Ten years from now how would Sri Lankans reflect back on August 17th 2015. It's true that August 17th has not passed yet, but no one can ignore the supreme significance of this day. If there is a living soul on Sri Lankan soil that thinks August17th will just be another day under the sun, with the exemption of being a shorter working day, that person should be ashamed of being a Sri Lankan. To understand the importance of the coming general election scheduled to be held on this day one should take a journey down Sri Lankan history.
Sri Lanka has a written history dating back as far as 500B.C, in the form of ‘Mahawanshaya’. From the first king ‘Vijaya’ to the last ‘Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe’, ‘Mahawansaya’ lays out in detail the history of our little island. Other historical sources carry information even prior to this period and make references to the reign of king ‘Ravana’. One important fact standing out from all these sources is the priceless sacrifices made by our forefathers to protect our island nation. From king ‘Dutugamunu’ who was the first to unite this country, to king ‘Parakramabahu’ the Sixth who was the last of the ancient kings to repeat the feat, the sacrifices made by our ancestors to preserve this land for the next generation are forever etched in gold in the annals of history. They will continue to resonate in peoples’ hearts for a millennia to come as they have fueled on the nation for all these years. Be it the epic battle in ‘Vijithapura’ or the courages feats of prince ‘Sapumal’, as Sri Lankans we will continue to reflect back on these glorious periods of history. Such magnificent pieces of history are not limited to warfare only, we will also graciously remember the feats of king ‘Dewanumpiyatissa’ who endorsed Buddhism and made it part and parcel of everyday life. We will forever remember the engineering feats of our ancient forefathers whenever we see the great stupas, giant tanks or the iconic ‘Sigiriya’. But how would we remember March 15th 1815. It is a dark day in history where we surrendered our nations’ sovereignty to the British. It is worth noting that no western power was able to militarily conquer the entire island. The Portuguese and the Dutch were held constrained to the coastal lines. British made several attempts to overpower the Kandy kingdom which failed miserably. However later on, the British resorted to diplomatic ways of overthrowing the king. They learnt the immaculate bond between the king/temple/normal people. Agents like John Doyle closely associated with high ranking officials and noblemen to find ways to turn them against the king. This ultimately led to king ‘Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe’ being handed over to the British by the top brass of the country and surrendering the sovereignty of Sri Lanka. Shortsighted nature of that decision quickly became visible as the British broke their promises one by one. 1818 saw the first uprising, which was brutally suppressed. Thousands of Sri Lankans including women and children were massacred. The entire eastern part of the country which provided rice for the whole of Sri Lanka was converted to a barren waste land. The adverse effects of 1815 would continue to increase manyfold in the next 130 years. Not only would the British deliver a deathly blow to the social fabric of our society but they also purposefully injected social discrimination by favoring a subset of the society (in many cases people who were not natively Sri Lankan). Such favouritism has over the years transformed itself into an ethnic problem, which continues to strangle our country to this day. The social divide was so great that during 1950's Tamil politicians led by ‘Chelvanayagam’ made the 50/50 demand. It is stated that first Prime Minister ‘D.S Senanayake’ at one stage even agreed to give 60/40 to which the Tamil politicians promptly disagreed. How a population comprising of 10-15% of the total, make such a demand is beyond reason. However the fact that event at that time Tamil politicians not agreeing to the 60/40 power sharing clearly goes on to show their ultimate goal of wanting to achieve a separate, autonomous land for themselves by dividing Sri Lanka.
So how would August 17th 2015 go down in history ? Will it be the day Ranil Wickramasinghe(RW) becomes the prime minister for the 4th time. Whatever the electronic or the social media has to say this general election is about selecting the prime minister. One might argue that without worrying about the political party we should vote for the local politician who is most qualified, least corruptive and most deserving to represent the parliament on their behalf. However that approach in the current context is a grave mistake. Maithripala has clearly demonstrated that he doesn't want to exercise executive powers vested within the president. Therefore the whole responsibility of the country would mostly lay with the prime minister and the cabinet. Even during the last six months this was clearly evident. Ranil Wickaramasinghe was largely running the show, at times even neglecting the requests or advices of the president. Even though voters would be selecting local representatives that decision would ultimately directly impact who would be made the premier of our country. Unlike in previous occasions the selected prime minister would be making all key decisions about the fate of the country for the coming 5 years which would continue has a profound impact for years to come. Therefore if anyone doesn't give due consideration as to who they want to see as the prime minister at the coming general election, before casting their vote, they are making a fundamental mistake. Voters should first decide from which party they would like to see the next prime minister. This entirely depends on the prime ministerial candidate of the respective party. After making that decision only, should one select the most capable person from that party from their local community to represent the parliament. It might be true that your favorite cricketer or your favorite actress is contesting in the general election from a certain party. But just because of that reason, you should not cast a vote for that party without giving due consideration to the person who would become the prime minister if that party goes on to win the general election. Simply put your favorite cricketer or the actress would have little or no impact on the strategic direction Sri Lanka would tread in the coming 5 years compared to the impact the prime minister has on those issues. Thus first decide from which party or whom you would like to see as Sri Lankas next prime minister and then decide the local representative of that party whom you would like to see elected to the parliament. Blindly voting for local super heroes would result in creating a brittle parliament that would be susceptible to external and evil forces attempting to break our beloved mother lankas unity and sovereignty.
So why would one want to make Ranil wickaramasignhe the next prime minister ? Ranil Wickramasinghe started politics under the guidance of his uncle J.R Jayawardena. Simply put if it wasn't for family politics, if it wasn't for his executive president uncle, there won't be a RW today. It is no secret that during the JVP uprising Ranil was directly responsible for brutal massacre of youth in his infamous ‘Batalanda’ torture house. What kind of a sick person would draw satisfaction in seeing innocent youth being tortured to death? This is a fact and not a myth as some of the 'Lamborghini' allegations fired against Mahinda Rajapakse. In fact a commission consisting of three supreme court judges appointed by the then president Chandrika Kumaratunga found Ranil Wickaramasinghe guilty of such offences and recommended that his civil rights be apprehended. Such was the compassionate and 'clean' nature of Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe, nothing less than a convicted murderer who happens to wear a clean suit. After the heroics in Batalanda, Ranil got a lucky break to be the prime minister under the president D.B Wijetunga. He became the prime minister simply because the top brass of the UNP got wiped out by a terrorist attack. That particular LTTE attack took out some of the best politicians this country had ever produced. No wonder JR Jayawardena had a large influence in making RW prime minster at that point. However in 1994 elections, luckily, Chandrika Kumaratunga became prime minister (and later went on to become the first women executive president) and thus Sri Lanka was spared of the RW madness. Ranil never possessed a sound personality and never got the approval of the average Sri Lankan. RW never understood the average Sri Lankan simply because he was preoccupied with the colonial style of politics. Hailing from an affluent family he never had the iota of interest in understanding the average/low income/middle class Sri Lankans. Although a politician for around three/four decades RW doesn't see the struggle of the common man. He only sees and is a master of projecting fantasies where youth drive 'Volkswagen' and wear 'Bracelets'. The mad dictatorship of Ranil would come to light during the 2001 UNP government. As the prime minister of the country Ranil made the ultimate betrayal. The Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol of the army was silently but effectively removing the top leaders of the LTTE from the face of the earth. Prabakaran himself had feared for his life. After two decades long brutal war there was finally some light at the end of the tunnel. Alas, RW through the Millennium City incident made all army personnel behind the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol be an open secret. As soon as the names of these gallant heroes were out, Prabakaran didn't need a second invitation and immediately started hunting them down one by one. Army soldiers whose only motive was to protect our motherland were shot dead in broad day light. Some were hunted down inside their own police offices. Every passing day paper headlines carried news of an intelligence unit official’s murder. The idiotic and unpatriotic nature of RW had surrendered Prabakaran the very best of best soldiers of this country. With that betrayal the chance of ending a brutal war appeared dismal. Not stopping there Ranil went ahead and signed a cease fire agreement with LTTE even without notifying the then executive president Chandrika Cumaratunga. Such was the arrogant nature of this dictator. The cease fire agreement gave LTTE a legitimate status in the north. If it was allowed to continue for several years, LTTE would have the advantage of showing the world that they had their own administration system in operation in the Northern Province. That would provide them the basic footing in convincing the internal community that they should recognize Northern Province as a separate state. How can anyone in their right mind elect such a hopeless person who doesn't give a damn about what happens to the country, as the next prime minister. We've heard JVP activists express their resentment over their actions in the 90's. We've heard Mahinda Rajapakse admit that he made some mistakes. But have we ever heard Ranil saying anything about his misdemeanors about the Batalanda torture house, about the Millennium City incident, about the Cease Fire Agreement giving a legitimate state of recognition to LTTE. That's the nature of Ranil. He is constantly living in a dimension of his own, where satisfying uncle Sam and carrying forward the infamous of legacy of his role model uncle JR Jayawardene is his main obsession. The greatest obstacle Sri Lanka faced after gaining independence is the brutal three decade long war. What was RW role during the 5 year period where the entire nation was behind the security forces to end it ?. What actions did he take as the leader of the opposition during this critical period ?. We should not take defeating the most ruthless terrorist organization in the world lightly. If the war didn't end in 2009 what would be the state of Sri Lanka now ?. We all witnessed the arms storages of LTTE consisting of small submarines, small air planes, surface to air missiles etc which was enough to terrorize the nation for decades to come. During this critical period RW mocked the security forces. The infamous statement saying 'Toppigala is a mere forest' will forever be looked at with disgust by every Sri Lankan generation to come. Not merely stopping at his words, RW converted them to actions when he went around the world asking foreign countries and banks not to give loans to Sri Lanka. Such was the contribution of Mr.Clean to the eradication of terrorism. A person who never uttered a single word against Prabakaran, a person who never uttered a single word of encouragement to security forces recently threatened to 'bury' Mahinda Rajapakse. That is clear evidence as to the personal revenge RW is after. RW doesn't care anything about the country.
