Courtesy Adaderana

The Teaching Hospital in Kurunegala Teaching Hospital has received 31 complaints against Dr. Mohamed Shafi, who is accused of allegedly performing illegal sterilization, during the course of yesterday (06).

Accordingly, the hospital has received 681 complaints in total.

In addition, Dambulla Hospital has received 11 complaints yesterday, and the total number of complaints lodged at the hospital amount to 114.

Meanwhile, the Police Media Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara said a committee of experts would be appointed to examine the females who have filed complaints against Dr. Shafi.

The Criminal Investigation Department has recorded statements from 421 females, 26 doctors including 6 VOGs over the illegal sterilizations allegedly carried out by Dr. Mohamed Shafi, he added.

Sixty-nine nurses and 18 other hospital staff have also recorded statements with the CID over the incident, the spokesperson further said.

Courtesy Adaderana

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara testifying before the Special Parliamentary Select Committee that the president had asked him to take the responsibility of the Easter Attacks and resign from his post.

IGP Pujith Jayasundara, who is currently sent on compulsory leave, testified before the Special Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to look into the terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday, earlier today (06).

IGP Jayasundara stated the President had phoned the IGP at around 6.30 pm on 23rd April to schedule a meeting for 8 pm that night.

According to the IGP, President had stated that he will be appointing a committee to investigate the Easter attacks and that the Jayasundara should take the responsibility of the attacks as the IGP.

IGP said that the President told him that he would be convicted no matter what team investigates the matter.

President asked me whether I would go home without a pension or take responsibility and resign”, said Jayasundara.

President asked me this in a very polite manner. He asked me of this about four times”, he said.

IGP says that he showed the documents he had and that the President inspected them very carefully.

Jayasundara also said that he has not once tarnished the name of the Police in the 35 years of service. Stating that he is neither a thief nor a robber, he said that he didn’t earn from the Police. He further said that although he has property inherited from his parents, he doesn’t even have a place for his name.

The meeting with the President lasted until 8.45 pm, according to the IGP.

IGP further testified that the President phoned him once again on the 25th April and angrily inquired of not submitting the resignation letter. He was then sent on compulsory leave on the 29th April, said IGP.

Stating that he didn’t resign as he could not betray the Police, the IGP said that the President promised him of a high ranking title in the government or an ambassador post if he resigned.

Sandun A. Jayasekera Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Legal and administrative steps would be taken by the government shortly to prohibit the import of tree cutting machines, chainsaws, mechanical saws and the carpenter sheds popularly known as ‘wadu maduwa’, in a bid to protect the environment – in particular, the forest density of the country, President Maithripala Sirisena declared today.

He added that people would have to import furniture as deforestation and tree cutting would be banned fully. 

Delivering the keynote address at a ceremony held to mark ‘World Environment Day 2019’ under the theme, ‘Minimising of air pollution through sustainable forest management’ at the BMICH last morning, President Sirisena went on to say that if these measures were taken and implemented for ten years, the forest density of Sri Lanka could be increased to an environment friendly 32% from the current not so satisfactory 28%. A few months ago, I went to a funeral house at Kurunegala. A poor looking old person approached me and asked, ‘Sir you are the Environment Minister?’ and I said ‘yes’. He again said you work hard to protect the environment and forests, don’t you? Yes, no one can cut trees without my permission, I said. 

Then he said cutting of hundreds of trees using chainsaws in many parts of the country around the year was a common sight everywhere. If you want to stop cutting of trees in a haphazard manner, you must do something for this. It was after this poor citizen drew my attention to the harm done to our forests using chainsaws that I decided to register chainsaws at Divisional Secretariats and obtain permits to use them to restrict the use of chainsaws. As a further measure to put an end to this destruction, I will also prohibit the import of chainsaws, tree cutting machines and maintaining of carpenter shops,” President Sirisena stressed. He said no official, even from the Environment Ministry, Forest Department or Central Environment Authority (CEA) had educated him on the damage done to Sri Lanka’s forests by chain saws until this person did it. When laws to register chainsaws were made effective, 82000 chainsaws had been registered island wide in three weeks. I have been using a chopper to travel to distant places in Sri Lanka as a minister for about 25 years. 

After becoming the president, I use the helicopter at least twice a week. I enjoy the beauty of our country when I fly within Sri Lanka. The greenery of vast forests, the blue waters of rivers and the blue sky make Sri Lanka a paradise,” he added. When he visited India last week, he said he had to travel with Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Delhi in a chopper. What he saw all the way was barren and yellowish lands. When I checked the temperature in New Delhi, it was at 47 centigrade while the temperature in Colombo was at 30 centigrade. 

The air quality index in New Delhi was 113 particle matters, in Lahore, it was 114, in Washington DC it was 8 and in Colombo 32. We must try our best to bring Colombo to the level of Washington DC. The welcome address was made by Director General of the CEA, Hemantha Jayasinghe. President Sirisena launched the ‘Water Quality Monitoring’ website of the CEA. (

Ajantha Kumara Agalakada Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Except for Minister Kabir Hashim, all other eight Muslim ministers have handed over their letters of resignation to the Presidential Secretariat by this evening, sources said.

It was reported that Highways & Road Development and Petroleum Resources Development Minister Kabir Hashim has not tendered the letter of resignation since he has undertaken a foreign visit.

Accordingly, Ministers Rauff Hakeem, M.H.A. Haleem, Rishad Bathiudeen, State Ministers Faizal Cassim, H. M. M. Harees, Ameer Ali Shihabdeen, Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana and Deputy Minister Abdullah Mahrooff have tendered their letters of resignations.

The nine Muslim cabinet, state and deputy ministers declared on Monday that they have decided to resign in the wake of the allegations levelled against Minister Bathiudeen. (

Dharisha Bastians calling a Buddhist Thero as ‘Mr. Ratana’ is not the first derogatory term used against Buddhists in Sri Lanka and she is definitely not going to be the last. But, their slander is institutionally supported by the media who employs them and pays them to write as they do and no editor feels even a pang of ethics when approving their writings for publications. Dharisha Bastians article referring to ‘Mr. Ratana’ was published by New York Times, she was appointed by the present government as editor-in-chief of Sunday Observer another state paper where in 2002 Asif Hussein & others attempted to humiliate the Buddhists by claiming they were worshipping a fake tooth & requested a DNA test. Asif Hussein who was interdicted by Sunday Observer is now a regular columnist in the Daily Mirror while then editor Lakshman Gunasekera who was also sacked in 2002 was appointed editor of Sunday Observer in 2016 by the Ranil Wickremasinghe Government. Two-thirds of Sri Lankans are Buddhists and their sensitivities matters too!

On 20 January 2002 a delegation of Bhikkus, laymen went to lodge an official complaint with the Acting Chairman of Lake House Newspapers.
This meeting was as a result of an article that was to be published on 6 January 2002 claiming the Sacred Tooth Relic at the Dalada Maligawa was fake and requested DNA testing. Though Lake House management claimed the article was not published, distribution had been done in Ratnapura & Moneragala & on the internet.

The Buddhist delegation demanded the Editor & all those responsible for the publication of the article be removed from their posts. Eventually the writer Asif Hussein was interdicted so was the 2002 Sunday Observer Editor Lakshman Gunasekera. No surprise that this same editor was returned to head Sunday Observer by the Ranil Wickremasinghe government in 2016. We all know the extent of anti-Buddhist campaign carried out since 2015.
Denigration of Buddhism has been happening since colonial occupation of Sinhale. There is a pattern to the denigration. The colonial administration ensured missionary English education isolated Sinhalese & non-Sinhalese from Buddhist teachings. The English newspapers in missionary control & later handed over to sepoy local kalu suddas ensured the campaign to ridicule & mock Buddhism continued unabated. This vilification campaign against Buddhists using the media was documented with facts by the K D de Silva Press Commission Report in 1964 which wrote newspapers of the Lake House & the Times Group were guilty of anti-national & anti-Buddhist conduct’. A content analysis of the Buddhist bashers will clearly reveal the pattern. The more the Buddhists are bashed the bashers are regular recipients of awards and scholarships too!

Buddhist bashing sepoy press”
The newspapers are regularly carrying anti-Buddhist articles without any shame.
In October 2001 while Lakshman Gunasekera was editor, a letter by B F Perera was published questioning the authenticity of the Tooth relic and requested a public debate. He claimed only ‘fanatical Buddhists’ worship the Tooth Relic. A content analysis of Sunday Observer by this same editor will show how he is using his position to denigrate Buddhists.
The papers rarely will allow a right of reply by any Buddhists.
Poya Day supplements are generally written by non-Buddhists questioning Buddhism or its festivals, traditions & rituals (K K S Perera is one such regular writer!

While the Buddhist bashers have a field day – anything said by a Buddhist questioning the bashers immediately becomes branded ‘hate speech’ ‘racism’.
26 April 2014 – Saving Sri Lanka from the Monkish Terror’ (www.island.lk/ by Political Watch)
03 May 2014 – Why Gnanasara has to be dealt with’ (www.island.lk/ by Political Watch)

Buddhist monks were called ‘mob of monks’ ‘marauding monks’ ‘monkish terror’ ‘thug monks’ ‘these are the modern day Devadattas and Buddharakkithas’ The Malwatte Mahanayake was accused of turning himself into a ‘cipher’.

Aug 2012 – then Justice Minister & leader of SL Muslim Congress Rauf Hakeem demanded President Rajapakse defeat ‘yellow-robed terrorism’
Jul 2014 – D B S Jeyraj’s article ‘Fascists in saffron robes? The rise of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist ultra nationalists
Jul 2014 – Confronting Extremist Thugs In Buddhist Religious Robes” Siritunga Jayasuriya
Jun 2014 – Sri Lanka Guardian publishes article Buddhist extremists attack innocent Muslims in Sri Lanka” by one Refai
Jun 2014 – Barbarism of Sinhala Buddhist extremist forces against Muslims” – Latheef Farook
May 2014 – Bodu Bala Sena’s thug leader Gnanasara thero should be flogged publicly and chased on the road with full exposure on tv” writes D B S Jeyraj
May 2014 Why Gnanasara has to be dealt with” Island newspaper by Political Watch pseudonym
April 2014 Expose thugs in robes and isolate them” – Sunday Leader author unknown
April 2014 an unholy alliance of Buddhists” by Tariq A. Al-Maeena
Jan 2014 Summon Lord Buddha to Geneva” Sharmini Serasinghe writing to Colombo Telegraph
Aug 2013 Buddhist extremists hope to attain ‘nibbana’ by attacking Muslims, mosques and Muslim owned businesses’ writes D B S Jeyraj
Jun 2013 Buddhist fanatics on the streets’ Island newspaper by Political Watch
Aug 2012 Mad men of Dambulla” by TisaraneeG writing to Sunday Leader
Is this not inciting hate speech or is the newspaper owners, the editor & the journalists given free rein to denigrate Buddhists/Buddhism?

What about the Government, what is its position when it is constitutionally bound to protect & foster Buddhism by virtue of Article 9.
2/3 population is Sinhale Buddhists but how many editors are Sinhala Buddhists?

How many of Sri Lanka’s media publications belong to Buddhists/non-Buddhists
Who are the regular columnists and what ethno-religious group do they belong to?
How many articles are featured by newspapers & does this correspond with the ethnic ratio?

The Buddhist bashing press regular columnists are Dharisha, DusheyR, HarimP, KishaliP, KumarD, LatheefF, NotebookofShanie, TisaraneeG, UvinduK, R.Phillips, SonaliS, FredrikaJ, SharminiS, RM Senanayake, IzethH and they are complimented by another set of civil society leaders whose regular vituperative are also against Sinhala Buddhists – NimalkaF, PakiasothyS, JehanP, DayanJ, BasilF, KumarR, SurendraA.

All of them are not writing personal opinions. They are paid and working for organizations and given daily columns therefore what they write though claiming to be personal opinion heavily influences their work given that they are directly or indirectly linked to programs their organizations are involved in Sri Lanka.

A good look at their articles will reveal their lavish usage of terms ‘Buddhist extremists’ ‘Sinhala supremacists’, ‘Racist Sinhala Buddhists’ ‘Fascist Buddhists’. Are these the ‘ethical’ writers who are regular recipients of awards and guest speakers?

And these are the very personalities championing campaigns against Hate Speech Racism Discrimination etc. What hypocrites!

When media carries these denigrations does this look as if there is no media freedom in Sri Lanka, if minorities were being discriminated by the majority would they be able to freely and with such venom refer to Buddhists as they do in print?

No minority religion has been called by the names that Buddhist Sangha have been called in print not even the Catholic priests linked to LTTE terror.
The moment Buddhists write to question these denigrations there’s a team kept ready to divert public opinion from the issue and kill the messenger with a harangue of name calling.

What must Buddhists do
· Demand a future government to hold a Commission of Inquiry into denigration of Buddhism by Sri Lanka’s mass media & enforce strict regulations for their conduct
· Republish the 1964 Press Commission Report – which will prove that Sri Lanka’s media has taken no steps to self-regulate itself & its anti-Buddhist bias. Media cannot be allowed to play politics using communication platforms.
· Buddhist organizations must carry out a content analysis of all Buddhist bashing writers/newspapers and publish for the world to see
· Demand Sri Lanka’s press enforce strict regulations on people writing under pseudonyms (Vishwamitra/Notebook of Shani (author is now dead)/ Don Manu / Political Watch etc – no one can hide behind a false name and publish derogatory terms & address people in the most unethical & disrespectful manner.
· Buddhist organizations must set up media review/monitoring committees to review publications/broadcasts/tv programs that attempt to undermine Buddhism
· Call for a National Convention of Buddhist Sangha and Buddhist laymen (not multicultural Buddhists) to openly discuss the challenges facing Buddhists/Buddhism in Sri Lanka & rest of Asia.
· Demand a future government to gazette all Sacred Buddhist sites/archaeology sites in order to legally prevent incursions or dubious take overs.
· Buddhist organizations must compile List of Grievances of Buddhists in Sri Lanka

Shenali D Waduge

By Rohana R. Wasala

Many opinion writers, particularly in the English medium newspapers, expressed more consternation at the release from prison of the Bodu Bala Sena leader Ven. Galaboda-aththe Gnanasara Thera on May 23, 2019 than they did at the National Thawheed Jamat’s terrorist suicide bombings on the Easter Sunday a month before (i.e., on April 21), that claimed the lives of more than 300 innocent men, women and children, and grievously hurt more than 500 others, most of the victims being Catholics at prayer in churches.

