The Most Important Phrase for Expats in Colombo, Sri Lanka: ‘I Know a Guy’

By SUREKHA AHGIR YADAV - of Wall Street Journal Asia  – Expat

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka–”I know a guy” is the single most important and commonly used phrase in casual business conversations in Colombo.

This South Asian city has a surprisingly sophisticated corporate scene, excellent internet connections, an array of professional advertising and digital marketing agencies – but it has hardly any human resources companies, few, if any, head hunters and nothing much in the way of talent-matching services.

So, as I launched a digital content startup in booming post-war Sri Lanka last year, I found myself baffled by this seeming gap in the market. How did local businesses secure their staff? I knew the talent was out there because all around me I saw local tech ventures powered by droves of talented, qualified young people. But how was anyone recruiting them?

The following months of repeatedly trying and failing to connect with this talent pool through job ads taught me one crucial lesson: Hiring, especially at the startup level, is done largely on the basis of deeply entrenched social networks — and not the online kind either. “Oh I went to school with him” — so he’ll make a great developer. “I remember her from choir” — she’s the accountant you need.

Within Colombo’s English-speaking business community everyone really does seem to know everyone. Unless you’re a foreigner with a small startup like me — then you know no one. Without the extensive networks acquired through classmates or distant cousins you will often get stuck.

Initially, I tried to insinuate myself into the world of local insiders by turning up at a couple of Google Business group meetings. I spent the evening sipping sweet iced coffee (a Sri Lankan staple at such events) and making small talk with some very polite people who were friendly enough but ultimately either unable to spare the time to help or effectively saw me as potential competition for the best hires.

It got frustrating.

But this was all before I caught my catcher.

A catcher is the local lingo for fixer, and if you’re looking to find an office space, extend your visa, or import some IKEA furniture you’d do well to find one. Mine arrived at the end of a long line of introductions from a former colleague of an acquaintance which led me to the younger brother of said colleague’s friend who then finally produced … Janath Gunawardene.

Chatty, distracted, with a mobile phone that won’t stop ringing – the 23-year-old arrived on a misfiring moped. I hired him anyway on the strength of his design portfolio. Fortunately, I discovered his true calling very quickly. On his second day, Janath overheard me looking for an SEO (search-engine optimization) expert and he interrupted with those four words I’ve since come to appreciate: “I know a guy.”

A week later, Janath ended a hunt for an animation agency with those four magical words and two phone calls. And subsequently, I muttered about a back sprain and he conjured up a yoga instructor who turned up at the office by the end of the day.

The trick, it would seem, is this: if you don’t know anyone in Colombo, you need to find someone who knows everyone.

Surekha Ahgir Yadav is a Singaporean writer and entrepreneur based in Colombo, Sri Lanka 

Exclusive! 'India must be on guard against Tamil separatists' - Gotabaya Rajapaksa

From rediff.com
"India's friendship and support is very important to Sri Lanka. It is a matter of regret that India appears to have thought otherwise."

"Sri Lanka's relationship with China has always been of an economic nature."

"The docking of Chinese submarines in the Colombo harbour was only for re-supplying and not for any military purpose."

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who led the fight against the LTTE, speaks to long-time Rediff.com contributor Nitin A Gokhale in an exclusive interview.

Image: Then Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse, right, 

hugs his brother Gotabaya after the bomb blast 

near Pittala Junction. Photograph: Sudath Silva/Reuters

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former defence secretary of Sri Lanka, former army officer and former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa's brother, was largely seen as the driving force behind Sri Lanka's Eelam War IV that decimated the Tamil Tigers and ended an intense, quarter century long civil war in the island nation in 2009.

Considered a hardliner in the recently ousted Mahinda Rajapaksa government in Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been accused variously of war crimes, of militarising the Sri Lankan society, of driving Colombo into Chinese arms and much more in the nearly nine years that he headed Sri Lanka's defence ministry.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who lived in the US before returning to Sri Lanka in 2005 to help his brother fight the LTTE, has been under intense pressure from the new Sri Lankan government that is probing various acts of omission and commission allegedly committed by the previous regime.

Exactly a month after the Rajapaksas lost power in Sri Lanka, Gotabaya agreed to his first detailed interview with long-time Rediff.com contributor Nitin A Gokhalethrough e-mail.

Although one short interview is not enough to understand the man and his action -- "I have to be careful these days," he says -- here's a short glimpse into his thought process and actions.

You handled the country's security apparatus for a long time. How do you react to the charge that your government has left the country more militarised? That you created a military disproportionate to Sri Lanka's size?

We did not leave the country 'militarised.' as you say. Quite the contrary would be true in fact.

The Sri Lankan military establishment was expanded during the war to the extent that was necessary to win the war against terrorism.

You have to remember that the terrorists that we were up against in Sri Lanka were categorised even by the FBI as the world's deadliest terrorist organisation.

Defeating such an organisation was no easy task. It took an integrated land, sea and air offensive to defeat the LTTE.

One of the key requirements was to have enough manpower to hold the territory that the ground forces wrest from the control of the terrorists. We expanded the military for that purpose. But after the war there was no more expansion.

Furthermore, after the war, we did not allow any of the anti-LTTE armed groups in the north and east to carry weapons any more.

If we wanted to, we could have allowed the anti-LTTE and anti-TNA groups in the north and east to continue to carry weapons on the excuse that there were over 11,000 rehabilitated ex-LTTE cadres around, and therefore weapons were necessary to ensure the protection of the anti-LTTE groups.

