaq. Why can’t a secular India do it?,” he asked.
Opposing the bill, RSP member N K Premachandra said the bill has been brought with an ulterior political motive to target the Muslim community” and specific political agenda of the BJP”.
You are bringing the bill on the basis of the minority judgement of the court. If you have so much of concern, why don’t you bring a legislation to end the incidents of mob lynching. What is your stand on Sarbarimala temple,” he asked.
Premachandran said the ordinance on the subject was a fraud on the Constitution” as a civil matter is being converted into a criminal matter.
How can a jailed husband give compensation to the wife,” he said.
He also said there is no provision of imprisonment for divorce in Hindu and Christian communities.
This is not a move to protect Muslim women but to harass Muslim husbands,” he said.
Prasad said there were three different judgements of the five-judge bench of the court and in one of the judgements, the court said Triple Talaq is part of the ‘Shariah’ and a law should be enacted to end the practice.
The core philosophy of our Constitution is gender justice, irrespective of religion. We want to give honour and justice to the women,” he said.
My long-time Sri Lankan friend from Norway who has migrated and worked over 35 years in that country, has been visiting Sri Lanka several times every year with his family
.He did not have any income in this country, hence he brought over 100 million Rs to Sri Lanka
Over 25 years back he bought a house in Colpettry with the
money he brought.
His children grew up became citizens of Norway. They keep coming twice a year to Sr LANKA and spend money here
Two years back my friend sold the house in Colpetty and paid
partly to a condominium developer in Rajagiriya with the money received by
selling his only house
As he is getting old he wants to get the deed of the flat on
their children’s names who are categorized as foreigners
Children who now work in Norway also transferred 1/3 of the
price of the flat from Norway’
Now the developer’s lawyers claim that the deed of the flat cannot be written on their children’s names as the total proceeds did not come to them directly from Norway
He is dumbfounded and does not know what to do
Can the finance minister and central bank advise these types of Sri Lankan’s living abroad who are not allowed to have dual passports, how to invest in this country?