When it was announced that the monk was granted a presidential pardon, one writer described it as a ‘Pardon, Unpardonable’ (Sarath de Alwis/Colombo Telegraph/May 29); another lamented that it was the end of ‘good governance’.

There is a strong element of tragic irony in this hostile reception, among an anti-national minority of Sri Lankan citizens and the mercenary NGOs-led Sri Lanka-bashers abroad (both in the literal sense of the phrase ‘tragic irony’ and in the sense it is used in classical Greek tragedy), of an event that should be warmly welcomed by everyone as a case of natural justice served, though belatedly. The reason is because the vast majority of ordinary Sri Lankans know the irrefutable truth that those ISIS inspired and sponsored terrorists were able to carry out their attack, the worst ever such attack on civilian targets in South Asia as a senior journalist points out, so easily without anyone trying to stop them, primarily due to the authorities’ refusal to heed this monk’s evidence-based warnings repeatedly and passionately sounded over many years past about growing Islamic and Christian fundamentalist activity in Sri Lanka and their resultant failure to adopt necessary security precautions to prevent untoward incidents of that sort. Instead of listening to the monk, who even felt compelled to resort to a threatening voice and a belligerent posture uncharacteristic of a bhikkhu in an attempt to be heard where those in power turned a deaf ear to his peaceful pleas (the only fault he committed to earn his demonic image among his detractors), successive governments (particularly the present one in a decidedly brazen manner) ill-treated Ven. Gnanasara Thera as a racist Sinhalese Buddhist monk and a violent anti-minority rabble rouser.

But in reality, he exemplifies the exact opposite of these qualities. He hasn’t committed any crime, except perhaps the alleged contempt of court for which he was handed down a lengthy prison term of nineteen years (subsequently reduced to six years) hard labour.

Naturally, one may guess, the monk did not ask for a presidential pardon because he believes that he had done no wrong according to his conscience . However, self-motivated individuals and groups, registering the massive swing of public opinion in favour of the imprisoned thera were seen to plead with the president for his release.

It is not known whether the president responded to these favourably. What is clear is that, whether he did or not, it was nothing compared to the pressure he must have felt exerted on him by public opinion. But instinctively exploiting it, in the despicable way of an opportunistic politician that is ingrained in him whose cautious pragmatism has no nobler aim than self promotion, the president made the ‘pardoning’ of the monk an excuse to try to recoup his irretrievably lost credibility. In this, he is second only to the PM.

Many acts of commission and omission have been performed under the present government that are not in the best interest of the Sri Lankan people in recent years in the name of promotion of ‘reconciliation’, protection of ‘human rights’, introduction of ‘good governance’, generation of economic development, and efficient management of foreign relations. These have brought the country to a state of sheer anarchy through the worst form of misrule ever experienced by Sri Lankans since independence, where economic development has come to a standstill, national security has been abysmally neglected, external affairs foolishly messed up, the human rights of 99% of the population including the right to live and the right to the freedom of expression threatened to the point of near extinction (it is doubtful whether the mainstream media are able to adequately freely report on the growing public disaffection and anger against the government), with the captive citizenry resigned to a life fraught with mortal fear, unnerving uncertainty, deep despair, ruptured communal harmony and serious material deprivation. These are the direct result of the choices made by the so-called ‘good governance’ masqueraders who came to power through a partially externally engineered regime change in 2015.

Some of these undesirable choices are: The dilution, through the 19th Amendment, of the powers of the executive presidency without adequate safeguards to protect its positive features that saved the nation at critical junctures in the recent past (This was done at the individual whims of the two persons elected to the two highest posts in the land, who happen to be of incompatible personal temperaments and incongruous social and educational backgrounds, a mismatch that is spelling disaster to the whole country); a deplorable omission was the apparently willful negligence of national security including the demoralizing of a once excellently performing intelligence service (the most recent, unimaginably treacherous, act in this regard being the serving intelligence chief being grilled by a parliamentary select committee consisting mostly of MPs of questionable credibility (all of discredited Yahapalana origin) whose undeclared brief appears to be to protect the politician widely suspected to have some connection with the recent Islamic terror attacks, in an attempt to save the careering current administration from certain collapse, one of them being a national list MP, one of the principal drafters of a proposed new constitution, who, intentionally or unintentionally, casually admitted before the media, that the clause that makes it impossible for the president to dissolve parliament until it has completed the first four and a half years of its mandated five year term was surreptitiously included in the 19th Amendment at the committee stage, because they wanted to circumvent the constitutional requirement to pass that provision with a two thirds majority in parliament and to get it confirmed at a people’s referendum (in terms of the existing constitution).

The loss to the country caused by the repeated central bank bond scams of 2015 and 2016 runs into trillions of rupees; the main suspect in this regard is the PM’s close friend Singaporean Arjuna Mahendran who is absconding, and he remains safe from arrest and prosecution because apparently there is no extradition agreement between Sri Lanka and Singapore. This was most probably a case of planned robbery that involved something larger than a couple of daylight bank-robbers. The selling out of the various national assets of inestimable value built up by the previous government at great cost soon after the conclusion of a costly thirty year civil war is another great crime. The despicable truth is that this amounts to an intentional betrayal of the national interest solely due to the present government’s abject submission to the dictates of the three competing external powers active in the region – imperialist America, its opportunistic local ally India and their formidable common challenger China.

In contrast, the activism of Ven. Gnanasara is focused entirely on the promotion of the national interest. He has been for years demonized as a trouble-maker, a Sinhalese racist, a chauvinist, a xenophobic, a fanatical monk, and so on and so forth. In reality, though, his critics are the demons, and he himself is an angel. The absolute demonization and nonstop persecution of the innocent but inspired Buddhist monk activist Ven. Galaboda-Aththe Gnanasara Thera is a great mistake whose unpardonable consequences are now clear for all to see. He is championing a non-political cause, which, unfortunately is being more or less distorted or misrepresented as a political one by both the government and its supporters, and the opposition and its allies, with a very few honourable exceptions.

Politicians in power today who believe that the monk’s activism is directly against their interests, though they understand the legitimacy of his concerns and complaints, oppose him openly and try to harass him in order to keep him in check. Those in the opposition who similarly understand what he is actually saying and doing, and are sympathetic and sensitive to his revelations and goals have to date played shy of having any truck with him in public. Both groups of politicians adopt their respective attitudes towards Ven. Gnanasara Thera because of one common reason: that is, their anxious fear of losing the block votes that a few communalist minority politicians have become accustomed to commanding among their own people.

Of course, not all those who criticize the monk for ideological or political reasons can be decried as evil-minded. I have come across the writings of some well meaning respectable commentators who do not approve of his ideas. The Island political columnist C.A. Chandraprema, for example, describes Ven. Gnanasara as a ‘volatile’ monk (i.e., one who changes his opinion frequently), probably for the reason that, in my opinion, he tried to co-opt various individuals, and groups of differing political ideologies and allegiances into his strictly non-political ‘crusade’, and abandoned them as readily as he approached them when he found that he was not getting anywhere with such relationships. (As far as I can judge, he is not a volatile character, but an unreasonably impetuous one.This is amply evident in his speech and behaviour and it has cost him and the country a great deal.) The only persons whose supportive involvement he doesn’t tire of beseeching are the Venerable Mahnayakes, especially the two in Kandy.

Their relative inaction in this regard has also contributed to the present vulnerability of Sri Lankans of all faiths to fundamentalist religious terrorism. The leaders of the present government and the president as the executive head of state are directly responsible for bringing the country to this tragic situation in which the majority Sinhalese community are alleged to be facing threats of genocidal proportions. May the Venerable Mahanayakes fulfill their historic duty at least now without pandering to the whims of errant politicians, while enlisting the support of the other religious leaders including particularly His Eminence the Cardinal.

Dr D.Chandraratna

The one and only aspiration of all Third world nations is to fast track their nations to the First world status but it is realized only by a few. In our lifetime that dream-objective was realized by Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea in the Asian region. Talking of Singapore in particular it was not the Western template of democracy that brought that nation to the fore and if not for Lee Kuan Yew who was a democratic dictator that country also would probably be in the hopeless situation that we are in today. The Singaporean Prime Minster, in his memoirs referred to the fact that he took that country forward by a process that he described as ‘guided democracy’ relevant to the culture of its civilization. I would describe that process very briefly in a few terms: visionary, scientific-rational, policy driven, unwavering and corruption free. These principles were adhered to, with an iron fist. He tolerated little opposition and in fairness to the man, it was in the face of good scientific rational argument. Used the jails and deportation frequently. The western press ridiculed him relentlessly, and he fought them ‘legally’ in the courts a number of times. The lesson is abundantly clear to us. Had he pandered and kow-towed to the pea-brained petty politicians, like the ones we have in abundance about 8000, Singapore will never have marched from $ 400 per capita in 1960 to $39,000 today.   

Two weeks ago we had the elections in Australia and the spirit of a holiday hovered over us. I thought for myself that Sri Lankans in the mid nineteenth century were also in that kind of mood. The country ready for the privileges and perks of a robust democracy that Australia is enjoying today. Compulsory voting in Australia creates this voting day a public holiday where many voting adults come with their children to the booth on the way to the beach. Having voted, duty fulfilled as discerning citizens, they leave. At the booth are various political people handing out how to vote cards and though it would have been interesting if they argued but they don’t. Disappointed, that they seemed to be on such friendly terms, gently smiling all round, the momentous day becomes one of stillness and observation. Most people took cards from different sides as if they were voting for all parties.

On the sidelines were fundraisers for many whose objectives are to celebrate democracy, encourage participation and offer support for community groups. These fund raising sausages are called democracy sausages. The cake stalls added to the carnival atmosphere and playful spirit. The cake stalls sell Malcolm (Turnbull) Turnovers, Bill (Shorten) shortbreads and Jacqui (Lamby) Lambingtons named after celeb politicians. This Saturday festival of democracy has brought the unity of a motley crew of many tongues united by one common language, English.  Was it the common language that brought them together? I firmly believe so: over hundred dialects and ethnicities, united by a common language to rejoice equally the spirit of the nation. What liberating potential!

Come 1960’s Sri Lanka. Our university life started on a similar positive note. Our entry into the university in the early sixties was the beginning era of a turbulent period in the political history of the nation. Much has been written on the emergence of developing countries from the yoke of colonialism in the Asian African continent but there were a myriad of other domestic issues that were handled badly, which divided us. The turbulence was a temporary set back we thought. There was so much untapped potential in the nation that will ultimately rise up to the task. We were convinced that young people with self-belief surrounded by leaders with indomitable will could make it happen. The heroic deeds that thrill humanity through generations, as Prime Minister Lloyd George said, were the work of small nations. The birth of a modern nation was imminent we hoped. Sadly our hopes were dashed. Divisiveness, ugliness, paucity of vision enveloped us.

Sri Lanka was a country with many different languages and English was still the language of the work place in the 60’s. English had the potential to bring together the diversity of our nation together in national matters to move forward to modernity. As an international trading post and even better than Singapore’s geographical location, it was the language of an international hub, if not we would not make a living. Lee Kwan Yew had the vision to see the future and introduced teaching of the mother tongue plus English to all schools in Singapore. He warned the Chinese not to play politics with the futures of the next generation and deported a few of the Malay rabble elements. But our politicians made language a political issue. In a multiracial, multilingual society English was the only acceptable neutral language. Any serious dialogue on national matters need a neutral language. Besides, English language would make us relevant to the world.  Lee Kuan Yew says that if he had made Singapore monolingual in their mother tongue they would not make a living. More importantly he says that; ‘becoming monolingual in English would have been a setback. We would have lost our cultural identity, that quiet confidence about ourselves and our place in the world’. He knew that in any case you couldn’t make people give up their mother tongue. How visionary? There would be unending chaos as happened in our country. He did face a formidable protest about bilingualism. The very vocal Chinese rebelled that the children would not master either of the languages but the results proved otherwise. Unlike Singapore our educational policies did not move with the times. Sri Lankans lost the opportunity to move from the Third World to the first much earlier than Singapore. Today we are in a right royal mess.

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia

Colombo, June 5 (newsin.asia): Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has told Mano Ganeshan, cabinet minister for Official Languages, that he will be ready to support the United National Party (UNP) led United National Front (UNF) in the coming Presidential election if it fields Sajith Premadasa as its candidate.

The President had earlier told UNF ministers that he will not contest the Presidential election which, he said, would be held on December 7, this year.

He also made it clear that he will not support any candidate put up by former President and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa.

By saying so, Sirisena hinted that the talks between his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Rajapaksa’s Sri Lankan Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) for an electoral alliance were going nowhere.

The SLFP had proposed that Sirisena be the Presidential candidate and Rajapaksa be the Prime Minister. But the SLPP has unofficially decided that Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the former Defense Secretary and Mahinda Rajapaksa’s brother, is to the candidate.

