Features
Striking out abroad to educate my children
Excerpted from volume ii of the Sarath Amunugama autobiography
By 1982 I had completed five years as a Secretary. During this period our Ministry had undertaken many new projects including the successful introduction of television to the country. During this busy time I could not give my family the attention they deserved. My elder daughter, Ramanika, was 17-years old and was a good student in the science stream of Bishop’s College. I remember one prize giving at Bishop’s where she received her prize from Mrs. Elina Jayewardene. The chief guest was JRJ who had started his schooling at Bishop’s. He introduced himself as the oldest old boy of Bishop’s.
My younger daughter Varuni was 15-years of age and the winner of the all island oratorical contest organized by the British College of Speech. They were both at an age when they could benefit from foreign schooling which was very much in vogue then as there were no International schools. Their richer classmates had been sent abroad by their parents who could spend lavishly on their progeny. That option was not open to us public servants in those days.
Today corruption is so rampant that politicians and public servants use their ill gotten gains to finance their children’s education abroad. In our time the only possibility was for us to find employment abroad, particularly in an International Agency which paid handsomely, for the education of children. I therefore thought it prudent to think of a spell abroad though I never contemplated the possibility of settling down in another country, as some of my colleagues had done.
Fortunately my parents were fit and healthy and well looked after in our ‘Mul Gedera’ in Nugawela by my sister and younger brother and their spouses. So the chances of a ‘soft landing’ abroad were good in my case. Fortunately two job offers were clearly in my horizon. One was the Secretary-Generalship of the Asian Media Information and Communication Center (AMIC). The other was the post of Director of the newly created International Programme for the Development of Communication [IPDC] in UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
My friend Reinhard Keune with whom I worked out the establishment of our TV Training Centre in Colombo with Friedrich Ebert Stifftung (FES) funding had asked me whether I would be interested in accepting the post of Secretary General of AMIC. My name had been proposed by Fontgalland and Sinha who realized that after Lakshmana Rao’s departure AMIC had lost its credibility and were faced with a withdrawal of FES funding.
Without FES support which had initially enticed Lee Kwan Yew to sponsor AMIC, Singapore too would have pulled out of the agreement. I had heard the FES chief addressing the Singapore PM as ‘Harry’- so strong were their links. As an AMIC member and Committee member I knew the organization inside out. I told Reinhard that I will have to discuss his offer with my Minister as well as his FES bosses in Bad Godesberg.
I had received an invitation to a conference of Media scholars organized by UNESCO and held in Munich. I could fly from Munich to Cologne for a meeting with Grunwald, the Chairman of FES. This was agreed to and we met in a well-appointed FES guest house in Bad Godesberg. At lunch there Grunwald assured me of continued support for AMIC and I agreed to make the necessary arrangements for my appointment With the Sri Lankan Government.
When I broached the subject with Anandatissa he gave me his blessings, adding mischievously that he knew that it was only a matter of time before I left for greener pastures. I then wrote direct to the President detailing my services and informing him that I was leaving primarily for the sake of my children’s education. I heard later that DBIPS Siriwardhana had been unhappy that I had written direct to the President. But since I was appointed Secretary by the President I did not see anything remiss in my sending my resignation letter direct to him. The President agreed and only requested me to see him at home before I left for Singapore.
Once my appointment as Secretary General of AMIC was announced many of my friends wrote to congratulate me. I was especially touched to receive a letter from Sarachchandra referring to our longstanding friendship. He wrote, “I am sorry we are going to lose you soon. Your presence will be much missed in cultural circles-particularly your incisive comments and your forthright opinions. You happened to remind me once on a visit that I had advised you to remain in academic life and not to go into administration.
“Now I feel that my advice has been wrong. You would have been as poor as I am if you had taken my advice. Wish you all the best in your future career and I hope we will get a chance to meet off and on as you fly between Colombo and Singapore” [Feb. 16, 1982]. I also had a letter of congratulation from Amaradeva who referred to our long association from my Peradeniya University days [Feb. 19. 1982]. Father Ernest Poruthota wrote a characteristically generous letter.
