{"id":115115,"date":"2021-06-11T16:41:48","date_gmt":"2021-06-11T23:41:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=115115"},"modified":"2021-06-11T16:41:48","modified_gmt":"2021-06-11T23:41:48","slug":"tale-of-two-nations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/06\/11\/tale-of-two-nations\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018\u2019TALE OF TWO NATIONS\u2019\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sarath Wijesinghe President\u2019s Counsel, former Ambassador to UAE and Israel, President Ambassador\u2019s Forum, (currently in United Kingdom) sarath7@hotmail.co.uk<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

(Sri Lankan Lawyers in the United Kingdom (ASLLUK) made a request from\nthe British Prime Minister Boris Jonson for vaccinations for Sri Lanka and it\nwill be followed by a webinar organized by the Ambassador\u2019s Forum and the\nExpats Community with the same request, urging the Sri Lankans worldwide to\nfollow suit. We are informed that many countries have made the same request and\nthere is a possibility for a favourable response considering the circumstances.\nRead below for details on British PM 0044207219568 Boris Jonson Prime Minister\nof the United Kingdom, House of Commons, Westminster SW1AOAR to whom the\nLawyers Association has made the request)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have messed up but must get over the crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is admitted that we have messed up in the second and third waves and\nthe entire operation on the vaccine process, not having managed well and not\ntaking prompt steps on time and professionally not meeting the unexpected and\nunforeseen demands. Please do not get angry with us on our constructive remarks\nto correct ourselves when we are in real danger on looking for a solution. Somebody\nmust bell the cat and we though we should do it however risky it is. Rich\ncountries had sufficient funds to combat with expert and scientific knowledge\nwhich we discuss below taking the success story of UK as an example. But to the\ncredit to the Armed forces and the medical sector we won the first wave over\nsuccessfully in an exemplary manner setting an example to the rest of the world\nmainly to the credit to the health sector and dedicated armed forces. News we\nreceive are frightening on possible predictions of thousands and millions of cases\non the way threatening to exceed the Indian situation fearing of deaths, and\nuncontrolled crisis situation. This is not the time for a blame game, and not\nto find who is responsible; instead we must find a temporary and a permanent\nsolution by setting aside al differences in the interest of the nation. UK has\nproved that vaccines have answered the call to bring the death to zero from\nthousands. It may be an uphill task to vaccine majority of citizens until a consorted\neffort is exerted by Sri Lankan, and the community world over, including the\nnetwork of the Ambassadors, Human Rights Commission in Sri Lanka with funds and\ncontacts world over and Sri Lankans spread worldwide as one with determined aim\nto mobilize on countries with sufficient and excess vaccines to help us win the\nwar on Covid19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Covid 19 fast spreading like wildfire<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Covid 19\u2019 situation is fast increasing worldwide with no visible signs\nof a permanent solution preventing deaths, infections and spread of the\npandemic with a tremendous speed compared to the world trends. Virus is so\ncrafty that it adopts itself with different variants. Despite the developments\nin science and technology, no country or a multinational company has come even\nnear to a permanent cure to the virus attach and the vaccines invented are of\nquality and stranded to meet the change, faced by the world. Sri Lanka won the\nfirst wave with \u2018\u20190 \u2018\u2019deaths when UK was facing deaths facing over tens of\nthousands. Today UK is zero deaths with Sri Lanka facing average 38 deaths\ndaily with 2123 deaths these days, which is horrifying and worrying indeed.\nApparently UK went through 3 and 4 months continuous lock downs and got ready\nto bail out the economy by pumping 5 billion pounds to the business,\nindustrial, government and private sector pumping funds and paying 80% salary\nof all government and private sectors with a long master plan on economic\nrecovery while strictly adhering to the advice of the experts and scientist\nleaving them to fight the pandemic war interfered. Prime Minister Boris Jonson\nwho himself a victim said that he will be in the back seat allowing the experts\nto fight providing them with all facilities. Penalty of breaking the law was at\ntiles 10,000 pounds which is far excessive but it worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is north worthy for us to find out what went wrong in the second and\nthird waves and to find out ways and means for complete eradication of the\ncrisis, whilst looking for interim solutions. Let us admit we blundered by politicising   the\nissue without strictly adhering to the expert advice like UK, and also\nmisbehaviour of the citizen and their indifference and regardless to the law\nand procedure. It is never too late in life of a nation!