Even during the period from 2005 to 2014 there were numerous struggles within the UNP party to get rid of Ranil. It is a undisputed fact that Ranil is a very cunning politician whose lust for power is boundless. That's the very reason he was able to change the UNP constitution so that unless the leader steps down voluntarily or dies, there is no other way someone else could become the party leader. That's the kind of person who is now boasting about good governance. How can anybody trust a person with good governance of the entire country, when his actions in the context of his own party speak otherwise? The internal power struggle of UNP saw many aspiring politicians leaving the party simply because they were not prepared to accept Ranil as their leader. With time UNP's top brass became more or less puppets of Ranil himself. Ranil entrusted the party to his clan and to people whom he could control. One only needs to look at the composition of the current cabinet to notice this. What qualification does Ruwan Wijewardene has to be the state Minister of Defense ?. Defense ministry is of key importance, especially given the fact that only 5 years have passed since the end of the brutal war. Ruwan Wijewardene represented parliament for the first time in 2010. So why would such a key ministry be given to such a person who has virtually no experience. Ruwan Wijewardene is related to Ranil and hails from the Jaywardene dynasty. It's widely rumored that Ranil is grooming Ruwan Wijewardene to be the next heir to his throne. On one hand RW is making accusations of Rajapakse family politics whilst on the other hand he is guilty of the same mistakes. The reality is Ranil has entrusted key positions within the cabinet and within the administration to his buddies. It's just hard for the public to recognize them since they don't share the 'Wickramasinghe' surname. Akila being entrusted with the ministry of education is another prime example for this. What qualifications or experience does he possess on the field of education ?. Ravi Karunanayke who has a proven track record of fraud at various levels, and the person who single handedly destroyed SATHOSA is given the Ministry of Finance. The list goes on and on. More than 80% of the current UNP portion of the cabinet comprises of politicians hailing from Colombo and are buddies of Ranil. We have to ask whether Ranil is taking voters to be plain stupid. While lashing out at Mahinda Rajapakse for doing family politics in public, RW is doing 'buddy' politics. Imagine what RW would do if he had his own blood line. Appointing Ghotabaya Rajpakse as the secretary of defense is something that no Sri Lankan has any issues with. He was a more than capable person for the job. Making Basil Rajapakse one of the most powerful ministers would have raised few eye browse, but nobody would disagree that Basil had worked for the party demonstrating his skills as an excellent organizer and a coordinator, and nobody would agree that he was an incompetent person. There might be other appointments in the Rajapakse government that saw relatives or friends being appointed who were not qualified. But the fact remains Ranil will also do the same and the consequences of such actions by RW will be far more disastrous. Appointment of Arjuna Mahendran is the most recent example for this. How can somebody in their right mind appoint a person who is not even a Sri Lankan citizen as the central bank governor and give him the responsibility of shaping the financial strategy of Sri Lanka. Let alone appoint him, why would RW try to cover up the bond issue. President Maithripalaa Sirisena in his nations address stated that he had advised RW that it would be good if the central bank governor could resign. It's an open secret that when President Maithripala Sirisena tried to appoint a committee to investigate the issue when he first heard about the scandal, RW threatened against it, and appointed his own committee consisting of UNP loyalists who unsurprisingly found no wrong doing. If there was no wrong doing, how can the central bank suddenly take loans up to 30BN for 30 years at a higher interest rate ?. How come other bidders are unaware about the extension to the limit ? How come only the company belonging to the nephew of Arjuna Mahendran know about the increased limt ?. Any average person would see that such irregularities amount to a scandal. Furthermore it's just not another political scandal. It's the biggest scandal ever, amounting to 40BN and on the increasing with every second that passes by. People of Sri Lanka would continue to bear the burden for the next 30 years. Sri Lanka being a developing nation, political scandals are not a new thing. But the sheer scale of the bond issue is mind boggling. The most perplexing thing is even after the country's president expresses his concern over the issue and suggests to the prime minister that it would be good if the governor resigns, to this day nothing has happened, no one is responsible. RW has bent the law, the administration and acted as a mad dictator. If anyone forgot the nature of Ranil, given for the last 10 years he didn't have the chance to wreak havoc, the central bank bond issue is a clear wake up call. All this hype about RW being Mr.Clean and never having any corruption charges against him is pure BS. It might be true that he might not have accepted bribes similar to an office clerk. But the frauds and dealings that RW had been involved in has cause great suffering to mother Sri Lanka. He has shown time and again the actual notorious, sinister nature of himself that is masked behind the Mr.Clean hype. The truth can never be hidden. Karma will eventually caught up one day.
Ranil is a faithful servant of USA. He recently stated that he went to USA and sought their help on defeating Mahinda Rajapakse for 1 year. It is common knowledge that USA wanted to overthrow Mahinda Rajapakse because under his government, Sri Lanka was closely working with China. China saw Sri Lanka as a strategic point in their modern silk road. Fearing Sri Lanka's close dealings with China, USA wanted to see Sri Lanka move away from China. USA wanted to control Sri Lanka. In the recent wikileaks it is clearly indicated USA wants to control Sri Lanka as they see us as the 'pivot of asia', a central place from where they can exert influence on the Asian region. USA intends to setup military bases here as part of that objective. However Mahinda Rajapakse would not give way to this. Whilst Chinese interest in Sri Lanka was financial, USA interest in Sri Lanka was purely political and selfish. China was an alley where both Sri Lanka and China could benefit. However from the things happening in world stage currently, and from what the past has to offer, the same can't be held true for USA. Furthermore some recently declassified emails from Hilary Clinton clearly goes on to show, how she tried to persuade IMF & World bank not to give financial aid to Sri Lanka during the last stages of the war. During that period China, Pakistan were the only friends Sri Lanka had. Those countries helped as militarily as well as financially. So there was no alternative for Mahinda Rajapakse other than to have close ties with countries like China other than USA. USA sees RW as an obedient servant, whom they could easily control. However they also know he is not a popular figure. That's why in January 8th they installed Maithripala as the president, but behind the scenes RW was entirely running the show. There were some unconfirmed reports indicating that even president Maithripala once discussing with ministers that the western powers want Ranil to be the next prime minister. Clearly western powers want RW made the prime minister because he is a loyal puppet of the west. Sri Lanka is sovereign nation, the very reason why we have elections and select ministers and have a parliamentary system is so that the will of the people could be exercised in a proper manner. That is the very basis of democracy. If we want to have puppets running our country dancing merely to the tunes of foreign powers we can very well choose to abolish the parliamentary system and have a governor from USA or India controlling the country as was the case before independence. As Abraham Lincoln once said, a government is coined as "government of the people, by the people, for the people", under RW government would be for the betterment of foreign powers. It is true that being a developing nation and a smaller nation we are pushed and pulled by the heavy weights. But that's the very reason why we need people with a backbone at the top so that the ship could be sailed safely through turbulent winds. RW is definitely not of that caliber.