It is perhaps this which made Sirisena tell the UNF ministers that he will support the UNP-UNF if it adopts the right policies”, by which he meant a nationalist, Sinhala-Buddhist and anti-West policy.

Later, he told minister Mano Ganeshan that if Sajith Premadasa, (son of the pro-poor and nationalist former President Ranasinghe Premadasa) is put up as the UNP-UNF candidate, he will offer his support.

Sirisena believes that the policies of the UNP-UNF will be nationalist and pro-poor under the stewardship of Sajith Premadasa.

Sajith is portrayed as a rural-based, pro-poor and nationalist man because of his work in the rural areas in Hambantota District, though, in actuality, he is a Colombo-based, foreign-educated and urbane person.

lanka C news

පාස්කු ඉරිදා මෙරට ස්ථාන ගණනාවකට එල්ල කරන ලද මරාගෙන මැරෙන බෝම්බ ප‍්‍රහාරයන්ට නායකත්ව දුන් මොහොමඩ් සහරාන් සහ ඇමති රිෂාඩ් බදියුදීන් අතර ඇති සම්බන්ධය සාක්‍ෂි සහිතව ඔප්පු කිරීමට තමන් සූදානම් බව ජාතික නිදහ්ස පෙරමුණු නායක පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී විමල් වීරවංශ මහතා පවසයි.

කඩුවෙලදී පැවති ජනහමුවක් අමතමින් ඔහු කියා සිටියේ පාස්කු ඉරිදා දිනයේ බෝම්බ ප‍්‍රහාරය එල්ල කරන්නට කලින් දා සතොස වාහනවලින් අදාල බෝම්බකරුවන් ප‍්‍රවාහනය කර ඇති බවයි.

කල්මුණේ සයින්දමරුදු ප‍්‍රදේශයේ මරාගෙන මැරුණ නිවසට සතොස වාහනවලින් ගමන් ගෙන ඇති බවටද මන්ත‍්‍රිවරයා කියා සිටියේය.

හැකිනම් මෙම චෝදනා නෑ කියන්නැයි බදියුදීන් ඇමතිට අභියෝග කරන බවත් එසේ කලහොත් ඊලග දිනයේ සාක්‍ෂි සහිතව තමන් ඔප්පු කර පෙන්වන බවත් මන්ත‍්‍රීවරයා තව දුරටත් කියා සිටියේය.

මුස්ලිම් ඇමැතිවරුන් සියල්ලන් ධූරවලින් ඉල්ලා අස්වීම භයානක තත්වයක් යයි ජනාධිපති මෛත්‍රීපාල සිරිසේන මහතා පවසා ඇත.

ජනාධිපතිවරයා මෙම අදහස් පල කර ඇත්තේ ඊයේ දින පැවති කැබිනට් මණ්ඩල හමුව අමතමිනි.

පාස්කු ඉරිදාවේ ඉල්ල වූ බෝම්බ ප‍්‍රහාරයටත් වඩා මෙම ඉල්ලා අස්වීම දරුණු යයිද ජනාධිපතිවරයා පවසා තිබේ.

මුස්ලිම් ඇමතිවරුන් ඉල්ලා අස්වීම ගැන කැබිනට් මණ්ඩලයේදී දීර්ඝ ලෙස සාකච්ඡා කර ඇති බවද වාර්තා වෙයි.

Courtesy MiddleEast Online

The fact a Christchurch-Colombo connection was made by a Sri Lankan government minister raises a terrible prospect.

After the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, former CIA Director Michael Morell offered a dismal assessment of the state of the world.

There are, he said, at least triple the number of Islamist extremists today than there were on 9/11. It’s not clear how an accurate headcount could ever be done but the Islamic State’s possibly opportunistic claim of responsibility for the Sri Lanka attacks underlines a grim reality.

The Islamic State (ISIS), now without territory and with its dream of a thriving caliphate smashed, remains influential.

Not long ago, US President Donald Trump declared ISIS 100%” defeated in Syria but that was not mission accomplished” by any means. Whatever the depth and scale of ISIS’s logistical support to Sri Lanka’s bombers, it has an ideological hold that transcends borders. Anne Speckhard, director of the US think-tank International Centre for the Study of Violent Extremism, called ISIS’s baleful influence across the world the wave of the future.”

This sombre picture is further shaded by Sri Lankan defence minister’s assertion the bombings were carried out in retaliation for the mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Doubt has been cast on any direct cause-and-effect sequence. Complex, coordinated, multisite attacks, such as in Sri Lanka, can take months to organise and the Christchurch attacks occurred six weeks ago. Even so, the fact a Christchurch-Colombo connection was made by a Sri Lankan government minister raises a terrible prospect.

Terrorism is increasingly focused on religious rather than secular political targets. There is the possibility of an endless spiral of revenge and counter-revenge attacks by extremists claiming to serve as armed protection groups, flag-bearers really, for their respective communities. For terrorism itself is metastasising. It is drawing in white nationalists who attack Muslims and visually distinct people in Western countries.

In reference to the Sri Lanka bombings, Morell said the world needs to be prepared to deal with this type of terrorism for generations. But how?

The choice of targets is increasingly diffuse, making it harder to know what to police and where. Sri Lanka, an island-nation attractive to tourists from around the world, has minuscule Christian and Muslim populations. Christchurch, a New Zealand backwater, with a tiny community of Muslims, doesn’t readily present itself as a terrorist target.

Add to that data gathered by Simon Cottee, a lecturer in criminology at Kent University in the United Kingdom, on the so-called calypso caliphate.

Cottee offered a conservative” estimate of 130 Trinidad and Tobago nationals who journeyed to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS from 2013-16. Though that might seem a trifling number,” Cottee said, it’s big for a Caribbean nation with a population of 1.3 million and places Trinidad and Tobago top of the list of Western countries for foreign-fighter radicalisation.”

Calypso jihadis” sound rather jolly until one considers the importance of the group’s existence. As Cottee wrote, it illustrates the genuinely global reach of ISIS… (and its ability to frame) its grievances and ambitions in a way that was understood across many different countries and cultures.”

So, is this Terrorism 3.0,” the snappy term coined by James Stavridis, a retired US Navy admiral and former NATO supreme allied commander for the evolution of global terrorism”? Stavridis uses his technologically adept label only for ISIS’s new clicks-only strategy and the enforced move away from the costly, time-consuming business of operating retail bricks-and-mortar” outlets.

There are also new complications caused by rising white nationalist extremism. It is given ballast by politicians such as Trump, who appeals to racial and religious animus to cater to working-class white American voters. Taken together with long-running jihadism, white nationalism feeds the sense of a spreading, religiously and racially focused conflict.

It’s been nearly 30 years since American political scientist Samuel Huntington argued that future wars would be fought between cultures rather than countries. Huntington’s clash of civilisations” theory has become a cliché, one to be ignored. It’s regarded as an alarmist academic attempt to construct an omnibus narrative that enfolds and explains communal frictions but extremists of various stripes seem to be committed to making it a reality.

Hopefully, we won’t get there but there is a very real risk we might.

Rashmee Roshan Lall is a regular columnist for The Arab Weekly. She blogs at www.rashmee.com and is on Twitter @rashmeerl

Faiz Sobhan Courtesy Nikkei Asian Review

States must counter youth radicalization with educational, social and economic plans

The world appears to be witnessing a new phase in Islamic State’s global war which began in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.

Shortly after the deadly coordinated terrorist attacks by an IS-claimed cell, an IS media outlet released a video of the group’s elusive leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

His message, which referred to the Sri Lanka outrage, was bad news for most of the world including for Asia. With the destruction of the last IS enclave in Syria earlier this year by the U.S. and its allies, Baghdadi sought to rally his followers for a new fight — direct attacks in countries beyond its former territorial strongholds in Syria and Iraq. Governments, including in Asia, must respond to the threat, as the Sri Lanka attack showed.

The release of Baghdadi’s first video message since he was shown delivering a sermon in 2014 at the famous Grand al-Nuri mosque in Mosul, Iraq, put paid to speculation that the IS chief was either in poor health or had died.

With the recent onset of Ramadan, or Islamic fasting month, Baghdadi felt it was the right moment to put out a rallying call to his supporters, aimed at boosting flagging morale and a demonstration of IS’s worldwide ambitions.

Baghdadi suggested that the so-called “caliphate” that his group had established in Syria and Iraq five years ago was always destined to crumble and that he had long ago made plans to continue the global struggles through franchises and affiliates around the world.

That strategy appears to have succeeded, not least in Asia. Baghdadi’s video could be taken as a green light for a recent upsurge of terrorist incidents during the holy month of Ramadan. After the Sri Lanka assault on April 21, the group in May claimed attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic as well as in my country, Bangladesh.

Bangladesh, a 90%-Muslim land of 165 million, has become a focal point of concern because on April 30, the same day as the release of the Baghdadi video, an image of the five terrorists who staged the deadly Holey Artisan Bakery attack in Dhaka in July 2016 appeared on an IS media outlet. A message in Bengali, English and Hindi threatened more attacks from Abu Muhammad al-Bengali, who is regarded by followers as the “emir” of IS in Bangladesh.

On April 29, a small bomb blast in the Dhaka district of Gulistan injured three policemen. The attack was claimed by IS, which referred to it as an “operation in Bengal.” Some analysts suggest that the bombing signaled the start of more attacks in Bangladesh and possibly in India, especially since the May 10 announcement by IS of an Indian “province” that it calls “Wilayah of Hind,” within India’s northern state of Jammu and Kashmir. On May 27 another explosion took place in Dhaka’s Malibagh area which left three people injured, including a police officer. This attack was also claimed by IS and said by Dhaka police to be more lethal than the April 29 attack.

The release of Abu Bakr Baghdadi’s first video message since 2014 put paid to speculation that the IS chief was either in poor health or had died.   © Reuters

Since the Holey Artisan Bakery attack, which killed 24 people besides the five terrorists, Bangladesh’s security forces have taken a sledgehammer approach in cracking down on suspected militants. They have killed scores and jailed hundreds over the last three years. But extremist groups tend not to remain quiet for long as they continue to radicalize, recruit and resurface at a time of their choosing.

The Bangladesh government has learned some important lessons since the Holey Artisan Bakery incident. It believes that the cafe attack was one of a series linked to Neo-Jamatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB), a local terrorist group with possible ties to IS, since 2014.

The Bangladesh government and civil society groups have tried to respond by launching measures under programs known as PVE, or Preventing Violent Extremism, across the country, which engage youth groups, local communities, schools and religious leaders.

While some of the measures are considered innovative and helpful, overall, such programs have not been particularly effective due to lack of expertise, resources and their short-term nature.

For Bangladesh and other countries, the best way to counter extremism and terrorism is through effective, long-term and sustainable programs that address grievances at both the individual and community level.

Ultimately, young people must be imbued with a sense of purpose. Governments and non-government organizations should undertake initiatives to strengthen ties among different ethnic and religious communities, including interfaith programs that emphasize the importance of the different groups in the history and cultural heritage of the nation.

Economic development is vital for creating jobs and opportunities that young people seek. Young men and women who have persevered at school and college only to be frustrated later by poor employment prospects can become vulnerable to radicalization. Through employment, young people not only have a source of income but also feel empowered and confident about their lives and future.

Bangladesh has recorded remarkable economic growth of over 6-7% annually in the last decade and has exceeded over 8% this year. However, according to the government’s latest Household Income and Expenditure Survey, inequality is still rising. The government therefore needs to ensure that the benefits of growth reach the bulk of the population by promoting more pro-growth policies, strengthening education, investing in skills development and human capital, improving infrastructure and fighting corruption.

A significant area of focus, often absent from government efforts, is mental health. Many youngsters grapple with issues of isolation, depression, identity and an inability to fit into their respective communities.

This includes not just poorer people but a growing number of young men and women from the upper echelons of society who are struggling to find their place in the wider world. They are driven into joining terrorist organizations less for the ideology than for a sense of belonging, which groups such as IS have been effective in providing.

It can be argued that the new phase for IS represents a rebirth which could represent a more virulent threat. “IS 2.0” is high-tech terrorism aided and abetted by social media and operating without much centralized organization. The group’s propaganda targets young people via their mobile phones, tablets and computers, urging them to battle anyone deemed their enemy. Inevitably this will lead to “lone wolf” and “wolf pack” terrorist attacks, carried out by independent individuals or groups.

It will be a protracted and bitter fight. But a more coordinated, sustained and thoughtful approach by government and civil society can help prevent and counter extremism — including in Bangladesh.

Faiz Sobhan is senior research director at the Dhaka-based Bangladesh Enterprise Institute.

SHAMILA CHAUDHARY Courtesy The American Prospect

After the Easter attacks in Colombo, the U.S. must address the growing terrorism threat in South Asia.

Eranga Jayawardena/AP Photo

Sri Lankan army soldiers patrol a muslim neighborhood during a cordon and search operation in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Security measures have been increased in the country after more than 250 people were killed in coordinated suicide bomb attacks at three churches and three tourist hotels on Easter Sunday that were claimed by the Islamic State group and carried out by a local radicalized Muslim group. 

Arab traders in the seventh century A.D. traveled by sea to present-day Sri Lanka seeking spices and goods to sell along the oceanic Silk Road. Like other South Asian countries engaged in commerce with the Arab world, Sri Lanka over time became home to a small Muslim community tracing its ethnic and religious roots back to the Middle East. Throughout the country’s history, this community, though religiously distinct, kept cordial relations with other faith groups and avoided the sectarianism plaguing South Asia’s other Muslim communities—until now.

