Murali rises as everything fails in Sri Lanka

The Sunday FT email poll

Sri Lankans, faced with conflict and uncertainty, had little to cheer about last year except for the exploits of Sri Lanka’s world-breaking test bowler Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan) and veteran sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe.

An email poll by The Sunday Times FT (under its popular series of ascertaining public views on issues of importance) which asked its readers to name the five (5) most positive developments and the five (5) most negative developments for the year, saw Murali topping the ‘Positive’ list after he became test cricket’s biggest wicket taker last month.

The remaining highest number of ‘positive’ votes were received for – in terms of priority – the Sri Lankan military taking control of the East, Minister Mervyn Silva being attacked at Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation after the news room director was allegedly assaulted by the minister’s bodyguard, the killing of LTTE political head S.P.Thamilselvan and Susanthika Jayasinghe winning gold at an Asian meet in Jordan and now in line for silver from the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

On the list of negative happenings, readers voted for inflation and the rising cost of living as the most negative developments. The others were the total blackout in Colombo shortly after midnight when two Tiger aircraft flew over and dropped bombs on a fuel storage facility; the LTTE attack on the Anuradhapura Air Force base; the attack on The Sunday Leader and Irudina presses, and the cabinet expanding to 104 after the UNP crossovers. Respondents, ranging from corporate executives, CEOs, academics, business leaders and students, were given a list of 31 developments (in a random selection) and asked to pick the five most positive and the five most negative developments.

They were also told to add any development they felt was missing from this list.

Most of the respondents said there were far more negative developments than positives in Sri Lanka last year, with some struggling to find ‘positivism’ in the country. One respondent said the most negative aspect of Sri Lanka was the lack of a public outcry over the crisis in the country.

“There was no mass public outcry on any of the problems. The people of Sri Lanka stand idly by and complain about the politicians they elect to parliament without themselves getting involved. In other countries (e.g. Burma) people are dying (literally) to ensure democracy,” he said, echoing a view of hopelessness that was endorsed by a majority of the respondents.

The list of (suggested) developments was broken into four categories. Under the Political/War/Peace, Sports, Economic and Miscellaneous, the first segment (not in order of any priority) was:

* President Mahinda Rajapaksa sacks two of his senior ministers -Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi

* LTTE political head S. P. Thamilselvan killed

* The Sunday Leader, the Morning Leader and Irudina presses attacked

* Minister Mervyn Silva attacked at Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation after its news room director is allegedly assaulted by the minister’s bodyguard.

* Former LTTEer Karuna arrested in London for travelling under a forged passport ostensibly provided by the government

* Sri Lanka military takes control of the east, capturing Thoppigala and Vakarai

* President opens Manampitiya Peace Bridge, the longest built across the Mahaweli river linking the Northern and Eastern Provinces

* Total blackout in Colombo shortly after midnight as two Tiger rebel aircraft hover over the area and drop bombs on a fuel installation just as Sri Lankans watch the World Cup final

* LTTE attacks Anuradhapura Air Force base

* Permanent security checkpoints in and around Colombo removed on Supreme Court directive

* Cabinet expands to 104 after UNP crossovers

* Bomb blast in Nugegoda; attempted assassination of Minister Douglas Devananda

* Tamils in Colombo lodges evicted

In Sports, the developments were:
* Susanthika Jayasinghe wins gold in Asian meet in Jordan and is in line for silver from 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia after Marion Jones admits to drug use

* Sri Lanka in Cricket World Cup finals

* Muttiah Muralitharan becomes test cricket’s biggest wicket taker

* Sanath Jayasuriya retires from test cricket

In the Economic segment, it was:
* Government floats $500 million bond issue

* Government budget airline Mihin Air launched

* Work and Resident visa of SriLankan CEO Peter Hill cancelled

* Oil exploration to start

* Inflation and COL (LPG, flour, power, fuel) risses

* Drama over Maxis telecom involvement in SLT stake

* COPE Report and its impact

* Night closure of airport after LTTE strikes

* New inflation index

For Miscellanous, it was:
* First Buddhist TV channel “The Buddhist” is launched

* Worst landslides in 15 years in Walapane, Hanguranketa and Maturata areas

* Government suspends radio licence of the Asia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

* More than 100 Sri Lankan soldiers serving with the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti accused of sexual exploitation and abuse including the rape of children

* Sri Lankan teenager Rizana Nafeek sentenced to death by a Saudi Arabian court

Among other positive events that won the support of the respondents, some of whom made additional comments were:

* Mervyn Silva being hounded out of Rupavahin (Comment - this indicates people’s power against political intimidation)

* Supreme Court denouncing eviction of Tamil lodgers - showing the independence of judiciary, good for peace negotiations

* Abolishing of checkpoints which upholds fundamental rights against state intimidation and harassment.

The COPE report detailing mass corruption and incompetence; Colombo's one-way road systems being a success and Sri Lanka reaching the World Cup Final were also popular amongst the respondents as ‘positives’ in 2007.

Other negative developments (some of which were independently raised by respondents) included the continuation of the war, increasing military spending, and borrowing; no investigation as to how a JHU MP sold his imported car illegally; no independent investigation into allegations of corruption over the controversial MIG deal; lack of investigation into reports that Mihin Air was initially set up without Cabinet approval; allegations that the President’s cronies paid the LTTE to rig the November 2005 Presidential election with virtually no press coverage nor an independent investigation; no action or investigation on the COPE report; and harassment and intimidation of the media and journalists.

A well-known industrialist lamented that the biggest problem in 2007 was the rising level of corruption. “Bribes are paid from top to bottom … otherwise you cannot get things done,” he said.