Features
The Mirihana Catalyst – Apocalypse for the first family
By Anura Gunasekera
As this is being written hundreds of thousands of ordinary people in defiance of a sudden curfew ordered by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa are roaming the streets of towns and cities all over Sri lanka, demanding the ouster of the man himself. They have been supported, in a unique display of solidarity by the “Sri Lankan” diaspora, in cities in the US, UK, across Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The Rajapaksa name, once revered by the Snhala-Buddhist majority, is now being publicly reviled across continents. The Rajapaksa’s very successfully weaponised ethnic disharmony and ethno-nationalism to secure political power. But the maroon “Kurakkan Satakaya“, that ostentatious Rajapaksa Family brand, has strangled the nation. Within two years of the new Rajapaksa dispensation, its appalling misgovernance has compelled a divided people to unite against a common enemy––the First Family. It seems incomprehensible that the Family, diabolically clever at leveraging public sentiment, could have been so insensitive to the seething discontent within the same polity.
The “Terminator” has lost his invincibility, his ability to inspire dread, and stands pathetically exposed for the man he has always been; an average military man of limited intellect, ignorant in the ways of governance, macro-economics, both internal and external political realities, completely out of touch with the pulse of an agitated nation and the suffering of the people who elected him, and incapable of solving problems which do not respond to para-military reprisals. Recall his recent response to the farmers’ opposition to organic fertiliser, that he could, if he wished, use the army to compel the farmers to comply with his diktat!
This is the man that Dr. Dayan Jayatilleke, erudite political analyst and, during the Yahapalanaya regime, an ardent proponent of a Rajapaksa revival (remember his ecstatic “Nugegoda Rising”- Colombo Telegraph, 19/02/2015- and DJ himself reading out the absent Mahinda Rajapaksa’s message) described, in a writing of around March 2017, ” as a man who could lead the country towards a fair and just society in which ethnic and religious factors can be transcended in a new fusion … a decorated warrior who knows how to defend his country at the risk of his life … a man with a modernising vision and capacity ….. fighter and builder ….. any country needs and should be proud to have”. He has been proved wrong on all counts but, if an intellectual like Dr. DJ could have been so misled, one should not fault the 6.9 mn ordinary citizens for having embraced the same misconceptions.
Interestingly, Dr. DJ now writes (The Island-03/04/22- Roundtables as Political Change Agents) ” Always remember the objective; removing the incumbent autocrat and the regime, centered round the ruling clan; the target is not the rival party nor its proponents. The target is the democratic removal of the ruler and his parasitic and paralysis inducing clan”; a complete volte-face, gradual and long in coming but refreshing.
This is also the man that the leading members of the Sangha lionised as a “Hitler ” who could transform the fortunes of the country whilst ushering in a new order. Unsaid but implied was that it would also be an essentially Sinhala-Buddhist hegemony, the Rajapaksa concept which also resonates with the majority of our polity.
The Sangha, schooled in the Dhamma but possibly ignorant of History, were perhaps unaware that the real Hitler died by his own hand, even as his enemies closed in upon his last refuge. Historically, almost inevitably, autocratic, tyrannical leaders, have come to brutal or ignominious ends. Apart from Hitler, recall Mussolini, Franco, both Duvaliers, father and son, Pinochet, Reza Pahlavi, Marcos, Ceausescu, Idi Amin, Gaddafi and Sadam, as just a few examples. The President urgently needs to engage in a capsule history lesson of the last seven decades. Perhaps someone should educate him about Hosni Mubarak and the ” Arab Spring”.
The protests were first launched by desperate farmers in response to the moronic presidential directive to convert to organic farming overnight. With the fuel crisis, power outages, disruptions to public transport, dismantling of livelihoods, shortages of staples and the unbearable increase in the cost of living, demonstrations spread to all parts of the country, engaging citizens of all social and economic levels. However, the agitation was allowed to continue.
The Mirihana affair changed all that. The origins of the shift of an angry, yet non-violent protest, to actual violence is unclear. However, whilst damaged vehicles were still smouldering and clearly before even an investigation had commenced, the President’s media division announced that responsibility lay with an organised “extremist group”, giving credence to the now popular view that the violence was orchestrated in order to justify the repressive measures which followed.
So, no sooner the sacrosanct personal abode of the ruler was besieged, the Public Security Act was invoked, an emergency declared, a curfew imposed and social media shut down; a response typical of all autocrats, who are deeply sensitive to any assault on their personal authority and, in times of strife, apprehensive of any sign of personal danger; hardly a response worthy of a “decorated warrior” or a “fighter”.
