Features
Unveiling the dark reality: Sri Lanka’s deepening drug crisis
by Krishantha Prasad Cooray
Robert Frost once wrote, ‘Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.’ It’s a place like Hotel California in the popular Eagles song by that name — you can check out any time you like but you can never leave.
It’s all about family. The prodigal son or daughter can return. And when they do, other residents cannot pack their bags and leave, however distasteful the returnee has turned out to be or the returning is.
And even if they are far away, ‘family’ remains, in our thoughts and in our hearts, whether they are ‘prodigal’ or not. Indeed, while there are degrees of prodigality or extravagant behaviour that displease friends and relatives, few things can make people grieve as extreme addiction to narcotics and alcohol. It is a ‘family matter’ unlike anything else. It is in fact a household matter wherever the addict may reside.
Alcohol and drugs are not new. It would be hard to find anyone who has not had to consider writing an essay about ‘the drug problem’ while at school. So we all know about dangerous drugs, narcotics and illegal substances. We know their names and we’ve noticed how the names have changed. We know there’s education on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. We know there are laws and the kind of measures adopted by law enforcing agencies.
There’s no dearth of information. Raids, arrests and seizure of drugs are regularly reported. We are told they are destroyed. In fact, just the other day Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe announced that the incinerator built in Wanathavilluwa for the purpose of destroying narcotic drugs produced before courts will be opened next month.
Nevertheless, there’s no sign of the menace itself being ‘incinerated’ any time soon. It is a problem that has striking similarities with the problem of terrorism that Sri Lanka had to contend with for three decades. At some point one must wonder if those in power or those who have the authority are even serious about bringing this particular ‘war’ to a conclusive end.
On the one hand we have politicians, in fact almost all politicians and political parties, thundering from the political stage that the drug menace can and will be eradicated. Talk is cheap, as they say. Noises are made. Some action is taken. These however amount to little more than empty rhetoric and minor skirmishes respectively. Either no one is interested in a lasting solution, or they are simply clueless about what needs to be done. In this regard it is disturbing indeed that there is talk of Members of Parliament and even ministers using drugs.
Test politicians
If this is true, it means that the very people who are mandated to eliminate the problem are themselves victims. It would be akin to terrorists being tasked to rid the country of terrorism! Perhaps the time has come to implement ‘random drug testing’ as it is done in sports where athletes are tested to see if they have taken performance enhancing substances.
The police know that a considerable proportion of petty crimes in the country are committed by drug addicts hell bent on securing the wherewithal to buy their next fix. No one is safe. Least of all members of the addict’s family. They not only have to live with the truth that nothing in the house is safe because the would-be thief is a member of the household but have to deal with all the abuse and violence that a deranged mind can conceive and unleash on them.
Typically, as always, it is the women and children who are at the most risk. In addition to physical abuse the children run the risk of being mentally scarred for life by a parent who is an alcoholic or a drug user. The parents, especially if they are ill, infirm or old are helpless and are held hostage all day long. Theirs is a lived nightmare from which they awaken unto yet another endless day of trauma.
People get addicted to drugs and alcohol for many reasons and availability is only one of them. There’s something rotting in our system, our society, and it’s being allowed to get worse. The stench however can no longer be dismissed.
There are questions that need to be asked. Why is it that politicians who vow to combat the problem never spell out a program? Although there are few private institutions that try to address the issue, why is it that no government has taken a genuine interest to address this serious matter that affects a country socially and economically? Why do we treat addicts mostly as offenders and not as people who require treatment? Why is there so much braggadocio about drug pushers being arrested and drug caches being seized, but nothing concrete is done to stop the inflow of drugs? Do we have enough rehabilitation centres and programmes to treat addicts? Do we have enough people who are trained to handle drugs and alcohol addicts? Why does it seem that there’s a lack of coordination among different institutions mandated to tackle the problem in its many and complex manifestations?
We could also ask what role religious institutions and schools can play. Priests and educators also talk about drugs and alcohol, but can they not do more than detailing a problem whose details are already known?
The future is bleak. This is not a disaster that is waiting to happen but one which is unfolding before our very eyes. Tragically, society as a whole and the relevant authorities are either turning a blind eye or resorting to cosmetic measures. The picture is not pretty, and no one knows how ugly it all is as do those who have to deal with a family member who has fallen victim and in turn has thrust the entire household into a deep well of misery. Where do they turn to? Where can they go? Who thinks about them?
Tourism high
We need leaders who can see things others don’t see but what we have are leaders who cannot see what even small children or average citizens see. Those in power and those aspiring to obtain power appear to be having a great party oblivious to what’s happening with the public.
It is also disturbing that some powerful and privileged persons have privately dismissed the problem, claiming that drugs and tourism go hand in hand and therefore it is some kind of necessary evil. This is unadulterated nonsense. It is an easy and unconscionable way of sweeping a national tragedy under the carpet. And it is not the politicians who get tripped but the public — the addicts themselves and each and every person whose lives are impacted by the existence of drugs and addicts. Especially their near and dear.
Only the uneducated, self-serving, cheap and visionless politicians will think that you need drugs to promote tourism. We don’t want to be known as a nation that is good for drugs. That’s not the way we should market Sri Lanka. With the right leaders and attitude Sri Lanka can work towards having a reputation for the best drugs and alcohol rehabilitation centres so that people will come here for treatment. Sri Lanka is marketed for its extraordinary beauty and rich heritage etc. We have things that most other countries don’t have but we have not found the art of marketing them. Our politicians only know to provide free entertainment by publicly behaving in a stupid and childish way. They just don’t have the ability to think deep or big. They only know to think deep and big when it comes to furthering self-interest.
Power politics
Drug lords have money and money can buy power and with power you can do wonders for a few but definitely not for the majority. All this is known. Just like families try to keep the addiction of a member secret, those who are hand in glove with the drug barons seem to close ranks when the system of mutual benefits is threatened. The difference is that families don’t have much choice. They are moved by shame and love. The powerful are comfortably numbed by the enormous benefits and the need to keep intact the secrets of their complicity.
There are of course principled and professionally sharp individuals in the police and other arms of the justice system who work tirelessly to combat the drug menace but their efforts are relentlessly compromised at some point by the intervention of some bigwig or another. Therein lies the problem and the solution.
Sadly, for most of our politicians Sri Lanka is a nonstop party. Drugs constitute the fuel that keeps the party going. They cannot comprehend how things actually work or, worse, do understand but are willing to sacrifice future generations as long as their greed is adequately fed. They don’t care about the reputation of our country. They want to have fun and occasionally attend a public event to get as much publicity as possible for themselves. It’s a sad state of affairs. We are yet to hear presidential hopefuls and political parties who claim to have the country’s best interests in their hearts come out with a pragmatic plan to deal with the problem. Instead, just like ‘terrorism’ in a time not too long ago, ‘drugs’ is being seen as the proverbial beggar’s wound.
The powerful are not being held accountable and it is time they were. We know where the buck stops. Literally. It is the future of our children that is at stake here and therefore our future as a decent, civilized and safe nation that is being compromised before our very eyes. Can we afford to continue looking the other way? We cannot. We can fool ourselves into thinking that we can check out any time we like, but we can never leave.
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 . )
