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A rare officer with honesty and integrity of a high order
Late Mr Seekku Baduge Wimalasena de Silva, more commonly known as Mr S.B.W . de Silva was born on November 17, 1932 in Mirissa. He was a distinguished Old Boy of Mahinda College Galle, referred as Wimalasena or Wimale in school. His contemporaries included late Dr Nandadasa Kodagoda, late Ranjith Abeysuriya (former AG), and Mr P.L. Munidasa ( Rtd Deputy Inspector General Of Police, now in residing in Sri Lanka).
He joined the Ceylon Police on January 5, 1956 as a probationary sub-inspector and had a most illustrious career. He received training in Scotland Yard and several other international Intelligence organizations. His aptitude for police work was not limited to administration of which he was an expert, but in Investigations too like the Kalattawa murder case, when he was stationed as Headquarters Inspector of Police at Anuradhapura. His experience as an intelligence officer was greatly recognized by late Mr L.D.C. Herath who was the IGP and later Secretary Defence , and later by Secretary Defence General Sepala Attiygalla. He held very responsible positions as Director of the Police Training College and the Commandant of the Auxiliary Forces.
I first met him when he was the Officer- in-Charge of Grandpass Police station in 1965 when I was transferred to this station from Morawaka. He commanded great respect from the public, superiors , subordinates, courts, the Bar and the medical profession. His honesty, integrity, impartiality, knowledge of police, law and order, and deep sense of calmness and correct evaluation of situations certainly contributed towards, his achievements as a very successful policeman.
He always acted according to his conscience in accordance with values he acquired from his school (Mahinda College) and his religion as a devout Buddhist. He was a man of principle and had great respect for the views of others even though he may have disagreed. His decisions were based on the fact of always putting himself in the other man’s shoes and logically seeking the correct answer. On a very knotty problem I discussed with him, where I wanted to act emotionally, he advised me saying “Nihal put yourself in his position and then you will have the correct answer.” Don’t be impulsive.
He had the courage to say “NO” to many including a Senior Politician who was the deputy minister of Local Government and later the president of this country, late Mr R. Premadasa. Premadasa walked in to the police station with his entourage comprising of the late Mr Vincent Perera ( a minister later) and Mr Mahakumararge, an MMC. SBW offered them all seats. Mr Premadasa said: ” Mr de Silva I want you to bail my supporter who is locked up at the station and I will stand surety”. SBW politely responded, “Sorry, Sir I cannot accede to your request as it is not a bailable offence. It’s best you retain a lawyer and move for bail in court.” Mr Premadasa was certainly not happy with this response and pushed his chair back , stood up and said ” So you cannot help me?” At this stage Mr Vincent Perera interrupted and said ” Sir, Mr de Silva is a very honest officer who always helps us and we need to understand him. ” And all of them walked out.
The other incident was when Chevalier de Saram, who lives almost opposite the Grandpass police station (a powerful figure of the UNP) called SBW and said ” Mr de Silva you are the only OIC who has failed to visit me. All previous OICs visited me.” At this juncture very politely SBW posed the question, “Why Mr de Saram Do you have a problem?” He replied in the negative and SBW responded, “neither do I, but if there is a necessity I will visit you” and disconnected the phone. SBW had no problems with him thereafter.
My association with him grew closer when we worked together with him as my immediate superior in the Intelligence Division with the late Mr L.D.C. Herath as the Director. He always stood firm and never shirked his responsibilities. I remember an incident where I was alleged to have been after liquor by an ADC to the Governor General of the time (Late William Gopallawa), while I was the security officer for John Turner, former Prime Minister Of Canada when he visited us as Canada’s Minister of Justice. It was a misunderstanding due to my declining orders of the ADC to line up vehicles which I vehemently refused as it had nothing to do with my functions as a personal security officer to a VVIP. Some of my senior officers including Mr Herath appeared to believe this concocted report, but SBW stood by me and confirmed that I was a teetotaler.