It is widely rumored that the general election was called on by the president at the request of foreign powers. They wanted to see a new government in place before September when the human violation report against Sri Lanka would be bought. If we had such presidents during 2009 the war would have never ended. During the last phase of the war many countries were exerting pressure to stop the war. Several foreign ministers including David Milliband of UK met with then President Mahinda Rajapakse in an attempt to achieve this. President Mahinda Rajapakse had clearly said to David Milliband that 'Sri Lanka is no longer a British Colony'. It is because of only such acts of valor that we Sri Lankans enjoy peace today. It is appalling to hear some so called patriotic politicians who joined the UNP front to contest in the coming general election clamor that it was them, who gave energy to fight the war. The political leadership given by Mahinda Rajapakse to eradicate terrorism and free the entire nation of LTTE menace is undisputed. It's a feat that will be graciously remembered by everyone for generations to come. Given the foreign powers at play against Sri Lanka the political will and the strategy exhibited in achieving the end objective is something that every living Sri Lankan today and those that will be born in generations to come, are forever in debt to Mahinda Rajapakse as well as the gallant soldiers who valued their own lives behind the sovereignty of mother Sri Lanka.
RW had stated recently that on January 8th people gave a mandate to make Maithripala Sirisena the president and himself the prime minister. Was that what actually happened on January 8th ?. January 8th saw the defeat of Mahinda Rajapakse. The slogan of Maithripala's campaign powered by UNP was 'Good Governance'. Maithripala although in political arena for close to 50 years, was largely an unknown character to the general public. He was the general secretary of the SLFP and the health minister, on few occasions he had acted as the defense minister when Mahinda Rajapakse was out of the country. It was a known fact that he wanted to have the prime minister post under Mahinda Rajapakse, which was ultimately given to the most senior minister within SLFP. There was no outstanding achievement by Maithripala on his resume, although there were allegation against him on adultery and corruption those didn't penetrate the public mind. Who in Sri Lankan politics doesn't have such allegations?. There was nothing to be excited about him but on the same time there was nothing to be against him. This is in contrast to RW, whose character and conduct is well known to mature voters. That's the very reason RW didn't contest in the first place. Even foreign forces knew that if RW was fielded as the presidential candidate he would lose hands down. 'Good Governance' campaign focused on corruption and state property misuse of the then government. Most of the allegations were levelled against sons of MR and close relatives. These allegations took wings and spread across the online communities. There was no rebuttal from the Mahinda Rajapakse campaign for these allegations. On the contrary the allegations against Maithripala were largely confined to state media and there was no online or social media presence for those. This resulted in southern vote being divided. Most notably the floating vote base and some of the SLFP voters swung to Maithripala's side. Bulk of the new voters would have selected Maithripala as well. These voters genuinely believed that a 'change' was needed for 'Good Governance'.
Although Mahinda Rajapakse camp alerted users on foreign power interventions and sinister motives of them to divide Sri Lanka, many thought that was just another election trick. Many who voted for Good Governance voted because of Maithripala and not because of Ranil. They thought they are electing an executive president who would exercise the powers with due consideration. This is not to say that UNP doesn't have a vote base. There are voters in Sri Lanka who would vote UNP even if a scarecrow is fielded. That's the nature of Sri Lankan politics. There are other elements vehemently opposing Mahinda Rajapakse. The so called elite families in Colombo can't stand a man from south running the country. These elements still live in the colonial era. For them their eternal hero is Ranil Wickramasinghe. These would anyway vote UNP regardless of the campaign. This is clearly evident in the 2010 presidential election as well. That result largely comprises of these two groups. On top of these groups 'Good Governance' campaign was able to draw some votes from the south and some percentage of SLFP votes were also obtained by Maithripala. The conduct or the lack of it of some SLFP MP's in some districts had a negative effect also. Bulk of such MP's would ultimately be given ministerial posts by Maithreepala later on. However did the northern voters cast their vote purely due to Good Governance ? Did they want to see corruptions being get rid of or did they want Mahinda Rajapakse to be get rid of ? LTTE is no more, but it was just the military manifestation of the separatism movement. Although average Tamil people continue to live peacefully among Sinhalese in the southern areas, the Tamil politicians would not stop at anything less than a separate state. This has been their sole objective in the post independent era. To expect them to give up on this objective merely 5 years after the end of the war would be unrealistic. They knew Mahinda Rajapakse would not betray the hard won peace. They knew Mahinda Rajapakse would never agree to a federal solution. For them their worst enemy is Mahinda Rajapakse. They would not hesitate in considering enemy's enemy as a friend. That's why they voted for Sarath Fonseka in 2010 and that the reason they voted for Maithripala in January 8th. On January 8th they made sure that they will give their fullest support to overthrow Rajapakse by voting in great numbers. The high voters turn around stands as evidence to this. For the Tamil people there is no alternative but to vote for TNA whatever their personal opinions may be. For decades LTTE forcibly nurtured and brain washed their heads. After LTTE, TNA continues to tread the same path camouflaged in diplomatic ways. Five years is just not enough for free thinking Tamil people to come forward, form their own political parties and tread a different path. Mahinda Rajapakse did what he could towards reconciliation. He held the northern provincial council elections; he drove a massive development campaign to uplift the lives of northern people. To say he did nothing toward reconciliation would be blunt understatement. Although Mahinda Rajapakse was prepared to shake hands, nothern politicians (apart from Douglas Devananda) refused vehemently, clinging on to their ultimate dream of a separate state. They have not given up on their demand for the pound of flesh, regardless of how unjust the demand is. They along with foreign powers worked tirelessly towards ensuring that Maithripala would get the most votes from nothern part. Muslims also voted against Mahinda not due to 'Good Governence' but because they had also developed hatred towards Mahinda and Sinhalese. The Beruwala incident served as the perfect catalyst for them to turn against Mahinda. It gave them the perfect excuse to express their open dislike towards Sinhalese. That incident was not the fault of Sinhalese only. Muslims living on the area are to be blamed also. Hostility that was slowly building up in the background towards Sinhalese found the perfect valve to let go in Beruwala. True that, properties of Muslims were damaged and lives were lost, but again, the blame can't entirely be dumped upon the Sinhalese. There are faults on both sides. Hakeem of SLMC has time and time again expressed their longing for the creation of their ideological state of 'Nasaristan'. Although the average Tamil people and the average Muslim people might live among the majority in harmony the minority politicians are promising them fantasy worlds. Average people being humans are inevitably drawn towards them, who wouldn't like to live in their own country where everybody follows your religion and customs. Average people might be content with what they have now, but the politicians have infected their minds with dreams of a promised land. Therefore from their perspective voting for the 'promised land' is justifiable. To see beyond the fantasy and realize that the problems faced by average Muslim or the Tamil is not much different to those faced by the average Sinhalese and that the power hungry politicians are taking them for a spin takes a special effort and a peaceful mind. It was not to achieve 'Good Governance' that they voted for Maithripala. They simply voted against Mahinda Rajapakse as the stepping stone to achieving separate states. So 'Good Governance' was essentially a marketing campaign targeting the weakest aspect of previous government designed to capture the votes of the south in defeating Mahinda Rajapakse. Those who voted for 'Good Governance' never voted for Ranil. Ranil becoming prime minister never penetrated the public mind as something catastrophic. Furthermore there was no alternative but to give the prime minister post to UNP, since Maithripala's campaign was entirely fueled by UNP. General public was used to seeing executive presidents running the show and prime minister being a more or less a figure head. Nobody thought RW would run the show and Maithripala would take a back seat. At least nobody thought Maithripala would take the farthest seat from driver to enjoy the scenic beauty and never worry where the vehicle was headed. To have complete faith on RW for a politician of Maithripala's stature was just beyond reason for many Good Governance advocates. It just put the entire country in harm’s way.