Today, ISIS stands ready to take advantage of growing fissures in Sri Lankan Muslim identity—and as the aftermath of the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka shows, neither the country’s leaders nor the international community is prepared to do something about it. Meanwhile, communal backlash against the Muslim community grows amid worsening political tensions. This week, all nine of the country’s Muslim ministers and two Muslim provincial governors resigned under pressure from Athuraliye Rathana, a prominent Buddhist monk and presidential adviser, who accused them of having links to the Easter attack militants.

After the September 11 attacks, the United States created new policies and tools of warfare to fight Islamic fundamentalism around the world. But Sri Lanka didn’t fall into that new theater of war, limiting the extent to which it could benefit and learn from American efforts to dismantle the public and private support networks for terrorism. For example, post-9/11 U.S. counterterrorism policies shaped important new global financial-tracking systems at the United Nations; supported critical revisions to counterterrorism laws and judicial reforms in Pakistan; and implemented de-radicalization initiatives across Europe that empowered governments to take a closer look at how terrorism could take root in countries. And while certain policies, such as the use of drones and the rendition program, proved limited in their long-term utility in fighting terrorism, the overall American effort to engage the international community on terrorism made everyone a lot smarter about real and potential threats.

Sri Lanka remained largely an afterthought in the U.S. war on terrorism, perhaps because American policymakers did not believe the country to have a serious Islamic radicalization problem. Outside of a small Department of Defense–administered program providing counterterrorism training for Sri Lankan defense and security officials since 2001, American investments in Sri Lankan stability have been dominated by a singular focus on the ethnic conflict between Sinhalese and Tamil citizens and the aftermath of a 27-year-long civil war between the two groups.

Rightly, the United States prioritized its foreign assistance to support the integration of Tamils marginalized by the civil war into the economic and political mainstream. But new communal tensions involving Sri Lankan Muslims and hard-line Sinhalese Buddhist groups portend serious consequences for the country’s already fragile ethnic relations, as a key strategy of ISIS is to exploit and manipulate such divisions.

While we know that ISIS inspired the Easter Day attackers, we don’t know the exact political demands or grievances that compelled them to violence. We do know that the attacks occur in parallel to a growing sense of isolation among Sri Lankan Muslims. Simultaneously, Sri Lankan leaders worry that religious identity now supersedes the ethnic cohesion they once observed in Sri Lanka’s faith communities. ISIS is ready to take advantage of such dynamics, and experiencing losses in Syria and Iraq, it has already expanded its strategy and reach outside of the Middle East into new theaters of war like Afghanistan, the United States, and now Sri Lanka. The return of South Asians who traveled to the Middle East to fight alongside ISIS has also triggered concern among regional governments that returnees will attempt to further the ISIS cause at home, a concern amplified by access to online networks promoting radical Islamic content.

Sri Lanka lacks the legal basis to confront the growing ISIS threat. The country’s counterterrorism law, currently known as the Prevention of Terrorism Act, is designed to prosecute internal threats rather than foreign ones. And, as some advocacy groups state, the law exists to silence political opponents of the government. No doubt a by-product of the government’s civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the act does not address what happens to Sri Lankans who join foreign terrorist groups or advance foreign militant causes. As Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said after the Easter attacks, We have no laws which enable us to take into custody people who join foreign terrorist groups. We can take those who are, who belong to terrorist groups operating in Sri Lanka.” A new version of the law titled the Counterterrorism Act has been introduced to address the bias against Tamils, but it has yet to pass and does not respond to threats posed by ISIS or other foreign groups.

Ironically, political infighting between Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena prevented the government from taking action on intelligence shared by the Indians that alluded to the Easter attacks. The country’s domestic politics, moored to repeated bouts of constitutional crises and competition between inept leaders, are designed to deal with threats from within—not from the outside. Furthermore, there are other internal risks involved with pursuing stronger counterterrorism policies, especially in partnership with Sri Lankan military and law enforcement. Doing so could aggravate open wounds related to civil war and unresolved post-conflict questions, such as the role of the military in Sri Lankan society.

Fighting ISIS in Sri Lanka will be determined by how effectively the country’s political factions and institutions can find common ground on the issue of terrorism, but the international community also has a role to play. For the United States in particular, the Easter attacks present an opportunity to rethink the levels and focus of its foreign assistance to the country. Even though Sri Lanka is the third-largest recipient of U.S. assistance in South Asia, its levels are dwarfed by those of Pakistan and Afghanistan, which have received the lion’s share of U.S. funding since 2001.

Finally, the reach and appeal of ISIS in Sri Lanka point to a parallel need to expand focus of U.S. strategy in Sri Lanka, which largely remains centered on stabilizing communities affected by the civil war. Instead, Sri Lanka’s internal security environment should be viewed within the broader context of U.S. national security interests in South Asia, which have to do with ensuring the region is not used as a staging ground for foreign terrorist organizations.

To be clear, the ways the United States has pursued those interests need adjustment. The use of drones, electronic surveillance, and financial assets control may have succeeded in tactical accomplishments, such as taking out leadership targets for al-Qaeda and affiliates. But they failed to sufficiently address the root problems of terrorism, and threats persist. If left untethered to a broader national-security strategy, any American efforts to fight ISIS in Sri Lanka may simply repeat the missteps and failures of the global war on terrorism.

Courtesy Adaderana

Chief Prelates of temples in Gampaha have jointly decided not to engage Ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Rajitha Senaratne and MP Chathura Senaratne in any religious activities held at temples in Gampaha.

This decision was taken yesterday (04) at the meeting of the Gampaha District Shasanarakshaka Bala Mandalaya.

However, the Minister of Finance Mangala Samaraweera responded to this decision by posting a message in Sinhala on Twitter.

He stated that Lord Buddha was a great man who didn’t close the doors to his temple to even persons like ‘Devadatta’.

Courtesy Adaderana

Twelve days have passed since the public were requested to submit their complaints against Dr. Mohamed Shafi Mohamed of the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital if any.

Since then, 742 mothers have lodged complaints that they had either suffered complications of failed to conceive again after undergoing a Caesarian surgery under Dr. Shafi.

Fifteen complaints were received by the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital today (05), raising the total number of complaints received by the hospital to 628.

Four mothers lodged their complaints against Dr. Shafi to the Dambulla Hospital today; thereby making the total number of complaints received by the said hospital 114.

Accordingly, 742 complaints against Dr. Shafi have been received in total through both hospitals.

Editorial Courtesy The Island

Wednesday 5th June, 2019

One of the main reasons the Muslim ministers gave, on Monday, for resigning from their posts en bloc was that they were accused of interfering with investigations into extremist activities. They said that they would not hold ministerial positions pending investigations. One is confused. That allegation has been levelled against only one of them and why others chose to resign is the question.

Are these politicians trying to have the public believe that after their dramatic exit from the Cabinet, the non-Muslim ministers will not interfere with investigations into the allegations against the likes of Rishad Bathiudeen? On the other hand, even as ordinary MPs, they can leverage their votes to influence the government leaders. Their aforesaid argument simply doesn’t hold water in that the government’s save-Bathiudeen campaign is already underway for all practical purposes.

One may recall how the parliamentary select committee process has been abused to further the interests of governments in power. The Rajapaksa government appointed a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to ascertain whether there were grounds for impeaching the then Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, who refused to give in to its dictates. It was packed with UPFA MPs loyal to the ruling family, which was out for her scalp, and the UNP members thereof, seeing through the government strategy, pulled out in protest. The PSC predictably found the CJ guilty as charged, and based on its decision she was impeached.

The yahapalana government, which annulled Dr. Bandaranayake’s ‘impeachment’ ab initio, declaring that the select committee process had been abused to launch a political witch-hunt, now, stands accused of doing something similar to get Bathiudeen off the hook. So, it defies comprehension why the Muslim Ministers resigned en masse. Their action will not pave the way for any impartial investigation.

SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem was spot on when he told the media, at Temple Trees, on Monday, that what was necessary was a CID investigation into the allegations at issue. But the police are notorious for their selective efficiency; they get cracking only when suspects happen to be ordinary citizens or persons connected to the Opposition. They give kid glove treatment to pro-government suspects.

As for ministerial resignations and investigations, one may recall that Ravi Karunanayake resigned as Finance Minister when it became too embarrassing for the government to defend him owing to a host of damning revelations made by a presidential commission of inquiry, which probed the bond scams. It was claimed that he had stepped down to allow an impartial investigation to be conducted. But nothing of the sort happened and he was reappointed a Cabinet minister, late last year, because the UNP came to be dependent on him to retain its majority in Parliament vis-à-vis an abortive power grab. The Attorney General’s Department admitted in courts recently that investigations were still going on and Karunanayake would be prosecuted once they were concluded. Given the tardy progress in investigations into the bond scams and allied matters, we bet our bottom dollar or rupee that by the time they are concluded all of us will be pushing up daisies. The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption has also been dragging its clumsy feet on a key bond probe commission recommendation that legal action be instituted against those responsible for the bond scams.

Tilak Marapana had to resign as Law and Order Minister over the Avant-Garde controversy, in 2015. He is also back in the Cabinet. So much for ministerial resignations and impartial investigations!

The reason all MPs give for demanding ministerial positions is that they want to serve their electors better. The Muslim MPs have given up their ministerial positions, which they could have used to serve their community, at this hour of crisis. Bathiudeen must be laughing up his sleeve because their resignations have come to be seen as an act of getting their wagons in a circle to defend him.

By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

Vietnam era US warship USCG Sherman is Sri Lanka’s largest platform. The vessel is pictured off Colombo harbour on the morning of May 12, 2019. President Sirisena will commission the vessel, P 626 tomorrow (June 06) at the Colombo harbour. Sherman is the second US vessel acquired by Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka acquired USCG Courageous in 2004. P 621 (SLNS Samudura) was part of task force responsible for the destruction of LTTE floating arsenals, beginning with the 2006 Sept. destruction of a vessel off Kalmunai (pic courtesy Navy)

The United States made an abortive bid, in 2002, to finalize an Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA), formerly known as ‘NATO Mutual Support Act’, with Sri Lanka. The attempt was made close on the heels of a Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) signed by then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, on Feb. 21. 2002. NATO member Norway arranged the CFA. Years later, Norway revealed its operation here had the backing of NATO by way of intelligence provided by the world’s most powerful military alliance (Pawns of Peace: Evaluation of Norwegian peace efforts in Sri Lanka).

The US, too, played a significant role in the Norway-led process as a member of the Sri Lanka Peace Co-Chairs. Peace Co-Chairs comprised the US, EU, Norway and Japan. At that time, India was on its way to become a fully-fledged member of the US-led club.

Today, nuclear capable, India is a key member of the US-led grouping taking on the Chinese challenge.

The US-Japan-Australia-India alliance wants Sri Lanka to be part of the team. Sri Lanka’s inclusion in Australian military exercise Indo Pacific Endeavour 2019 (IPE-19) and ‘Comprehensive Partnership’ between Japan and Sri Lanka, finalized in early Oct 2015, underscored their determination to bring Sri Lanka under their domain.

Having won the 2015 January presidential election, with the UNP’s backing, President Maithripala Sirisena endorsed ‘Comprehensive Partnership’ with Japan. The finalization of ‘Comprehensive Partnership’ took place less than a week after President Sirisena’s government co-sponsored a resolution at the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) at the expense of the country’s own interest. A joint declaration issued in the immediate aftermath of Wickremesinghe’s four-day official visit (Oct 4-7, 2015) to Tokyo on the invitation of Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe, dealt with (1) promotion of investment and trade (2) co-operation on the national development plan in Sri Lanka (3) national reconciliation and peace building (4) political consultation and maritime cooperation (5) human resource development and people-to-people exchange (6) Co-operation in the international arena.

Political consultation and maritime cooperation were especially meant to enhance defence cooperation. Japan eyeing a permanent seat in the UN Security Council also expects Sri Lanka’s backing for that endeavour.

Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera, on August 22, 2018, visited strategically located Trincomalee and Hambantota ports. Unprecedented visits took place while a Japanese Destroyer ‘Ikazuchi’ was docked at the Trincomalee port. Onodera flew in to Colombo where he met President Sirisena, Premier Wickremesinghe and State Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene on the previous day after having visited New Delhi. Onodera raised Sri Lanka’s leasing of the Hambantota port to China with President Sirisena and Premier Wickremesinghe.

Sri Lanka and China entered into a 99-year lease of the Hambantota port, in 2018, under controversial circumstances.

Onodera declared that Japan wants Hambantota port ‘free of military activities.’ Obviously, Onodera’s declaration was on behalf of the US-led group.

Onodera’s visit was followed by JS Kaga, the biggest warship built since the end of World War II. The visit took place ahead of Tokyo’s announcement that JS Kaga and sister ship Isumo would be transformed to enable them to launch US made F-35 B stealth fighters. Acquisition of such huge strike capability should be studied against the backdrop of Japan’s Constitution expressly forbids the use of offensive weapons following its defeat in World War II.

Japan, home for powerful US forces, plans to acquire 105 fighters – a big boost for the US defence industry.

US President Donald Trump, during last week’s state visit to Japan, was invited to tour JS Kaga. International media quoted Trump as having said on board the vessel: “And soon, this very ship will be upgraded to carry that cutting-edge aircraft. With this extraordinary new equipment, the JS Kaga will help our nations defend against a range of complex threats in the region and far beyond.”

Those backing a bigger Japanese role in US military project are working overtime to play down the significance of Tokyo acquiring a far reaching strike capability – a first for Japan since its formal surrender on Sept 02, 1945, months after Germany succumbed. Germany surrendered on May 07, 1945.