If these groups had continued to bear arms the whole voting pattern in the north and east would be different. It was we who brought freedom from armed conflict and terror to the north and east as well as the rest of the country.

Today people are free to vote for whoever they like because of the achievements of our government.

Will China help Mahinda to topple government?

By Upil Joseph Fernando - Ceylon Today

The first official statement issued by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, after his defeat, appeared in the print media last week. The statement looked to be a sad note from the former President. He regretted that the present government was harassing him and his family members and had added China too, into that sad note. In that statement Mahinda urged the government not to scoff or insult China. Following is the text of what Mahinda included in his statement: "Some say that the main contractor in some projects subcontracts some of the work to others at a lower cost and therefore, the entire project can be done at a lower cost. The usual practice in the construction industry is that sub-contractors are brought in for certain tasks, while the main contractors do the more important tasks themselves. However, the responsibility for the entire project rests with the main contractor.

At times segments of the same project are financed by different lenders. Two segments of the Southern Highway were financed by Japan and one segment from China. Similarly, two segments of the Outer-Circular Highway were financed by Japan and one segment by China. It is the Chinese funded projects that have been singled out for criticism. China is a country that has helped all Sri Lankan governments for over six decades. Like all international lending organizations, the China Exim Bank also has procedures in place to ensure the integrity of their transactions. I wish to suggest to those concerned that this maligning of a friendly country that has helped us, so generously over many decades must stop. 

Outrageous and totally unsubstantiated accusations against me were disseminated through various websites and social media networks such as face book both before and after the election. I self-critically admit that my government did not take these baseless allegations seriously and counter them in time. However, I am confident that the truth will prevail one day".

When one reads that statement, it looks like that China is also a stakeholder in the Rajapaksa family. Because, Mahinda had viewed the allegations levelled against China in the same manner the present government has harassed his family, according to Mahinda's thinking. It is interesting to note as to why Mahinda chose to include China in the statement he made after his defeat. The Chinese involvement during his regime in Sri Lanka has nothing to do with the reported charges made by the incumbent government against him and his family. It could be that he included China at the request of the Chinese Embassy in Colombo. Or it could be that he dragged China into it expecting China to help him.

These days Mahinda spends his time at Medamulana. Those who visit him and his confidantes have high hopes on China. They think that China will help to topple the present government. China is a country that helps leaders of anti-democratic countries and will not help to topple democratic governments. China knows little about democracy. China calculated the Rajapaksas' thinking that Rajapaksas could never be ousted from power. It pinned hopes on Rajapaksas and not on the UPFA Government. They built up personal relationships with Gotabhaya, Namal and Basil. China did not know if the Rajapaksas were defeated who would take control of the SLFP and who would emerge as the Opposition Leader. The Chinese weakness in assessing the political situation in Sri Lanka at ground level was proved beyond doubt with the Chinese Ambassador being present when the ministers of the new government were sworn in. His presence demonstrated that China was totally confused on how it should strengthen relations with the new government. The Chinese news agency 'Xinhua' in a report expressed hope that China would strengthen relations with the incumbent government as they did with the Rajapaksa regime.

It is no secret that the Chinese Government exceeded the red line in helping the Rajapaksa government. During the Uva Provincial Council polls campaign, the Chinese President visited Colombo to extend aid to help reduce the prices of essential goods. In another move, Basil Rajapaksa was dispatched to China to get assistance to present a people-friendly budget last year in view of the decision to hold a presidential election. Following the visit of the Chinese President to Colombo, Basil who was in China later discussed a package with China to offer a package to the people to combat the rising cost of living. China always engaged in the sport to support leaders of select countries and offer assistance to spread its' wings of power around the globe. When such leaders are ousted from office, China attempts to persuade the next leaders elected to office in those countries to have closer cooperation with China. 

Mahinda may not have been aware of these Chinese tactics. China is like some in our corporate sector who cheer the winning side. Now China is afraid to speak on behalf of Mahinda and his family. If China, now, says it does not know Mahinda it is not a surprise. China is more concerned to protect its investments than our country and that is the ideology practised by China. If Mahinda decides to seek support from such a China to topple this government, Mahinda is engaging in a foolish exercise.

‘Independence’

Editorial from The Island

Independence Day for a developing country is like a mendicant’s wedding anniversary. Why it should ever be celebrated on a grand-scale defies one’s comprehension.

The government’s decision to scale down today’s Independence Day celebrations and hold the main ceremony near Parliament instead of at Weeraketiya is most welcome though it is not devoid of partisan politics. A lot of money has thus been saved and many a participant spared the trouble of sleeping rough for a night or two in a far-flung township sans facilities to host a national event. The Independence Day, or any other national ceremony for that matter, must not be an expensive political circus for the party in power to gain propaganda mileage or a grandiose project for government politicians to boost their egos.

Is what we celebrate on Feb. 04 every year real? If independence means pomp and pageantry, military parades, fly-pasts, gun salutes and boastful rhetoric bellowed by politicians with deep pockets and shallow minds, then we have it in abundance. But, if independence means the freedom to act as a sovereign nation without being bullied and dictated to by others, then it is a delusion we have been cherishing all these years.

We have celebrated Independence—with capital ‘I’—for nearly seven decades since the British made a symbolic exit, but the country has since remained dependent, for its survival, on foreign aid and exporting agricultural products, garments etc to the developed world and slaves to West Asia, where they are exploited and tortured with impunity.

