Features
Still more on the 1971 Insurgency
by Maj. Gen. (Rtd.) Lalin Fernando
Artillery Capt Bashoor Musafer states in the third part of his recall of his operational duties in 1971 that Hambantota had a large Malay population. They came here from Java with the Dutch. Thanks to a grateful British colonial government his valiant, disciplined and loyal ancestors who served in the First Ceylon Regiment in 1802, were allotted land there in addition to Cinnamon Gardens and Slave Island in Colombo. Their descendants continued to serve their adopted country with the very same staunch attributes.
Capt Musafer was trained in the third Intake of Ceylon cadets at the Pakistan Military Academy(PMA) Kakul which historian Arnold Toynbee in his book ‘Between Oxus and Jammu’ said was the most scenic and ideal location for such an Academy. He expected it to be one of the best. The first PMA Ceylon intake had Col PVJ (Jayantha) de Silva(late SL Light Infantry) who was appointed Under Officer and came tuird in the order of merit. This is a magnificent achievement as the Pakistanis have long and glorious history of war fighting. Their cadets came from world renowned martial races such as Punjabis, Pathans and Baluchis.
Capt Musafer and I played rugby for our regiments and the Army XV but at different times. He captained the Army team later. Gemunu Watch(GW) soldiers also played for the Artillery twice when the Gunners were short of players even though the GW team had just finished playing their own inter regiment match on both occasions!
The bestial tragedy at Kataragama brought shocking shame to the country and the Army. The conduct of volunteer force officer Alfred Wijesuriya who died in prison and Sgt Ratnayake who after serving his sentence was himself murdered by the JVP in 1988 was abominable. PM R Premadasa made political capital of the incident by constructing a monument to Ms Premawathie Manamperi at Kataragama. It included an inscription that shamed the Army.
Capt Musafer errs when he says the late Lt Gen (then Capt) Denzil Kobbekaduwa commanded the hurriedly established and named Field Security Detachment (FSD) in April 1971.It was not Division as given either. It was tasked to interrogate suspect JVP sympathizers among serving troops.
Actually it was recalled Volunteer Lieutenant in 1970 Anuruddha Ratwatte who commanded it. Having been commissioned into the Second(Volunteer) Battalion Sinha Regiment in Kandy. He had been declared ‘dead wood’ not long after as he had not reported to the unit for years.
However he was not ‘Struck off Strength’ which was an administration blunder. Thus he retained his commission and was proposed for a job in the Army when Mrs. Bandaranayke became PM in 1970. He had previously been administrator of the Central Ceylon Youth Council Kandy and its library.
He left the army again after the 1977 election but got back into aged 56 in 1994 as he was made deputy Defence Minister and was promoted four star General!
Sarath Amunugama in his memoires says he happened to be at Temple Trees on April 5, 1971 and saw a hilarious sight – his school friends Anuruddha and Denzil lying on the grass behind two Bren (British Enfield) machine guns facing the entrance to Temple Trees even though Armoured cars too were there.
However the FSD was not, as Capt Musafer says, tasked to provide security for the Prime Minister from 1970 when she became into power. That was done by the Composite Guard (CG) raised on the personal instructions of the PM. Its officers and troops, mainly from the infantry, were under a Sinha Regiment Officer, also from Trinity but not a relative. From 1966 until 1970 he had been on compulsory leave like then Lt Kobbekaduwa and a few others.
When the threat of a JVP attack on the Rosmead Place home of the PM was said to be suddenly imminent on April 5, Anurudha and the Army Commander Lt Gen Attygalle, a more disparate professional combination could not be imagined, persuaded the PM to move to Temple Trees. Anurudha manoeuvred deftly to take charge of the PM(his relative)’s security. Maybe the Bren gun story proved his loyal credentials. He swiftly consolidated his new power base by persuading Gen Attygalle to disband the CG.
This was done in real Attygalle overkill style. The CG camp at the 80 Club was surrounded by armoured cars. This was the first and last time this was ever done to an army camp. One must dread to know what orders the crews of the armoured vehicles with two pounder guns and machine guns had been given! The nonplussed and demoralized officers and troops of the PM’s Own Guard the day before returned to their units.
The Sinha Regt Officer Commanding was a short while later taken on trumped up charges of having planned to take over the government! He had just 120 troops but the FSD boss insisted it could have been done as though the extraordinary German Skorzeny (Hitler’s Commando) who rescued Mussolini from captivity in WW2 had been haunting the 80 Club. All this while the insurgency was raging and those in power were in a blue funk.
At the funeral of the Sinha Regt officer (of a heart attack age 52) in 1989 which the former PM with her brothers, Doctors Sivali and Mackie Ratwatte attended, Dr. Mackie apologized to the officer’s younger brother who had also been in the army, for their ill advised decision based on loaded advice. He said the former PM was very sad and that they had vowed that his elder brother would be given due recognition when they came back to power again. Lakshman Jayakody(former Minister in the 1995 Cabinet and also a Trinitian)when he spoke to the younger brother later made no bones about who was behind it all.
