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In recent months, there have been some high-level visits to the North by diplomats based in Colombo–particularly, those from the Chinese Embassy.

When one considers geopolitical gravitational pulls, it is understandable why the Chinese are interested in the Northern region, which
is socially and culturally closer to the state of Tamil Nadu in India just across the Palk Strait.

Earlier this week, a high level delegation led by the Chinese Embassy’s Chargé d’affaires Hu Wei was in the Northern province taking part in various events such as handing out dry rations, stationery assistance for schools and setting up safe drinking water plants in remote villages across the region. Earlier almost all such initiatives were carried out in different regions of the province by India through its Consulate General’s office located in Jaffna.  

Dry ration packages worth Rs 6,230 were distributed to disadvantaged families but they got caught in a misinformation campaign when it came to Chinese produced rice. Some reported food poisoning and ill health on social media after consuming it.

The next day, addressing a similar event of handing out relief items, Chargé d’affaires Wei clarified that the distributed rice is ‘sticky rice’– which is commonly prepared in rice cookers at modest heat whereas Northerners are used to red naadu and local
traditional rice varieties which require boiling for about an hour.

As part of their engagements, the Chinese delegation also met with selected local civil society representatives and media personnel for dinner at a leading hotel in Jaffna.

Stationery assistance for schools were some of the events that Chinese Embassy officials attended while in Jaffna

One of them was making the point as to why, despite carrying out all these initiatives in the recent past, securing grass root level support for Chinese projects and investments in the North were becoming increasingly difficult.

He asked why the embassy was not meeting with elected representatives–the leaders of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which would give some legitimacy to be closer to Northerners.

The embassy official responded by saying that they had made a request for a
meeting with the TNA leadership three times in the recent past, but they were yet to receive a response.

Coming out of the meeting, one of the local civil representatives was heard saying to his colleague: “Maybe the TNA
is waiting for clearance from the Indian high commission to go for a meeting with the Chinese.”

Fans of Korean boy band BTS donate books for poor school in Colombo 15

With the global popularity of South Korean culture having swept the world in a phenomenon known as the “Korean Wave,” it is no surprise that Sri Lanka also has a large K-pop fan base.

The South Korean Embassy and local K-Pop fans got together to donate books for the school in Bloemendhal

Recently, the South Korean Embassy and Sri Lanka’s K-pop fan base known as ‘Black Swan,’ organised a book distribution programme for the primary section of Bloemendhal Sinhala Vidyalaya in Colombo 15.

The donation programme was co-sponsored by the South Korean Embassy and was held in celebration of the birthdays of Kim Seok-Jin and Kim Taehyung, who are members of Korean boy band BTS.

Convicted billionaire Raj back again; meets politicians and business leaders

Billionaire Raj Rajaratnam, one time player in the US share capital of Wall Street, but fell from grace after being convicted for insider trading, is back ‘home’ for the holidays.

He served seven and a half years of prison time after being found guilty by a US court for insider trading securities frauds in 2009 and was banned from public trading. But he has been trying to come back with a business deal ever since he was released.

He is a familiar figure back home, particularly among politicians and some sections of the Colombo based business community, as he was the first Sri Lankan billionaire to be profiled by Fortune magazine’s 400 rankings, during his high profile days.

During the war time period, he is alleged to have donated funds extensively to various entities including the LTTE’s front outfit Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) to which he gave US$ 3.5 million. Later, assets of the organisation were frozen by US authorities for its links with the LTTE.

During his visit this time, Mr Rajaratnam visited the Jaffna Teaching Hospital to which he had donated millions of rupees worth of medical equipment to set up a Cardiology Unit.

These days he is busy ensuring his book “Uneven Justice ‘’, which tells his side of the story of how he was targeted by US
prosecutors and the reasons behind it, gets
translated into Tamil.

Minister tells new secretary he’s not welcome
A recently appointed ministry secretary has been unable to assume duties at his Ministry following strong opposition by the subject Minister. The Secretary was among a group of new ministry secretaries recently appointed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe as part of a shake-up of senior administration officials at several ministries. One Minister however, is furious over the President’s move to replace his ministry secretary.

It was learned that he had threatened the newly appointed secretary not to set foot inside the Ministry, saying he was not welcome there.
The poor official has now turned to the Presidential Secretariat for guidance on how to proceed.

State banks give thunderbolt lessons to teachers

Teachers who have taken loans under the Gurusetha loan scheme of State banks, have been hit with a thunderbolt, as the banks have hiked interest for loans from 9% to 15% effective from today.

More than 275, 000 people working in the education sector have obtained loans under the scheme, with some obtaining loans amounting to Rs 1.5 million, Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin said.  

They now face the prospect of having to pay extremely high interests from this year onwards, and Mr Stalin said it would be a severe challenge to many given how high the cost of living was.

The CTU has called on the President and the Central Bank to intervene in the matter.

Meanwhile, a significant number of teachers were also set to retire from the public service this year after the government reduced the retirement age of public servants to 60 years.

Agriculture Minister left with eggs on his face, distribution scheme scrambled

Egg prices have now hit more than Rs. 70 after the Court of Appeal ordered the suspension of the gazette by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) stipulating a maximum retail price for eggs.

As such, the Agriculture Ministry launched a programme this week with assistance from the All Ceylon Egg Producers Association to provide eggs at Rs. 55 each to consumers in the Colombo and Gampaha districts.

Under the programme launched on Wednesday, about 20 lorries are supposed to be dispatched each day to populated areas in the two districts from where consumers could buy eggs at Rs. 55.

Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, who started the programme, claimed on Thursday that it would be expanded, with lorries being also sent to Kandy and Galle on Friday, but no lorries were sent.

In fact, no lorries were dispatched to Colombo and Gampaha either due to a shortage of eggs. In all four districts, consumers came to buy eggs for Rs. 55 each but were disappointed and angry. They went home empty handed or bought eggs from the markets between Rs. 65 and Rs. 75.

The Egg Producers Association claimed they would be collecting eggs on Friday and lorries would be dispatched again yesterday. But no lorries came yesterday either.

Meanwhile, Trade Minister Nalin Fernando was clearly unimpressed by the project. He went on television to criticise the Agriculture Minister’s programme, claiming that the move was not giving justice to consumers nor controlling the price of eggs. He even went to the extent of describing the programme as a “nadagama.”

Amid the criticism, Minister Amaraweera, who had been left with plenty of eggs on his face after his earlier boasts about how the programme would be a roaring success, tried to defend himself on Friday during an event to hand over chicks to low-income families in Angunakolapelessa.

“Everyone is blaming me when egg prices increase. Am I to lay the eggs myself?” he asked.

A defiant Agriculture Minister then predicted that with more chicks being distributed, they would be able to get the egg situation under control by the time of the National New Year in April. He was hopeful that eggs could be sold to consumers at Rs. 40 each, by the end of the New Year.