Even in this general election Ranil has stated after forming a government he would do the maximum dissolution of power that can be done within a single country. He has also stated a new constitution would be formed in order to facilitate this. TNA leader sampanthan had stated that they are perusing a federal solution and hope to achieve it by 2016. SLMC secretary Hasan Ali has stated Ranil has agreed to the demand of creating a separate administrational district for Muslims. This provides clear indication as to why Muslim and Tamil politician supported the 'Good Governance' campaign during the last presidential campaign. They are seeking to divide Sri Lanka. That's was there main motivation then and it's the main motivation now. 'Good Governance' is a distraction created to cover this up from the majority Sinhalese. Whilst Sinhalese ditch Mahinda Rajapakse in the hope of achieving good governance, others are hell bent on dividing this country and see Mahinda Rajapakse as the biggest obstacle towards achieving that. To think Ranil Wickramasinghe will provide good governance is beyond any reason or logic. Ranil has not been reborn during the last 5 years or gone through a transformation where his attitude or the way he thinks has changed. The past provides ample evidence as to how disastrous the future could be if Ranil wickaramasinghe becomes the prime minister. Let alone good governance RW will not even let the sovereignty of Sri Lanka prevail. Voters need to be alert to this fact and not let Ranil become the next prime minister. Otherwise August 17th 2015 would be seen as the reincarnation of March 15th 1815 by our younger generations. We would forever be seen as the generation that foolishly threw away the hard won unity of our beloved motherland.
It is crystal clear that Ranil should not be made the prime minister and thus UNP should not be the party one should vote for in the coming general election. This leaves the option of Mahinda Rajapakse becoming the prime minister or somebody else from UPFA becoming prime minister. Although president Maithripala has stated in his national address that he wouldn't make Mahinda Rajapakse the prime minister, by constitution he has no other option to do so if UPFA has a clear mandate. Constitution amounts to something along the lines of 'president should appoint as the prime minister the minister who has the confidence of most number of MP's at the discretion of the president'. It specifically mentions about having the confidence of most number of MP's. If the president could choose any MP as the prime minister, then there would be no necessity for having such a clause. The notion of president selecting the prime minister in previous occasions is highlighted in the media to support the argument that what matters is solely the discretion of the president. But in almost all previous occasions the elected president had been the party leader which had the majority power in the parliament. Due to being party leader, and since that meant he held the control of MP's from his own party, president could select the prime minister more or less in his own will after consultation with party seniors. Given the prime minister post was largely a figure head it didn't draw much attention in previous occasions. However in the current context although Maithripala is the leader of UPFA and SLFP, it is clearly Mahinda Rajapakse, whom 99% of the party members prefer as the prime minister. This is a fact even admitted by the president Maithripala in his address to the nation. It's true that January8th Maithripala appointed Ranil as the prime minister even though UNP had a minority in the parliament. That's simply because the majority of the parliament consisting of UPFA ministers didn't oppose that decision, which was the correct ethical choice. However after RW made a mess of the central bank issue and the irresponsible nature of the FCID conducts, UPFA did bring a no confidence motion against RW. At that point Maithripala didn't have any other option but to dissolve the parliament and call an election before his originally planned date. So if Maithripala doesn't appoint Mahinda Rajapakse as the prime minister in the case of UPFA winning a majority in the parliament, it would become impossible to conduct the parliament. Furthermore according to the newly passed 19th amendment the parliament can't be dissolved immediately as well. Thus President Maithripala has no option but to make Mahinda Rajapakse as prime minister if UPFA goes on to win a majority of seats. Another possibility is that UPFA would see a power struggle after the election where Maithripala commands the control of majority of elected MP's and someone else other than Mahinda Rajapakse becomes the prime minister. However this is highly unlikely, as it is Mahinda Rajapakse that the general public sees as the prime minister. It is Mahinda Rajapakse who has the backing of the masses at the grass root level. To go against people's will would be distractors for the image of Maithripala. As Mahinda Rajapakse respected the January 8th mandate of the people, Maithripala would have to respect the August17th mandate of the people. Not to do so would make Maithripala a dictator himself, a term he kept using against Mahinda Rajapakse during the last presidential election. However either way Mahinda Rajapakse or someone else from UPFA becoming prime minister is far better outcome than RW becoming prime minister. Mahinda Rajapakse has publicly admitted that he did make some mistakes which he has clearly stated he would not be repeating if given a mandate. Furthermore even during the presidential election bulk of the allegations were levelled against associates of Mahinda Rajapakse and not Mahinda Rajapakse himself. Bulks of such associates are not contesting in the coming general election. Furthermore giving a majority in the parliament to UPFA means President Maithripala would also have a significant influence on the conduct of the government. In the case of UNP government Maithripala would be hugely sidelined, simply because no UNP minister would go beyond Ranil's word. But if UPFA is in power, Maithripala could work with UPFA MP's at a personal level. This is simply because he has been working with them for the past so many years. So UPFA winning means more purposeful involvement of Maithripala in the strategic decision making of the government. Associates of Mahinda Rajapakse could be moderated also by Maithripala. So setting aside the personal agitation President Maithripala has of Mahinda Rajapakse, UPFA coming to power in August17th general election and Mahinda Rajapakse becoming prime minister is a far better outcome than giving power to sinister Ranil and his gang of buddies, even from the point of view of president Maithripala. However in the case if UPFA doesn't go on to win a majority and UNP doesn't also have a clean majority there is still a chance of UNP forming a coalition government with the likes of TNA and JVP. There are also rumors of some UPFA ministers after getting elected defecting to UNP side with blessing of Maithripala. We earnestly hope that such defections would not materialize beyond rumors, in the case of becoming a reality, president Maithripala would be slowly treading a path of self distructing his image as well as the confidence public has of him.
It is an open secret that JVP has become pawns of UNP. JVP was a party with a strong vision whose followers were supremely dedicated to it. That vision was based on socialism. Dedication of its followers saw two youth uprisings in the 70's and in the 80's. Uprising of 80's was brutally suppressed by the then UNP government. Youth were massacred and tortured by the UNP using state sponsored torture houses. Batalanda being one such infamous torture house. JVP leader and founder Rohana Wijeweera was burned alive in Borella cemetary. JVP also killed innocent government workers and army personnel. It was a dark, resentful period in the history of Sri Lanka. During the 90's JVP entered main stream politics laying to rest its belief in revolutionary struggle using weapons. Its followers were dedicated to socialism and were supremely disciplined & dedicated to the cause of the party. How such a party becomes pawns of UNP and thereby help implement capitalism policies is beyond reason. The hardcore JVP supporters would never cast their vote to the JVP this time around. Current leadership is a humiliation to everything JVP has stood for all these years. People correctly see them as 'red elephants'. JVP's previous leader Somawansha Amarasinghe has publicly charged current JVP leadership of accepting money from UNP and aligning itself with UNP policies. In the coming general election voting for JVP is indirectly favoring Ranil.
In order to ensure the sovereignty of Sri Lanka, it is a must that Ranil is not made the prime minister. In order to ensure the average Sri Lankan lives are enriched it is a must that Ranil is not made the prime minister. In order to make sure that our younger generations are passed on a united, undivided Sri Lanka it is a must that Ranil is not made the prime minister. The only way to make sure of that is by voting for UPFA and making sure that August17 doesn't become day of resentment for generations to come. We should be vigilant to the fact that politicians of minority parties are hell bent on diving this country with the help of foreign powers. Foreign powers are supporting these politicians so as to exert their influence on the South Asian region through Sri Lanka. Ranil will do as told by these external forces and be completely ignorant of the native Sri Lankan peoples demands. This moment is a critical juncture of our history, mess it up and we would be opening up the doors to hell. Make the correct decision and we can protect our country so that we can work on improving living standards of each and every Sri Lankan. That correct decision is voting for UPFA and ensuring Rani Wickramasinghe does not become the prime minister !!!!
2015 is just around the corner. However it will not be just another new year, because on 8th January Sri Lankans will flock to polling stations to elect an executive president for the next six years. People should not take electing an executive president lightly. It's not a decision that should be taken hastily. It is something that requires due consideration and a careful thought process. One should give it several rounds of thought, arguing and counter-arguing and always trying to make sure that the end decision is 'pure' as it can be. People should try to ensure that the decision they make is void of hatred, jealousy, cravings and most importantly it should not give room for separatism. On the contrary the decision should be based on upholding the very basic principles like a united country, true independence and a conflict free future for at least the next few decades.