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nation is a large body of people united by common descent, history\nculture or language inhibited by particular country or territory. United\nKingdom and Sri Lanka are such two nations situated in Europe and Asia with\ndistinct people living different parts of the hemisphere. United Kingdom found\nthe way to Sri Lanka in Asia due to the naval power then and colonized as a\npart of the Kingdom then under the Queen. Both nations are victims of the\nferocious Cvid19 that has engulfed the entire world mercilessly killing thousands\nwith no notice or giving an opportunity to cure themselves in this highly\nscientifically advanced society. Covid19 has ferociously and successfully won\nover the modern science and developments that has been a threat to the nature\nwith miraculous inventions and scientific cures with modern science and\nadvancements in the field of medicine. There is first, second and third worlds categorized\nby the economic strength and poverty as they say which varies  from time to time as in Korea  an emerging power stepping up to the\ndeveloping world leaving away from the stigma once of poorest of the  poor. It is interesting and noteworthy to note\nhow two nations UK and Sri Lanka managed to hold the covid 19 enemy\ntemporarily, in different ways to what it is today. Death rate in UK have been in\nhundreds and thousands once  on covid 19  has now come down to two figures on infections\n and less infections and zero deaths,\nonly fearing of the Indian variant and other possible variants  from other countries. UK did not talk proper\nprecautionary measures in the first wave, but tightened the rules and acted\nswiftly and scientifically strictly based on scientific advice and not\npoliticians who kept away leaving the campaign to the professionals. NHS the\nhealth service in UK appear to have taken full control of the situation today\nbringing down the situation near normalcy except for new threats. Vaccination\nprocess is swift, methodical and no pressure was exerted to the NHS in any way\ndisturbing them due the process and the programme. United Kingdom is an\neconomically stable world power experienced in world trade as a world business\ncentre and swiftly took steps to manage trade, economy, and the trader\nincluding Banks to strengthen them economically despite Corona menace in the\npeak with thousands of deaths per day which has now come to two figures due to\nhard and committed work by the committed and professional health sector. I\narrived UK with the first vaccine, and compelled to go through the compulsory\nten day quarantine at home under the online supervision of NHS who sent the PRC\nkit with advice and assistance by post. End of ten days we went through the PCR\nagain and called for the second vaccine at a public surgery on appointment\nclose to my residence. The reception at the surgery have been warm and friendly\nand it is a matter of few minutes for me to go through the second test in this\nworld with law and order in a disciplined society, reminded of the first\nvaccine taken in so harsh and not that friendly atmosphere. It was in a website\nthat in Australia the wait for a vaccine in four to five hours showing the\nproblem is worldwide and serious. Sri Lankan doctors in UK are so friendly and\npolite to the patients giving kind advice and detailed assistance in information\nare completely changed in Sri Lanka assuming a most serious unfriendly attitude\nespecially to the poor is something we cannot understand as it seems the\nattitude changes on changing the boundaries of the new nation of theirs which\nwe understand common to many Asian and African countries. Funniest part and the\nmatter we cannot understand is very kind and professional Sri Lankan Doctors in\nthe United Kingdom when serve  in Sri\nLanka completely changed to be most  unfriendly\nand arrogant! (Not all only some).Today the good news in UK is there is no\nsingle corona death that has come down to three figure numbers, few months ago.\nWhen the situation is worsening in Sri Lanka with number of deaths and\nsuspected positive cases positive cases, which is worrying in a country where\nthe first wave was successfully contained. What went wrong and what is the\nremedy we presume is within ourselves where we ourselves had messed up probably\non excessive intervention of the politicos and by passing the scientific and\nhealth advice and guidelines in the system messed up by the media, politicos,\nand those enjoyed in giving voice cuts in the guise of professionals and\nexperts. System in this nation is systemic, orderly with application of due\nprocess and law and order with an excellent control on the systems of\ngovernance with control of private and state sector which the other nation too\nhave inherited not taken notice of. United Kingdom handled the \u2018Covid 19\u2019\nmenace in an exemplary and professional way with directions and advice of the\nprofessionals unlike in Sri Lanka where the politicians and business interests\ntook control and precedence over the professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka\u2019s worrying story with death on coid19 in thousands<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka with unsuccessful story in fighting coid19 with in Lanka with\na reasonably advanced medical system in South Asia imported from the UK NHS\nmodel, with western qualified doctors among Sri Lankans with commendations from\nthe WHO as reasonably good system compared to many developing nations, having\ngone through Malaria, Small Pox, and many pandemics previously until the\ninvasion of Covid19 having now going through three waves to date. It is to the\ncredit to the then governance, the health workers and the security forces the\nfirst wave was successfully controlled with the minimum number of deaths and\ninfections standing on lower levels in line with the other countries fighting\nhard to contain. Reason for the initial containment is not known, but could be\npresumed as discipline, acting on and following basic rules, inbuilt immunity\nand administer of traditional precautionary measures, or all the death toll and\nthe infections were minimum at the first wave. Today the situation has\nescalated to the worst situation with 1484 deaths and 189241 detected cases to\ndate a sorry state when UK has come down to zero from three figure numbers\nmonths ago – we must somehow contain