Interestingly, Kaga was the name of one of the aircraft carriers that launched planes to bomb US Pearl Harbour on Dec 07, 1941, which led to Washington’s entry into the conflict.

The developing Japanese military role should be examined taking into consideration the rapid expansion of her military capabilities. Japan recently intervened to save an understanding between Sri Lanka and India regarding the development of the East Container Terminal (ECT) at the Colombo port. Japan facilitated the agreement on ECT by becoming one of its joint venture partners last week. Sri Lanka, Japan and India finalized an agreement to jointly develop the ECT. The joint initiative is estimated to cost between $500 min and $700 mn.

The agreement followed months long battle between President Maithripala Sirisena and Premier Wickremesinghe over the ECT with the former strongly resisting a joint venture with India. President Sirisena seems to have no objection to joint venture involving India and Japan, having ‘openly’ clashed with Wickremesinghe in Oct 2018. President Sirisena perpetrated a constitutional coup on Oct 26, 2018, in the wake of his bitter battle with Wickremesinghe over ECT. President Sirisena sacked Premier Wickremesinghe in the wake of the arrest of an Indian national Marceli Thomas over his alleged involvement in a plot to assassinate him (Sirisena) and wartime Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The US and its allies are seeking to further their interests with the world solitary super power, having successfully negotiated ACSA in Aug 2017, planning to enter in to far reaching SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement).

With Sri Lanka in deepening political turmoil, following the Easter Sunday carnage, blamed on the National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ), the government is being exploited. The US seems to be hell-bent on securing an agreement on SOFA regardless of consequences. The NTJ operation, backed by ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) obviously facilitated their operations here. Indian High Commissioner Taranjith Singh Sandhu offered India’s full support to Sri Lanka in dealing with the common threat of Jihadi terrorism in the third week of May. The assurance was given, separately, to Mahanayakes of Asgiriya and Malwatte Chapters. US Ambassador Alaina Teplitz followed Sandhu. She was there to reassure the Mahanayakes that SOFA was not meant to take advantage of Sri Lanka. There hadn’t been a previous instance of a US Ambassador, or any other foreign envoy for that matter, making representations to Mahanayakes as regards security-political issues.

Armitage on ACSA

The Joint Opposition, the JVP and civil society organization ‘Yuthukama’, strongly protested against the signing of the ACSA. They revealed how the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration approved ACSA in Aug 2017. The UNP pointed out that the previous Rajapaksa administration entered into ACSA in March 2007. Therefore, what really happened in Aug 2017 was extending the agreement. Leader of the House, Senior Minister Lakshman Kiriella explained the UNP government’s stand, both in parliament and outside, in respect of the ACSA and SOFA. However, Kiriella made no reference to the first US attempt to negotiate ACSA, way back in 2002.

The US publicly revealed its desire to secure ACSA on Aug 22, 2002, in Colombo. The then US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, having visited Jaffna earlier in the day, followed by meetings with the then President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s envoy, Lakshman Kadirgamar, and Premier Wickremesinghe, declared the US intention to finalize the agreement. The writer was among those journalists presented when Vietnam veteran Armitage addressed the media. Armitage asserted that there was no problem in negotiating the agreement meant to formalize required facilities for US military (US-SL to finalize Access and Cross Servicing Agreement-The Island, Aug 23, 2002).

Earlier, in the day, Armitage, accompanied by US Ambassador Ashley Wills, flew in to Palaly airbase where he was welcomed by the then Jaffna Security Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Sarath Fonseka. The CFA was in place at that time. Otherwise, Armitage wouldn’t have risked flying in an AN 32 transport plane due to threat posed by the LTTE. Fonseka accompanied the US duo to army front-line at Muhamalai. Jaffna front-line extended from Kilali to Nagarkovil on the Vadamaratchchy east coast via Muhamalai. The attempt was made amidst political chaos caused by the CFA. The UNP finalized the agreement sans President Kumaratunga’s consent. The push to establish North-East Interim Council further deteriorated the ground situation. Following his meeting with Armitage, Kadirgamar told a selected group of journalists, at his heavily guarded Wijerama Mawatha residence, that the proposed administrative body should be deeply rooted in the Constitution. “It must not be allowed to have a life of its own,” Kadirgamar told the media. The writer was among the group of journalists present (N-E Interim Council ‘must be deeply rooted in Constitution’, says Kadirgamar-The Island, August 23, 2002)

Armitage was the senior most US official to visit Colombo since Secretary of State John Foster Dulles’ visit five decades ago. The LTTE assassinated Kadirgamar in August three years later.

Armitage announced plans for ACSA over a month after Premier Wickremesinghe met US President George W. Bush in Washington. In fact, the ACSA was to be finalized in July 2002. Following their meetings, the US undertook a comprehensive study of Sri Lankan military as well as economic institutions. The project was meant to strengthen the military though the UNP never expected the LTTE to leave the negotiating table. The LTTE quit the negotiating table in April 2003.

It would be pertinent to mention that the US accommodated Sri Lanka in various military exercises following Kumaratunga’s election as the president in Nov 1994. Even at the time Armitage visited Colombo the US military was engaged in exercises with Sri Lankan Special Forces, including the Navy’s elite SBS (Special Boat Squadron).

Then Minister Milinda Moragoda, being close to the US, played a high profile role in the project.

In Dec 2002, Ambassador Wills revealed the possibility of the US seeking Sri Lankan ports and air space to invade Iraq. US-UK led forces invaded Iraq in March 2003 on false intelligence claims of Saddam Hussein having what the Western media dubbed Weapons of Mass destruction (WMDs). Then Foreign Minister the late Tyronne Fernando explained the difficulty in giving into US request (SL in dilemma over help for US-The Island, Dec 22, 2002). At the end, the US didn’t request for Sri Lankan bases (No request for Lankan bases-The Island, March 23, 2003).

During Fernando’s tenure as the Foreign Minister, Sri Lanka entered into an agreement with the US not to surrender each other’s nationals to the International Criminal Court (ICC) without the consent of each other. The US secured the same agreements with India, Pakistan and Nepal.

Lanka enters into ACSA

The US could have secured ACSA if not for the LTTE destabilizing the UNP government by undermining the CFA. The UNP lacked the political will to go ahead with ACSA. The LTTE strategy paved the way for President Kumaratunga to take over several key portfolios, including defence in the following year and then sack Wickremesinghe’s administration. Kumaratunga called early general election. Her move enabled the People’s Alliance she led to win the April 2004 parliamentary polls. The PA also won the Nov 2005 presidential polls. The LTTE resumed large scale offensive operations in the second week of August 2006 a few months after making an abortive bid to assassinate the then Army Chief Lt. Gen. Fonseka. Had the LTTE succeeded in assassinating Fonseka in late April 2006, Sri Lanka could have succumbed to LTTE pressure. Sri Lanka launched a counter offensive in the first week of Sept 2006 and by March 2007 was in a commanding position in the Eastern theater of operations though LTTE combat formations remained intact in the Northern region. The LTTE suffered a second major setback when Gotabaya Rajapaksa survived suicide attack on Dec 01, 2006. By March, 2007, the LTTE was retreating in the Eastern Province. In the first week of March, 2007 Sri Lanka entered in to ACSA with the US. Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Ambassador Robert O. Blake signed on behalf of Sri Lanka and the US, respectively. President Rajapaksa, in his capacity as the Defence Minister, authorized ACSA. The Rajapaksas never bothered to inform parliament of the agreement. Having signed ACSA, Gotabaya Rajapaksa reiterated Sri Lanka’s commitment to defeat the LTTE, militarily, in talks with top State Department official Stevan Mann, when the latter met him at the Defence Ministry. Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s move eased US pressure as the Army opened a new front on the Vanni east front (No halt on offensive against LTTE: Lanka seeks more US support to stop arms flow-The Island, March 11, 2007).

The Rajapaksa government ignored the left parties’ call to table the agreement in parliament. The government dismissed their concerns (LSSP wants military agreement with US published-The Island, March 11, 2007).

Interestingly, Kiriella, who strongly defended Sri Lanka signing ACSA and negotiating SOFA, lambasted the Rajapaksa when Gotabaya Rajapaksa signed the original agreement. In the wake of the original agreement, finalized on March 05, 2007, Ambassador Blake went to the extent of personally meeting JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe to reassure the US didn’t pursue a hidden agenda here. Blake assured that ACSA wouldn’t pave the way for US bases here. They also discussed the ethnic issue and ongoing efforts to militarily defeat the LTTE. Amarasinghe reiterated his party’s belief that LTTE terrorism should be defeated militarily (Somawansa-Bake pow-wow-The Island, April 06, 2007).

US changes course of war

Sri Lanka received valuable US support, particularly during Eelam War IV that enabled the Rajapaksa government to gradually overcome the LTTE. At the onset of the Eelam War IV, the US thwarted an LTTE bid to procure SA 18 missiles. Subsequently, the US provided specific intelligence on ‘floating LTTE arsenals’ to Sri Lanka on a request made by wartime Navy Chief Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda. Karannagoda move enabled the destruction of four LTTE vessels on the high seas, thereby hastened the collapse of the LTTE. In addition to those vessels that had been hunted down on the basis of intelligence provided by the US, the Navy hit several other LTTE ships during Eelam War IV.

Those interested in knowing it all should peruse Karannagoda’s memoirs titled Adistanaya released in Nov 2014, just two months before the change of government. Although Karannagoda, made no reference to ACSA, it would be pertinent to stress that the US, perhaps reluctantly, provided critically important intelligence following the finalization of the agreement on March 05, 2007. Several weeks after the signing of the agreement, Karannagoda had sought a meeting with the then US defence attaché in Colombo. Karannagoda has requested for US assistance to track down the remaining LTTE vessels as the superpower was engaged in worldwide campaign against terrorism. That meeting at Karannagda’s office led to a meeting with Ambassador Blake, also at the same venue in late May 2007. In late August 2007, the US provided the required information secured from a satellite to the Navy. The US verified the positioning of four vessels about two weeks later. They had been at the same position as two weeks before. In fact, the US had queried whether Karannagoda’s Navy had the wherewithal to destroy four ships so far away from Sri Lanka. Karannagoda dispatched naval task force comprising six vessels on Sept 2007 from Colombo, Trincomalee and Galle. Karannagoda, in his memoirs revealed how an Indian diplomat based at its High Commission in Colombo made a despicable attempt to misdirect the Navy by providing information contrary to that of the Americans. Karannagoda unhesitatingly named the Indian as a representative of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Subsequently, the Indian had been exposed as a Chinese agent. Acting on US intelligence, the Navy destroyed three out of four LTTE vessels in the second week of Sept. 2007. The US again provided specific intelligence in late Sept. 2007 regarding the LTTE vessel that escaped during Sept. 2007 operation. The fourth vessel was destroyed on Oct 7, 2007.

At an earlier stage of the Eelam War IV, the US provided 30 mm Bushmaster cannon to upgrade the Fast Attack Craft (FAC) flotilla. The replacement of 23 mm with 30 mm US weapon transformed the FAC flotilla. Having helped Sri Lanka to defeat the LTTE, the US later moved against the Rajapaksa administration as part of its strategy to counter China. The US hell-bent on depriving China overseas bases, worked overtime to facilitate a change of government. Current developments should be examined against the backdrop of the US backing Gen. Fonseka’s candidature at the 2010 presidential poll and Sirisena’s at the last presidential election. The forthcoming presidential election, scheduled for later this year, will surely attract US interests as it battled Chinese moves. Sri Lanka shouldn’t forget what former US Secretary of State John Kerry, who visited Colombo after the change of government in January 2015 later revealed the US funding made available to influence ‘regime change’ in Myanmar, Nigeria and Sri Lanka. Kerry revealed the US taxpayer spending as much as USD 585 mn in the above mentioned countries. How much did the US spend here? Who received the money?…..

(To be continued on June 12)

Editorial Courtesy The Island

Thursday 6th June, 2019

Former Director of the Terrorism Investigations Division (TID) DIG Nalaka de Silva would have the public believe that the Easter Sunday carnage could have been prevented if he had not been arrested. On Tuesday, he told the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing the Easter Sunday bombings and allied issues that the TID had, on his watch, kept the National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) and its leader Mohamed Zaharan under surveillance and conveyed information about them to IGP Pujith Jayasundera, on a regular basis. The TID’s plans had gone awry owing to his arrest, he is reported to have said.

De Silva’s statement makes one wonder whether the entire TID collapsed following his arrest over an alleged plot to assassinate President Maithripala Sirisena and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. But is it possible that an institution fails to carry out its duties due to the arrest of only a single officer? Was de Silva without a deputy to run the TID after his arrest? Why didn’t the IGP, under whose purview the TID comes, detail someone else to take over de Silva’s investigations into the NTJ activities?

De Silva and his friends in the government are apparently trying to lay the blame for the failure on the part of the police to prevent the Easter bombings, at the feet of those who had him arrested. In so doing, they have unwittingly exposed the IGP’s failure to ensure the continuation of the TID probe into the NTJ’s illegal operations despite de Silva’s arrest.

The police are functioning under an acting IGP and carrying out all investigations which were initiated before IGP Jayasundera was sent on compulsory leave. Why couldn’t the TID do so following the arrest of its head?

If de Silva had kept IGP Jayasundera informed of the TID investigations which yielded incriminating evidence against the NTJ, Zaharan should have been arrested promptly. Why did the police wait till he vanished from their radar screen? Were they under political pressure to steer clear of the NTJ and Zaharan? In this country, people get arrested even for loitering with intent. The police also swooped on two drunkards who were urinating in a public place, in Kalutara, sometime ago.

