Features
The Island has played its role fearlessly
By Dew Gunasekara
The period of 40 years since the birth of The Island covers, both globally and domestically, dramatic and far-reaching eventful developments. The Island, as a new breed and brand, played its role magnificently with dynamism since its inception.
Globally, we witnessed the birth of neo-liberation, collapse of the mighty Soviet Union, so called war on terrorism, emergence of Asia as the vanguard of the world economy after 500 years, China as the second largest economy, global financial crisis of 2008, gigantic infrastructure development projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative, emergence of a new economic order of multi polarity, change in the world balance of economic and political power, humiliating withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan after 20 years of occupation, shift of geopolitical tension to South Asia, weakening of the imperialist camp on all fronts, and the exit of Britain from EU.
Domestically, we witnessed the disgraceful burning of Jaffna Library, Sri Lanka‘s first Presidential Election, the notorious referendum to put off the General Election, the Black July, mayhem created by the Indian Army, commitment of the Eelam war, second JVP insurrection of 1988/89, assassination of President Ranasinghe Premadasa, a period of political assassinations, entry of Chandrika Kumaratunga as President, the end of the 30-year-war, administration of seven Executive Presidents, removal of two Chief Justices, the Easter Sunday terrorist attack, and the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The birth of The Island newspaper took place at a crucial moment, when media freedom and responsibility was at its lowest ebb, under the regime of the First Executive President J.R. Jayewardene. JR assumed power with 5/6 majority with the backing of the entire private sector media.
The state-owned Lake House, and the state-owned SLBC came under the grip of the new regime. At the time, there was no state-owned television and the only private sector television station – ITN – was taken over by the government. As a result, a vacuum was created in the media realm. In fact, the fourth estate was in high company with the mighty executive, 5/6 majority in the legislature and judiciary.
In contrast, between the period 1960-1967, Sirimavo Bandaranaike had only the state-owned SLBC to run the administration, with the three powerful media houses – Lake House, Times and Dawasa Group – branded, in political, parlance, as Bera-Gedera, Samayang Gedara and Magul Gedera. Bandaranaike was confronted with a military coup in 1962 and a political conspiracy in 1964, following the brutal assassination of her husband Premier SWRD Bandaranaike. This was an inevitable process of political upheaval and reaction, following the social changes of 1956.
It was under these political conditions that the Aththa newspaper was founded as an alternative media instrument. The Aththa newspaper was the only media weapon in the hands of Mrs. Bandaranaike and the United Front, to come to power in 1970. The defeat of Mrs. Bandaranaike in 1964 was the result of a political conspiracy engineered by the media baron of the day, led by Esmond Wickremasinghe.
In my view, Upali Wijewardene, a clever business tycoon with political ambition, would have observed the growing conditions of authoritarianism in the country, without media freedom and responsibility and conceived the idea of founding the Upali Newspapers. He may have seen the impending danger of rising authoritarianism with democracy in peril. So The Island as an alternative appeared on the newsstand in 1981. We became regular readers of The Island ever since.
In the period of the United Front Government of Mrs. Bandaranaike, I was serving as the Private Secretary to Pieter Keuneman, the Minister of Housing and Construction. The Minister, being a distinguished journalist-politician, I was fortunate enough to associate myself with all men in the media profession who were frequenting the corridors of our Ministry.
The four Editors-in-Chief of The Island, namely; Vijitha Yapa, Gamini Weerakoon, Edmund Ranasinghe S. Pathirawitharana and Prabath Sahabandu had close association with Pieter Keuneman, who himself was an editor at Lake House soon after his return from Cambridge after higher education. I was blessed with the opportunity of meeting these distinguished men in the media profession.
With the rising popularity of the young The Island newspaper, Upali Wijewardene became a target of attack by high-powered politicians in power. Maybe they would have sensed the hidden hand behind Upali Wijewardene, as a potential rival in politics. The sudden disappearance of Upali Wijewardene remains a mystery and may remain so forever.
The Island has played a historic role during the last 40 years with due sense of media responsibility in exercising its freedom. Being subservient to none, The Island has successfully navigated amidst storms and hurricanes, earning the love and admiration of its readers. In my view, The Island always stood by the people, people’s sovereignty and national interests, evident from its editorials at all times. The editorials are a source of courage and inspiration, with unwavering loyalty to the people. Vijitha Yapa’s sober approach to problems, Gamini Weerakoon’s vituperative attacks on injustice, and Prabath’s penetrative analysis of events have enhanced the popularity and credibility of The Island.
