Features
Encounters with the Tigers, loss of Thenaddi bungalow
Excerpted from the authorized biography of Thilo Hoffmann by Douglas B. Ranasinghe
Thilo and his friend Guido Baumann often spent weekends at Thenaddi Bay, leaving Colombo on Friday evenings and returning to be back in office on time on Monday mornings. During the evening and early morning hours they managed the 178 miles (about 300 km) across the island in Thilo’s Peugeot 504 car in four hours flat despite bad roads.
At times when the Mahaweli was in flood the approach road to the Manampitiya Bridge was under water and the trip would take 12 hours or more. The railway through this area, in contrast to the road, runs on a bund well above the flood level. On several occasions the night was spent on a platform of the Kaduruwela railway station, and in the morning their vehicle was loaded on a bogie (flat-car) of the train for a leisurely ride to Valaichchenai.
In the 1960s and 70s it was also possible to fly to Batticaloa via Uhana, near Ampara, in an Air Ceylon DC3 (Dakota) and later an Avro turboprop. Thilo did so when workers were at the bungalow site, and a vehicle was available to bring him from the Batticaloa airfield and later take him back to it.
He recalls two episodes there. The first was on a return flight. When all the passengers had boarded, the plane was full to bursting, probably overloaded. It revved up and rolled with increasing speed in a northerly direction to the other end of the runway. But it was not fast enough to take off. The pilot aborted the attempt, turned the plane around, rolled back to the starting point, and tried again. The result was the same. Only at the third attempt did he just manage to get airborne. Had he not Thilo would have asked to get off!
Another time Thilo and a friend arrived late at the airfield. The plane was still on the tarmac, the door open, and the steps in place. The airport manager told the two passengers to wait at a short distance from the plane, he then went in, and after a few minutes came out. Hardly had he stepped on the ground than the door was closed and the plane took off. The pilot, says Thilo, obviously wanted to teach the two passengers a lesson and left them stranded. They had no alternative but to take the night mail, the most uncomfortable train ride Thilo had experienced. He lay awake on a sticky plastic covered `sleeperette’. At every station wagons were shunted and goods noisily loaded, and it took nearly 12 hours to get to Colombo.
The serenity and charm of Thenaddi Bay were spoilt when in later years lime-kiln mudalalis from the south began to expand their operations into the area. The reefs were ruthlessly exploited and broken up with crowbars, and trees, even coconut palms, were cut down to fire the kilns. Dynamiting became common, and the ornamental fish trade descended on the reefs to carry on its destructive and depletive activities. Tourists began to arrive.
Thilo tried to stem the tide with varying degrees of success. The LTTE proved to be the most concerned about the environment. They strictly prohibited the breaking of coral and, of course, were promptly obeyed, in contrast to the government.
The house and property at Thenaddi Bay survived the conflict in the east until 1992, through the IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force) period, and the LTTE occupation, when it was used by them as a training camp. Then, encouraged by the Tigers before their departure, the complex was ransacked by villagers, who carted away everything that could be broken or torn away, including the well rings. The house and outhouses, which had easily withstood the cyclone of November 1978, though right in its path, were no match for human greed and destructiveness. Later Thilo noticed his bricks, roofing sheets, reapers and rafters, and beams in many new houses at Kankerni and beyond.
Remembering the unidentified ruins of old planters’bunglows along the East coast seen during earlier visits (at Easter Seaton Estate, for instance) he had buried a very heavy granite tablet – over 100 kg – in the brick-paved floor of his own bungalow. It bore the inscription:
This house was built by
Thilo. Hoffmann
of Switzerland
1967
Even this disappeared. But the stark white walls resisted the elements for another dozen years, until the tsunami in December 2004 pushed in the weakened front side of the rectangle. The jungle, the trees, the palms and shrubs were cut down for firewood, and later the land was cleared for cultivation. The area became like a desert, with all vegetation destroyed, and was kept that way by the armed forces, who had set up a camp nearby. This was destroyed by the tsunami. Only after that did the vegetation begin to recover.
Thilo has regularly visited the place and Alagiah, mentioned in a later Chapter, again looked after it. Very recently Thilo gifted the property to Nicholas Baumann, the son of Guido. It is his wish that this land should remain in the private and personal ownership of Nicholas as a legacy from him and also in memory of his late wife.
AMONG THE TIGERS
Throughout the period of the armed conflict Thilo had many encounters with the LTTE.He travelled in parts of the Eastern and Northern Provinces occupied by them in connection with his property at Kayankerni, the annual waterbird census (see Chapter VIII) – e.g. in the coastal stretch north of Trinco, at Marichchukkaddi, in Mannar and the Jaffna Peninsula – and also simply out of interest to Jaffna, Delft, and Mullaitivu.
