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• President handled first wave effectively, but multiple factors led to apparently uncontrollable new upsurge
• Pompeo talks place Lanka in no-win situation, Gotabaya confides in ministers he will not sign MCC deal

The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signing the visitors book at the Presidential Secretariat. Pic courtesy Presidential Media Division

Quarantine centres are almost full.  Acting Chief of Defence Staff (and Army Commander) Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva has declared those suspected of having contacted the deadly virus should quarantine at home. Only confirmed cases were being admitted to hospital. Numbers of those contracting the deadly disease portray a very grim picture.

This worrying development is no doubt an acute embarrassment to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. “Unexpected COVID clusters emerged near the Peliyagoda fish market and Minuwangoda,” his media division explained on Thursday. That broke the official silence on the rapid increase. For the first time, it noted that it is “important to comprehensively understand the causes of the increase in COVID and prevent its recurrence.” It quoted President Rajapaksa as saying that the support of “all parties is essential to prevent the virus from spreading locally through supply chains.” He said it was “the social responsibility of people of all walks of life to follow health guidelines to the maximum possible extent.”

Official data of those inflicted, their close associates, quarantine, PCR testing services, observations, decision making and areas closest to the infected have been thrown open to 350 Medical Officers of Health countrywide. This is through a special app which was demonstrated at a COVID-19 Task Force meeting which Rajapaksa chaired on Thursday. He warned that curfew violators should be dealt with and Police Stations should not issue curfew passes. That order, notwithstanding, instances where there were acute emergencies for the people, underscored the inherent dangers posed by the rapid spurt.

On Thursday, ahead of a three-day curfew, there was an outflux of vehicles from Colombo in different directions, particularly along the southern expressway and on the Kandy road. The move prompted a Police spokesperson to declare that a special operation is under way to identify people who left the Western Province. They are to be quarantined in the places where they went to. It was a case of locking the stable doors after the horses have bolted. It is also pertinent to note that the move evoked laughter since those who left have not violated any law. They have, however, ignored an appeal from the Government to stay indoors. Obviously, the message of the Government is not reaching the people as it should or they are ignoring the seriousness. This is notwithstanding Army personnel at checkpoints questioning motorists where they were headed. One case in point is on the road from Kaduwela to Miriswatte which connects to the Colombo-Kandy road before the turn off to Gampaha.

Yesterday, Police tracked down from hotels in different parts of the country who had left the western province. Nearly 500 of them have been told to remain in the hotels or homes they were staying. Hotels have been advised not to release them until the quarantine period of two weeks is over.

After a near three-month lockdown since March 20 to May 11, 52 days to be precise, tough measures ordered by President Rajapaksa kept the number of Covid-19 affected persons at less than 3,500. He won public praise and admiration. At least seemingly, life was returning to normal. Some believed, though wrongly, that in Sri Lanka the Covid-19 pandemic was contained. The sudden curfews, including the one in force now in the Western Province, caused immense hardships to the people. It is wiser to criticise after things go wrong. However, this is a national tragedy and the fault lay in those responsible for protecting the people. Where did they go wrong? Did they go easy on some and tough on the others?

This is besides large business ventures to the small-time ones taking a bad beating for a second time. Work in the export sector was disrupted. Public and private transport services, besides the railway, have come to a standstill. Banks remained closed. So are government institutions servicing the public. Hotels and restaurants have shut down. That it has happened for the second time was devastating and will add to a troubled economy. Survival became difficult to daily wage earners. They had no money to buy food. By yesterday, the number afflicted was more than 10,000 and rising. The Covid-19 explosion at Brandix garments factory in Minuwangoda followed by the one at the Peliyagoda fish market bred the deadly disease to unimaginable numbers. It is growing placing lives at risk.

The rising count in the past few days gives one an idea.  Covid positive cases from Monday to Friday are 2,494 (Peliyagoda fish market and associates 2216, Minuwangoda, associates and from quarantine centres 279). The breakdown is as follows: Monday: COVID-19 positive cases 541. (Peliyagoda fish market and associates- 499, Minuwangoda associates and from quarantine centres 42), One death reported. Tuesday: confirmed COVID-19 positive cases 457. (Peliyagoda fish market and associates- 447. Minuwangoda, associates and from quarantine centres 10), Wednesday:  confirmed cases 335. (Peliyagoda fish market and associates- 308 from Minuwangoda, associates and from quarantine centres 27). Three deaths reported. Thursday: confirmed 528 . (Peliyagoda fish market and associates- 467. Minuwangoda, associates and from quarantine centres 62). Friday: number cases 633 (Peliyagoda fish market and associates- 495. Minuwangoda, associates and from quarantine centres 138). Total deaths so far 20 including five deaths this week.  The Total number of COVID-19 positive persons confirmed is 10,424. The total numbers of recoveries 4,282. The total number hospitalised is 6,123.