Some may wonder why issues like a united country are still of concern even after five years of ending the brutal war. The war was only one facet of the separatism movement. It is true that it was the most dominant and the most brutal issue Sri Lankans had to endure during the past thirty years. It is also true that war is no longer present. But it was still only one form of materialization of the separatism movement. Separatism movement mainly sponsored by the Tamil Diaspora still continues to lurk in the shadows, from time to time materializing under various forms and shapes. It might be difficult to decipher such materializations at first glance; they might come from the most unconventional or the most innocent of ways. However their ulterior motive remains to divide mother Sri Lanka. It can be in the form of the legal system of the country being in conflict with the parliament/executive system as seen in Pakistan, or it can be in the form of student/working class uprisings as seen in Egypt. It is true that such conflicts/uprisings do contain justifiable concerns. However such concerns should be arbitrated or settled in a manner that does not undermine the stability or the unity of the country. Some fractions of society nourished by NGO's have been trying to impose a federal system in Sri Lanka from the early 90's. They have tried to give a legal status to the LTTE movement. Although well camouflaged these fractions represent the separatism movement. War might be over, with it the most obvious and the most brutal materialization of the separatism movement. But five years after the end of the war, invisible forces that fueled the war continue to work hard to achieve their objectives. In 2009 it was Sarath Fonseka and this time around it is Maithreepala Sirisena. Maithreepala Sirisena has always stood by the federal states movement. He has been an obedient servant of the former president Chandrika Kumaratunga. He had vehemently pledged support to the Tsunami relief fund back in 2004, which provides clear evidence as to where he stands on the issue of achieving a united Sri Lanka.
Reasons for out setting President Mahinda Rajapaksa as highlighted by the opposition are corruption and family politics. When a new president is elected in United States, he will appoint secretaries to different ministries and he will have a large say in picking the cabinet. Such appointments would consist of people who the president can trust and can rely on. This is common anywhere in the world. Any president would surround him or herself with people they trust. Even if Ranil wickramasinghe becomes the president he will appoint the most trusted set of people to the key positions (which would normally consist of the elite Colombo upper class who are numb to the pulse of the common Sri Lankan). In the case of Mahinda Rajapaksa the only difference was, such was the caliber of his family, he could afford to fill key positions in the government using his brothers. In terms of the conduct of his siblings no one can point fingers. They have done exceptionally well, a fact everyone agrees on. In the era of post open economy, all governments have been accused of corruption. From the looks of it Maithreepala Sirisena also has some questions to answer. In any case corrupted politicians should be judged on the general election on a case by case basis. There are no corruption allegations against President Mahinda Rajapaksa himself. This is in contrast to some of the earlier executive presidents who have been directly linked to illegal handling of contracts.
Presidential election is for selecting an 'executive' president. If the executive president stands true to the core values of a united nation from the bottom of his soul, then as a country we can move forward and take care of the minor issues as we go along. Given the current juncture we are in if somehow the sovereignty of our beloved motherland is compromised then the ultimate sacrifice made by our fallen war heroes would be futile. Ensuring peace for at least another decade is the primary need of the hour. This will give time for the wounds to heal; it will provide a window of opportunity for the common Tamil person to realize that they are equal to any other person in this paradise, that they can enjoy the same opportunities as everyone else. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been very generous to the Northern Province, pumping in huge sums of money for infrastructure development. Roads have been constructed, electricity has been given and rail ways resurrected. All are in agreement that infrastructure development is the starting point. Even when the Northern Provincial council has shown very little willingness for working together with the government, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has continued to show great care and commitment towards the common Tamil people. This will and should be the way forward. Petty political agendas aside, we must work towards betterment of the common man irrespective of whether he is Tamil, Muslim or Sinhalese.
LTTE ghosts have been sighted in the north several times, especially in the Jaffna University. There are rumors that eastern province is seeing slow but nevertheless steady rising of armed gangs fueled by Islamism and Sharia low. Thus if someone can think, even for a split second, that there is absolutely no chance of another arms struggle taking place they should wake up and realize the dark truth. We have seen and can remember the growth and ending of the war, but how many of us remember the beginning of it. In the late 70' and the early 80's not many would have guessed that the small armed groups and their street wars will ultimately bring terror to everybody’s doorstep. But the separatism movement is quick to capitalize on such opportunities. Therefore we should always be weary of the small grass root incidents almost negligible which can grow out of proportions. This is especially necessary given the current juncture Sri Lankans are in. The situation can be different in another decade or so, where the common man can make a judgment himself. It can be totally different if at least one generation has had the opportunity to grow up in a peaceful Sri Lanka. It would be only then that the realization will beckon on every common man that everybody shares the same opportunities and problems irrespective of their race, religion or class. It is only then that they would be willing to work together for the betterment of the country as a whole realizing that everybody is equal. But we should remember that we are not there yet. Just five years after ending a thirty year old conflict one cannot expect such a transformation. This is then a time of ensuring and protecting the hard won peace.
That's why each step we tread should be carefully thought and analyzed. That's why this presidential election is critical. Don't vote against Mahinda Rajapaksa just because you think that he having served two terms is enough, that this time just to experiment lets elect someone else. Don't vote against Mahinda Rajapaksa because you are filled with so much hatred and jealousy that you are unable to come to terms with the fact that a man from Hambanthota, not much different from you and me, has done what was thought impossible. He has united Sri Lanka by eradicating terrorism and started to build a Sri Lanka for the next generation. Mistakes might be there but they are tolerable given the main agenda. They are tolerable given that no other government to date has been able to get rid of them. Be vigilant of the true nature of the opposition; be vigilant of the true form of change they will bring.
If you are voting for Maitreepala Sirisena, it should be because of the policies, charisma, what he has done for the country and most importantly how we can trust him for upholding the basic virtues like maintaining a united country for the years to come. It should not be the case that just because you don't want to see Mahinda Rajapaksa getting a third term, you are going to vote for Maitreepala Sirisena, without even bothering to stop and think what he is going to do once elected. If you let that happen you've allowed yourself to be blinded by hatred and jealousy. Maitreepala Sirisena, although a senior minister and the past general secretary of UPFA is not someone who has done much, in the minds of the people. He famously talks about the smoking advertisements, but that’s all he has on his resume. But most importantly and he has always stood by the federal movement to divide this country. He has not been a charismatic leader that could speak to the masses nor someone who could rally around the party behind him. Nothing much needs to be stated about Ranil and Chandrika in terms of what they have done to Sri Lanka.
When you are voting to someone, always make sure that you're voting for a particular candidate because you truly believe in the long term agendas of that candidate and the others who are supporting him. If you're not convinced about any candidate then you're better off not voting. But be vigilant to the fact that all of the separatism movement is now firmly behind Maitreepala Sirisena. TNA who are still insanely holding on to the dream of a separate state for Tamils, have pledged their support to Maithreepala. Muslims too have followed suit. Sri Lanka is one of the few countries whose legislation itself provides room for Muslim customs and laws. However some extremist Muslims don’t seem to be content with it. When some of the western countries have openly stated that anyone wanting to practice Sharia law can leave their country and do so, Sri Lanka continues to be a paradise for them. It's disheartening to see even under such circumstances the conduct of some minority communities. Many of the western embassies and NGO's are pumping dollars and putting their full weight behind Maithreepala also. When one considers such parties who are backing up Maitreepala, it's not that difficult to see their ulterior motives and the ultimate result that will happen if Maitreepala gets elected. It's clearly evident by Maithreepala's conduct that he is nothing but an obedient servant of former president Chandrika. Whenever Chandrika is present in a meeting, she takes center stage much obliged by Maitreepala. Maitreepala seems more than honored to give her the spot light much similar to how a house servant behaves by giving prominence to his master. Maitreepala defintely lacks the resolve expected out of an executive president. A person who has never fought for the good governance while he was part of the government, suddenly lamenting about it after becoming the common candidate is ridiculous. On the other hand it's a proven fact that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has stood firm against western powers that try to manipulate Sri Lanka as they see fit. In terms of the ‘executive president’ job description, Mahinda Rajapaksa is a clear and a deserved winner. No wonder Maitreepala wants to change the executive presidency if he gets elected, he will not have any other option, simply because he is not suited for the Job.
So come January 8th when we cast our vote, let us make sure that we are crystal clear why we have made our choice. Let's make sure that we have voted for a particular candidate because we truly feel that candidate is the right person to be the executive president of Sri Lanka. That the candidate we have voted for, will selflessly uphold the true virtues like a united country during his tenure and that he will take every attempt to treat every man, women and child of this country equally irrespective of race, religion or class. Let us not fall pray for jealousy or hatred and be blind to the unseen separatism forces that continue to try and break apart our motherland. Let uss make sure that our children, and our children’s children can enjoy this hard won peace.
Let us vote for Mahinda Rajapaksa…. !!!!
Long Live mother Sri Lanka ….!!!!