Both Jayasundera and de Silva must be made to explain why the police did not arrest Zaharan and question him despite the availability of credible information that the latter posed a threat to national security. If the NTJ leader had been taken into custody prior to de Silva’s arrest last October, perhaps, the Easter attacks could have been prevented.

It may be recalled that in 2017, Zaharan and his associates unleashed violence against their rivals in the East. They mercilessly attacked a large number of people and burnt many houses. Some of his followers responsible for the incidents were arrested and remanded. Zaharan ran away. The police knew he was a wanted man. Why didn’t the TID, which, de Silva says, had been following him, did not take him into custody for those crimes?

The NTJ succeeded in carrying out the Easter attacks not because of de Silva’s arrest; they struck with ease because the Defence Ministry and the government leaders had not taken an intelligence warning of the impending attacks seriously. In fact, the then Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando said so in answer to a question from the foreign media, in the aftermath of the terror strikes. IGP Jayasundera was sent on compulsory leave on the grounds that he had not acted on the intelligence warning at issue, which the police had received in early April. Now, de Silva says the IGP had been kept informed of the danger the NTJ posed to national security as early as last year. Are we to conclude that the IGP’s alleged lapses anent the Easter bombings are far more serious than thought?

These are only some of the questions that one asks oneself, having read what de Silva told the PSC. It is hoped that they will not go unanswered.

By Lynn Ockersz Courtesy The Island

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan sails in waters off Okinawa, alongside a refueling ship.

There is considerable heated discussion and debate currently in Sri Lanka over two military cooperation agreements that are featuring in this country’s ties with the US and the time could not be more appropriate to achieve a clear understanding of some of the external compulsions that impact on a small state’s foreign policy formulation process. Those important sections that are party to these discussions would do well to ensure that we have more ‘light’ than ‘heat’ in these efforts at deliberation.

The discussion in question is pervaded with a good measure of populist sentiment and this does not augur well for clear-headed commentary. Those taking it on themselves to comment on the issues in question would do well to realize that foreign policy cannot be intelligently thought out on the basis of knee-jerk or sensationalist reactions to public issues.

It is a home truth that it is quite some time since we began to live in an interdependent, globalized world. It is not possible for small states in particular not to interact with major powers and institutional actors of note, on a multiplicity of fronts, including, very crucially, the economic. Countries have interacted with each other since time immemorial but the external compulsions to do so are at their intensest at present.

Accordingly, agreements with world actors who are seen to matter are unavoidable if a country’s national interest is to be served. It does not follow that states could plunge head-long into international agreements without working out their implications for themselves on a number of planes. But speaking to the world and interacting with it on a give-and-take basis is a must.

The international questions confronting small states in particular have never been more complex as they are today. This is particularly true of South Asia in general and Sri Lanka in particular. It is to international economics that one must go if today’s foreign policy dilemmas are to be understood clearly. And if these issues are found to be brain-teasing for some they could not be faulted. A resolution of these matters, indeed, calls for thinking skills of the highest order.

The merit of a statement by US Acting Secretary of Defence Patrick M. Shanahan, published in this newspaper on June 3 and 4, is that it provided a comprehensive and detailed presentation of US policy in the region described by the US as the ‘Indo-Pacific’.Whether found to be acceptable or not the statement needs to be read and understood if the considerations and compulsions pushing US foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific are to be grasped.

Whether seen as hegemonic or otherwise the US will find itself to be increasingly interested and involved in the Asia-Pacific. This is where its most vital interests lie and an impartial, dispassionate assessment of the ground realities would reveal the attractions of the Asia-Pacific for a super power. The same goes for China, and the latter being a predominant power, cannot be faulted for being growingly interested in the Asia-Pacific either. A scientific approach to understanding the conduct of these powers is what is vitally needed and a succumbing to populism would result in an obfuscation of the issues involved.

The major powers are not driven in the main by political idealism but by factors and compulsions that serve their national interest best. The same goes for all states and what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Small states given their minor status and relative powerlessness in the world political order need to work towards their interests amid this correlation of international political forces, as best as they could. After all, these realities could not be wished away.

As pointed out in this column often, the global South currently has no powerful collective body that could voice its concerns and work collaboratively towards its interests. For instance, NAM that played this function at one time is almost no more. Small states, such as Sri Lanka, are orphaned and they have no choice but to deal very diplomatically and cordially with the big powers to further their interests.

This is the stark truth about the world political order. If small states are to change this state of things in their favour they would need to ‘organize’ themselves into an effective collective body that would make an impression on the big powers. Hopefully, that would be so.

In the detailed statement made by Shanahan the following strikes this columnist as very important, considering the foregoing:’Our vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific recognizes the linkages between economics, governance and security that are part of the competitive landscape throughout the region and that economic security is national security.’ This pronouncement is important for the light it sheds on some of the basic compulsions driving the US’ engagement with our part of the world.

Since ‘economic security is national security’, and this is true for all countries, given the predominance of the economic in the affairs of states, the Asia-Pacific would need to brace for a prolonged US military presence. However, these same considerations happen to essentially shape Chinese foreign policy as well, since the Asia-Pacific is the world’s number one growth centre. In fact, all major powers would be seeking to have an enduring presence in the Asia-Pacific.

Given Sri Lanka’s relative powerlessness it would need to relate on the best of terms with all these major powers. It cannot afford to earn their disfavour although it cannot compromise its self-respect as a country. Since these powers are here to stay Sri Lanka would need to get on the best it could with the US, China, India, Japan and Russia, to name the most notable among these foremost powers.

The Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement which Sri Lanka has signed with the US and the proposed Status of Forces Agreement between the countries have aggravated Sri Lanka’s foreign policy dilemmas which are not amenable to early resolution given Sri Lanka’s powerlessness. After all, the international power balance in South Asia cannot be changed in a hurry because of the enduring attractions for the big powers of the Asia-Pacific. Sri Lanka could, however, negotiate patiently with the US to ease off some of the more controversial provisions in these agreements. It is left with no other choice. 

By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

The Joint Opposition (JO), yesterday, accused the UNP of causing an irreparable rift between the Sinhala and Muslim communities by forcing all Muslim lawmakers to give up portfolios to save Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, accused of complicity in the Easter Sunday carnage.

Former Media Minister and JO spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella questioned why Ministers Rauff Hakeem, Kabir Hashim, Amir Ali, Sihabdeen and Abdul Haleem, Deputy Minister Abdullah Maharoof and State Ministers H.M.M. Hareez and Ali Zahair Moulana had quit their portfolios because JO handed over a no-confidence motion (NCM) against only a single individual––Vanni District MP Bathiudeen.

Addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s Office, Colombo, the Kandy District MP emphasised that their move was aimed at making matters difficult for law enforcement authorities inquiring into the Easter Sunday carnage.

Accusing UNP leader and Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe, Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya of what he called a despicable project to save Bathiudeen, lawmaker Rambukwella said that the UNP had unashamedly forced even its own Chairman Kabir Hashim to risk his political career for the sake of Bathiudeen.

Referring to Minister Abdul Haleem’s controversial statement that swords had been procured to cut grass at cemeteries, MP Rambukwella said that the minister had swiftly clarified the matter.

Those who resigned their portfolios represented the UNP, the SLMC and the ACMC (All Ceylon Makkal Congress). The SLMC and ACMC parliamentary groups consist of seven and five lawmakers, respectively.

MP Ranbukwella said that senior Muslim politicians should have resisted top UNP leadership’s move to defend Bathiudeen at the expense of them.

The JO spokesman also strongly condemned SLMC leader MP Hakeem’s declaration at Monday’s press conference at Temple Trees that they expected the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to complete the inquiry within one month.

Rambukwella asked the media whether they had ever heard a politician setting a deadline for the police to finalise such a high profile investigation.

T At the onset of the JO briefing, Rambukwella described the current situation as extremely complicated with the UNP government still pursuing a politically motivated agenda.

Alleging that the negligence on the part of the government at the highest levels had led to the Easter Sunday suicide bombings, MP Rambukwella flayed the government for shielding those responsible for promoting and sponsoring extremism and terrorism in the country.

Ratnapura District MP Pavitradevi Wanniarachchi urged President Sirisena and PM Wickremesinghe not to play politics with national security. Yahapalana leaders’ efforts to retain political power had caused a political turmoil and uncertainty, Wanniarachchi alleged.

Rambukwella explained how the UNP and President Sirisena had struggled to cope up with the crisis caused by the Easter Sunday carnage. The ongoing Parliament Select Committee (PSC) probing April 21 attacks was meant to find fault with President Sirisena, MP Rambukwella said, adding that both parties couldn’t absolve themselves of the responsibility for death and destruction caused due to their negligence.

Recalling how the Rajapaksa government had brought the war to a successful conclusion a decade back, MP Rambukwella said that terrorism had struck again at a time the public felt secure. The people had lost faith in the government due to prevalent uncertainty, the former Defence Spokesman said, alleging that the current dispensation’s response to terrorism had caused serious concern among armed force and law enforcement agencies.

The JO spokesperson paid a glowing tribute to Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith for having prevented a backlash in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday carnage.

Nearly 260 perished and about 500 were wounded in the coordinated bombing campaign.

MP Rambukwella alleged that Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella had made a desperate bid to scuttle the NCM against Bathiudeen. The JO MP lambasted the UNP for not giving an early date for the NCM on Bathiudeen. Although the JO pushed for a two-day debate on June 6 and 7, the government delayed it to June 18 and 19.

Asked by The Island whether it would have been far more advantageous to the JO, if a vote on NCM had been held as scheduled instead of it (NCM) being ended up in dustbin due to Bathiudden on his own giving up portfolios, MP Rambukwella said that JO done its duty by moving NCM. The former minister refrained from commenting on the circumstances leading to the NCM being withheld due to Bathiudeen losing his ministerial portfolios.

Courtesy India Today

Nine ministers from the Muslim community, in the President Maithripala Sirirsena’s Cabinet, and two provincial governors resigned on Monday accusing the government of failing to ensure the safety of the people from community.

PM Ranil Wickremesingh said it is the first time since independence that no Muslims are part of the government (Picture source: Twitter handle@RW_UNP).

HIGHLIGHTS

• Nine ministers from the Muslim community and two provincial governors resigned on Monday
• Industry and Commerce Minister Bathiyutheen was accused of supporting the ISIS linked NTJ
• Complaints so received will be handed over to the Crime Investigation Department

For the first time, Sri Lanka has a government which has no ministers from the Muslim community, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Tuesday.

Nine ministers from the Muslim community, in the President Maithripala Sirirsena’s Cabinet, and two provincial governors resigned on Monday accusing the government of failing to ensure the safety of the people from community following the Easter Sunday bomb attacks, in which around 260 people were killed.

A local Jihadi group, the National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ), said to have links with the IS, carried out a series of bomb blast in three churches and as many luxury hotels of the Indian Ocean island nation on April 21.

“For the first time a government is functioning without Muslim ministers in it,” Wickremesinghe said. It is the first time since the island nation’s independence in 1948 that no Muslims are part of the government.

Amid mounting pressure by the majority Singhala Buddhist groups, Cabinet Minister Rishath Bathiyutheen and two provincial governors resigned from the Sirisena government.

Their resignations came four days after thousands of people, including majority Buddhist community monks, launched a protest in the pilgrim city of Kandy, demanding the expulsion of three Muslim leaders whom they alleged were linked to the NTJ – the banned outfit blamed for the attacks on three Colombo hotels and three churches.

The Sinhala Buddhist groups accused them of aiding and abetting the NTJ and demanded President Sirisena to sack them. Bathiyutheen, who was holding the post of Industry and Commerce Minister in Sirisena government, was accused of supporting the ISIS linked NTJ.

Wickremesinghe said the raising of communal passions against Muslims was only giving the victory to ISIS.

“We must not strengthen the position of terrorists by doing so,” he added.

There were a total of 19 muslims members of Parliament among the 225 lawmakers, nine of held the posts of cabinet, state and deputy ministers. About three weeks after the devastating blasts, the muslim minority owned businesses and properties came under attacks from Sinhala community members, in which one person was killed.

Meanwhile, the police said it had opened a special investigation panel to probe the allegations against the two provincial governors and minister Bathiyutheen.

“Anyone can come forward to lodge a complain to this committee of a Senior Superintendent and two Assistant Superintendents,” police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said.

Complaints so received will be handed over to the Crime Invest­igation Department (CID), he added.

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Courtesy Eurekalert.org

Intervention focused on removing mosquito breeding sites found to be both effective and cost-saving

A public health, police, and military partnership to reduce the mosquito population in Sri Lanka resulted in a more than 50-percent reduction in dengue, as well as cost savings, finds a study from an international team of researchers led by NYU College of Global Public Health. The findings are published in The Lancet Planetary Health.

Dengue is a viral illness transmitted by mosquitoes and can cause fever, pain, rash, and other flu-like symptoms. Severe cases require hospitalization, placing an economic burden on areas where dengue is found. While a new dengue vaccine raised hope about reducing the impact of the disease, the vaccine’s risks have limited its use, maintaining the focus on controlling mosquito populations to halt the spread of the disease.

Dengue is particularly prevalent in countries in south Asia and has become a major public health problem in Sri Lanka, which has seen a dramatic increase in the disease in recent years. In response, in 2014, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health started a proactive mosquito control program in partnership with its military and police forces.

The program aimed to reduce mosquitos in high-risk communities by conducting door-to-door inspections on a large scale. Teams made up of a combination of public health authorities, police, and military personnel inspected at least 50 locations daily in order to identify and remove mosquito breeding sites, such as containers of stagnant water around homes. The program augmented the routine mosquito control interventions with larvicides and insecticides.