It is no secret that the state intelligence agencies are helping the security forces, the Police, and the health authorities in the drive against the spread of the pandemic. The intelligence agencies have had a major role in contact tracing and conducting background checks on victims besides other tasks. The Sunday Times learnt that a thorough check on Brandix operations was conducted by them. Their findings, reported to President Rajapaksa, were extremely damning. The care provided to workers who complained of fever, at the initial stage, by a medical practitioner was only Panadol. They had to get back to work. It was only when a large number turned up with complaints of fever, sore throat and breathing difficulties, did the practitioner realise there was something radically wrong. Brandix, on the other hand, continued to deny the accusations and launched its own media campaign to claim all was well. Yet, there are a number of questions that remain unanswered.

It is in this backdrop that Attorney General Dappula de Livera asked the acting Police Chief, Chandana Wickremeratne, to conduct a probe into Brandix to determine the cause of the COVID-19 explosion there. He did draw criticism in some quarters on the propriety of his directive. However, he firmly stood his ground. When he realised that some members of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) to whom the task of investigating was assigned were afflicted by COVID-19, he urged Wickremeratne to also detail other personnel from Police units for the investigation. The fact that these investigations will be under the close eye of the Attorney General is noteworthy.

SURGE HITS PARLIAMENT

The unexpected surge in the COVID-19 pandemic was cause for concern for Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. On Wednesday morning, he chaired a meeting of party leaders represented in Parliament. His first task was to announce that he had placed his assent on the 20th Amendment. It was now part of the Sri Lankan Constitution.

There was a lengthy discussion on the sudden spread of COVID-19. Speaker Abeywardena said that a police officer assigned to Parliament had contracted COVID-19. This was found out when he was in his barracks. It had transpired that he had gone with a colleague to the Peliyagoda fish market to obtain fish for their mess. A test on him proved negative. There was also the case of a member of the kitchen staff who had died reportedly from a heart attack. Nevertheless, he said, checks were being conducted to ascertain whether he had any symptoms of COVID-19. The Speaker also referred to the Sunday Times staffer covering Parliament testing positive to COVID-19.

Party leaders discussed ways and means of enhancing preventive measures. They decided that in view of the risks involved, Parliament should meet only for one day on November 3. This was to debate the recently gazetted medical regulations. It will be debated for three hours. Thereafter, the Parliament will meet on November 12 to take up the Appropriation Bill for 2020. There will be a debate on this day on the appropriation of funds by President for three months after the presidential election. Parliament will follow the practice followed by the House of Commons in the United Kingdom by asking MPs who planned to make speeches to turn up. Others could remain at home. However, if there is a vote, by prior arrangement, all MPs will be told to be present. The move will see a lot of empty benches.

A knotty issue for the party leaders is the mandatory requirement that the budget, to be presented on November 17, is debated thereafter for 26 days. Seven days of this, according to Standing Orders, are devoted to the second reading and the remaining 19 days to the Committee stage. The debate will begin on December 11. Here again, MPs wanting to make speeches will be called upon to do so whilst others can stay away until voting day. A decision is yet to be made on the period though most were in favour of pruning down the 26 days. The matter is expected to be discussed further at another meeting.

In the light of government medical institutions being overstretched, the party leaders endorsed Speaker Abeywardena’s proposal to have Parliament staff and employees tested at private institutions.

Despite the slumping popularity, the government still finds itself in an unassailable position. This is because the main opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) is still bogged down with its internecine problems. It has not been able to ensure the required checks and balances so that the deficiencies in the measures to counter COVID-19 could be more streamlined. However, the United National Party (UNP) which no longer has representation in Parliament expressed “grave concern” over what it called the Government’s delayed response in combatting the fresh outbreak of the pandemic. A statement said: “Despite repeated warnings of a pending second wave from the World Health Organisation, the Government chose to propagate the idea that it had defeated the virus, without taking adequate steps to protect the citizens of the country from a resurgence.”

The statement warned that “the recent breakdown of coronavirus mass testing will severely impact the government’s efforts to control the spread of the virus. Currently it takes over five days for the Government PCR tests to return the results. This delay has an impact on both the health and safety of the public as well as the economic activities of the country. The unavailability of a testing machine will only further delay the results of the PCR tests being conducted in the country. It was the responsibility of the Government to have ensured adequate testing facilities were installed around the country to prevent delays. There is also concern regarding a pending shortage of hospital beds and ventilators. The Government must make all efforts to increase the capacity at the hospitals to accommodate patients from this second wave. The UNP urges the government to give full priority to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and uphold its duty of ensuring the health and safety of the citizens of the country.”