” Gota Go Home” is the a demand resonating across Sri Lanka and in other countries as well, articulated in Sinhala, English and Tamil. However, the solution to the problems that the man’s irrational decisions have exacerbated is not that simple. The current economic woes of the country are the cumulative result of irresponsible fiscal management across successive regimes. For decades we have been living beyond our means. The earlier Rajapksa regime compounded the problem, engaging in massive infrastructure projects with minimal prospects of even long-term returns, and nominal trickle-down benefits to ordinary people.
President GR, immediately after assuming office, provided sweeping and unwarranted tax concessions to a small segment, depriving the state of revenue. The Covid pandemic contributed further to the decline in the GDP; the organic fertiliser decree brought agriculture to its knees; the nation’s finances were entrusted to brother Basil, touted as a genius despite clear evidence of lack of basic intellect. Assisting him was Nivard Cabraal, who famously declared that excessive printing of money does not cause inflation! His mismanagement of the rupee/dollar relationship has been, time and again, cruelly exposed by genuine economists, whilst his refusal to engage meaningfully with the IMF, when crucial, denied the country a possible life-line until it was too late; the controversial bond repayment of USD 500 million in January, emptying foreign reserves, was the last nail in the coffin. The fallout from the Ukraine-Russia conflict did the rest; that is a fatal combination of ungovernable externalities and internal idiocies.
As much as an incompetent and obdurate President, the servile Cabinet and parliament are also to blame. The government group, a collective rubber stamp, having first empowered the President with the safe passage of the 20th Amendment, ignoring financial discipline and the enactment of law, legitimised every whim and fancy of the ruler. In Parliament today, the same lackeys, now mock-repentant, sanctimoniously called for reforms to provide a solution to the problems that they themselves created.
The pundits of the “Viyath Maga” and the luminaries of the “Eliya”, many of them leading entrepreneurs, professionals and co-called intellectuals, who enthusiastically endorsed the President’s delusional “Vistas of Prosperity” must also accept their share of responsibility. Perhaps the President’s personal soothsayer, “Gnana Akka”, should also shoulder the blame, for having negotiated divine approval for his irrational strategies!!
What is the solution to the crisis? The President’s invitation to the Opposition, to
join an interim administration and to assist in the rehabilitation of the economy has been rejected. The Cabinet and ministers have resigned (?) and the president has reappointed a few, assigning them different portfolios.
The same empty heads on different bodies still in servitude to an all powerful President will not usher in essential change, which must be implemented through an empowered Parliament, possible only if the 20th Amendment is repealed and the 19th Amendment further strengthened; a complicated and time-consuming process but that which will enable independent commissions, oversight committees and councils, now either inactive or incapacitated, to function effectively and restore accountability and public scrutiny to executive action. The President, despite the havoc he has significantly contributed to, still misses the point and must be compelled by some means to relinquish the untrammeled power assigned to him by the 20th amendment.
Of course, the simplest would be for the President to heed the nation’s call and resign, as provided by the Constitution, paving the way for a complete political restructuring.
A new Cabinet with the old faces with GR as President, wielding the same power, will be a complete farce and is quite likely to lead to renewed citizens’ agitation. It is clear that the Rajapaksa family and its minions are now anathema. The failure to devise realistic strategies for the immediate, mid-term and long-term solutions for the current problems, and to convey them effectively and convincingly to a maddened public, could result in the ongoing protests catalyzing in to total anarchy.
Apart from funding internal fuel and medicine needs, import of basic foodstuffs, raw materials for industries and meeting bi-lateral and multi-lateral loan repayments, the country must meet a USD one billion international sovereign bond repayment in full by July 2022. If we fail to meet these commitments or to restructure debt repayment, the country will enter a state of “disorderly default”, a situation in which we will be shunned by all international aid and donor agencies and governments. Sri lanka will become a pariah state. Bear in mind the once prosperous Lebanon, now the global archetype of total failure.
A few days ago, social media activist Anuruddha Bandara was allegedly abducted by a group claiming to be from the police, and was later found at the Modera police station. His crime posting a message on social media, with the slogan, “Go Home, Gota”, the same cry resonating across the country and continents in recent days. Had not the legal fraternity come to his aid in an incredible show of force, Bandara could have disappeared, like so many dissenters did in similar circumstances in the past. His quick retrieval and the subsequent operation of due processes, is evidence that black operations of suppression of dissent, so brutally efficient when the present president was Secretary of Defence, are no longer as effective. That in itself is an encouraging sign.
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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