This study evaluated the impact of the mosquito control intervention from June 2014 to December 2016 in an urban region in western Sri Lanka highly affected by dengue. The researchers analyzed the rates of dengue in symptomatic patients in the presence and absence of the intervention, adjusting for climate variables, including rainfall and temperature, to measure the program’s impact. The researchers also assessed the cost and cost-effectiveness of the program.

“Evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of population-level interventions is essential for guiding public health planning and empowering policy makers to deploy the most effective and efficient interventions, particularly in resource-limited settings,” said Yesim Tozan, assistant professor of global health at NYU College of Global Public Health and the study’s senior author.

The mosquito control program had a significant effect on larval mosquito populations in the region as well as on dengue, with researchers measuring a 57-percent reduction in dengue incidence. They estimate that 2,192 cases of dengue were averted during the 31-month intervention.

The program cost $271,615, the majority (89 percent) of which went to personnel, given the human resource-intensive nature of the intervention involving door-to-door inspections and removal of mosquito breeding places. To analyze its cost-effectiveness, the researchers calculated costs using three scenarios of the proportion of dengue cases treated in hospitals: moderate hospitalization (50 percent), low hospitalization (25 percent), and high hospitalization (75 percent).

The researchers found that the cost savings from treating fewer dengue cases in medical settings thanks to the intervention were $291,990 in the moderate hospitalization scenario, offsetting the mosquito control program costs and yielding a savings of $20,247. The program was estimated to avert 176 disability-adjusted life-years over the study period, or $98 in savings per disability-adjusted life-year. The scenario with high hospitalization levels was also cost saving, while the scenario with low hospitalization was cost-effective based on certain calculations but not others.

“Our study suggests that communities affected by dengue can benefit from investments in mosquito control if interventions are implemented rigorously and coordinated across sectors. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the disease and economic burden of dengue,” said Prasad Liyanage of the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health and Umeå University in Sweden and the study’s lead author.

“Even if a safe dengue vaccine becomes available in the future, mosquito control is likely to remain a key complementary strategy to curtail the continued spread and intensification of dengue,” said Tozan.

###

In addition to Tozan and Liyanage, study authors include Joacim Rocklöv of Umeå University; Hasitha Tissera and Paba Palihawadana of the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health; and Annelies Wilder-Smith of Umeå University and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

About NYU College of Global Public Health

At the NYU College of Global Public Health (NYU GPH), we are preparing the next generation of public health pioneers with the critical thinking skills, acumen, and entrepreneurial approaches necessary to reinvent the public health paradigm. Devoted to employing a nontraditional, inter-disciplinary model, NYU GPH aims to improve health worldwide through a unique blend of global public health studies, research and practice. The College is located in the heart of New York City and extends to NYU’s global network on six continents. Innovation is at the core of our ambitious approach, thinking and teaching. For more, visit: publichealth.nyu.edu

Courtesy Adaderana

The Maha Sangha of all Buddhist Chapters has requested all Muslim political leaders to take up their official responsibilities once again.

This was mentioned at a special meeting of Maha Sangha of all Chapters held at the Asgiri Maha Viharaya, today (05).

Chief Prelates of the three chapters also expressed their regrets over the resignation of the Muslim Ministers from their posts.

Courtesy Adaderana

The letters pertaining to the resignations of the Muslim Minister have not yet been received by the Presidential Secretariat, according to Secretary to the President Udaya R. Seneviratne.

All cabinet, non-cabinet, state, and deputy Muslim Ministers stated that they would resign from their titles at a press conference held on Monday (03).

Although the Ministers stated that they would sit as backbenchers in the parliament, they had been allocated seats at the front of the chamber today (05) as the gazette notification on their resignations had not been received by the parliament as of yet.

The letter informing the relevant ministers’ resignation has not been sent in for gazetting by the Presidential Secretariat, Head of Government Printer, Ms. Gangani Kalpani Liyanage told Ada Derana.

When Ada Derana inquired Secretary to the President Udaya R. Seneviratne on the matter he stated that the letters on the resignations of the Ministers have to be sent to him through the Prime Minister’s Office.

However, the letters have not been received by the Presidential Secretariat as of yet, he further said.

Meanwhile, Secretary to the Prime Minister stated the letters of resignation of the Ministers should be handed over to the president as per the constitution.

According to former Minister Kabir Hashim, the relevant letters were handed over to the Office of the Prime Minister.

Kelum Bandara Courtesy The Daily Mirror

President Maithripala Sirisena is reportedly not in agreement with the move to purchase a bullet proof vehicle for the use of Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe submitted a Cabinet paper last week seeking approval to purchase such a vehicle based on a request by the Opposition Leader’s Office.

However, the Cabinet paper was differed for this week amid reservations expressed by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera.

This matter was not taken up for discussion by the Cabinet yesterday.(

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals in May fell 70 percent year-on-year (YoY) to 37,000 in the aftermath of Easter Sunday attacks, with the largest decline in arrivals recording from China.

We have been talking about hotels going empty and westerners not visiting Sri Lanka. However, with safety being restored, we see numbers slightly edging up,” Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Chairman Kishu Gomes said.

According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), during the period between April 21 to May 21, tourist arrivals from top 10 tourism source markets of Sri Lanka, except Russia, have declined in the range of 40 to 90 percent.

Despite retaining the top position during the period, tourist arrivals from India declined to 9,238 compared to 34,167 arrivals in May last year.

The Indian tourist arrivals however slightly recovered during the first three weeks of May, compared to the latter part of April in the immediate aftermath of Easter Sunday attacks.

The largest decline in arrivals was recorded from China, where arrivals declined to mere 1,762 compared to 18,494 arrivals in May, last year.

Gomes noted that despite the travel warnings, tourists from Europe, Australia and North America continued to visit Sri Lanka.

From Easter Sunday to May 21, tourist arrivals from Australia and France declined to 2,484 and 2,015, respectively, which was below the average rate of decline among top source markets of Sri Lanka.

Tourist arrivals from the United Kingdom (UK) during the period declined to 3,297 and the UK replaced China as the second largest tourism source market for Sri Lanka in the first five months of the year.

A similar drop in tourist arrivals was recorded from Germany and the United States.

On the contrary, 1,568 tourists from Russia visited Sri Lanka in the 30-day period, which was slightly above the Russian tourist arrival figure for May last year.

Gomes noted that eight countries so far have softened their travel advisories on Sri Lanka.

Germany, India, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Italy, China and Belgium softened their travel advisories on Sri Lanka while more countries are expected to follow suit in near future.

According to government projections, tourist arrivals to the country could decline by 30 percent to around 1.6 million this year due to impacts of Easter Sunday attacks.

Up to May, the cumulative tourist arrivals declined by 7.1 percent YoY, to 944,575 tourists.(Nishel Fernando)

Courtesy Adaderana

The protest fast by Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero has propelled the traditional Muslims in the country to turn towards extremism, says the General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena Organization Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero.

Speaking at a press conference held yesterday, Ven. Gnanarasara Thero stated that it was Muslims who rendered much support to defeat Zahran’s extremist ideology, rather than Sinhalese.

Stating that Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero had resorted to a protest fast without any heads-up, Gnanasara Thero said the protest fast could have been justified if it was carried out right after the Easter attacks.

As he emphasized that all Buddhist monks, at this point, should have a common agenda, Gnanasara Thero stressed that he would not allow anyone else to handle ‘this’ and that Rathana Thero has complicated the issue.

Ven. Rathana Thero had worked with dedication to bring Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe into power and they are now pondering over how to secure the votes of the Muslims, Ven. Gnanasara Thero claimed.

Responding to a question on all Muslim ministers stepping down from their posts, Gnanasara Thero said it was unity, which Sinhalese leaders lack on their part.

Courtesy Adaderana

President Maithripala Sirisena has claimed that he would not be contesting at the upcoming presidential election, reliable sources told Ada Derana.

Reportedly, the President has mentioned this at a discussion held with Ministers of the United National Front (UNF) following the cabinet meeting, yesterday (04).

President Sirisena has further stated that he would also not be supporting Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa or his party at the election under any circumstances.

However, the President had also said that if the UNF comes to the right path with new young energy, he is willing to support them, according to sources.

3^rd June 2019 New York Times published article titled All 9 of Sri Lanka’s Muslim Minister’s Resign, as bombing backlash intensifies” flagrantly violates all forms of journalistic ethics, attempts to flair ethnic disharmony by intent to flame ethnic tensions and these paragons of virtue eternally accusing others of racism and ethnic discrimination has the audacity to use an international publication to call a Buddhist thero as ‘Mr. Ratana” twice while Gnanasara Thero is referred to as Mr. Gnanasara once. This demands not only a retraction of entire article but a public apology by Dharisha Bastians for overstepping her boundary. Buddhist Organizations/Associations are requested to adopt the following measures against this malicious and insensitive article.

Who is Dharisha Bastians?

She was appointed Editor of Sunday Observer by yahapalana government but resigned after Ranil Wickremasinghe was sacked as PM in October 2018 and Mahinda Rajapakse appointed as PM.

Let us first question some of the erroneous and purposely distorted versions the Sri Lankan correspondent of NYT is making

All nine Muslim ministers in Sri Lanka’s government and 2 Muslim provincial governors resigned on Monday as the fragile, Buddhist majority country grappled further with the communal backlash of the Easter Sunday bombings”

communal backlash of the Easter Sunday bombings” what are they referring to? The government organized mob attacks 3 weeks after the Easter bombings? Everyone knows that revenge attacks generally happen immediately after a sudden catastrophic incident. When attacks happen 3 weeks it smells of more than a rat. Obviously the 2 correspondents are misleading the international readers because the mobs attacked Sinhala shops as well and the Sinhalese residents were keeping Muslims in their homes. But that is never newsworthy enough to print!

So what has angered these two correspondents?

Is it that Ratana Thero commenced a hunger strike demanding 3 Muslim politicians who were linked to the suicide bombers who killed over 300 people. So it’s alright for politicians to be linked to suicide bombers that killed innocent worshippers, foreigners and people having breakfast at the 3 targeted hotels, but not alright for anyone to demand their removal and its an ‘act of solidarity’ for 8 Ministers to resign.

Whose law is this?

According to the article Rauf Hakeem the head of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress claims our people fear a blood bath” – he may feel fear but there was an actual blood bath in not just once place on 21^st April 2019 but in 9 venues where Islamic terrorists struck. That bloodbath is far more gruesome than a feeling because all citizens are now feeling fear of bloodbaths with the daily updates of swords, ammunitions and other dangerous equipment found in Muslim homes, shops and even mosques. So all citizens are now living in fear for their lives after seeing how educated, rich and successful Muslims could become suicide bombers – as no one knows what a potential suicide bomber looks like!

If Muslims are facing suspicion, it is only they who can now help hand over any radicals to the authorities so that no more innocent people face untimely deaths.

What are the 2 authors trying to insinuate by saying support of Muslim voters and ethnic minority Tamils was decisive in the election victory of Mr. Sirisena in 2014” – is this to say just because minorities voted a country has to look the other way ignoring their extremisms?

It is absolutely shocking that these supposed to be ‘unbiased’ correspondents claiming to give both sides of the story are lavishly spewing venom against Sinhala Buddhists calling them all the names under the sun and accusing them of inciting violence against Muslims but never bother to mention some of the racist comments that the Muslim politicians make which is the main reason to react.  

The article ends referring to statements by 3 characters who are not representative of the people, they are clueless about their own communities, they careless about any of the communities so long as they are in some seat of power & influence.

These writers are using their pen in wicked and evil ways. They claim to be independent & unbiased but they are exactly the opposite. For too long they have got away as Sinhala Buddhist majority have chosen to ignore their slander. However, this time round these writers should be taken to task & their wicked and vile acts presented to the world.

A content analysis of these rabble rousers will prove beyond all doubt that their writings are nothing but gutter journalism.

As regards the disgraceful manner that a Buddhist thero has been called ‘MR’ – Buddhist organizations are requested to immediately take up the following course of action.

1. File complaint with Sri Lanka’s Attorney General’s Department citing violation of penal codes and attempting to incite racial flames and ethnic disharmony

P.O.Box 502, Hulftsdorp, Colombo 12

administration@attorneygeneral.gov.lk

+94 (11) 2147888

• File complaint with the Sri Lanka Police also citing violation of penal code

• File complaint with the Buddha Sasana Ministry – demanding Minister raise complaint against the manner a Sri Lankan correspondent working for a foreign paper has used term MR” in reference to a Buddhist thero knowing fully well that no one refers to a Buddhist thero as MR”.

• File complaint with the Press Complaint Commission

96 Kirula Rd, Colombo  

• File complaint with Sri Lanka Press Institute against journalistic ethics adopted by the Sri Lankan correspondent

• File complaint with the Sri Lanka Bar Association

Would the New York Times or these two correspondents call the Cardinal as MR” or a Muslim Cleric as MR” – we doubt.

What makes them think that they can refer to Buddhist monks as they do? Is anyone giving away some sort of prize for such name calling?

This particular article has overstepped its limits and deserves to be condemned by all but the Buddhist organizations and Nationalist Associations are advised to take this up with the authorities for the manner the paper and the journalists have flouted decency & journalistic ethics.

Shenali D Waduge

KAMALIKA PIERIS

The Ramayana legend did not catch on in Sri Lanka the way did in South East Asia. Unlike in south East Asia, Ramayana tradition was not allowed to take root here, said Bandu de Silva. In Buddhism there was no place for myths like Ramayana.  Buddhism abhorred anything which did not stand scrutiny, he said.

 Dasaratha Jataka has Dasaratha, Rama, Sita and Lakshman as the main characters, but the story is completely different. Also, not a single manuscript of Ramayana is found among the many Sanskrit texts preserved in Sinhalese tradition, concluded Bandu.