On the other hand, it would be incumbent upon government leaders to immediately examine the areas where there are fault lines and rectify them. One such instance is the widening credibility gap between the public and the Government. This calls for a change in the Government’s communications strategy. It has created more doubt and suspicion in the public mind than awareness. It is only now that they are mindful on the need to educate the public on an issue which is a national tragedy.

MIKE POMPEO’S VISIT

It is amidst a growing number of COVID-19 victims and even parts of Colombo under a lockdown that the United States Secretary of States, Mike Pompeo, arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday night. Sections within the Government spoke in different voices about the visit whilst some opposition parties speculated that the Millennium Corporation Challenge compact (MCC) deal was to be signed. He was originally to have visited Sri Lanka on June 27 last year but planned protests, particularly by Wimal Weerawansa’s National Freedom Front (NFF), then in the opposition, put paid to it. However, US officials then attributed the cancellation to “scheduling problems.”

The Sunday Times learnt that there was no specific discussion on the MCC, ACSA (Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement) and SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement). Pompeo during his talks had referred to pending arrangements with the United States and declared that it was up to the Government to take decisions on them. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has confided in his ministers, after talks with Pompeo, that he would not under any circumstances sign the MCC agreement.He has explained that it would be he government’s official position.

Upon arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Pompeo wrote in the VIP visitors’ book, “I look forward to strengthening our partnership on security, economic growth, and democratic governance. Let’s work together for a free and open Indo-Pacific.”  After an overnight stay at the Taj Samudra, he got down to his schedule. One was a meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, was scheduled to take part and official sources said he had confirmed it. However, he did not turn up and had explained the reasons. It is not immediately clear whether it was due to personal or other urgent commitments. The other was a meeting with Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. Thereafter, the duo met the media.

What Pompeo discussed both with President Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Gunawardena mostly remains secret. However, some aspects have come into the public domain from announcements each side made. First to highlights of official extracts of remarks made both by Pompeo and Gunawardena.

Mike Pompeo: “My overall message in both engagements was very clear:  The United States seeks to strengthen our partnership with democratic, peaceful, prosperous, and fully sovereign Sri Lanka.  Our new embassy, for instance, is nearing completion.  It is a sign of our commitment to the country and to the people of Sri Lanka, and we of course spend a good deal of time talking about our cooperation in defeating the pandemic that came from Wuhan, China.

“We talked about this a great deal.  We talked about our economic relationship, great American companies that are here today.  Brands like Coke and Oracle and IBM are here certifying – or excuse me, creating high-quality jobs.  These American companies are the most reliable partners on the planet.  They are accountable to the law, they are transparent, they are assets to the communities in which they operate.

“And as I conveyed today, good governance, transparency in policy consistently will attract even more American investment.  Those principles are deeply consistent with Sri Lanka’s history, its heritage as the oldest democracy in Asia.

“We also had a wide-ranging discussion on our security cooperation which helps keep some of the world’s most vital sea lanes open, as the minister recognised, in addition to our joint training.  Indeed, a strong, sovereign Sri Lanka is a powerful and strategic partner for the United States on the world stage.  It can be a beacon for a free and open Indo-Pacific. Look, that is quite a contrast to what China seeks.  We see from bad deals, violations of sovereignty and lawlessness on land and sea, that the Chinese Communist Party is a predator, and the United States comes in a different way.  We come as a friend and as a partner.

“In his victory speech last year, President Rajapaksa stated that he is the president of all citizens, not of only those who voted for him.  And as our two nations move forward, the United States is counting on those words to hold true.  We fully expect that Sri Lanka will fulfil its pledges to take meaningful, concrete steps to promote accountability, justice, and reconciliation.”

Dinesh Gunawardena: “As a sovereign, free, independent nation, Sri Lanka’s foreign policy will remain neutral, non-aligned, and friendly.  Conscious of the opportunities and responsibilities that come with our strategic location, we see the importance of maintaining the freedom of navigation in our seas and airspace, also protecting sea lines of communication and the undersea cables.

“We believe all countries should adhere to and respect international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.  We share views on the potential multifaceted maritime cooperation with Sri Lanka is keen to progress.  Secretary Pompeo’s visit and the discussions have further enhanced our warm and friendly relations.”