The country has come to such a pass under successive governments of politicians by politicians for politicians that even democracy and good governance have had to be imported. Foreign politicians and diplomats rush here as and when they feel like, read out statements prescribing democratic norms to be adhered to and abruptly leave media briefings without fielding questions. They come, they sermonize and they leave! Sadly, Sri Lanka is still the white man’s burden!

Today’s Independence Day celebrations take place against the backdrop of chaos. The judiciary is in a deep crisis and the national legislature is in a shambles. Replacing one set of political parasites with another so that all of them can take turns to ruin this country has come to pass for democracy; governance has apparently been mistaken for patronage and goodies for the masses who politicians seem to think have only oversized stomachs and no brains. Every institution upon which hinges the country’s ability to forge ahead and attain its development goals is politicised to the core and, therefore, inefficient. The police are an appendage of the party in power with its bigwigs turning somersaults like gypsies’ monkeys to appease their political masters. The less said about the public service the better! The national legislature has become a haven for drug dealers, fraudsters and other anti-social elements.

A politician is said to be a person who thinks of the next election while a statesman thinks of the next generation. Thus, it may be seen that the statesmen we have had since 1948 can be counted on the fingers of one hand. This may explain why we are going hat in hand to foreign powers and international lending institutions seeking funds even to fix leaking sewers.

Charles De Gaulle it was who famously said the only way a country could gain true independence was to acquire the bomb, meaning nukes. No truer word has ever been spoken about independence, given the deplorable manner in which mighty nations are bullying and exploiting their smaller counterparts while extolling the virtues of human rights, democracy etc. But, we believe, there are some alternatives, economic development coupled with democratic governance being one of them.

The need for a truly national leadership driven by patriotism and altruism to hoist the country from the present politico-economic mire is felt more than ever.

'One in five fish linked to illegal activity'

From Deutsche Welle

The European Union has given Sri Lanka a "red card" for failing to take steps to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The trade restrictions mean EU member states' fishing vessels won't be able to operate in Sri Lankan waters, and Sri Lanka won't be able to export fish to EU countries.

Deutsche Welle: 

Why has Sri Lanka been red-carded now?

Tony Long: Sir Lanka was one of eight states yellow-carded in 2012. It has been in constant dialogue with the EU since then and has clearly failed to make the shift away from the problems the EU has highlighted. It needs to control very clearly the vessels using its ports. When you consider that 74 million euros of imports come into the EU from Sri Lanka, it's very important that we know where this fish is being caught.

What impact will the red card have?

It's going to have a big impact on Sri Lanka. They obviously lose the ability to export their fish to Europe. European vessels won't be using Sir Lankan waters to fish in either until this changes. What we've seen with other states that have been red-carded is that they have been quite pleased in the long-run because it has allowed them to place resources where they are needed in order to change their practices. So it is a very powerful tool and we expect this to really shift the needle with Sri Lanka.

Going back to 2012, there are 17 states that received a yellow card and then worked closely with EU to avoid a red card. Only three have actually gone on to get a red card in addition to Sri Lanka - Belize, Cambodia and Guinea - with Belize actually having that red card removed because they've shown better practices. So I think it's a very important tool to make people focus on what they should be focusing on and make sure these important markets are kept open to them.

How big a problem is illegal fishing globally?

It's extremely difficult to measure but the best estimate we have indicates that one in five fish [on the global market] is linked to illegal activity, which equates to 23.5 billion US dollars (20.7 billion euros) worth of fish.

What is the environmental impact of illegal fishing on such a scale?

Because we don't know what kind fish is being caught, scientists can't make proper assessments about the state of the stocks. And before we know it we're in a spiraling situation as people exploit these fish stocks to the absolute limit and in many cases overexploit them. So it's very important that we understand what's being taken out of the water in order to provide proper data for those who want to fish responsibly.

There's a food chain in the ocean, if you disrupt one species, you're going to have impact on the others. So whether you are fishing shark, or whether you are fishing tuna as a high-value stock, or indeed the smaller fish, anything that's overfished that upsets the system is going to have a negative impact. And because the oceans are so vast people tend not to see this. It's beyond their horizon. They tend to see fish very much as a commodity. If someone offered you a meat pie, the first thing you would ask is what kind of meat it is. Well, you can be offered fish pie and people tend not to ask the same question. Fish is an abundant source of protein and it will last forever if it's looked after properly. But the indications are that we're not looking after it properly.

Who is carrying out the illegal fishing?

There's a lot of money to be made from high-value fish like tuna

It's an incredibly wide spread of activity. In some cases it's broadly honest fishermen just taking advantage of a situation of patchy surveillance and enforcement. At the other end of the scale there are those who are out there actively fishing illegally. There are some examples at the moment in the Southern Ocean, like Thunder, a vessel which is on the Interpol list, is fishing illegally, and is extremely difficult to deal with. These big poachers are are taking complete advantage of the situation, meaning that the legal fishers are left at a disadvantage - they have additional costs and can't fight against these big organized illegal fishers.

Last week The Pew Charitable Trusts launched a new project using satellite data to track illegal fishing. How does it work?

Project Eyes on the Sea brings together layers and layers of information in one place in such a way that enforcement officials will find it useful. In the prototype system we have proved it to get to the point of fines being issued, and indeed paid, which is the important thing. The data is going to be shared equitably, so the idea is that any port in the world can get the information on a vessel coming into their port - effectively a red, green or amber light. If a vessel is coming in, we can identify that vessel and help the port understand whether it should be inspected.

What else can be done?

