Features
THE NEW HOLOCAUST
by Vijaya Chandrasoma
Centuries of persecution of the Jewish people by Europeans and Russians culminated in the most horrible modern genocide in modern times committed by the Germans in the 1930s. The systematic murder of six million Jews and the ethnic cleansing of millions of Europeans of “impure blood”, bear repetition only as background to the present crisis in Israel.
As are the actions of the Americans who, with the its European allies, won World War II, and began the process of the illegal establishment of a Jewish State of Israel, stealing the homeland of centuries of the Palestinian people. A largely Arab, Muslim state is now facing the threat of extinction through a modern-day Holocaust, as inhumane as the German version.
Since the end of WWII, American aggression throughout the world in the pursuit of its own interests, their unquenchable thirst for the vast reserves of oil in the Middle-East, has brought the region into the cusp of yet another Arab-Israeli war. The military strength of Iran, covertly backed by Russia, threatens the extension of the arena of hostility, even the possibility of nuclear warfare.
These near 200 words make for a truncated and possibly prejudiced attempt at an introduction to the crisis that exists in the Holy Land today. There are many other contributory factors, like the emergence of China as a Superpower, Russian aggression in Ukraine, and the revival of the evil movement of white supremacy in America and Europe. Extraneous factors which could further muddy the waters.
Today, we are faced by the consequences of the brutal onslaught by 500 Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) specially trained terrorists, who ran amok at an Israeli settlement (kibbutz) near the Israeli- Gaza border on October 7. Over 1,400 innocent Israeli civilians, men, women and children, were savagely butchered in a gruesome terrorist act.
The Israelis, consumed by grief and fury, immediately went into revenge mode against the entire population of nearly two million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, for the despicable acts of a group of Hamas and PIJ terrorists. The attacks have now escalated to include Palestinian settlements in the West Bank, home to 1.8 million Palestinians. Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank live in fear of losing their homes, and their lives, at any moment during the relentless Israeli airstrikes. They live in terror, as the Jews did in Germany in the 1930s, guilty of no crime other than their ethnic identity.
Rather like the war waged by the Americans after the atrocity of 9/11, consumed by rage after the worst terrorist attack on the American mainland in history. A brutal attack, carried out by 19 terrorists (15 Saudis) of the Al Qaeda terrorists, led by Saudi Arabian Osama Bin Laden, based mainly in Afghanistan.
Unfortunately, in their thirst for revenge, Americans waged war on Iraq, which had absolutely nothing to do with the tragedy of 9/11. In an illegal, 15-year war against the wrong enemy, which claimed 4,431 lives of American soldiers, in which over 600,000 Iraqi military and civilians, men, women and children, lost their lives. Representing approximately 140 Iraqis, who bore no responsibility for the tragedy of 9/11, to one precious life of an American soldier.
Which begs the questions: how deep is the thirst for revenge of the Israelis for the October 7 massacre? How many more innocent Palestinians must be slaughtered, how many more billions of dollars must Americans pump in, before the Israeli hunger for revenge is entirely sated? When will, in Israeli and American eyes, the punishment on innocent Palestinians be deemed to adequately fit the October 7 crime committed by Hamas?
In other words, when will the Israeli-American aggressor achieve the compassion, the maturity, to recast the concept of vengeance into the quality of justice?
Simply put, what is the going conversion rate for massacred human beings, Jews to Arabs? How many killings of Palestinians will justify the loss of 1,400 Israelis butchered on October 7. Palestinian civilian deaths currently stand at 6,000+ Palestinian deaths, representing nearly five Palestinian civilians to one Israeli civilian. What is the final count that will satisfy Israeli revenge? Some 30,000 Palestinians, representing 15 Palestinians to one Israeli? Or are they going for a new Holocaust of 3.5 million Palestinians, representing ethnic cleansing and genocide? Which the despicable Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said recently is “coming”, with the imminent ground invasion of Northern Gaza.
The historic and current war waged by the American-Israeli military machine against the Palestinian people is not without precedent.
The Nazis blamed the Jews for stabbing Germany in the back, betraying the Vaterland, for their loss in World War I. They accused the Jews of supporting communism in Germany in 1918, for promoting banking and finance in Western countries and America at enormous cost to Germany’s economy. Killing innocent Jews by the millions was not a crime, the Holocaust was considered by the Third Reich to be an act of self- defense. Seriously.
The 2010 best seller of Timothy Snyder “Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin” offers a more credible explanation why Hitler and the Nazis wanted to exterminate European Jews.
Hitler admired America’s rapid industrialization and growth, made possible by the free labour provided by slaves imported from Africa in the 17th century. Hitler could not, in the 1930s, emulate the Americans by importing slaves with impunity, as the Americans did four centuries ago. So he took the next best option. He seized productive lands belonging to neighbouring indigenous Europeans of “impure blood”, including Jews. If they resisted, they were killed. The survivors provided the slave labour to sustain the German economy in the concentration camps, just as the Americans had done centuries ago in the cotton plantations of southern states.
