Columns

With the return of Donald Trump to the US presidency, American foreign policy has been turned upside down and downside up.

It has sent even its own diplomats into a spin, not knowing what to do, and some of them looking rather, well, shall we say, witless for once upon a time pursuing what they thought was to follow the so-called Northern Star of US foreign policy, i.e., promoting human rights, democracy, freedom of speech and expression, and all of that around the world.

One and a half years ago, Julie Chung, the outspoken US ambassador in Colombo, lectured the Sri Lankan government that freedom of assembly is fundamental to democracy. This was when the then government was fighting off an extra-parliamentary uprising labelled as ‘Aragalaya’.

Protesters at the Trump Tower in New York, calling on Trump administration to release Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil

Haiyo! And this week, her president, Donald Trump, ordered the deportation of persons assembled in New York in support of the unfortunate Palestinians.

These measures include cancelling USD 400 million in federal funding for Columbia University and the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent figure during the Gaza war protests at Columbia University in the spring of 2024. The Trump administration has initiated measures to deport Khalil, a US Green Card holder whose pregnant wife is a US citizen.

Activists also fear that the Trump administration will take steps to arrest and deport non-US citizens, including university students, who have been involved in pro-Palestinian protests that the administration deems to be anti-Semitic demonstrations held in support of Hamas, designated as a terrorist organisation by the US.

Nearly 100 people were arrested on Thursday after protesters gathered at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, to denounce the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil.

The poor envoy. She first
got roasted for interfering too much in Sri Lanka’s domestic politics. Now, she’s made to have egg on her face by
her own unorthodox president’s conduct.

Did America’s foremost diplomat of yesteryear, Henry Kissinger, actually say, “To be an enemy of the US is dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal?” If he did, it would apply to America’s own diplomats these days. Ukraine’s Zelensky will surely second it.

US Ambassador's Nov. 2nd 2022 tweet in support of freedom of assembly

Wigneswaran defends liquor licence recommendation

The Northern Province’s former Chief Minister, C.V. Wigneswaran, came under severe criticism ahead of recent parliamentary polls for issuing a recommendation letter to an individual to obtain a liquor licence in Mullaitivu under the previous government.

Since the end of the war, no liquor permits had been issued to any person in the war-torn area that is still struggling to come out from the impact of war. Due to this controversy and other blunders, his party also failed to return a single MP.

With political parties finalising their nomination papers, the former Chief Minister revisited the issue with a new justification.

Speaking to reporters in Jaffna this week, the one-time Supreme Court judge turned politician said he had issued such a recommendation since the ‘moonshine’ business was booming in the district in the absence of licensed bars.

To stress his point, the former CM said he had received a call from a medical doctor who worked in Mullaitivu and currently resides in Australia, praising what he had done. Mr. Wigneswaran said the doctor had witnessed the health impacts of consuming illicit liquor in the district.

One journalist who was
at the press briefing said to his colleague, “So drinking is good as long as it is not
moonshine?”

The statement issued by the Prime Minister's office on September 25 last year

Premier Harini reverses statement

Politicians are known to have short memories, selectively.

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya has backtracked on a directive made last September to immediately stop inviting politicians to school events.

The issue surfaced in Parliament this week after the SLPP’s Hambantota district member D.V. Chanaka questioned the Premier on how former Speaker Asoka Ranwala participated as chief guest at a school in Gampaha when she had imposed a ban on such visits.

In response, the Prime Minister said she had imposed no such restrictions and what she said was for those politicians having a responsibility not to misuse the school system. She said the media had misreported her words.

Contradicting what she said this week, a press release issued by her office on September 25 last year, however, clearly stated that inviting politicians for school events should be immediately stopped.

The former Speaker, in the meantime, defended his decision to visit the school, saying he’s an old boy of that school.