With more interest from consumers now, retailers like Metro Group - a huge retailer within Europe dealing with 1.2 billion euros worth of fish a year - are interested in proving to consumers that they are sourcing fish reliably. Placing commercial pressure on the ports and fishermen so that a retailer will not buy fish from a vessel that cannot show where it has been or what it has caught will really change the situation.

There are other things, like the United Nations Port State Measures Agreement. When nations sign up to the agreement, they're agreeing to turn away people who are believed to have been involved in illegal fishing. So there are some very practical ways of changing the situation that will only hit the illegal fishers and won't hit those that are behaving honestly - in fact it will help those that are behaving honestly because they can stand out as good actors that sell prime fish.

Tony Long is the director of The Pew Charitable Trusts' campaign against illegal fishing. 

MIA is an incredible artist, but she is not the spokesperson that Sri Lanka needs right now

Sri Lanka isn't the same island that MIA left behind many moons ago

By Ravi Amaratunga - From The Independent (UK) 

I’ve just re-watched MIA’s interview on Channel 4 News about the recent Sri Lankan elections.

I love her music, and being a British Sri Lankan myself, I think it’s great that she’s been so successful.

But I’m cringing. Why? MIA (real name Mathangi Arulpragasam) has a lot of valid concerns over the make up of Sri Lanka’s newly elected administration. But she refers to “the Tamils” as a unified minority race, and claims that there's an “ethnic conflict” that still needs to be resolved.

According to her, it's a conflict that dominates the future of the island. “Right now we need to focus on what Tamil people need,” she says. According to her, it's the Tamils and not the Sinhalese majority who “embraced peace” since Sri Lanka’s civil war ended five years ago.

It’s a bit odd for me that the 39-year-old rapper, who hasn’t been back to Sri Lanka for over a decade (after she was banned in 2001), is being wheeled out as "spokesperson of the Tamil people of Sri Lanka’" by the British media.

By her own admission she’s only seen the plight of the Tamils via “videos on YouTube” and “Amnesty International” in recent years. That’s not necessarily her fault and, in her defence, she has had gory encounters with the Sri Lankan government in the past.

But as a half-Sinhalese, half-Tamil Brit a generation below her, she’s certainly not speaking for me. I feel it’s time for some alternative viewpoints on Sri Lanka here in the UK.

In her recent interview, MIA displays a disconnect with what’s actually happening on the island. Sri Lanka isn't an island defined by a Tamil minority at war with a Sinhalese majority. MIA left that island behind many moons ago. Tamils live across the island, and alongside Muslim, Christian, Chinese and other minorities, all of whom have a part to play in Sri Lanka’s future.

When you visit, it’s hard to ignore the younger generation of Sri Lankans of all races, who have a totally different vision of their Island’s future to MIA. It is these new voters who helped vote in the island’s first new president in over a decade, and against all odds.

The previous president, Mahinda Rajapakse, brought about the end of a bitter war, but did so in the most controversial, brutal of ways, which has been well-documented by many human rights organisations. During his tenure there have rightly been fears over free speech and democratic freedoms, in spite of significant economic growth.

MIA is an incredible artist, and it’s amazing to have a Sri Lankan pop warrior like her. So it’s weird for me that part of her modus operandi appears to be to drive a race-based perception of Sri Lanka solely focused on its 26-year civil war, which ended in 2009.

Sri Lankan society is a lot more complex and vibrant than that now. And most importantly, most young Sri Lankan’s who actually live on the island just want to move on from its bitter war.

Sri Lanka listed on ten coolest places to visit in 2015 - Forbes Magazine

From Forbes Magazine

Sri Lanka for WildlifeNow that the country is at peace, Sri Lanka offers tremendous value but is still often overlooked. The Aman Resorts here are as pampering as those elsewhere, but for a fraction of the cost.Absolute also arranges insider experiences such as a tour of the secret gardens of Galle Fort with author Juliet Coombe. But the main draw, Gaddis says, is the wildlife: Elusive leopards, wild elephants, boar, sloth bears and dazzling bird life from peacocks to hornbills roam this surprisingly diverse island. “We can’t think of another country that has the variety of experiences that Sri Lanka does,” he adds. Yala National Park has been the longtime go-to, but he’s excited about the reopened Wilpattu National Park,which had been closed for years due to the civil war, and where, he says, many guests are able to enjoy their safari in private.
Full Article:-
http://www.forbes.com/sites/annabel/2014/11/25/the-10-coolest-places-to-visit-in-2015/

Maithripala, a good governance challenge from within to Mahinda Rajapaksa

By Harim Peiris from The Island 25/11/2014

This analyst has always maintained that the formulae for the defeat of the Rajapaksa regime, was a divided government and a unified opposition. Given the absolute fragmented disarray in which the main opposition United National Party was in, only a very short while ago, it was nearly impossible to imagine a situation in which the opposition could coalesce around a single candidate and a common programme. However, due to the astute political coalition building of a few key national political leaders, including opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, we have today what was thought the near impossible, a common opposition presidential candidate, in Maithripala Sirisena, around whom everyone can rally. So seasoned were the key leaders, that despite all the phone tapping and e-mail monitoring, the administration was unaware that a deal had been concluded and that large swathes of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party would essentially peel away from President Rajapaksa, led by its General Secretary.

Even as the opposition united, the Rajapaksa administration came apart at the seams. From the JHU on the one hand, to the tiny Liberal Party of Professor Rajiva Wijesingha on the other end of the spectrum, from the youthful Duminda Dissanayake and Wasantha Senanayake to the seasoned Rajitha Senaratne, the ruling coalition begins to unravel and former political allies, in the campaign to come will explain to Mahinda Rajapakse’s core constituency, why seven more years of Rajapaksa rule would be a very bad idea.

