Burning political issues this week do not seem to have affected President Mahinda Rajapaksa's sense of humour.
At the weekly Cabinet meeting last Wednesday, he admonished his Ministers for not being available when needed.
"Mama gevalwalata telephone kerama, Parlimenthu giya kiyanawa. Ey vunata ogollo Parliamenthuwe peya paheken vath nehe, (When I telephone your homes, they tell me you have gone to Parliament. However, when I phone there even five hours later, you are not available), he said.
"Meka hariyata ara gedera yana gaman vagey ne" (This is like that "on your way home") he remarked. He was alluding to the marketing slogan of a supermarket chain, which says "Gedera Yana Gamang" (On Your Way Home) - a message that customers drop by at their outlets on their way home.
The slogan became well-known after a VIP was reportedly found at a lonely spot in Battaramulla with a lassie inside his car. She was reportedly naked when a cop routinely ran into them. Soon after the event, word spread in the grapevine among scandal-loving Sri Lankans that this was what they did "on their way home."
As one Minister, known for his good sense of humour remarked, "We don't know whether His Excellency was aware of someone following in the footsteps of the VIP. But tonight all of them would head home direct after this meeting," he told a colleague.
Rauf shows the way in Norway
Sri Lanka and Norway have had a love-hate relationship over the now-defunct peace process. But that bitter feud did not bar a Sri Lankan expatriate, M.C. Rauf, to earn the political confidence of the Norwegians to represent Norway as an observer at the current UN General Assembly sessions in New York.
A Norwegian citizen who has lived in Oslo since 1986, Rauf is a member of the governing Labour Party in Norway. Fluent in Norwegian and armed with a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the US, he is a member of the International Forum and the Peace Forum in Norway and a vice president of the Sri Lankan Diaspora.
Last week, he was seen actively participating in the UN Committee on Disarmament and International Security. As a long-time political observer of the Norwegian scene, he is predicting that Norway will have a Sri Lankan expatriate as a cabinet minister -- sooner than later. Perhaps it may have been sooner if, like Sri Lanka, the Norwegian government had more than 100 ministers. But it has only 19 -- and the Sri Lankan expat has to bide his time. Currently, there are more than 12,000 Sri Lankans, mostly Tamils, domiciled in that country.
Defence analysts lose their guns
In Sri Lanka's media firmament, the new breed of defence correspondents proliferated as the military campaign against Tiger guerrillas intensified. In May this year, the guerrillas were vanquished.
And now, the scribes who reported on the issues of the victor and the vanquished are in trouble. This is in both the state-run and sections of the private media.
It has very little to do with the guerrillas. It is over General Sarath Fonseka, the man who gave leadership to militarily destroy them.
Some are under orders not to refer to him. Others have been shifted around from one medium to another so their reports no longer appear.
Yet, two of the affected called on Gen. Fonseka last Tuesday evening for a friendly chat over recent developments. Sad enough, they cannot report what he said. One of them was busy last Thursday sending out SMS messages to inform media and diplomatic missions that Gen. Fonseka was on his way to the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya.
President's breakfast diplomacy
It was only late last week that the Government gave the European Union a rather blunt 48-page report.
Making a case for why the GSP Plus concessionary trade facility should be extended, the government charged that the EU actions including its reports were "politically motivated and accompanied by a high degree of prejudice".
Of course, that response came from Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.
This week, however, President Mahinda Rajapaksa launched a charm offensive on the EU. He invited all Colombo-based EU envoys for a breakfast meeting at the President's House in Kandy.
Some drove early morning to be on time for the event on Friday. Others had arrived in the hill capital the previous night to be on hand for the event.
IMF loan: The rhetoric and the reality
Just a week ago, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) granted its second tranche of 329 million dollars to Sri Lanka. State propaganda wallahs, particularly those in the Central Bank, lost no time in performing the super fine art of spin they are now adept at - giving out stories of a booming economic revolution and what have you?
However, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has a different story to tell.
In a letter, he wrote to Brad Adams, Executive Director, Asia Division, Human Rights Watch (HRW), on November 5, Strauss-Kahn gives the reasons why IMF financial assistance was necessary for Sri Lanka. Here are excerpts:
"Thank you for your letter dated October 14, 2009 in which you outlined your concerns about the situation in Sri Lanka and the support that the IMF is providing to the economy of this country. The IMF shares your concerns about the humanitarian situation….
"The Sri Lankan economy is facing a serious crisis and regardless of one's opinion of the human rights situation in that country, the collapse of the economy cannot be considered a reasonable outcome. The people of Sri Lanka -- and especially those who are most vulnerable --cannot be held responsible for the current situation. Our role now -- as set out in the Articles of Agreement which govern the IMF -- is to do everything possible to prevent a collapse, the effects of which would be catastrophic for the people, and especially for the poorest parts of the population.
"Like you, I share the distress of the refugees. The image of those suffering children and of those families set adrift is to me intolerable. The fact is, however, that the economic crisis would only worsen their situation.
"The aim of our support, therefore, is to provide the resources necessary to prevent a full-blown economic crisis, contribute to reconstruction efforts, and sustain social spending aimed at protecting the poor. In addition, this program also provides the necessary framework without which international donors would be unable to provide assistance in the areas of infrastructure, roads, hospitals, and schools.
"This in no way prevents us from putting in place the safeguards needed to ensure that the resources we provide are used correctly. The government has therefore committed to creating a social safety net for the displaced as quickly as possible…."
Buzz over top cop
A top cop is in trouble after a friend of the political leader complained to him that the man took Rs 700,000 to help in an investigation.
The leader immediately ordered an investigation. The result? The man returned the money pronto but lost his post. He has now been moved elsewhere.
Investigations have revealed that the man not only owns a fleet of vehicles but also extents of land.