Vini Vitharana observed that the Sinhala and Pali sources of Sri Lanka contain nothing that corroborates the Ramayana story. R.A.L.H. Gunawardana said that in the medieval period, Ramayana and Mahabharata were denounced by the monks as useless works which should be ignored. Several of the Buddhist texts stated that the study of the Ramayana and Mahabaratha was a waste of time.

Tissa Kariyawasam read a paper titled Ramayana in Sinhala Literature” at the symposium on the Ramayana Trail   organized by Royal Asiatic Society, Colombo in 2010.  He said, inter alia, there is a fleeting reference in Culavamsa to ‘as Sita loved Rama’   and ‘going forth to combat like Rama’. Kumaradasa, writing in the 7 century,    versified Rama- Sita story into Janakiharana. But Buddhagosha rejected the     Mahabharata and Ramayana as frivolous stories and this approach continued till end of 15 century, said Tissa.

In the reign of Parakrama bahu VI (1412- 1467), however, the Vedas, Puranas and the two Maha kavyas, Mahabharatha and Ramayana were studied at Vijayaba Pirivena under   Sri Rahula. But this was challenged.  Vidagama Maitreya, a contemporary of Sri Rahula was very critical of the Ramayana. He pointed out, inter alia, that while the monkey could swim across to Lanka, Rama needed a bridge.  Sri Rahula’s Kavyasekera compares princess Lokanatha to Sita. His sandesa poems refer to Rama, Ravana, Sita and Vibhishana. Selalihini Sandesa refers to a   Vibhishana devale   and speaks of a conversation in an ambalama regarding Rama-Sita stories. 

Ramayana, however, features in the folklore of the Udarata kingdom. C. E. Godakumbura   presented a paper titled ‘Ramayana in Sri Lanka and Lanka of the Ramayana” at the international Ramayana seminar, New Delhi, 1975. In this paper he said that there is an abundance of folklore in Ceylon connected with the story of Rama and Sita. Some of these explain place names, some point to special geographical features, other the lay of the land, the positions of hills, nooks and bend in rivers, the color of the soil and various curiosities. All this is folklore and nothing archeologically probable or tested historically, ‘concluded Godakumbura.  

Sena Thoradeniya (2010) said that in his home village Udurawana, a village in Patha Dumbara, there is a legend that the village goes as far back as Ravana. Udurawana is the name given to the place where Ravana fell facing the sky in his battle with Rama and the adjoining Yatiravana, along the present Kandy-Wattegama road is where Ravana fell facing the earth. There is a rock named Athobanagala where imprint of Ravana’s palm is still visible on the hard rock, Ravana had rested his hand there   while shooting deer. A tributary from Knuckles flowing along Yatirawana is named Ravana oya.

Folk poetry of the Udarata period ‘made a fuss of Ravana,’ said Tissa Kariyawasam. The Ramayana also influenced the Udarata rituals of the 18th and 19^th century, such as Kohomba Kankariya. Ravana is supposed to have invented a string music instrument.

The indigenous medicine practitioners of Sri Lanka believe in the existence of King Ravana, said a media report. Ravana was a great physician credited with authorship of five books on medicine, one of which is available even today. The technique of using underground metal ash process and fermentation” belongs to the period of Ravana.

 A ballet titled ‘Maha Ravana’ was presented in Colombo in May 2008 by the Sarasavi Dehena Experimental Theatre School. The choreographer, Pabalu Wijewardana, who comes from the Mihiripenna dancing tradition, said that Sri Lanka lacked a truly iconic figure and he wished to project Ravana as an icon.  He had researched into the story of Ravana. He says Ravana was not a demon, but a wise king, who ruled over a vast South Asian kingdom which included Sri Lanka. The flying machine may have been a real one.

Present day writers say that neither Hanuman nor Sita ever came here and there was no Ravana either. They have pointed out that Sita Eliya in Nuwara Eliya district has nothing to do with the Rama and Sita story. ‘Sita’ is derived from ‘seethala’, which means cold.

However, in the 1990s Sri Lanka decided to embrace the Ramayana. A search for Ravana sites in the Nuwara Eliya and Uva districts started.  Rev. Harry Haas (1925-2002) a Christian priest from the Netherlands, who was living in Bandarawela, was very active in finding these sites. Sri Lanka was full of Ravana and Sita sites which needed discovering, Haas said.  The image of King Ravana was a universal one which appealed to the west as well as the east. Haas was the patron of a Ravana Centre set up in Uva.

In 1997 work commenced on a Hanuman temple complex at Wavendon, Ramboda, Nuwara Eliya with assistance from Tamilnadu government. The complex consisted of a huge 16 foot granite statue of Hanuman,  a spiritual centre, library and auditorium. This project was initiated by Gurudev Swami Chimayananda, who purchased 10 acres for the purpose. Minister S. Thondaman donated 5 more acres and provided a motorable road from the main Nuwara Eliya road to the temple site. This temple site, it is claimed, was close to the Asoka vana where Sita was kept captive and Hanuman found her.

The construction of the Hanuman temple was done by the Sri Lanka Army. There were large crowds at the first anniversary, of this temple, in 2002 with thousands of devotees drawn mainly from the plantation sector. The procession went with the statue of Holy Hanuman to Sita Amman Temple at Seetha eliya, where Hindu poojas were held.

In the 1999,   a newSita Amman kovil was   completed at Seetha Eliya in Nuwara Eliya. The original kovil was a small unpretentious structure. Derrick Schokman recalled ‘the Sita Amman Temple in Nuwara Eliya was simple temple when I first saw it. Now is it an ornate Hindu kovil with images of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman.’ The new kovil had its kumbhabisheka pooja in January 2008. There was a full page announcement in the newspapers, with messages from President and Ministers.

The Seetha Amman Temple in Nuwara Eliya was the only temple in the world dedicated to the Sita in the Ramayana, said supporters.    Although there are many Rama and Hanuman kovils in India, there is no kovil dedicated to Sita. This is the only place where Sita came alone. In all the other places Sita is associated with Rama. North Indians worship Rama and they are keen on developing the Sita Kovil with our support,”   said Radhakrishnan, Chairman of Board of Trustees of the temple.

“The estimated cost of building the temple is around Rs. four million. We have collected the funds through public donations. Tills are also placed outside the temple for collections. The Manoj Mody foundation of India gave about Rs.200, 000 for the renovation, he said in 1999.

“In January, 1999 we had a Festival of Unity organized by the Manoj Mody foundation of India, Radhakrishnan said. About 800 devotees came to Nuwara Eliya for a 10-day bajan programme. About 500 local devotees also joined in. They occupied all the hotels in the area and attended the poojas daily at the temple. Since space was insufficient, a tent was put up at the Buddhist temple nearby, to accommodate the crowd.

Environmental organizations and Buddhist organizations had staged a massive protest, before the festival was held. The people had feared that the 800 devotees expected, were from South India, although they were in fact mostly from North India where there is a strong following for Rama. The Buddhist organizations set down various conditions for holding the ceremony. These were adhered to and the ceremony was held peacefully,” Radhakrishnan said.

The Seetha Eliya Temple became the subject of a controversy in 1999 when the Ministry of Tourism mooted a proposal for the development of Seetha Eliya as a Holy City. It was proposed to vest 35 acres of land surrounding the temple in the Tourist Board and develop it as a sacred area similar to Anuradhapura and Kataragama.

It was suggested that Asoka Vanam, the forest where Sita was held captive is on the mountain, some distance away from the Seetha Amman temple. Behind the temple is a stream. Water flows over a basin like depression carved in the rock. It is said that Sita came through a tunnel to this stream to bathe. There were protests from environmentalists and the people in the area and the move for the Holy City was halted.

Bandu de Silva commented on this move. The government is trying to create a Hindu complex on the lines of the Cultural triangle, he said. Tourist Development Authority is promoting the idea of strong Ramayana tradition in the island. The Tourist Board first tried to develop the area behind the Hanuman temple. Now there is a move to expand the Hanuman Temple, taking in a tea kiosk built on a road reservation for use by laborers.

However, the Seetha Amman kovil has certainly achieved its purpose. It is now an accepted part of the tourist circuit and   strengthens the notion of a virile Hindu culture in Sri Lanka. Many tourists who visit the Hakgala Gardens, stopover to see the temple, since it is en-route from Nuwara Eliya to Hakgala. An average of 1500 local tourists and 1000 foreign tourists stopped by the temple in 1999 alone. During Thai Pongal, in January many devotees from the tea estates nearby visit the kovil to perform poojas said the media.

P Ramanujan, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism stated in 2006    that they were planning to set up a Ramayana Trail for tourists to encourage Indian tourists.  In 2007 S. Kalaiselvam, Director General of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority said in a statement to Press Trust of India   that the Sri Lanka government had decided to develop the sites associated with the Ramayana. They were being restored and maintained. There was no archaeological confirmation for any of them, certainly, but these sites were not imaginary and have existed since time immemorial.

 A Ramayana Trail  Committee was set up, consisting of N.Kiriella, Chairman, Dr Suriya Gunasekera an authority on Sri Lankan pre history. Dr Subash Chawla an authority on International Ramayana,  B.M.U.D Basnayake Additional Secretary Ministry of Tourism and  S. Kalaiselvam Director General, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.

In 2009 50 sites related to the ‘Ramayana trail’  were selected by Sri Lanka Tourism for  the Ramayana Trail.   Of these  50 , 12 are sites with archeological evidence, the rest are based on unwavering faith and traditional beliefs, said Kailselvam. There is no need to re –establish  the authenticity of the sites. People in the areas relate to the Ramayana. A dedicated team from Sri Lanka tourist agencies are handling the promotion of the Ramayana sites. Books were published to support the Ramayana trail, notably ‘Ramayana and Historical Ravana’, edited by Kiriella.

The Ramayana tourist trail includes Ravana’s palaces and dairy farm, also temples dedicated to Sita which had been built in a later period. The trail also included a pond which is believed to have come into existence through Sita’s tears. This pond never dries up even in the worst drought.

The Tourist Ministry had identified five   airports where Ravana parked his fleet of pushpak vimanas, the mythological aircraft used by him to abduct Sita. The Ministry thinks that Ravana’s flying machine may have landed at Weragantota,about 10 kilometres from Mahiyangana. Sita was then taken to Gurulupota, now known as Sita kotuwa.  This is 10 kilometres from Mahiyangana on Kandy road. There is the runway of Ravana’s aircraft, the aircraft landing place, aircraft repair centre in Gurulupotha. Sita was thereafter housed in a cave at Sita Eliya, Nuwara Eliya. Ravana cave at Ella, served as a quick means of transport through the hills for Ravana.

It was decided that the Ravana-Rama battle took place at Yudhaganapitiya in Matale and that Ravana was making his battle plans at Lakgala just before he was killed. It was also decided that Rama started his attack on Ravana at Dondra and the main battle was at Yudaganawa. After killing Ravana, Rama performed penance at Muneswaram in Chilaw. Hanuman had entered Lanka at Nagadeepa.He dropped the Dronagiri Mountain brought from the Himalayas on Rumassala. Rama fired the Brahmastra at   Ravana in Dunuwila. Sita is said to have performed Agni puja to prove her  purity at Devurumpola. 

Other sites were added on thereafter, Ashok vatika in Nuwara Eliya, Vessagiriya cave, and Isurumuniya lovers in Anuradhapura ,the cobra foot cave in Sigiriya,  the statue near Parakrama Samudra,   the  Hanumana kovil at Saranankara Road, Colombo 5, Gurullupotha jungle in Hasalaka,   Ravana Caves in Ella area,  the hot wells and Ussangoda  are  included in the Ramayana trail. According to folklore Ravana’s body is buried in a location in Welimada, reported the media.

The great basses ( Maha Ravana kotuwa) and Little basses ( Kuda Ravana Kotuwa) are a long line of coral and rock just below the surface of water in the southern sea. They are located not far from Kirinda beach or Rummassala in Galle. King Ravana is said to have established   his Lankapura ‘on the reefs.

The Ramayana trail was described at length in the Sunday Observer of  23.8.2009 . Sri Lanka Tourist Development authority has developed an itinerary that shows the Ramayana spots in Sri Lanka  the Observer said. there are over 50 Ramayana sites in Sri Lanka.  These were described.

the jungles in gurullupotha in Hasalaka is the place were Lankapura was, It is now called seetha kotuwa. The jungle on top of Ramboda along the Kandy Nuwara Eliya road is believed to be the route along which Ravana took seethe to ashoka vana. Ussangoda was the airport for Ravana. The tunnels from Bandarawela past Ella to Ravana cave, were the way Ravana went thorugh the hills, they were his secret passages.  These tunnels are manmade and not natural formations. Existing tunnel opening are situate at Isthripura, Senapitiya in Halagala, Ramboda, Labookelle, Wariyapola and Seetha kotuwa, continued this report merrily.

Dunuwila is where Rama shot and killed   Ravana,  said the report.  Hanuman, dropped lifesaving herbs on Rumassala, Dolu kanda in Hiripitya, Ritigala, Thailaddi in Mannar and Kachchativu. Divurumpola 15 miles from seethe Eliya on Nuwara Eliya –Welimada road, is the place where seeth performed Agni pariksha. This is a popular place of worship among the locals in the areas. The courts of law in Sri Lanka permits and accepts the swearing done at this temple when settling disputes.  There is also Munneswaram, where Rama received the blessing of Shiva. Ravana constructed the hotwells.  the soil of the ancient battle fields is red in colour.  Some areas look scorched after Hamunan set fire to them, ended the report. ( continued)