Meanwhile, expect the broad opposition rainbow coalition supporting the common opposition candidate to grow, as other political parties, civil society groups, including trade unions and professional bodies all rally around an attractive proposition, that of re-democratizing Sri Lanka through constitutional reforms. The proposition is attractive to ruling elites and is broadly supported by the Sinhala constituency for whom the 18thamendment, impeaching the Chief Justice and pushing through a casino based development strategy, are all quite unpopular. Economic pain felt by the public has been successfully linked to government corruption.

Maithripala, a rare breed of a gentleman politician

Maithripala Sirisena is a rare breed of a gentleman politician in today’s political landscape, a politician with an impeccable track record, untainted by either violence or corruption. It is possible to imagine the end of the white van culture under a Maithripala presidency or "Maithri palanaye" or Maithri’s governance. Like Mahinda Rajapaksa was before him, Maithri is a political leader with a genuine national appeal. The son of a farmer, he has practiced a brand of centrist, moderate and clean politics, which characterizes the best in Sri Lanka’s political culture. The drastically divergent choice before the Sri Lankan people will become clearer as the campaign unfolds.

A Rajapaksa third term, lacks a compelling message

Facing the unified Opposition, is a Rajapaksa administration hemorrhaging support, especially from within, basically setting up an election which will become a Rajapaksa vs the rest contest. Mahinda Rajapaksa can no longer use the war or the LTTE as rationale for a disputed and unprecedented third term, especially when serious concerns exist within the mainstream Sinhala constituency, including its Buddhist nationalist element regarding governance. The only message the regime seems to have, based on its initial reactions to the basic fragmentation of its coalition are its usual bogeys of a western conspiracy, a supposedly emerging Muslim Jihad and an alleged regrouping of the LTTE. These messages did not resonate earlier this year, either at the Western, Southern or Uva provincial council elections and is unlikely to stem the flow of support away from President Rajapaksa.

From the various governance issues raised by the 18th amendment, to impeaching the chief justice, to insisting on flagship status casinos, unsolicited mega projects generating minimal local jobs and general economic mismanagement, the Sinhala constituency is basically coming to the conclusion that a third term Rajapaksa presidency or seven more years, (six year term plus the next term beginning in November 2015), is not really in its interest. A solo UNP campaign would have challenged Mahinda Rajapaksa on his weaknesses, including with minority communities, but the Rajapaksa’s had already discounted and dismissed the minorities and had a game plan of banking heavily on getting a preponderance of the Sinhala vote. It was after all a winning formula, in 2005 and 2010, though in 2005 it just about barely worked. However in 2015, Mahinda Rajapaksa is being challenged on his strong suit, Sinhala nationalism, by a moderate centrist challenger, whose essential message is that seven more years of Rajapaksa rule is bad for every sector of society and that Sri Lanka requires a re-democratization process, which includes eliminating or reducing the powers of the executive presidency.

A minimally free poll is a challenge

The real challenge facing all of Sri Lanka is to insist and work towards a genuinely free and fair election. As a nation, that received universal adult franchise in 1931 and has a proud if rather fragile democratic tradition, we as a society we must insist on a free poll and an end to the abuse of state resources. For starters both satellite TV service providers, should be held accountable for their actions in shutting off the Sirasa political discussion by the common opposition. These are public companies traded on the Colombo Stock Exchange and minority shareholders should demand an explanation from both companies, to prevent such partisan caving in to the regime. However, a mass scale rig is also not really possible, simply because the system tends to become self corrective as popular sentiment moves against an incumbent. Take for instance the current issue of the mass transfer of police officers. The IGP and the former IGP, now installed as Secretary of the Law and Order Ministry are at loggerheads over the issue. The regime also is now unsure as to who they can trust, as shifting loyalties of former confidantes, creates a fifth column inside the Rajapaksa administration. A divided Rajapaksa Administration facing a unified opposition coalescing around constitutional reform and common candidate Maithripala Sirisena, holds out the real prospect that the days of the Rajapaksa regime are numbered.

Tamils to call on Britain to lift ban on LTTE

From The Sunday Times

From Neville de Silva in London

The pro-eelam Tamil lobby is to call on Britain to lift its ban on the LTTE when the diaspora prepares for a major show of strength in London next Thursday to commemorate “Heroes Day” to coincide with the birthday of the late Velupillai Prabhakaran.Tamil sources said they expect the call to be backed by some British Parliamentarians from all three major parties. They are expected to participate at the day-long commemoration to be held at Excel exhibition centre at the London docks, to pay homage to those who ‘martyred’ themselves for the cause of a separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka.

The sources said that the Tamil community was emboldened by the recent verdict of a European court calling on the European Union to lift the restrictions imposed on the LTTE and so want to put on a massive display to show the British Government of overwhelming support for the call. Several British MPs including some from the ruling Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition are expected to speak or show their solidarity by being present at the meeting which some in the community believe will be the biggest show since the military defeat of the LTTE in May 2009.

The Tamil Coordinating Committee which is organising the event is expected as usual to provide free transport to prospective attendees from several points in Greater London as an incentive to swell the crowds. Previously funds were collected by selling LTTE memorabilia and other souvenirs while the Metropolitan Police looked on, though it violated provisions of the UK Terrorism Act 2000.

