Ceylon Today Editorial

HAMBANTOTA – THE FREEDOM SWAP?

05 April 2017

Applying psychological principles to political strategies is an art in the realm of political science that leaders of the Joint Opposition have excelled in, on and off.

But perhaps none has to date matched the move by the Joint Opposition led by Mahinda Rajapaksa as the sustained opposition to the government's decision to hand over 20,000 acres of land for two massive development projects in Hambantota, to China.

A keen Indian commentator said a week ago that this sounded more like an iron fist in a velvet glove than a kind hand stretching out to help a friend in need.

A massive part of Sri Lanka is to be tied down for a century to China. Forget the US$1.5 Billion investment planned under the still pending final agreement. What's important in this ill-thought out debt-equity swap is the fact that China's foothold and influence in the Indian Ocean via this 20,000- acre lease will go on for 99 years...that's about 70 years after the current lot of leaders in Sri Lanka are dead and a totally unknown political power will be in control of Lanka's destinies from around 2035 onwards.

By then, geopolitical changes in this region would have taken on massive new features and a future government that's China-centric will change the "purely economic nature" of the Hambantota project into a sprawling military structure posing immense dangers to the security interests of India and other countries who perceive that China has ulterior motives behind her strangling Sri Lanka into a debt-equity swap. Only a fool will accord any validity to the government's claim that the Hambantota fiasco is a purely economic arrangement. Stuff and nonsense! For the government to insist on this stance is a deliberate insult to the intelligence of the leaders in India and the US as well as other nations whose mammoth quantum of shipping passes through Colombo's port.

The dry run made by the Joint Opposition by way of its protests against the Hambantota project was merely a feint to be followed up with a huge protest IF INDIA TOO WAS GIVEN A PROJECT IN HAMBANTOTA OR ANYWHERE IN THE SOUTH. In fact, the Prime Minister has made it very plain in comments to the media here and abroad that Trincomalee is for India and this has been seen by Lanka watchers in India as meaning that China has for some unknown rationale been allowed to call the tune in Hambantota, where over the years, she can establish a virtual satellite State in the South from which vantage point, in over 20 years from today, the economic project can metamorphose into a menacing presence to India and other nations, thus virtually laying the groundwork for a mammoth security threat to India at her very doorstep and a bigger threat to international shipping that passes through the Indian ocean. This is very much on the cards when one considers that the Rajapaksas are waiting in the wings to grab that power...and if and when that happens, the security dynamics in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea would experience a massive shift that will see China ensconced in this region courtesy of the totally ill-thought out project that is all but signed between China and Sri Lanka.

We said last week that Sri Lanka will be swapping more than just debt for equity, with China on the Hambantota project issue. We said there would be this groundswell of a geopolitical shift in the security architecture of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea regions.

By then, perhaps less than 20 years from today, the government's decision on Hambantota will be an opening of a door of opportunity that will spell massive danger to the security interests of our neighbour India. That's when naïve, flippant reasons, given to justify this Hambantota project, would have done their damage.

The President has spoken of a need to have more discussions with the Chinese prior to signing away the future of Indian security, Indian ocean security to be exact, and one would be morally impelled to sound a warning that Sri Lanka, in fact no one country, can anymore hide behind flippant phrases such as sovereignty in such deeply important matters which seriously impinge on the sovereignty of neighbouring nations.

As mentioned earlier on, today's leaders, will pass on, having bequeathed what to future generations, to our neighbours? The government needs to get its act together and demonstrate a deeper sense of regional responsibility in entering into agreements which have within themselves factors which will be exploited to the full against the security interests of Sri Lanka's neighbours and friends.

The square mile area intended to be given to China is exactly ten times the land area of the little former USSR border State of Montenegro that has a population of only 98,000 at the last census and is 2,000 square miles in extent.
Fools rush in........

Daily News Editorial

The JVP war chest

05 April 2017

One could not imagine a greater contradiction than the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. It has been declared the richest political party in the country, surpassing both the capitalist parties, the UNP and the SLFP, in terms of wealth and income generation. The release of financial records of eight political parties by the Elections Commission on a Right to Information (RIT) request by Transparency International has barred the incomes and their sources of the main political parties. The JVP is on top of the pile, with the UNP, known to represent the capitalists and the elite, coming a distant second. How this information will sit on the JVP who chest thumbs itself as the party of the downtrodden will be interesting to see. The JVP has many things going for itself. It has the proven capacity to draw the largest crowds for its political rallies. Arguably, it also has the largest following of the country's youth and its discipline as a political party can never be doubted. Now, on top of all this it has also been declared the richest party in the country. Yet, the rathu sahodarayas have been unable to savour the fruits of office thus far.

Many reasons could be adduced for this predicament of the JVP. It's ideology and Marxist rhetoric may be anathema to the larger population who are Sinhala Buddhist. It's slogans and revolutionary bent could be another reason. The fact that it staged two bloody uprisings against elected governments could also have militated against the people entrusting the reins of power to the party. For all that, it could be proud of the fact that it has outdone the main political parties in terms of riches.