MODERATOR:  We will now open the floor for questions from the media, and we request the local media to present their question.MODERATOR:  Okay.  And from the U.S. media, we go to Nike Ching with VOA.

QUESTION: Why have you chosen to visit Sri Lanka at a time when the United States is going for elections? Is the purpose of your visit to move Sri Lanka towards an Alliance against China?  The US is offset reaching influence by signing agreements like MCC, SOFA through the quad group in Sri Lanka. And also, you have imposed sanctions against present Army Commander one of our war heroes in our country Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva from entering the U.S.A, based on unverified information. What is the current status of that and did the government of Sri Lanka request you to reconsider the imposition of the travel ban on Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva in terms of Geneva resolution?

A – Mike Pompeo –“In relation to the third question, it is a legal process in the United States; we will always continue to review it. We want to make sure to get it technically, factually, and legally right. We will continue to do that. First question about timing, as Foreign Minister (Dinesh Gunawardena) and I discussed I was scheduled to come here previously that is because of world cause I was not able to make the stop here. Final question was about what we are trying to accomplish here. We want the people of Sri Lanka to have sovereignty, we want them to be successful, and we want to see sustainable development. We think the United States is a friend and partner who offers exactly that, we want that. We would like to share visions as democratic nations.

“We know these democracies have shared vision, free and open shipping lanes, the capacity to trade and travel wherever they want to go. These are visions that People of Sri Lanka share with the people of the United States. My visit today was to talk about these things to figure out good ways to continue to build and develop our relationships. The American private sector companies will see the opportunity and come and invest. Train Sri Lankans and build-up those communities too, those are the kinds of that America offers, there is a difference of vision.”

“The Chinese have a very different vision; we want to make sure that the people of Sri Lanka have that capacity to execute their sovereign rights to remain to have the freedom to hold elections like the ones that you all held. Those are things that democracy works on together, those are the visions we share. That’s why I was excited to make it here today.”

QUESTION: “Thank you very much for giving this opportunity.  My name is Chavika Gunasekara and I am representing (inaudible) News in Sri Lanka.

“My question is to you, Secretary of State, Mr. Pompeo:  Why have you chosen to visit Sri Lanka at a time when the U.S. is going in for elections?  Is the purpose of your visit to move Sri Lanka towards an alliance against China?  I mean, is U.S. attempting to offset Beijing’s influence by signing new agreements like MCC, SOFA, through the Quad group in Sri Lanka?

“And also, you all have imposed sanctions against our present Army Commander, one of the war heroes in our country, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva,– from entering United States of America based on independently unverified information.  What is the current status on that?  And did the Government of Sri Lanka request you to reconsider the imposition of travel ban on Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva in terms of the Geneva resolution?

SECRETARY POMPEO:  “All right.  Thank you.  I think there were three questions there.  The last one, look, it is a legal process in the United States.  We will always continue to review it.  We want to make sure we get it both technically, factually, and legally right.  We will continue to do that.” (The Sunday Times learnt the same position was taken up by Secretary Pompeo when the matter was raised during President Rajapaksa’s talks. Diplomatic sources said hence the travel ban to US by Lt Gen. Silva and his family will remain.)

“I think your first question was about timing.  The Foreign Minister reminded me I owed you.  I was scheduled to come here previously and events around the world caused me not to be able to make that stop here.  This was a time when I was able to make it.

“Your final question was about what we are trying to accomplish here.  We want the people of Sri Lanka to have sovereignty and independence.  We want them to be successful.  We want sustainable development for them.  We think the United States, as a friend and partner, offers just exactly that, and we want that.  Democratic nations always do, right?  We know that these democracies have a shared vision for free and open shipping lanes, the capacity to trade, for people to travel wherever they want to go.

“These are visions that the people of Sri Lanka share with the people of the United States.  And so my visit today was to talk about those things, to figure out good ways that we can continue to build and develop our relationship so that American private sector companies will see the opportunity that is here and come invest and train Sri Lankans and build up those communities too.  These are the kind of things that America offers.  There is a different vision.  The Chinese have a very different vision.

“We want to make sure that the people of Sri Lanka have the capacity to execute their sovereign rights to remain independent, to have the freedom to hold elections just like the ones that you all have held.  Those are the things that democracies work on together.  Those are the vision that we share.”

MODERATOR:  Okay.  And from the U.S. media, we go to Nike Ching with VOA.

QUESTION:  Good day, Mr. Foreign Minister.  Colombo is indeed a beautiful place, glad to be here.  If I may ask, this is the first time in many years a U.S. secretary of state visits Sri Lanka.  Do you welcome more U.S. presence in the region?  Is the (inaudible) U.S.-Sri Lanka relationship an irritant to Sri Lanka’s relationship with China?