The various TV programmes shown in the UK alleging human rights violations seem to have influenced official action.
Some argue that since the British ban on the LTTE was imposed under domestic law and predates the European Union ban, the recent court decision should not affect the British proscription and if so, only where EU provisions are concerned.

Chinese naval base for Walvis Bay - Namibia & bases in other Countries too!!!

DISCUSSIONS are under way at the 'highest levels' regarding plans by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy to build a base at Walvis Bay in the next 10 years.

According to reports in the Chinese media, Walvis Bay will be one of 18 naval bases that will be established in various regions: Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Mynanmar in the northern Indian Ocean; Djibouti, Yemen, Oman, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in the western Indian Ocean; and Seychelles and Madagascar in the central South Indian Ocean.

“These three strategic lines will further enhance China's effectiveness in taking responsibility for maintaining the safety of international maritime routes thereby maintaining regional and world stability,” the media reports said.

Other naval bases are: Chongjin Port (North Korea), Moresby Port (Papua New Guinea), Sihanoukville Port (Cambodia), Koh Lanta Port (Thailand) Sittwe Port (Myanmar), Dhaka Port (Bangladesh), Gwadar Port (Pakistan), Hambantota Port (Sri Lanka), Maldives, Seychelles, Djibouti Port (Djibouti),

Lagos Port (Nigeria), Mombasa Port (Kenya), Dar es Salaam Port (Tanzania) and Luanda Port (Angola).

Ministry of Defence spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Monica Sheya confirmed these reports to The Namibian yesterday, saying that once a decision is made, the ministry will inform the nation.

“We have read about it. I believe it is being discussed at the higher levels, but that's all I can say now. Once a decision has been made, we will be sure to inform the nation about it, but we cannot say more yet,” Sheya said.

China plans to build replenishment, berthing and maintenance bases in foreign countries through mutually beneficial and friendly consultations. Furthermore, the reports state that the Chinese navy will not establish “US-style” military bases, yet it will not exclude the establishment of a number of so-called 'Overseas Strategic Support Bases' in accordance with prevailing international rules.

China has several major infrastructure development and resource extraction interests in Namibia. It also has a satellite tracking station near Swakopmund.

The decision for strengthening China's national armed forces in line with the country's international standing to meet the needs of its security and development interests, was taken at the Chinese Communist Party congress.

China's navy boasts of a personnel strength of 255 000 servicemen and women, including 10 000 marines and 26 000 naval air force personnel. It is the second largest navy in the world in terms of tonnage, behind only the United States Navy, and has the largest number of major combatants of any navy.

Jayantha Dhanapala – Winner of 2014 IPS international achievement award for nuclear disarmament

Jayantha Dhanapala has been and remains a leading champion in favour of achieving a world free of nuclear weapons. Short of actually dismantling nuclear devices himself, he has contributed enormously in constructing a solid foundation upon which the world community will one day fulfill this great ambition.

He was a member of two of the most influential international commissions established to advance nuclear disarmament—the Canberra Commission (1996) and the International Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission (Blix Commission, 2006).

He was President at the 1995 Conference of States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which decided to extend that treaty indefinitely. He was influential in brokering a package of decisions that highlighted the importance of disarmament as a co-equal treaty goal with non-proliferation, and that strengthened the treaty review process to enhance accountability. He was later awarded a MacArthur Foundation grant, which enabled the publication of his book, Multilateral Diplomacy and the NPT: An Insider's Account.

He was appointed Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs (1998-2003), where he raised the priority of nuclear disarmament, while also promoting multilateral cooperation in curbing the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. He revived United Nations interest in the subject of "disarmament and development", at a time when military spending was once again starting to rise in the post-Cold War era, as social and economic needs went unmet in vast sectors of the world.

Earlier (1987-1992) he had served as Director of the UN's Institute for Disarmament Research, where he successfully expanded its financial base while also broadening its areas of research to include nonmilitary challenges to security.

He was one of the UN's most prolific voices for global nuclear disarmament, which was apparent in his countless major keynote address, book chapters, articles, opinion editorials, and frequent meetings with non-governmental organizations. All of his disarmament speeches are still featured on the website of the UN's Office for Disarmament Affairs (www.un.org/disarmament).

He has served or is continuing to serve on several advisory boards of institutions known for their work in supporting nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, including the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the Stanford Institute of International Studies, the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Conflict, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, among others. He has also served as Honourary President of the International Peace Bureau.

Since 2007, he has remained active in pursuing nuclear disarmament as President of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. In all of his posts held over his career, he has inspired his colleagues to fight persistently for the interests of the world community even in the face of great obstacles. One day, this will be how nuclear disarmament is finally achieved.

The Global Gender Gap Report 2014

Sri Lanka Ranked 79th

The world economic Forum’s (WEF’s) Gender Gap Report 2014 has ranked Sri Lanka in 79th place among 144 countries for the best places to be a woman, while India and Nepal ranked 114 and 112 respectively.

India comes out poorly, ranked 114, with even fellow BRICS nations well ahead: South Africa is 18, Brazil 71, Russia 75, and China 87. India doesn’t do too well even when compared to its South Asian neighbours: Women in Bangladesh (68), Sri Lanka (79) and Nepal (112) are better off than their Indian sisters; only Bhutan (120) and Pakistan (141) are in worse shape.

The countries of northern Europe, which tend to wind up at the top of studies measuring happiness, are also the best places to be a woman.
Out of the 144 countries covered in the research, Iceland topped the list, followed by the Scandinavian quartet of Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Economic powerhouse Germany comes in at 12, the US at 20, the UK at 26, and Japan at 104.