short and long term, learning from our\nmistakes and success stories of other countries. Obviously it is a world\npandemic the world powers too in a pathetic position with the maximum number of\ndeaths and cases spreading fast by the ferocious virus spreading at will\nworldwide with no control or sympathy and it is not the time to engage in the\nblame game today instead of finding a solution short and long term with the\nworld over. Bhutan is a Buddhist country living with nature with 80% forest\ncover which is carefully and jealously guarded, and supposed to be in the\nhighest in the index of happiness, is a case study, when we destroy our nature at\na terrible rate actively engaged in deforestation, sand mining, and many other\ndestructive ways. Ship disaster is the worst among generation when generations\nare bound to suffer on the environmental disaster due to the mismanagement and\nlack of professionalism and knowledge of the subject and lacking required\nsupervision and discipline on the subject matter which has add to fuel to the\nvolatile situation brewing out of control. \nIn the United Kingdom we observe an orderly nature, displayed in every\nrespect and following the rules on health and other ways of many other steps in\nlife, which unfortunately is lacking in Sri Lanka. It is a pity today things\nhave turned around United Kingdom with zero deaths down from three figures and\nSri Lanka is rising to three figures fast with worst news and many more to come\nwith unsatisfactory and disturbing information from all corners. At the same\ntime please keep in mind that we are not the worst compared to the world\nsituation when in Australia it is in news that sometimes the citizen has to be\nin a queue for four to five hours to receive the vaccination being a\ncomparatively rich country with enormous resources and vaccines in stock\nshowing that the issue is no simple and we are not alone in the maize of\ncomplicated world crisis. Having said that we should keep in mind we should be\nquick and smarter in winning the war as proved to the world in the first wave\nas a successful nation to contain and control then. Then what went wrong?\nEconomy and the covid-19 control is interconnected with the measures taken\nstrictly on professional advice and guidance. UK gave full attention an\nprominence to economy and to strengthened the business community and trade an\neconomy with the Banks giving facilities to the business community and the\nprofessionals giving sufficient hand-outs for their maintained and existence\ndespite lock downs strictly on the advice of the professionals and the medial\nsector, using the reserves and other funding available for a rainy day when Sri\nLanka is compelled to think hard and long for lock downs due to eh economic\nconstraints. It was too late to take strict and strain measures in Sri Lanka\ndue to compulsion and until it was necessary and compelling. In the UK the\nsystem is orderly and the law and order is strictly adhered to by imposing\nheavy fines to the community breaking the law on regulations and rues made by\nthe health sector. NHS in UK is the most advanced spread length and beneath of\nUK through the network of GPs and teaching hospitals, monitoring and\nsupervising the covid19 an addition, was doing a wonderful job in controlling\nthe pandemic to what it is today. Legal system and the administrative set us\ncontributed immensely in strengthening the system supported with the free legal\naid scheme and the police station mechanism with the computer links with the\ncourts, police stations, legal aid and other government institutions. The prime\nMinister of UK who himself a patient and the Chancellor of Germany publicity\ndeclared that they will be in the backseat allowing the professionals and the\nmedical team backed by NHS to fight the crisis. In UK the lock down is\neffective with airports closed and the state seriously clamping down with the\nhelp of friendly and effective police force, when in Sri Lanka even today there\nare thousands of vehicles and commuters driving through with lame excuses in\nthe corruption full system in place. This is the time the Unions, Professional\nbodies such as OPA, BASL, and NGO\u2019s be active on the roads to feed the 80% the population\nwith no proper wages and income with hand to mouth existence. Top fat cat\ncompanies in Sri Lanka are exploiting the citizen with 500% profits linked to\ninternational companies with soring profits adding injury to the wounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Duty of all to work together\nto save the globe from Pandemic spreading fast <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We compared the two nations and the conduct of the crisis to learn from\neach other and help each other when every world citizen is faced with the same\ndanger in various degrees, with no success in sight, requiring a joint effort\nof the countries and the world over with a common plan and strategy which is\nformulated by the UN with greatest difficulties that requires world attention\nand support. It is time for the world citizens, diplomatic community worldwide and\ncountries to act as one and fight together against this unseen, undetectable,\nenemy of all for the betterment of all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sarath Wijesinghe President\u2019s Counsel, former Ambassador to UAE and Israel, President Ambassador\u2019s Forum, (currently in United Kingdom) sarath7@hotmail.co.uk (Sri Lankan Lawyers in the United Kingdom (ASLLUK) made a request from the British Prime Minister Boris Jonson for vaccinations for Sri Lanka and it will be followed by a webinar organized by the Ambassador\u2019s Forum and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sarath-wijesinghe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115115\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}