Boosting tourism is high on the agenda these days, it is viewed as a means of getting more foreign currency, providing employment to a larger number of people across many disciplines and as a ladder towards making Sri Lanka a more prosperous and ultimately a developed country. Such rationale is definitely not flawed and there are many countries that have done it successfully.
Sri Lanka being a tropical country enjoys a good climate all year around without being subjected to 'cold and harsh winters' or 'hot and terrible summers'. Due to the geography 'upcountry' offers a seductively attractive cooler climate which many would not associate with a country so near the equator. Being an island nation the sea is all around us, offering beautiful beaches where mesmerizing waves that capture the hearts of surfers break off. Sri Lanka has very high bio diversity and is ranked amongst the top in that regard. Forests like 'Sinharaja' have been declared as world heritage sites and along with sanctuaries like ‘Yala’, ’Kumana’ exhibit the rich flora and fauna of Sri Lanka. Waterfalls like 'Diyaluma' are a sight beyond what any words could effectively describe. Surely such natural wonders makes Sri Lanka an ideal destination for tourists. Sri Lankans also have a rich culture. We are a nation which has a written history dating back almost 2500 years and archeologists have found evidence of human civilizations dating back 15000 years. Illustrious kings of the past have left their legacy in the form of giant reservoirs like 'Prakrama Samudraya' or giant stupas reaching out to the heavenly sky like 'Ruwanweli Maha Seya' which challenge even the modern engineers. Ancient cities like ‘Anuradhapura’ and ‘Pollonnaruwa’ still carry the ruins of those glorious days. 'Sigiriya' is considered the 8th wonder of the ancient world and immortalizes the engineering excellence of our forefathers. The ‘New Year festival’, ‘Kandy Dalada Perahera’ are few cultural events out of many that are still performed today highlighting the unique culture of Sri Lanka. Buddhism and indigenous medicine further reinforces the uniqueness and authenticity of our culture. Such a rich history and a vibrant culture is a magnet for tourists.
Sri Lanka can stand shoulder to shoulder with any country in terms of its natural marvels. It can hold its head high with any country with regards to the rich culture and history. Sri Lankans are known the world over for their hospitality. Thus tourism is definitely something we should invest in and expand. Nevertheless, 'Doing the right thing' and 'Doing the thing right’ might sound similar but we should contemplate that they can be totally different. Boosting tourism is definitely the right thing to do. However are we doing it the right way?
Politicians seem to be hell bent on building casinos and what not to entertain the tourists. They seem to be obsessed with Bangkok or Las Vegas. It's such a pity that for a country which is so unique in its culture, history and natural marvels we are shamelessly trying to emulate places like Bangkok. Anyone with a limited knowledge in marketing knows the value of differentiation. Sri Lanka should try to differentiate itself and market it's unique natural marvels, historical sites, rich culture and build a unique brand for itself in tourism. Egypt is visited by many a tourist due to its history and ancient civilizations. People visit African countries to get a glimpse of the wild life. Tourists visit Bahamas to experience the sandy beaches. Many visit Japan or other Asian countries to experience a different way of living, a different set of beliefs, and a different take on spirituality. Sri Lanka has the potential and the natural resources to fulfill the needs of any tourist visiting any of those countries. We have the capability to attract tourists visiting those countries into Sri Lanka. Thus Sri Lanka can be a one stop destination to experience a wide range of tourist activities from adrenalin pumping surfing to mind soothing meditation. But our politicians seem to be more focused in setting up casinos and following the footsteps of Bangkok. Bangkok or for that matter LasVegas’s resume in terms of natural marvels, wild life, ancient civilizations or unique culture is not that great. That was the primary reason why they invested in casinos and what not to attract tourists. But we are blind to this fact and are trying to promote tourism by way of investing in casinos. This is utter nonsense.
In manufacturing, a product is made and then sold. The consumer might be on the other side of the world. But tourism is different. In tourism you are inviting people of various races, religions, beliefs in to your country. Who will accept the invitation will depend on what is being marketed. If one markets the wrong things then one would be attracting the wrong kind of people in to your country. This would inevitably have disastrous repercussions. It is said prevention is better than cure. Thus rather than allowing bad things to enter the country and then attempting to build a complex framework to keep those things under control, it is far better not to allow such things to enter in the first place. Therefore it is of utmost importance that in promoting tourism we promote the right things to the world, only then would we be able to attract the right things in to our country. Some might argue that we should break away from the so called 'island mindset' and be open to the new world demands and not be frogs trapped inside a well. It is true that one must think out of the box and be novel in doing something but that is different from breaking the core values or the identity of the nation.
We should delve into the possibility of making Sri Lanka a first choice destination for foreigners who seek medical services. Singapore is a prime example where millions of people visit it annually just to obtain medical services. We have talented doctors, surgeons and a good health system both private and public. A decade ago, to undergo heart surgery Sri Lankans had to visit India since such critical operations could not be performed locally. But today local doctors are performing such and more complex surgeries every day in our own hospitals. Thus thought should be given to how we can market our medical system so we can attract foreigners from at least other South Asian countries into Sri Lanka. One could combine the local air lines, hotels and local hospitals to offer foreign patients exclusive packages where from the moment they set foot on our soil we take care of them until they leave as fully recovered individuals.
Today a lot of westerners are interested on alternative medicines and exploring the spirituality of life. Buddhism is forever enshrined in our culture. Also we have an indigenous medical system dating back thousands of years. The world should be made aware of these and more importantly means and methods should be put in place so that they are easily accessible to the outside world. For example if a foreign individual is interested in visiting Sri Lanka to learn Buddhism or to learn indigenous ways of doing medicine, is there a easy way to do it right now ? The answer is 'No'. This is where the politicians or the relevant officials can play a vital role. They could act as mediators between the local temples, air lines etc so that interested foreigners could easily visit Sri Lanka and get in touch with a local temple and seek what they want to know. Not only Buddhism but our local universities could also offer courses, postgraduate degree programs to foreign individuals.
Making use of our medical system or Buddhism to attract tourists are just an example to show that apart from the traditional tourist attractions we do have a lot of other stuff which we could market in order to boost tourism. Fields like Sports, Education, and Traditional art forms.... the list could go on and on. Rather than trying to put up casino's everywhere politicians and officials should look at these options and come up with a strategy to boost tourism. That strategy should capitalize on what makes Sri Lanka unique and there by market Sri Lanka as an unparallel destination for tourists.
So tourism... Yes but please don't make a second Bangkok out of mother Sri Lanka!!!
President Obama's recent speech at the National Defense University in Washington takes a retrospective look at the "War against Terrorism" launched more than a decade ago by USA against Al Qaeda.
Read the full speech here
It's a really interesting speech. Apart from exhibiting masterful oratory skills and being an inspiration to Americans, it has a special significance to all Sri Lankans as well. This is because the parallels drawn from it are applicable to the humanitarian operation conducted by the government of Sri Lanka against LTTE.
Obama reflects back on the 9/11 attacks which was the catalyst saying
'.......And then, on September 11, 2001, we were shaken out of complacency. Thousands were taken from us, as clouds of fire and metal and ash descended upon a sun-filled morning. This was a different kind of war. No armies came to our shores, and our military was not the principal target. Instead, a group of terrorists came to kill as many civilians as they could. And so our nation went to war. We have now been at war for well over a decade........'
The situation was no different in Sri Lanka back in 2006. Whatever the higher level ideologies that fathered LTTE in to existence, by 2006 it had become a ruthless terrorist organization. Many national leaders including an Executive President had then been brutally assassinated by the tigers. This also included Tamil national leaders as well. All attempted peace talks had been unsuccessful. For the LTTE, peace talks just provided breathing space and allowed them to re-group just so that they could emerge more ruthlessly again. Furthermore, LTTE had conducted countless attacks against innocent civilians. BOC Bomb, Bomb in the Dehiwala train, Bomb blast of the worlds' sacred 'Dalada Maligawa', massacre of Buddhist monks in Aranthalawa, massacre of Muslim devotees in Kattankudy … the list can go on and on. By 2006 claymore bomb explosions in public transportation systems like busses and trains had become a weekly ritual of LTTE. The kebithigollewa bus bomb and the young father holding his murdered infant son and looking helplessly at President Mahinda Rajapakse will forever haunt patriotic Sri Lankan minds. Such events question the very foundation of democracy in a country. People were scared to travel in busses and often family members never travelled together in a single bus. Father and mother travelled to their working places in separate busses whilst the child went to school in a third. On top of this, the two decade long war meant somebody you knew was either killed or injured due to the ware. LTTE's thirst for blood shed had grown out of proportion. Being black listed as a ruthless terrorist organization by 30 or more countries stands as evidence for this. The closing down of the Mavilaru anklet was the decisive moment where the government was forced to answer terrorism in its own language simply because there was no other option. The entire nation had to be freed from this menace.