Remember the historically inspiring slogan, “Arbeit Macht Free” (Work Sets You Free) blazoned on top of the gates of Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration camps, which greeted Jewish prisoners? A particularly appropriate symbol, as these camps worked their Jewish and other prisoners, men, women and children to near death, and murdered those who survived in the ovens when they were no longer able to function.
According to Edgar E. Baptist, in his analysis of American slavery: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism, “The institution of slavery, the commodification and suffering and forced labour of African-Americans is what made the United States powerful and rich”.
Hitler also had the ultimate dream of returning Germany to its former glory as Europe’s dominant pure-blooded Christian nation. His model was in fact the Holocaust against African slaves in 17th century United States of America.
As is Netanyahu’s model of seizing land of the Palestinians with the help of the Americans, eliminating Arab terrorists and civilians. In spite of American and Israeli sanctimonious hypocrisy, there’s no difference in their minds between terrorists and civilians, they are all Arabs, and coincidentally, they also are brown-skinned, of impure blood, expendable “collateral damage”.
Like the lands of native American tribes slaughtered by white “settlers” are just mythical names on an obsolete map of the United States, so will Palestine cease to exist, a mere asterisk on future maps of the Middle-East.
Not an exact parallel, though. The native Indians were murdered by the marauding Europeans out of greed. The Palestinians were slaughtered in the divine realization of God’s Plan.
The involvement of the United States in the ultimate ambition of an exclusively Jewish State of Israel, having eliminated the owners of the land by genocide or displacement, is unconscionable. In fact, during his first speech after his appointment as the Speaker of the Republican majority House of Representatives last Wednesday, Mike Johnson (a Trump supporter, who played a major role in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election), said, “The first bill I’m going to bring to this floor will be in support of our dear friend Israel, and we are overdue in getting that done”. Meaning that they have been overdue in helping the Israelis to establish a one-state solution of a Jewish state in Palestine.
America currently faces four major adversaries, in China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. Three of these adversaries have a direct interest in the situation in Palestine. How the Americans deal with this conflict, whether they, with the Israelis, will opt for short-term revenge or seek a long-term solution of a problem which has been festering in violence for over half a century, will determine the immediate future of the region.
China’s position on the conflict has been consistent. Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in a recent press conference, stated that “China condemns all acts of violence and opposes any violation of international law…. Israel has the right to statehood. So does Palestine…. The Jewish nation is no longer homeless in the world, but when will the Palestinian nation return to its home?”
Peace in the Middle-East is vital to China’s huge energy demand. The region accounts for nearly half of China’s oil imports, making it vital to China’s energy security.
Russia has long been a critic of the United States’ complicity with Israel in the marginalization of the Palestinians. Russia values its ties with Arab states, especially its growing alignment with Iran, the arch-foe of Israel and the United States. President Putin has emphasized that his country “adheres to a two-state solution, but “the problem must be solved on an equitable basis that takes into account the interests of all people living in the region”.
Iran has warned that any Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip “could expand the scope of the conflict elsewhere in the Middle-East”, as the Israeli airstrikes and blockade of essential supplies to northern Gaza continue to bring dreadful suffering to Palestinians. An offensive, with the complicity of the United States, that constitutes a war crime against international law.
North Korea, has no direct interest, but its media accuses Israel of “ceaseless criminal actions against the people of Palestine, with the United States escalating the conflict”, adding that “the fundamental solution is an independent Palestinian state”.
The role of the United States in the Israeli-Palestine conflict, in which they have tried to broker a solution is, to put it diplomatically, untenable. How would it be possible for the United States to presume to mediate in a conflict when their stand with Israel has always been “rock solid”, as President Biden affirmed after his recent visit to Tel Aviv? How can they be they so arrogant as to offer to act as a “peacemaker”, when they have been providing military funding to Israel, from $1.8 billion per year in 1987, progressively increasing to $3.8 billion in 2022? With another 20 billion in the works subsequent to the October 7 attacks.
Thousands of protests and demonstrations in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza have erupted in major cities throughout the world, and not just in Muslim countries. They call for an end to the relentless and continuing Israeli blockage and airstrikes on Gaza, demanding an immediate ceasefire and the beginning of negotiations for a two-party solution to the decades-long conflict.
There also have been protests against Hamas holding captive nearly 220 hostages in Gaza, including 20 Americans, demanding their immediate and unconditional release. To date, four American ladies have been released, unharmed.
The self-acclaimed stance of the United States as a benign Superpower, the Leader of the Free World, the Bastion of Democracy, the Shining City on the Hill, is proving to be spurious, at least in the current Israeli-Palestine conflict. I never imagined the day would dawn when I am in complete agreement with the positions taken by China, Russia, North Korea and Iran on an international conflict.
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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