I find that some of the regular contributors to The Island’s opinion page have turned out to be versatile writers. The page is full of substance, clarity on issues, inspiring critical thought, visionary thinking, and innovative ideas. I cannot but single out one of its regular contributors, Dr. Upul Wijayawardhana, who is a schoolmate of mine at Rahula College, Matara. This top doctor produced by Sri Lanka Medical College has turned out to be a scholarly writer, following in the footsteps of his illustrious father Justin Wijayawardhana, my teacher who guided us in the College Debating Society. So are many such contributors of high-quality, promoted by The Island.
The role played by The Island during the perils of the Eelam War is praiseworthy, with a policy of caution, realism and objectivity. The Island stood firmly with the country’s sovereignty, people’s interests, democracy and equality with malice to none but love for all. The Island refrained from being either opportunistic or sectarian. The Island never wavered from its policy of objectivity. It stood by science and not Myth at all times and in all climes. Currently, when the country is faced with an unprecedented crisis, its stands firmly by the people’s cause, not being subservient to any political force
On a personal note, I take this opportunity of saluting The Island for its fearless and dispassionate role on the issue of the Central Bank Bond Scam. On February 27, 2016, exactly on the 50th day of the Yahapalanaya Government, the Treasury Bond Scam took place. The only newspaper which broke the news was, The Island. When, the task of probing the scam was entrusted to me by the Parliament, on the floor of the House, I as the Chairman of the COPE acted swiftly and after several months of investigation and interrogation of the top officials, I prepared an interim report at the request of the Parliament and decided to present it to the Parliament, having placed it in the Agenda. As we were collecting signatures of the investigating Sub-Committee of the COPE in the evening, news broke from the Government Press regarding the Gazette Notification, dissolving the Parliament. The Speaker of the Parliament was not aware of the impending dissolvement, until I kept him informed. With this move, the presentation of the Interim Report was torpedoed. In addition, one of the members of the COPE, Sujeewa Senasinghe rushed to District Court in the following morning and obtained a restraining order, preventing me from revealing the contents of the interim report.
There was mounting blitz of propaganda against the unrevealed Interim Cope Report, using the dissolution of the Parliament. In the meantime, a letter was sent to the Secretary General of Parliament raising the question of privilege, in order to prevent any possible leakage of the COPE.
I was compelled to hold a Media Briefing to keep the public informed of what really happened. In this instance, The Island came to my rescue and revealed all what had happened. The Island played its role in the fine spirit of the media responsibility and in the overall interest of the people.
On July 30th 1983, with the outbreak of communal violence – Black July – the 3 left parties were banned and 4 leaders of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka were arrested at midnight and detained in the 4th floor of CID and later in the Negombo Prison. They were kept in detention and no visitors were allowed to meet them. Even Sarath Muttetuwegama, M.P. for Kalutara was denied of his Parliamentary privilege to visit his comrades for 3 months. It was only The Island which broke out the news and gave publicity to our grievances. The state-media kept mum. So, only The Island played its role fearlessly.
As Minister of Cultural Affairs and National Integrity, my first Cabinet Paper to make Tamil also compulsory for the public servants in keeping with the National Language Policy, I had to carry on a relentless battle and clear all the roadblocks for two long years until I received the green light from the Cabinet to issue the Gazette Notification in July 2007. This was the first attempt since 1966 after Premier S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike failed to push through the reasonable use of Tamil. Also, I received wide publicity through The Island’ for which I am deeply indebted to. Only the Hindu and The Island’s’ sister paper Divaina editorials commented that it was a historic decision.
Again, when I completed the rehabilitation of 13,000 Ex-LTTE cadres and sent them back home, showers of affection were honoured on me by the media. Here too, The Island played a formidable role. Even the then Commissioner General of Human Rights, Navaneethan Pillay visited Sri Lanka and met Chief Justice in my presence, she acknowledged the success of the Rehabilitation Programme but she remarked that Sri Lanka failed to uphold the rule of law. In this instance, The Island played its traditional role in support of people’s interest.
On the happy occasion of the 40th Anniversary of The Island, I wish Many Happy Returns to The Island and express the hope that The Island will continue to play its historic role, keeping the country and the people at heart, strictly abiding to its traditional policy of media freedom and responsibility.
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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