President Obama reflects back on using drones to defuse terrorism saying
‘…….To do nothing in the face of terrorist networks would invite far more civilian casualties -- not just in our cities at home and our facilities abroad…..’
Nothing would more clearly justify the stance taken by the SL government back in 2006.
It's no secret that US had resorted to drone attacks and was taking criticism for the civilian casualties it had caused. Commenting on this President Obama states
'.....Now, this last point is critical, because much of the criticism about drone strikes -- both here at home and abroad -- understandably centers on reports of civilian casualties. There’s a wide gap between U.S. assessments of such casualties and nongovernmental reports. Nevertheless, it is a hard fact that U.S. strikes have resulted in civilian casualties, a risk that exists in every war. And for the families of those civilians, no words or legal construct can justify their loss.....'
and goes on to compare such casualties against the same in a conventional style warfare saying
'....Our efforts must be measured against the history of putting American troops in distant lands among hostile populations. In Vietnam, hundreds of thousands of civilians died in a war where the boundaries of battle were blurred. In Iraq and Afghanistan, despite the extraordinary courage and discipline of our troops, thousands of civilians have been killed. So neither conventional military action nor waiting for attacks to occur offers moral safe harbor, and neither does a sole reliance on law enforcement in territories that have no functioning police or security services -- and indeed, have no functioning law....'
"Civilian casualties, a risk that exists in every war..." claims the US president. The Sri Lankan government had no option but to launch a humanitarian operation against LTTE. There were some civilian casualties as acknowledged by the SL government. This was unavoidable as correctly pointed out by the US President and would have been the case in any other war, anywhere else. However the government had taken the utmost care on minimizing the civilian casualties. Such casualties are definitely much, much smaller than those in Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan caused by the US troops. It's also worth noting that out of the three year long war the international community has raised concerns over civilian casualties only during the very last stage of the war. International community and NGO's have been content with how the security forces have conducted themselves leading up to the last battle.
With regards to civilian casualties by US drone attacks, whilst acknowledging such casualties president Obama does highlight that there is a 'wide gap between U.S. assessment of such casualties and nongovernmental reports'. This implies that reports of nongovernmental organizations tend to be exaggerated and skewed to highlight their own viewpoints. This is no different in the case of Sri Lanka. NGO's have put the number of civilian deaths around 40,000 during the last battle. SL government has done its own independent investigation and puts the figure around 8000-10000, which is only 25% of the figure international community hangs on. The truth is, there was no census done in the northern region for more than three decades. One reason why the LTTE prevented people in the north from voting during presidential election was to hide the real number of people living in those areas being revealed. They wanted to hide this fact so desperately that during 2005 presidential elections they prevented people from voting for Ranil Wickramasinghe, election of whom as the president would have created tigers a far more lucrative environment. LTTE wanted to boost its image by pretending to have a large Tamil population backing them up in the north. However the real numbers were far less. NGO's hang on to the figures provided to them by the LTTE which was obviously wrong.
So on one-hand U.S president Obama acknowledges that civilian casualties during a war is inevitable and suggests that NGO's reports on US caused civilian casualties are much higher than the actual figure. But on the other hand U.S is bringing resolutions against Sri Lanka on civilian casualties to the UN Security Council, based on reports of the same NGO's. What justifies such actions are beyond reason or logic. It's perfectly fine for U.S to fight terrorism outside their own country but it's not OK for countries like Sri Lanka to fight terrorism inside their own country seems to be the message as far as anybody could see.
Last part of the war against LTTE has caused much controversy. With tales of LTTE leaders coming to surrender waving white flags being killed to civilians being massacred by security forces amounting to war crimes. But the reality was, LTTE had taken the remaining civilians as a human shield. It was hiding behind the civilians and attacking security forces. During this last stage the government had declared no fire zones, abandoned usage of heavy weapons and taken all possible steps to secure civilian lives. Although some countries strived to make arrangements so that LTTE leaders can walk out scot free out of the last battle field the truth remains that they got killed by the security forces during heated fire exchanges. Although this might be hard for some western countries to digest that is the truth… the whole truth… and nothing but the truth. LTTE leaders got killed in the battle field during confrontations against security forces. Period!!!
It is however interesting to compare why these western countries or NGO's doesn't take any action against US which kills people using drones as a precautionary measure as evident by the following statement made by President Obama.
'...........But when a U.S. citizen goes abroad to wage war against America and is actively plotting to kill U.S. citizens, and when neither the United States, nor our partners are in a position to capture him before he carries out a plot, his citizenship should no more serve as a shield than a sniper shooting down on an innocent crowd should be protected from a SWAT team.
That’s who Anwar Awlaki was -- he was continuously trying to kill people. He helped oversee the 2010 plot to detonate explosive devices on two U.S.-bound cargo planes. He was involved in planning to blow up an airliner in 2009. When Farouk Abdulmutallab -- the Christmas Day bomber -- went to Yemen in 2009, Awlaki hosted him, approved his suicide operation, helped him tape a martyrdom video to be shown after the attack, and his last instructions were to blow up the airplane when it was over American soil. I would have detained and prosecuted Awlaki if we captured him before he carried out a plot, but we couldn’t. And as President, I would have been derelict in my duty had I not authorized the strike that took him out......'
Addressing the root cause........
President Obama describes the extremist ideologies fueling terrorism the following way
'............Moreover, we have to recognize that these threats don’t arise in a vacuum. Most, though not all, of the terrorism we faced is fueled by a common ideology -- a belief by some extremists that Islam is in conflict with the United States and the West, and that violence against Western targets, including civilians, is justified in pursuit of a larger cause. Of course, this ideology is based on a lie, for the United States is not at war with Islam. And this ideology is rejected by the vast majority of Muslims, who are the most frequent victims of terrorist attacks.
Nevertheless, this ideology persists, and in an age when ideas and images can travel the globe in an instant, our response to terrorism can’t depend on military or law enforcement alone. We need all elements of national power to win a battle of wills, a battle of ideas. So what I want to discuss here today is the components of such a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy........'
The false ideology of 'United States is at war with Islam' is the crux of the issue as identified by President Obama. In Sri Lanka the issue is Sinhalese people being perceived as eternal enemies by the Tamil people. This is more prevalent in the northern areas. For decades Tamil people in these areas have not socialized with Sinhalese people. For generations they have been bought up on stories of Sinhalese people harassing Tamils, Sinhalese soldiers raping and murdering Tamil girls. These stories do have an element of truth, springing to life from the 1983 Black July incidents and other isolated incidents reported during 1990's. However it should be noted that most of the crimes done against Tamil people during 1983 Black July was undertaken by organized criminals (may be acting under the guidance of the then government) and not by the common man. In one sense, the three decade long war has made everyone more matured. People have come to show immense self-discipline and compassion. Incidents like bombing of the sacred 'Dalaga Maligawa' which is the most holist place for any Buddhist did not see a single Tamil person being harassed in any way. (Imagine Jerusalem being hit by a missile sent from Palestine...?) Tamil people in the north have to realize that they are no different to a Sinhalese living in Hambantota or for that matter a Tamil person living in the heart of Colombo. Tamil people live among others in Colombo without any issue. Tamils in Colombo have been living peaceful lives even before the war officially ended in 2009. However the Tamil people who spent their whole life in LTTE controlled areas are not aware of this. They have been brain washed by LTTE propaganda which depicts Sinhalese people as carnivorous devils. Although peace has come for Northern Sri Lanka, for it to take effect in people’s minds these kinds of false ideologies have to be dissolved. Such false ideas would get dissolve slowly with time. As these people interact more with others they will come to realize the truth.
President Obama touches on how extremist ideologies can be addressed.
'............So the next element of our strategy involves addressing the underlying grievances and conflicts that feed extremism -- from North Africa to South Asia.......And we must help countries modernize economies, upgrade education, and encourage entrepreneurship -- because American leadership has always been elevated by our ability to connect with people’s hopes, and not simply their fears.........'