During the years 1990 and 1991 Rtd Senior DIG Mr Edward Gunawardana and several retired ex Police and Armed Forces Officers were drafting a constitution and the minutes were taken by our good friend Archibald Van Sanden who had a hard time with SBW as he pointed out several omissions, including the absence of commas and full-stops etc. He was a perfectionist. He was the fourth President of the ISF (Industrial Security Foundation of Sri Lanka Inc). Later he was the Director training of the ISF which conducted many courses for security guards, supervisors and junior managers. His capacity to learn and teach others was indeed a delight. Even at the last AGM of ISF held on March 26, 2021, he displayed a high standard of integrity, and rose to the occasion to meet unfortunate challenges the ISF faces now with legal proceedings instituted. He authored the book of rules & the code of ethics of the ISF in accordance with Act Number 51 of 1999, on behalf of the committee.
His decision to prematurely retire from the Police was very disappointing to those who expected him to rise way beyond the rank he held at retirement. Those who were close to him realized that his disappointment was mainly because he felt that the Police department to which he was committed and loyal showed no recognition of his valuable services and betrayed his trust. The main reason being that many officers junior to him who had a “blemished” records were promoted over him as DIGs. Some of these officers were in fact managing private bus companies and hotel services. This was internal politics. He never went cringing and crawling to superiors or politicians. He stood by his principles with his conscience intact. He did not want to live with disappointments, and as the saying goes he “let it go” as is the hallmark of confident people.
Sadly the Police department often did not recognize scrupulously honest officers when their promotions were due. I can name a few – late A.C Dep (so many went over him to become IGP), V. T Dickman (not promoted as a DIG). SBW is another who should have retired as a Senior DIG. He was a much sought after leader in various professional organizations, besides being a past President of the Retired Senior Police Officers Association (RSPOA) which always sought his advice and guidance in organizing events like fund raisers and the Police Dance. He was one of those few senior officers who was always a result-focused leader who ensured that all rules and regulations were adhered to the letter leaving no room for criticism. These qualities made him the president of the Medico Legal Society of Sri Lanka, where for the first time a non legal/medical member was elected president bringing credit to the Police service. He was also a keen trainer and was the President of the Institute of Training & Development. His thirst for learning continued with his following a management course at the Open University with me. His skills for management training was a combination of theory , practice and experience which is a rare combination. SBW & his wife Dharma were blessed with three daughters, Risanthi, Dilum and Anoopa. Dharma was certainly part of his success story, silently giving unstinted support and encouragement in any decision he took. All three children are professionals. The eldest lives in Canada, the other two daughters were with their parents giving them a sense of security in their old age and caring for them with a great love and affection along with the extended family. The grandchildren living in the same compound probably gave them a new lease of life. I once saw his grandson taking a smiling SBW for a drive in a Volkswagen Golf.
He was no extrovert, always minded his own business and never got involved discussing others or even his own family . I am certain he always acted as a responsible husband and father with very high moral standards and never neglected his family, encouraging his daughters to be professionals enabling them to stand on their own. He never boasted about their achievements or sought to advertised the positions they hold. He certainly loved his children not because everything in them was lovely, and according to his liking, but because of the strong bond between them.It was a shock to his wife and family when he suddenly suffered a heart attack; he had told his daughter living next door about it and was perhaps attempting to dress himself to go to hospital when he had the second attack which was fatal. The RSPOA went into action and naturally under the present circumstances certain procedures had to be followed which made the family seek help from the RSPOA. I am still in shock as I have been constantly in touch with him, almost every other day and this was least expected.His contribution to the Police Department was never recognized, very sadly even in his retirement and death. He indicated to me that the present IGP had entrusted him with the task of amending the “Constables’ Manual” which is a guide to the rank & file and he being a perfectionist had said it was a challenging task but he was equal to it. Perhaps the least the IGP could have done was to pay his last respects to him & met, his family and paid a tribute to him at the funeral. It Is certainly a very sad situation. Here was an Officer who sacrificed his time and energy, and knowledge towards the Police department and the treatment meted out to Officers of this caliber does not augur well for the Police department. It should emulate the Sri Lanka Army in such matter and learn these basic obligations. I may sum up what I learnt from SBW and that is, “We, can only maintain good relationship with people if we refrain from crossing boundaries. If we respect the ‘spaces’ of our friends and relatives, we will never get into trouble with them.
In accordance with my religion I wish he is in heaven, with God almighty.
Nihal de Alwis
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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