Now they want to know how he came to be appointed to his original post. There is buck passing and those connected are all saying "not me." At the end, the blame has been placed on someone who is no longer in service.
Story behind the Fonseka letter
Our Political Editor today reveals in his commentary the story behind the retirement of Gen. Sarath Fonseka, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
If he agreed with opposition political parties on the draft of the letter and an annexure giving reasons for his retirement, that was not the one
that was handed over. Gen. Fonseka had made some omissions and additions.
That was no doubt an embarrassing episode. What the parties flaunted around was not the documents sent by Gen. Fonseka.
If that was bad, there was something worse. The draft that the opposition parties saw, which did not reach the Government, had been saved in a computer under the name of a retired flying type. Was he also involved in the drafting? Well, well, there are whispers that quite a few retired types chipped in.
Dual citizen's shallow talk on boat people
One of the niceties of Sri Lankans having dual citizenship is that you could say two different things at different times on the same issue. This is what Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dr. Palitha Kohona, did this week.
He told his country's (I mean Australia, where Dr. Kohona is a citizen) popular television channel ABC 1's Lateline programme that "the recent unrest in Sri Lanka is not the reason people are fleeing to Australia, but rather its lure as an attractive place to live."
"This talk about the push factor is an over-exaggeration. If there was a push factor, why didn't they go across to India, which is 22 miles away from Sri Lanka? Instead they head all the way to Australia," he asked.
"They are economic refugees looking for greener pastures elsewhere. Australia attracts people, in the absence of a push factor. It's the magnetic attraction of Australia that has brought these people to Australia's shores illegally. Personally I do not think they are refugees, unless you use that expression in a rather loose manner," he adds.
Dr. Kohona is quoted further as saying, "most of the asylum seekers trying to get into Australia did not even set off from Sri Lanka in the first place. I think this whole characterisation of a large number of Tamils escaping Sri Lanka is wrong. It's a total mischaracterisation."
According to the ABC report, Mr Kohona says they should be returned to Sri Lanka. If that happens, it is quite likely that others will not make this journey again because "they will know that they will be returned to where they belong."
Firstly, Dr. Kohona, the former Sri Lanka Foreign Secretary, seems (or pretends he is) unaware that there has been an influx of refugees to India too. He had spoken many times about refugees in India. At present, there are more than 150,000 of them living in camps. During the final stages of the separatist war, intense patrolling of the Palk Straits by the Indian Coast Guard and the Sri Lanka Navy reduced the number. Yet, some of those attempting to leave were caught in the high seas. Others ended up even in the shores of southern states like Karnataka in addition to the Tamil Nadu coast.
Secondly, and most importantly, his Foreign Minister (I mean Australia's), Stephen Smith, was in Colombo only this week. He signed a memorandum with his counterpart Mr. Bogollagama to boost law enforcement and co-operate to prevent human smuggling. The memorandum says the two countries will work for the rehabilitation of Sri Lanka's Northern and Eastern Provinces, "to facilitate the return of displaced civilians to their homes in conditions of dignity, peace and freedom." That is without fleeing Sri Lanka.
Australian Special Envoy John McCarthy who was in Colombo declared publicly "Sri Lanka faces the greatest challenge in the aftermath of a terrible civil conflict which lasted for 25 to 30 years" and pledged Australian assistance. That is for the boat people to return.
Of course, Dr. Kohona cannot be blamed for saying what he did to ABC. He was not speaking as an Australian. He talked to them in the role of Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative at the United Nations.
Yet, his compatriots in Australia would be confused over what a fellow citizen and their own Foreign Minister had to say. Who cares as long as the media use their name?
Ranil without security
United National Front (UNF) and Opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe undertook a four-day visit to New Delhi last Sunday all alone. His security officer was unable to join him.
On Wednesday, however, the Ministry of Defence had granted him permission to leave. Therefore, he flew to be at hand for one day of Mr. Wickremesinghe's stay and return the next day.
Vaz going places
The man at the centre of a controversy over his student son allegedly assaulting a colleague at the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology at Malabe -- Vaz Gunawardena, then Director of the Colombo Crimes Division -- was transferred to Police Headquarters.
There was good news for him this week. Gunawardena has been posted as SSP in charge of Kurunegala. There have been other changes too. Ravi Waidyalankara, Director CID has been transferred as Director Crimes at Police Headquarters. Taking his place is M.K.D.W. Amerasinghe, who held the latter post.
Mr. Amerasinghe previously served a stint in the Presidential Security Division.
What a shame! Sheikhs for Sikhs
Some of the gaffes caused by those helping military top brass to draft letters or documents are indeed laughable.
The latest is the letter sent to President Mahinda Rajapaksa by Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Sarath Fonseka on Thursday seeking to retire from service.
There was a reference to General Arun Shridhar Vaidya.
The letter said he led "an Operation Blue Star" over what was referred to as "Sheikhs at the Golden Temple."
There are no Sheikhs at this Temple or Arab Kingdoms in Amritsar where it is located.
It was a reference to the Indian General leading a military operation in 1984 during late Indira Gandhi's Government following claims that Sikh militants, seeking to establish a "sovereign state of Khalistan," were hiding there.
After his retirement, Gen. Vaidya took up residence in Pune in the Maharashtra State.
In 1986, Sikh militants shot him dead when he was driving home after visiting a market. He died instantly.
Sea seminar: Navy HQ not to blame
Last week’s reference in these columns to former Navy Chief Admiral (Retired) Wasantha Karannagoda being disappointed over not being invited to a seminar on Maritime threats from non-state actors has drawn a response from officials.
A spokesman said the event had been organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies functioning under the Ministry of Defence.
He said invitations were therefore not extended by the Naval Headquarters. |
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