Some of the Tigers were friendly, some threatening and obstructive, and sometimes there were risky situations. Checkpoints by armed forces on either side, where vehicles and persons were minutely searched, made travelling hazardous, slow and tiresome.His incursions to LTTE-held areas were quite frequent during two periods. The first was while the IPKF battled the Tigers, between October 1987 and March 1990. At the time there were also para-military groups and camps at various locations, in the East of the EPRLF and ENDLF, and in the North additionally of PLOTE, TELO, EROS. After the Indian forces left these were all liquidated by the LTTE.
Once at a checkpoint near Karainagar, and after he had explained the waterbird census as the reason for his being there, he had a long chat with an Indian army Captain about the situation in the peninsula. At some point the Captain asked the rhetorical question: “Can’t you put some sense into the heads of these fellows to take at least a common stand?” He referred to the various Tamil factions which were at each other’s throats.
In Jaffna and the islands, in the Mannar area, the Vanni and the East, the Indian troops erected many small shrines (mostly dedicated to the Hindu deity Ganesha) and memorial tablets stressing their peaceful intents. These were put up along highways, at junctions and bridges. Today there is not a trace left of them: all were subsequently destroyed by the Tigers. Already then there were many decaying and crumbling houses and mansions, not due to damage in the conflict, but because their owners had been forced to flee the areas and abandon their houses.
In May 1990, two months after the IPKF had left Sri Lanka, the LTTE were in full control of the Northern and Eastern Provinces except for Trincomalee. When Thilo visited his property at Thenaddi Bay it was like getting into and out of a foreign country. The Tigers manning the checkpoints looked menacing.
At the end of that month, Thilo set out in his Peugeot car from Renaddi Bay for Jaffna, with Geepal Fernando and Siva, his cook. He drove to Trincomalee, over the six ferries, and then through Nilaveli and Kuchchaveli. At the next ferry they re-entered Tiger land. Here they noticed the movement of rebel fighters. Visiting Tiriyai, which was in prime condition, they continued to Pulmoddai, then inland to Kebitigollewa and Vavuniya. They were late, and when night began to fall they had just crossed Elephant Pass into the Peninsula.
They noticed a brand-new Mitsubishi Pajero, jeep following them at high speed. Near Pallai they were overtaken and ordered to stop. Fortunately, Siva spoke Tamil. After some questions and answers, with the boss of the jeep never seen, the go-between ordered all three of them to get down. They were dumped on the roadside, with their baggage, which included binoculars and several cans of petrol. Then both vehicles drove off.
Across the bund here alongside the road – which had been the old rail track – was a compound owned by an elderly Tamil couple. They took in the “refugees”. Attempts were made to hire a taxi for the trip to Jaffna where Baurs had a branch, but no driver dared to go against the wishes of the Tigers. Early next morning their host traveled to Jaffna by bus and brought the Branch Manager, Mr N. Rajathevan, who in his old Volkswagen took Thilo and the others to Jaffna.
There Thilo tried to complain to the LTTE military commander but in vain. He was busy with the visit of government Minister A.C.S. Hameed expected that evening for negotiations. In desperation they went to the LTTE political headquarters at Kondavil, where they met Anton Balasingham. He was rather embarrassed by the situation.It was created by the military commander of the Pallai sector. He wanted to secure a car for himself. There was a particular reason. When asked why, the Public Relations Officer at the Jaffna LTTE military headquarters replied: “Because there is going to be a war”. During their stay the travelers noticed intense preparations for war, with new bunkers and troop movements.
Thilo and the Manager patiently spent three days at the political headquarters, meeting with Anton Balasingham his wife Adele (and their white dog), as well as Daya Master and other Tigers. (Nearly 15 years later, after the tsunami, the fact that Daya Master remembered Thilo facilitated a visit to Mullaitivu). Then on the evening of the third day the white Peugeot was brought in, only slightly the worse for wear. The next day they left Jaffna. Two weeks later a massive Tiger offensive defeated the Army in the Peninsula and beyond. It was the beginning of “Eelam War II”.
Ranjan Wijeratne, Deputy Minister in charge of Defense at the time, was a personal friend of Thilo’s. Thilo says: “I actually had thought to meet him at that time and tell him of what we had seen and heard, but then felt that it would be presumptuous as he, in charge of the military, would undoubtedly be aware of the situation in the East and the North. In that I was sadly mistaken. They were taken totally by surprise, and I have a somewhat bad conscience about that to this very day.”
The second period during which Thilo travelled often in Tiger-held areas was during the ceasefire from 2002 to 2006. All these trips are recorded, some in great detail, in Thilo’s numerous notebooks, described later.
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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