According to our lead story yesterday the JVP commands a total income of Rs.87.2 million as at December 31, 2015.This is huge leap from the UNP war chest that stood at 36.3 million at the same date while the SLFP income was rather sketchy. The main source of the JVP's income was said to be the accumulated salaries of MPs, Provincial Councillors and Pradeshiya Sabha members and also by the sale of MPs’ vehicles. It is not clear if the income raised through the sale of vehicles included that which was derived through the sale of Duty Free permits. But the JVP, whatever may be its shortcomings, always prided itself in being frugal with public funds and against swindling the state. Hence there can be no doubt that it was through the sale of their official vehicles that this money was raised. We say this because it is known that the few MPs the JVP had, always shared a single vehicle even when coming to parliament. This frugality with public funds was seen at the Tissamaharamaya Pradeshiya Sabha, which it controlled in 2002, for which it earned rich dividends at the 2004 General Election, where the party won over 40 seats in parliament, though contesting in alliance with the PA.

Be that as it may, the JVP may be far ahead on the pile where it’s income is concerned, but it is also a well known fact that the party had always been well heeled even in its leaner days when it did not have MPs, Provincial Councillors or Pradeshiya Sabha members to fill its party coffers. The posters that it used to come up with and splashed across the country, even during the Rohana Wijeweeera vintage could not have come from a party starved of funds. It is well known, how, during the 71 insurgency, a Colombo embassy of a hard line communist country was shut down based on its alleged links with the uprising. It is not known if the party is still receiving funds from outside but the revelation of the state of its financial health is certainly going to create a dent in its image as a party of the proletariat. The JVP will certainly have some explaining to do how it managed to surpass the two major parties in generating funds, because it is difficult to believe how the MPs, PC, and PS members survive by donating their salaries to the party coffers.

True, both the UNP and SLFP balance sheets are not what meets the eye and the figures quoted are dubious. We say this because both parties have their own financiers who support them directly, especially during election time, and the funds so obtained naturally don't go through the party books. There are other ways in which businessmen support the two major parties, such as when buying over members from the rival camp.

The Right to Information Act has now made it possible to shed light on the income sources of political parties, which were hitherto a dark secret. It has also helped identify all those MPs who sold their duty free vehicle permits and deprived the state of a massive income. There is bound to be many more holy cows that will be unraveled, exposing those who masqueraded as Good Samaritans. In that sense the Yahapalanaya government should be commended for bringing this piece of legislation that will now ensure transparency in many spheres of governance.

The Island Editorial

Lester, the Lodestar

05 April 2017

Today is a special day; internationally acclaimed icon of the Sri Lankan cinema, Lester James Peries, turns 98. He, in our book, is a national hero in that he almost single-handedly led the freedom struggle of the Sri Lankan cinema and liberated the local movie industry from the clutches of foreign ‘invaders’. The living legend is a national treasure!

Lester, with his Rekawa (Line of destiny), premiered in the mid 1950s, ended the ennui of a cinematic winter Sri Lankans had been facing for years. The country had got Independence, but its cinema hadn’t. With that super flick, which not only warmed the cockles of viewers’ hearts but also changed the course of the local cinema, began the marathon innings of the filmmaking genius. Lester has since inspired and guided generations of filmmakers and stars besides gifting numerous creations to the nation; some of these talented men and women have won international recognition.

Lester is in a league of his own and one of the best filmmakers in the world. He associated with many of his foreign counterparts and earned their respect for what he had achieved with limited resources in a small country as evident from his international awards. Lester, as Mahatma Gandhi said, let the cultures of all lands to be blown about his house freely without being blown off his feet by any. He and his works are firmly rooted in the Sri Lankan culture.

The bounden duty of all artistes is to improve public taste as that is the best way to enhance civic democracy and create better citizens. Lester, the movie maestro, took this responsibility very seriously and shot rapids upstream; the country has greatly benefited from his courage besides his brilliance and vision. Sadly, most of the present-day Sri Lankan artistes seem convinced otherwise; they have shirked this vital social responsibility and become slaves to the advertising industry, which is thriving at the expense of public taste.

Lester and his wife, Sumitra, made a valiant effort to raise the standards of the local tele-drama industry, as well, which is caught up in a vortex of foreign influence and commercialism. Many thought theirs was a Sisyphean task, but they succeeded in setting a new benchmark for others and getting the public to think. But, not many tele-drama directors have dared follow their example to swim against the tide lest they should fall foul of the enemies of public taste. The result has been the emergence of the so-called ‘mega tele-drama’ culture, which has become the new opium of the masses; episodes of third-rate soaps are produced almost on a daily basis and telecast at least six days a week. Most of these ‘dramas’ are usually based on themes related to three things—love, ilaw (death/funerals) and walaw (aristocratic mansions).

Lester is, doubtlessly, one in a million and it is not likely that we will have a trailblazer of his calibre in the foreseeable future. It behoves the talented Sri Lankan filmmakers and tele-drama directors to follow the examples set by Lester and Sumitra and a few others who have emulated the veteran duo. That is the best tribute they can pay Lester, who has lived and breathed the cinema.

Lester may not be as fit as a fiddle, but his laser sharp mind remains active as we are aware. Nothing will please him more than to see the cinema and the tele-drama industry progress.

Bob Hope it was who famously said one knew one was getting old when candles cost more than the cake. It is our fervent wish that candles will cost Lester much more than cakes in years to come.