Capt Musafer refers to the Panagoda cantonment where hundreds of jittery soldiers imagining they were under attack at night, enacted a riotous, ill disciplined stunning live ammo fireworks display after a single soldier opened fire at a shadow. A huge amount of ammo was wasted. One soldier died. Later on that night Capt Sarath Wijesinghe, Engineers (National putt shot, Javelin etc champion) was dispatched in a jeep to the Sewage Treatment Plant at Habaragala along with a diminutive captain who was in the non combat Army General Service Corps (Pay and Records).
The troops at the Treatment Plant were not informed about this movement. When they saw the jeep coming unannounced, they went berserk and fired frenetically as the others before. The jeep skidded to a halt. The occupants jumped out and rolled down the ditch by the side of the road. Capt Wijesinghe heard someone moaning. Thinking the captain had been wounded Wijesinghe turned round to find out. The captain had cracked and offered his resignation with immediate effect! He later went on to reach the rank of Brigadier! He had been an artillery officer before too!
Capt Musafer mentions the Vavuniya ambush that led to the death of Capt Noel Weerakoon and Bombardier (Corporal in the Artillery) Munesinghe. I heard the news on the army radio at night at the GW detachment, Ella that I was visiting from Wellawaya. I asked to speak to Sergeant Weerakoon, Noel’s brother, who was in charge of the Signal’s Detachment at Diyatalawa. He broke down but confirmed the story. I offered my deepest sympathies. Noel had an exuberant personality with an extravagant imagination. He would be much missed by many.
This was a stunning blow to us all. We now realized we too, not only the police, were on the firing line. We left immediately for our base at Wellawaya driving without lights but were helped by a near full moon on those badly maintained winding mountain roads.
Noel had been at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst with me. We played in the same cricket team in two summers, spent a Spring holiday in Dublin with later Major Careem Zavahier (National and Sandhurst Fly Weight boxing champion – now in New Zealand).Noel and I toured the British Army on the Rhine (BAOR) Germany units with the Sandhurst cricket team to play cricket during the summer vacations in 1959 and 1960.
The famed Olympic Stadium was our venue in Berlin when we played the BAOR Combined Services team. Berlin then was divided into Russian and Allied (British, American Sectors) but we were allowed to visit East Berlin and even chatted with the Russian sentries at their memorial in the British sector. We went there through East Germany from Hanover by train with strict orders not to open the window blinds to view East Germany under grim Soviet rule. The orders were not strictly followed. Together with us were my fellow Trinitian Sena de Sylva, John Francis (Jaffna) and my brother Eshin (yes five from Ceylon, three from Trinity in that team).Noel, Sena and I then toured Scandinavia after the 1959 tour.
Major Denis Hapugalle later Brigadier was with GA Bradman Weerakoon (Royal Thomian cricketers combine) in charge of affairs at Vavuniya. Denis advised the impetuous Noel to postpone his move to Anuradhapura for the next morning but tragically failed. Noel’s mission was to transport ammo to Anuradhapura, hence his haste.
Flamboyant Volunteer Force Colonel Derrick Nugawela’s arrived as Coordinating Officer at Hambantota. The Kataragama incident happened under his watch. Alfred Wijesuriya vainly quoted orders from higher command as his defence at the murder trial.
The Colonel imagined he was a Theater Commander. (Theater Command is a unified command under a single commander for a force consisting of Army, Navy and Air Force troops – like Eisenhower in North Africa). He was a relative of the PM. He had about two platoons (72 men) under his command. He was a full time tea planter who reveled in military pomp and show.
The first thing the volunteer Colonel on arrival with escorts brandishing weapons did after having had a cup of tea, was to ask an utterly cowed Hambantota Rest House Keeper for ‘baked crabs’ for dinner. This was for effect in English. Waving a revolver for greater effect he added that if there weren’t any by 7.30 pm sharp he would ‘shoot karanawa’him.
Regular officers had to painfully humour such grandees. He then did a flag flying drive with escorts to Wellawaya and Monaragala which were not in his ‘Theater’ but he acted the part well.At Wellawaya he said that foreign envoys had seen the PM and wanted reports of excesses investigated. Apparently Kegalle had been bad.
However at Hanwella police station Lt (later Major General)Janaka Perera stood up to a major of his regiment, the Engineers, who had arrived from Army HQ and ordered him to ‘clear’ the cells of captured insurgents. Janaka refused point blank despite the Major venting his fury on what he called a disgrace to ‘Sandhurst’. The major then asked platoon sergeant Senanayake to do so. If the major was so anxious to pursue criminal orders to please his bosses he should have done it himself.
Sgt Senanayake reluctantly had the ‘prisoners’ lined up and prepared to fire. Many prisoners were crying but one man stood erect to face him. The next moment saw the sergeant vomiting. He could not and did not shoot. The major left, his mission failed. His was not called ‘Mad’ for nothing.
Like Capt Musafer I too, according to one of its prominent officers, was ‘investigated’ by the FSD after I returned to Diyatalawa. That officer added that I came off with ‘flying colours’ whatever that meant. It was for me degrading and humiliating to know it was done at all. Were there ‘Commissars’ at work? This did not auger well for the future of the army. It may well have set a trend that has now firmed in. The FSD was called very unkind (stinking) names by all.
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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