Why Can’t Sri Lankans Keep to a Constitution?

09/11/2014

by Legal Watch

It is a long-standing joke that anyone who wants to peruse Sri Lanka’s Constitution is referred to the "periodicals" section of the Library. This is because since 1932 this Island nation of 25,000 square miles has had four different constitutions, and the current one has been amended over twenty times.

As this is not intended to be a history lesson, the salient features of the previous constitutions will only be summarized.

The "Donoughmore Constitution" (pre – Independence) was the result of a Special Commission designed to give inclusivity and a role for back-benchers. It was not modeled on Westminster, although members were elected on the basis of territorial constituencies. The members of the Council would elect executive committees, with a Chairman who became the Minister for the relevant subject. However the relevant Minister was obliged to work with the Executive Committee and act only with agreement of the majority.

The advantages of this system were a lack of polarization and a meaningful role for back-benchers, without having to create a plethora of ministries.

However the "Ceylonese" politicians at that time who were steeped in British parliamentary practice would not take any system other than the Westminster model which was duly brought in along with Independence, and was known as the "Soulbury Constitution" after its author.

In 1972 the Republic of Sri Lanka replaced the Dominion of Ceylon. The first Republican Constitution, had a figure-head President and all real power was concentrated in the Cabinet of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister. To its credit, the 1972 Government also introduced the concept of fundamental rights, but with no special procedures to vindicate such rights. As such, a litigant had to go through the same appeal procedures in a hierarchy of courts, which could take years.

Nevertheless it was its socialist economic model resulting in "queues and shortages" that hastened the demise of the "United Front" Government seven years later.

Thereafter, in a grave departure from tradition and the spirit of politics, the victorious UNP Government went on to disenfranchise the former Premier (who had been the world’s first woman Prime Minister) and some other prominent figures in the outgoing regime.

The present dilemma

The Executive Presidency under the 1978 Constitution is a very a powerful post and the incumbent was entitled to a maximum of two six year terms subject to election. As contrasting examples, the President of the USA gets a maximum of only two four-year terms, and the Philippines President gets one six-year term. There are not many countries in Asia which have executive Presidents.

His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa successfully used his comfortable majority in the Parliament to remove the Constitutional stipulation against a President running for a third term and has made it known that he intends to run for a third term.

For the first time the President has someone to take him on in the person of former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva. But a retired judge can only express an opinion, not deliver a judgment. On the other hand of course, Sarath N. Silva may be contemplating on taking on the President at the next Presidential election. There is no bar to a retired judge running for political office.

However the main question is whether this President –or any other - has the right to make a purely self-serving amendment to the Constitution. The Constitution belongs to all citizens of this country. If it needs to be altered, those who seek an alteration have the burden of justifying it. But what is the need in this case?

We call this country a democratic socialist republic.

Turning against Nonis

So much has been written about Chris Nonis and the New York affaire included. What has not been said is how bad he was in judging personalities.

Chris Nonis at OBA London Festival of Cricket 2014 (Photography by © Praneeth Hettiarachchi)

During his period as High Commissioner he cultivated two persons who he thought were not only great pillars of support, but his friends. They were Chaminda Kularatne who came from the Presidential Secretariat and the other a woman diplomat from the External Affairs Ministry called Pradeepa Saram who alreadt had a reputation at the ministry as a tail carrier and person who was adept at cutting the throats of her own collagues as she proved quite clearly in the London mission.

Now this woman who Nonis trusted and to whom he is said to have confided his innermost thoughts has done what she knows best. She has now neatly cut Nonis's throat. When all hell broke loose in New York and ultimately Nonis quit Pradeepa Saram is said to be the first person who turned against him making an initial statement to the authorities in Colombo.

She is also said to have telephoned several members of the high commission staff in London and urged them to make statements against Nonis. Though some were reluctant to comply with her requests she has managed to get the authorities in Colombo to ask high commission staff to do so.

This is her way of trying to resurrect herself after she was pushed out of the Extermal Affairs Ministry to a office across the road where the consular division which the lowest depths in the ministry, is housed.

Pradeepa Saram is only too well known in the ministry for what she is and Foreign Secretary Kshenuka Seneviratne knows enough about her not to let "hapinniyas" (Female Cobras) into the pit.

As for Nonis he must be rueing the he embraced her into the fold. Let the public know about her machinations so people could be careful of letting her within a 100 metres of themselves

Polls chief office not fully independent

Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma says the Office of the Commissioner of Elections is not fully independent.

Addressing the media in Colombo today, Sharma also said that the Commonwealth will monitor the next national elections in Sri Lanka.

“Commonwealth election observers in Sri Lanka have drawn attention to the fact that the Office of the Commissioner of Elections is not fully independent. The Commonwealth is preparing a compendium of practice from across the full membership concerning the appointment and independence of Electoral Commissions, and will share this with Sri Lanka.” he said.

Commenting on his visit to Sri Lanka, Sharma said that it was successful and that he had met President Mahinda Rajapaksa as well as members of the opposition, civil society and Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran.

During his visit, Sharma went to Jaffna and he noted that there was “significant progress” to be seen in the area, although there were some concerns.

“Significant effort has been made by the Government of Sri Lanka to redevelop infrastructure and basic services. It is my sincere hope that these public goods will increasingly add economic value, advance the welfare of the citizens of Northern Province, and nurture development and prosperity. These are important developments in peace-building and, in creating the conditions for enduring harmony. Equally important are steps that empower the people of the Province and those whom they elect as their leaders. These include addressing legitimate concerns about restricted and monitored movement of both the citizens of the Province in their daily lives and those visiting them for (awful purposes, and a continued reduction in the military security role in civilian life in the Province. I encourage all political leaders to take advantage of the peace dividend that has been established, including enabling full use of the financial resources now available for further development and growth in the Province,” he said.