Opposition in bid to bring Govt. to its senses over animal census

The National People’s Power (NPP) government’s ‘animal census,’ which took place yesterday, has attracted plenty of criticism and ridicule among different segments of society. Opposition MPs, too, have jumped on the bandwagon, heaping scorn on what they claim is a deeply flawed census that ultimately will achieve little at the cost of taxpayer funds.

Several opposition MPs took aim at the census during the committee stage debate of Budget 2025 this week. Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Kurunegala District MP Nalin Bandara noted in Parliament that the government had so far not revealed what it intends to do after obtaining the data from this survey, imperfect as it is.

“Who gave you the idea for this survey, which people are already ridiculing as an utter failure?” he asked the government. He also pointed out that the survey also only aimed to survey wild animals such as monkeys and peacocks, which harmed crops during the day. “What about animals such as wild boar and porcupine, which harm crops at night? Are they being left out because they are NPP?” he asked.

New Democratic Front (NDF) Badulla District MP Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, meanwhile, pointed out that Parliament would be in session on Saturday when the survey took place. He argued that MPs should be given leave to take part in the census. “Otherwise, people might count all 225 of us here as monkeys too,” he remarked. “Who is going to count the animals in our own gardens if we are in Parliament at the time of the census?” he queried.

Government benches adopted a more serious approach to this census. They said it might not be perfect, but at least it would be a start to a census on animals that destroy agricultural crops.

Parliament complex has gone to the dogs

Stray dogs within the Parliament complex have become an irritant for both MPs and staff members, with several of them having unpleasant experiences with the canines.

Last week, Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne directed that the stray animals be removed from the premises. Accordingly, the local authorities in the area have been informed to take measures to relocate
the animals to other places.

A wag made a comment about this, but it is better not said in print.

Batalanda controversy: The other side

The highly emotional speech made by House Leader and Minister Bimal Rathnayake when presenting the Batalanda commission report in Parliament on Friday left many on the government side moved.

However, not everyone was taken up by the display of emotions. Among them was MP Dayasiri Jayasekera, who urged the government to also investigate all the killings carried out by the Deshapremi Janatha Veyaparaya (DJV), the militant wing of the JVP, which carried out a large number of killings during the 1988-1990 periods.

Canada's new Justice Minister Gary Anandasangaree

Lankan origin Gary Anandasangaree: Canada’s new Justice Minister

Gary Anandasangaree, the son of veteran Tamil politician V. Anandasangaree, has been appointed as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada in the reshuffle that took place after new
Prime Minister Mark Carney took office.

Mr. Anandasangaree, who previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, is an internationally recognised human rights lawyer and community activist. He has advocated tirelessly for education and justice.

Mr. Carney was sworn in as the new prime minister on Friday, ending Justin Trudeau’s nearly 10-year tenure in the role.

Passport office nightmares far from over

People who visit the passport-issuing counters on the first floor of the Department of Immigration and Emigration these days wonder whether it’s a hospital ward or a government office.

Applicants for one-day passport services will have to wait at least three hours to get their passports. Those who bring their families from outstations are forced to spend the night on the floor or around the Department premises. Though the government declared earlier that the passport shortage would be resolved with the introduction of around-the-clock service, it has apparently done little to ease the queue situation at the main passport office in Battaramulla.

Since applicants have to get the ‘seal’ on their application forms once checked by military officials, an early queue forms from around 5 am, making a line from the ground parking floor to upstairs. The Department charges Rs 20,000 for the one-day service.

Once documents are stapled by officials and sealed, another officer attached to the Department will double-check them and remove unnecessary documents. Once the token is issued, the waiting game starts. If you turn up early, you might be within the first thousand.

Compared to daytime, fewer crowds turn up during the late evening, but they will have to wait till the following day morning to collect their passports.

Witnessing the document-checking process during the wait, a Sri Lankan migrant worker who had come to renew his passport came to know that the ‘special desk’ that was set up years ago exclusively for migrant workers was no more. “They (the government) need our money but do not care about us and ensure better service.”