To get rid of the extremists you need to create an environment where everybody is treated equally. Where everybody has access to basic necessities of life such as education, food, health care. The reason why Tamils, Muslims, Sinhalese live in harmony in other places of Sri Lanka is due to this reason. They are not discriminated based on race or religion when it comes to the basic necessities of life. Everybody is treated equally in Schools, Hospitals, or in any place for that matter. Northern Sri Lanka needs to experience this. It will take time. But it will ultimately happen. Government is trying to speed up the infrastructure development in this area. Once basic facilities like water, electricity, health care are in place and people's mind are free from false propaganda things will become clearer to them. They will release that they are no different people living elsewhere in Sri Lanka.
Although President Obama correctly identifies the core issues that cause extremist ideologies and what steps are required to address these, U.S has been trying to force the SL government to dissolute power to the Northern Province. They are too eager to see a political solution for a problem that will completely disappear in the future. While striving to protect the freedom of their own country U.S is trying to make a divided Sri Lanka.
War against terrorism is seen by President Obama as a way of upholding those values considered sacred by the Americans and protecting the freedom which was won hard fought.
'....So, America, we’ve faced down dangers far greater than al Qaeda. By staying true to the values of our founding, and by using our constitutional compass, we have overcome slavery and Civil War and fascism and communism. In just these last few years as President, I’ve watched the American people bounce back from painful recession, mass shootings, natural disasters like the recent tornados that devastated Oklahoma. These events were heartbreaking; they shook our communities to the core. But because of the resilience of the American people, these events could not come close to breaking us.........The quiet determination; that strength of character and bond of fellowship; that refutation of fear -- that is both our sword and our shield. And long after the current messengers of hate have faded from the world’s memory, alongside the brutal despots, and deranged madmen, and ruthless demagogues who litter history -- the flag of the United States will still wave from small-town cemeteries to national monuments, to distant outposts abroad. And that flag will still stand for freedom....'
Likewise, from King Dutugamunu to present day soldiers, Sri Lankans have toiled hard to preserve the sovereignty of Sri Lanka. We are a country of more than 2500 years of written history and the one thing that stands out through out that illustrious passage of time is, again and again we have fought for a united Sri Lanka under a single flag. Whatever the challenge and wherever the challenge came from Sri Lankans have always fought hard and long to protect what we believe is sacred to us. As a nation we will continue to do so in the future. We will strive to protect the sovereignty of Sri Lanka. U.S should also respect this since it’s upholding of such values that it’s also striving to achieve.
A lot of heated arguments are taking place with the recent announcement of electricity tariff increases. One always thought Sri Lanka was primarily dependent on hydro power plants and hydro power generated electricity was supposed to be clean and relatively cheap form of energy. That’s why the topic of cutting electricity becomes the main source of discussion whenever monsoons are late or not that generous. However, quick googling on the subject reveals that this is no longer the case.
As of now only 45% of total demand is provided via hydro power plants whilst 54% is accounted for by thermal power plants. Some will argue that 45% is still a significant amount. It is .. but what is surprising is the trend that has taken place during the last few years. Whilst the contribution of hydro power plants have gone down the contribution of thermal power plants have increased significantly. This is clear indication that Sri Lanka is looking at thermal energy, specifically electricity generated via coal as its primary source of electricity generation for the coming years. Is thermal energy, to be more precise coal power plants, well suited to Sri Lanka? Sri Lanka obviously doesn't have any coal mines of its own. This means we have to use foreign currency and buy coal from other countries. Which makes us susceptible to coal price changes in the world market? Coal price on the other hand are not going to decrease either. All the hedging deals of yester year come in to mind when one thinks about how to effectively handle coal price changes. So obviously depending on coal for electricity generation is not the way to go for Sri Lanka at least under my logic.
So why the hell have we gone in and increased our electricity generation on thermal power ???. This sounds like a clear misjudgment on the part of current energy policy. Looking at our natural resources we are blessed with monsoons which bring us rain. Thanks to our previous generations we have harnessed that to generate electricity by building hydro power plants. When rain is scarce we have sunshine. We are a country that is very close to the equator. We get sunshine all year around. But yet we are not using it to generate electricity. Why has this been overlooked?, or is it so that solar power plants are not suited to Sri Lanka. This is very hard to believe. Recently there have been instances where normal people have bought solar panels; generated power from those; and even contributed the excess to the national grid. Why is this being neglected by the government?. Some of the challenges highlighted in the above wikipedia link in terms of introducing solar/wind power plants in Sri Lanka are as follows
3rd and 4th points highlighted in wikipedia are appalling. Bureaucracy has intervened to peg Sri Lanka back and more disgustingly to lead it a wrong direction. First and second points reveal that proper examination of the countries power grid as well as its overall energy policy has not been done. Under developed roads should not become a bottleneck for wind power plants. It's at best described as an obstacle that can be overcome.
So the million dollar question is what is Sri Lanka’s energy policy for the coming years? And more importantly how suited and sustainable will it be for a country like Sri Lanka?
A popular conversation topic in recent times has been whether the world is going to end...?
Humans have come to experience a barrage of natural and self-inflicted disasters. Frequent Tsunamis, Torrential rains, droughts all around the world have made lives of millions of people miserable. Some European countries are in deep economic crisis with unemployment rates reaching unprecedented figures. People who once lead affluent lifestyles in such countries are now in deep poverty. If not for organizations like Red Cross many would have starved to death. US too, is barely hanging on and trying to avoid a so called ‘Fiscal Cliff’. And then there is the Middle East becoming increasingly volatile. The Syrian issue is dragging on shedding more and more blood. Gaza strip has heated up as Israel and Palestine are preparing for battle. If Gaza exploded it would inevitably mean several other countries including US being dragged on to the ‘Wholly War’. Iran being so keen on having nuclear weapons will make things more complex. If a war erupts in Middle East the possibility of nuclear weapon usage could not be ruled out. Such critical issues weighing in on the human race and number of them getting increased day by day seem to indicate that it could have a snow balling effect which can wipe out humans from the face of the earth before the dawn of 2013.
Well.... as everything else the world is going to end. But definitely not in 12/12/2012 nor in 21/12/2012 neither during any foreseeable future.Just because the Mayan's didn't bother to continue documenting their calendar beyond 12/12/2012 doesn't mean the world will end.Obviously they had to stop it somewhere. The fact that it ends on December this year, is merely a coincidence. I'm not an expert of Buddhism. But as per my limited knowledge of Buddhism there is a lot of time till we reach the end of the world.
However current debacles faced by humans can't be neglected. But we have to realize that with the advancement of information technology something that happened on the other side of the world will be known by everyone in a blink of an eye. 200 or 300 years back there might have been the same kind of issues facing different parts of the world. US might have fought a civil war while tribal battles of Middle East were as bloody as today. People in other parts of the world might have fought through the same kinds of hardships as they are undergoing now. The difference being back then people in one part of the world were not aware of what people on the other parts of the world were going through. Moreover there were no TV channels or social media which highlighted all the worst things about humanity and hardships bestowed upon humans by nature. Therefore people didn't have a detailed view of all the issues faced by humanity as a whole, giving an impression that the end is neigh.
But it is true that the problems humans are facing will increase in number and in severity as the future unravels. That is the nature of the world. That is how the world will eventually burn out. But the ultimate tipping point is far, far away. This said the combined psyche of many people around the world currently, is that even if the world wouldn't end, there will be events of cataclysmic nature happing at the end of this year. Such events would consume lives of thousand if not millions of people. We need to remember that in this day and age there will be opportunists who will prey on such expectations. There have been instances where secret agencies marshaled and fueled psyche of the public to topple governments. It is said that when 9/11 attacks were carried out, some diplomats saw it as an opportunity to go and destroy Iraq. It is reasoned that the general feeling of the public at that time served as the license to go on that path, not necessarily because Iraq had anything to do with the 9/11 attacks.Such opportunists can prey on the public psyche that there will be cataclysmic events so as to actually materialize them for their own gain. May be it can be a bloody war or a nuclear bomb or a nuclear accident. So 12/2012 provides an opportunity for such sinisters to materialize their ulterior motives. But even such events are highly unlikely to materialize and even if they materialize would not have an impact so high that the entire human race is eradicated.
Simply put if humans continue to exercise sound judgment and don’t jump into premature conclusions when faced with hardships and show the same kind of resolve that they have showed during the past so many years,then the next month is just going to be like any other average month in the calendar !!!