“This is a very personal letter full of a million thanks for the great respect and collaboration you have always shown to me all throughout the days we have known each other. This great collaboration was both on a personal capacity and in my capacity as the National Director of the OCIC (International Catholic Film Organiztion). From the SLFP days to the UNP era of TV you have been a friend, guide and a ‘Godfather’ to the OCIC. Without you many tasks we have done for the past 10 years of OCIC activities in Sri Lanka would never have been possible. I must thank you over and over again for this” [Feb, 20, 1982]. I have retained these letters among my memorabilia.
The most heartfelt farewell came from the tough and militant print workers. As I had mentioned earlier in this book, several pressing problems of the working men were solved by me with my Minister’s blessings. They had responded magnificently to the President’s call to print school text books which were issued free to all the school children in the country. The workers had gone all out to print these books on schedule even foregoing their overtime payments.
When following the general strike a large number of printing workers were dismissed I persuaded my Minister to take them back on the argument that we could not get trained workers to replace them. Their leader Wimalasena of the LSSP was very grateful as many other Unionists not only lost their jobs but also could not face their members who were left with no income. Many such poor strikers committed suicide. Others lived for the rest of their lives in utter poverty.
When I became Finance Minister many years later I gave them compensatory payment. But by that time many of them were dead. Colvin and Bernard Soysa visited me and Anandatissa in our
homes to thank us personally for our humanitarian gesture. The newspapers of the time reported the extraordinary gesture of the workers.
“Minister Anandatissa de Alwis on Saturday described his Ministry Secretary Sarath Amunugama as an efficient and able administrator who had brought honour and prestige to his country. De Alwis was speaking at a farewell ceremony held in honour of Amunugama by the employees at the Government
Press on the eve of Amunugama’s retirement from Government service. De Alwis said there are two types of administrators in the country. One category restricted their knowledge and experience
to themselves while the other shared their knowledge, experience and views with others for the common good of the people. Amunugama belonged to the latter category.” De Alwis who admitted that there had been disagreement between him and Amunugama over certain issues, said on most
of those occasions Amunugama’s advice was both timely and prevailed because they were far sighted. Amunugama he said was an adept in taking correct decisions in a split second.
Government Printer Neville Nanayakkara said Amungama had endeared himself to both officials and employees of the Government Press. Vice President of the workers’ Trade Union, Mr. Cyril, said Amunugama was the first administrator to be honoured by all the employees of the Government Press. Amunugama had not only provided many services and amenities to employees at the Government Press but had also helped to erase the stigma attached to them.
Mr. Amunugama said that he had always given due credit to the workers at the Government Press and tried to understand their problems and grievances in the proper light. This had helped them to set up an efficient administration at the Press. Amunugama turned down a gold ring gifted to him by Press employees as a memento and requested them to sell it and utilize the proceeds to improve their canteen.”
When Lalith Athulathmudali heard of my new assignment he very kindly undertook to write to some Singaporean Ministers who were his students in the Law faculty of Singapore University when he taught there. At this time I had many friends near Flower Road who were neighbours of Lalith. The Abeywardenes, Lakshman Jayakody and ‘Bull’ Weeratunga’s family lived close to each other. Lalith was a frequent visitor and we got to know each other well.
He had respect for CCS officers of my vintage and brought many of them, particularly old Royalists, into his Ministry. Dharmasiri Pieris, an old Thurstanite and my contemporary at Peradeniya, was his efficient Permanent Secretary. As Secretary of Tourism I was an ex-officio board member of the Lanka Oberoi Hotel which had been built by the State Trading Corporation which came under the purview of Lalith who was the Trade Minister.
The Chairman of the Hotel Company – Asian Hotels Corporation Ltd – Ranjan Wijemanna and Deputy Chairman Razik Zarook were his close confidants. So I had good relations with Lalith who was considered a stickler for protocol, but was good enough to write on my behalf to his student, Professor Jayakumar – a powerful Singaporean Minister. Lalith’s name opened many doors for me in Singapore.
Jayakumar was very helpful and reminded me that we had met earlier in Lalith’s house in Flower Road when he had called on his former teacher. Lalith had impeccable academic qualifications having won degrees in law from Oxford and Harvard. He taught law in Israel and Singapore.
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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