Features
BURGHER LIGHTS OF SRI LANKA
by ECB Wijeyesinghe
Those who think that all good Burghers, when they die, go to Holland, are sadly mistaken. The best of them, in life and death, have not only hitched their waggons to the fluctuating fortunes of this little island, but rendered such signal service to the land of their birth that they have amply qualified to be described as patriots.
One of them, R. L. de Boer Brohier, passed away the other day. There was not an inch of this country he had not covered with his theodolite. He knew every village tank and anicut, every ancient ruin, every mountain, hill and valley, like the palm of his hand. There are many others of the same ilk like Andreas Nell, R. L. Spittel, E. Reimers, C. W. Nicholas, J. H. O. Paulusz and Sam Mottau who embraced their motherland with both arms and were proud of the soupcon of Ceylonese blood in their veins.
One of the saddest things that has happened to this island during the past two or three decades has been the exodus of this great group of law-abiding and cultured citizens to other climes. Globe trotters say that now you cannot throw a stone in Melbourne or Sydney without hitting one of this tribe. Early in life it was my good fortune to have been associated with four or five of the most piquant personalities of that generation and they all happened to be Burghers.
The rules of the Dutch Burgher Union formed the subject of much satirical comment at the time, and the best piece on the subject was a long amusing parody of a song entitled “Quite English”. The author was the incomparable Edmund de Livera who wrote under the nom-de-plume, “Adstans”, in the old “Independent” every Saturday, and helped to keep that newspaper alive.
I am indebted to my irrepressible friend, Eric La Brooy – himself a good Dutch Burgher, but with an infinite capacity for laughing at the foibles of chauvinists and charlatans – for this juicy morsel from his collection of Edmund de Livera’s verses which he regards as his own Golden Treasury:
O the things that they do and the things they indite
Are Burgher you know – Dutch Burgher you know
By the laws of the Union you’re given the right
To be Burgher, Dutch Burgher, you know
If your forefathers lived in the good old Dutch days
They’re Burgher you know – Dutch Burgher you know.
They may have come from far-off Japan
From Russia or Turkey or Afghanistan,
It matters not what was their nation or clan
You’re Burgher, Dutch Burgher, you know.
Eric La Brooy, as you probably know, is married to Coralie, daughter of Editor Hilaire Jansz. Hilaire Donald Jansz was one my earliest Burgher associates at Lake House. We came over together from Baillie Street, virtually arm-in-arm, and Herbert Hulugalle will tell you that a more sweet-tempered and helpful colleague it was difficult to find. Lionel Wendt, whose ghost still haunts Chitrafoto, described Jansz as “a quaint, gaunt saint”. He was more. He was a literary genius.
Another Burgher friend of my Lake House days was Pieter Keuneman whose ancestors hailed from that Southern home of culture, Matara. It was almost impossible to believe that this elegant, debonair youth, with neatly brushed hair exuding the aroma of an expensive pomade, was a Communist. His clothes were cut in the latest Bond Street style. Or was it Saville Row? He had just come from Cambridge where he had been elected President of the Union. It was a rare honour, the last recipient being Sir James Peiris. With bated breath they whispered in the corridors of Lake House that this son. of a highly respected Supreme Court Judge and a true-blue Burgher had become a Red.
Here was a remarkable phenomenon, an ardent disciple of Lenin eating out of the hands of Ceylon’s arch-capitalist. But D. R. Wijewardene was not so naive as he pretended to be. He knew his onions and liked them even though they were red. D. R. W. had a nose for news, but he could also scent a good newspaperman a mile away and when he sent Pieter in to bat, a Mona Lisa smile would come over his countenance.
Pieter’s contributions had an exotic flavour, because no other writer in the premises could boast of his academic background or his achievements as a speaker in one of the world’s most famous debating societies. Very often one had to read between Pieter’s lines to get at what he was saying, and his discourses even on the gloomiest topics had a crimson lining.
After a couple of years of arduous duty in what the Marxists regard as the Citadel of Sin, Pieter packed up his kit-bag and plunged into the maelstrom of politics to sink or swim. He survived and has since then been in the front rank of the radicals. As for his literary abilities, some think it is a pity that he has given to the Communist Party what was meant for mankind.