Dinesh Gunawardena: “Sri Lanka-US relations as I mentioned earlier have an anniversary of 72 years, we are very happy that the Secretary of State thought to spend the anniversary with us. We have come forward with years of cooperation; we also look forward to going to the future too. Sri Lanka is a neutral, nonaligned country committed to peace. On those principles we hope to continue with our relations with the United states and other countries.”

As Minister Dinesh Gunawardena says, the talks with Secretary Pompeo, both by the President and him, were both “frank, friendly and cordial.” However, in essence, the stark reality is simply two-fold. As is officially known now, it was to warn Sri Lanka about China. He accused the Communist Party of China of being a “predator” and warned that Sri Lanka was falling into a Chinese “debt trap.”

To Sri Lanka, though couched in harmonious diplomatic parlance, that the warning was on the issue of human rights was clear, when Pompeo called for leaving behind sectarianism and wished for a peaceful nation where human rights are respected. His soundbite sought to cover the wider segment of the human rights canvas. His observation that they fully expect Sri Lanka to take meaningful, concrete steps to promote accountability, justice and reconciliation, has resonance in the United Nations Human Rights Council Geneva resolution (30/1) on Sri Lanka, initially spearheaded by the US in 2015.

As is clear, the two warnings were unsolicited and gratuitous.

Pompeo further prescribed that Sri Lanka has also to do its part on the rule of law. Pompeo seemed to have seized Sri Lanka’s wish for enhanced US investment in a similar prescriptive manner by observing that attracting the current investments in this country come with good governance and transparency in policy. He was subtle in his rhetoric whilst stating that the choices are for the government of Sri Lanka to make. Does it mean coming on board MCC and SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) or face the machinations of Geneva for Sri Lanka?

All praise should go to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for setting the record right. Sri Lanka, he asserted, was “not caught in a debt trap.” He said China assisted in the development of the country’s infrastructure since the end of the separatist war. Even if he failed to mention, China haters in Sri Lanka too would concede that Beijing provided the military hardware to successive governments to fight the separatist war since its beginning. A military defeat of Tiger guerrillas would not have been possible. The US dragged its feet and during the later stages came up only with non-lethal military help. Now that its interests are threatened, the US has expressed unusual love for Sri Lanka using extremely sugar-coated warnings projected as bipartisan positions. Is it for the love of the people of Sri Lanka or for its own strategic interests? The answer is obvious.

Whether Secretary Mike Pompeo will remain in office after Tuesday, November 3 in view of the US presidential election, remains a critical question. In the unlikely event he does, the veiled threats he delivered could become real.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka may still be not out of the woods if Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden wins. His close associate Samantha Power is mentioned as the possible Secretary of State. She together with Tom Malinowski, was largely responsible for the US-backed resolution on Sri Lanka in Geneva. Malinowski was then Assistant Secretary for Democracy in the State Department. He is now representative of New Jersey’s seventh district. The duo liaised together with then Foreign Minister, Mangala Samaraweera in Colombo. They were regularly in touch on the telephone then. That was how Sri Lanka became the co-sponsor of the resolution. Sri Lanka has since pulled out of the co-sponsorship.

The Government also would have to watch out for the space created by Secretary Pompeo when he visited the Maldives. He has announced that the US would set up a diplomatic mission in Male.  The US has also concluded a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the Maldives. At present China, India and Japan have such missions.

ON THE ECONOMIC FRONT

A significant development is the awarding of the East Terminal of the Colombo Port to a joint venture between John Keells and an Indian multinational conglomerate Adani Group. It is owned by billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani. Whilst the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) will retain 59 percent, the two companies will hold 49 percent including management. During the tenure of former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT) was given to an Indian firm on a 35-year lease.

In another development, former Central Bank Governor, Ajith Nivard Cabral was invited to make a presentation on the country’s financial situation at last week’s cabinet meeting. He is now State Minister for Money & Capital Market and State Enterprise Reforms.

The dialogue with Pompeo highlights a situation where Sri Lanka is in a no-win position vis-à-vis the United States. Yet, President Rajapaksa’s declaration to conduct foreign policy without compromising the country’s independence and sovereignty is praiseworthy. Though a small nation, in saying so, he has upheld Sri Lanka’s dignity whatever the warnings or overtures are in sweet language. However, he does face a gruelling challenge in containing the spread of COVID-19, which he so successfully did till others failed him. He has to reverse this situation whatever it takes. That is the only way to win back greater public confidence.