Asked about the UN led investigation on Sri Lanka, Sharma said that there are differences of opinion on the probe among Commonwealth members.

In the end, he noted that what is needed is to ensure the healing process takes place by finding the truth into questions asked by those affected by the conflict.

“I also encourage the Government of Sri Lanka to accelerate its efforts towards sustainable reconciliation and consolidation of its successful and hard won peace through continued implementation of the recommendations of Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. There cannot be durable reconciliation without knowledge of the whereabouts of missing persons and accounting for their disappearance or loss. Healing and forgiveness are possible only with full knowledge. I wish success to the presidential commission set up for this purpose in its work. I am pleased that four out of five international experts advising the Commission are from Commonwealth countries,” he said. (Colombo Gazette)

Mango And Fish Ban: EU Lauding It Over South Asia

by Pearl Thevanayagam

(October 28, 2014, Bradford UK, Sri Lanka Guardian) First the European Union banned Indian mangoes early this year citing infestation and now Sri Lanka is forbidden to export its fish due to unethical fishing practices.

Stilt fishing with line & pole in southern coast of Sri Lanka - A considered way of ethical fishing.

The European Union will not lift a finger when it comes to asylum seekers who land on their shores from South Asia and while it turns a blind eye to those who are designated White from East Europe its partisan politics breaches international and UN norms. The arrogance of EU knows no bounds. We should not rely on EU or the rest of the Western nations to market our produce abroad.

During summer, Wembley’s Ealing Road in North London used to sell delicious Indian and Pakistani mangoes for less than £4.00 a box of six. With EU ban they fetch around £7.00. Karuththakolumban mangoes sold in Sri Lankan super-markets are saturated with carbides to prematurely ripen them and hardly taste as nice as the ones we used to have in Jaffna.

What irks EU to ban our fish is beyond comprehension. Our sea produce consisting of fish, from tuna to seer, sardines, mackerels, sharks, skate fish, prawns, lobsters and crabs hardly are contaminated and fishing methods are far more ecological than those in the West.

Jaffna blue lagoon crabs are still a delicacy and Colombo’s little kades are frequented mostly by the Sinhalese who want a taste of Jaffna sea-food reminiscent of the olden days when they savoured them as they served in public service or visited friends in Jaffna. The shops in London sell them at around £8.00 per box of 750.00 gms for cut and cleaned ones.

Dambulla has a plethora of mango varieties, melons and vegetables grown in the arid climate suitable for growing brinjals, onions, chillies and tomatoes among others and it supplies its organic produce to the mushrooming five star hotels in the vicinity of Sigiriya and Pollonaruwa.

As you traverse Kadawatha you can take your pick from its mountains of delicious pine-apples. Up Matale and Haputale way, durian, mangoosteen, avocadoes, bread fruit, guava and jak fruit are aplenty. I did not taste paniwarakka until I came to Enderamulla. This is a thorn-less fruit smaller of the jak variety which tastes of pure honey with a touch of ambul and is grown wild in the richest red soil of Kelaniya.

Malwana is replete with delicious rambuttan both Malaysian and local variety. I ended up with sore throat when I consumed too much of the rambuttans which I bought by the tree at a nominal price after eating all I can before getting the fruits measured by the landlord. Kadjugama was another of my haunts as I escaped to the hills in Haputale where I bought kadju puhul and nuts from those damsels in cloth and jacket .

It is not without reason Sri Lanka is called the Garden of Eden. We live in a paradise isle and it is a pity we hardly recognise our own worth whereas foreigners enjoy our bounty as they slay us in EU for unethical practices in farming. Our islets are classed in the Lonely Planet as unspoilt beaches and natural environments and we should cherish our heritage. Kalpitiya where my mother and father had coconut lands was undiscovered and unspoilt until Aitken Spence and other entrepreneurs moved in and exploited it to the detriment of the humble fisher folk.

Not unlike Maldives in the 1970’s where bonito fish or red tuna (an essential delicacy when it is parboiled and called umbalakade in Sinhala or Maasi in Tamil) measuring three feet could be bought for 50 cents Sri Lanka had its bounty of seafood affordable to all. Not anymore. CeyNor, a Norwegian enterprise started exporting our sea produce from the 1970’s with China and Japan too fishing in our seas with their advanced technology. This bid adieu to our daily diet of prawns and crabs affordable to ordinary folk.

There is perception not quite unfounded that Norway entered into peace negotiations with Sri Lanka over its ethnic conflict not out of benevolence but due to its business interests in our fishing industry and possible oil potential in the Mannar Basin.

Resisting EU and its move towards controlling our resources should be nipped in the bud by stringent regulations as much as the EU places hurdles on our fishing exports. There is plenty more fish in the sea and Sri Lanka should seek markets elsewhere for its exports to warn EU that it cannot dictate terms to us.

(The writer has been a journalist for 25 years and worked in national newspapers as sub-editor, news reporter and news editor. She was Colombo Correspondent for Times of India and has contributed to Wall Street Journal where she was on work experience from The Graduate School of Journalism, UC Berkeley, California. Currently residing in UK she is also co-founder of EJN (Exiled Journalists Network) UK in 2005 the membership of which is 200 from 40 countries. She can be reached at pearltheva@hotmail.com)