Journalism is lucky in that it has been able to attract some of the best Burgher brains. Apart form old stalwarts like Lorenz, C. J. Staples and O. E. Martinus, there was at a later date, a brilliant young Trinitian and a pupil of W. S. Senior who made the grade. His name was Orion de Zylva. It was not for nothing that his parents christened him after a constellation, because for many years he was the bright, particular star of the Daily News Staff.
Orion was often called upon by his Boss, D. R. W., to write them first leader. He would then retire to a quiet corner and let his fluent pen flow over specially selected glazed paper. He wrote without a single scratch or alteration. He would rather re-write a whole page than delete a word and spoil the beauty of the page. In short, he was an aesthete. His gift for silence was amazing and he could spend hours in a crowded room without uttering a word. A man of moods, he wore a monocle and a black Homburg and had only a few friends. Once, he retired for three months and lived at Horagolla Walauwa and it was the common talk in the office that he had a lot to do with Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranaike’s “Remembered Yesterdays”.
There were other outstanding Burgher journalists during my time at Lake House such as Duke Wright, Stanley Morrison, S. P. Foenander, Mervyn Morgan and Frank Prins, to say nothing of P. C. A. Nelson and P. L. A. Deutrom who reinforced the business side.
Across the road the rival Times of Ceylon had an equally strong team with Dutch connections. Donovan Andree was perhaps the most picturesque of them all. A man with a large heart he abandoned the Press to become a Turf Accountant and an impresario. He made a fortune but what he earned with one hand he gave away with the other.
One of Donovan’s kinsmen was A. W. Lorenz-Andree, also popularly known as Sonny. Though he was attached to the Customs he was a prolific writer on any subject and a raconteur par excellence, gifts which he appeared to have inherited from his distinguished ancestor, Charles Ambrose Lorenz. As a freelance writer he was in great demand by the Press when centenaries and anniversaries came round. He died a few years ago after having reached the ripe old age of 80. His birthday which falls on March 1 was usually an occasion for the convivial gathering of his old cronies, mostly from the Press.
It is not possible within the space of a brief article to give even a summary of the monumental contributions that Burghers have made in the spheres of Law, Medicine, Literature and Art. In Banking, however, they have hit the jackpot. In this sphere the chief representative of the community is Christopher Anthonisz, the General Manager of the Bank of Ceylon. The pink roses on his cheek assume a deeper red when the female members of the banking fraternity refer to him as the “Adonis of York Street”. He hails from Galle where the ashes of his ancestors rest in the yard of the Old Dutch Church, along with those of his relatives, the de Voses and Kales.
For those who have time to chew the cud of days that are dead, may I suggest the names of a few Burgher celebrities of a bygone age that may provide the fodder this week-end:
Richard Morgan, Frederick Dornhorst, James Van Langenberg (pere et fils), F. J. Soertsz, G. A. Wille, Arthur Alvis, Evelyn Jansz, Durand Altendorf, Garvin Mack, Frank Grenier, Alan Drieberg, H. H. Bartholomeusz, Bede Beekmeyer, L. E. Blaze, W. G. Van Dort, N. E. Ernst, Leonard Arndt, F. L. Beven, Lucian de Zilwa, Lucian Jansz, C. Horan, V. S. de Kretser, Edward Kelaart, H. G. Thomasz, O. L. de Kretser, J. R. Weinman, H. L. Wendt, Trixie Loos, Samuel Grenier, J. G. Vandersmagt, Eric Jansz, C. L. Ferdinands. L. M. Maartensz, A. J. R. Scharenguivel, J. Ludovici, Waldo Sansoni, Noel Gratiaen, G. S. Schneider, Clement de Jong, V. R. Schokman, Joseph F. Lourensz, Justin LaBrooy, Percy Cooke, E. H. I V. O. Wright, A. L. de Witt, A. E. Buultjens. Wace de Neise, Frank Markus, Claude Orr, Sam de Vos, Cyril A. Janz, Aubrey Martensz and E. W. Foenander.
Excerpted from MEN AND MEMORIES, a compilation of articles by ECB Wijeyesinghe of Ralahamy fame first published in Feb. 1980)
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 . )
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
