Ceylon Today Editorial

MAKE IT EVEN

26 April 2017

For a brief, yet effective moment which lasted more than just a day, people of this country forgot that we were still in the fallout of yet another disaster made due to our own negligence and the myopic morals of our elected public representatives.

Sometimes, if you don't join the bandwagon, you simply cannot survive. Or rather, that's a common sentiment found in most Sri Lankans, including our politicians.

People who were concerned about those affected by the Meethotamulla disaster were quick to divert their attention to the next big political scandal that happens basically every other week in this country; in this case, it was the major petroleum distribution disruption due the trade union action organized by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.

When the Corporation announced that they would be going to walk out on a strike, closing all the fuel stations and depriving all consumers of fuel, the ability to transport and rather long lines waiting to get fuel from the small stations that are not participating in the strike, none of the politicians took it seriously.The trade union action itself was borderline blackmail and was unnecessary in the first place. The main reason the government leaders didn't take it seriously, we assume, was that fuel has become an essential product of survival and thought the Corporation would not see it through. Of course, they were proved wrong.

But unfortunately for Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), the people whom they were protesting against – the Indians – were able to find profit from a single day due to the extended queues that thronged their fuel stations.

The Corporation was protesting against the government's decision to create a proposed joint venture between India and Sri Lanka to operate and manage oil storage tanks in Trincomalee. These oil storage tanks were built by the British in 1924 and completed in the 1930s.

The farm had 101 storage tanks built with 1 inch thick steel sheets and the tanks near the harbour are enclosed by one foot thick concrete rings. Legend has it that labourers were brought in from British African colonies to complete the work. 102 tanks were planned, but the site of 102nd tank was cleared, but never built probably out of superstition.

Each tank could hold 12,000 tonnes of fuel and has an astonishing total capacity of over 1.2 million tonnes. This dwarfs the CPC's existing storage facility and even the new storage complex built by the Chinese at Muthurajawela, which has a capacity of 200,000 tonnes.

The storage complex fell into disuse after the British ceded power in 1948 and nature took over the land. Out of the 101 tanks, one of the tanks was destroyed when a Royal Ceylon Air Force plane crashed in early 1960's. The steel has long since been removed with only the concrete cover remaining.

But the most famous is the number plate of tank No. 91 lying at the far edge of the forest.

Only the charred, twisted and melted metal remains of this tank and a small notice near the tank gives details of how the tank was destroyed in a Kamikaze attack during the Japanese air raid on Trincomalee at dawn on 9 April 1942.

The government-owned CPC used only 15 tanks in the lower tank farm close to the sea until the farm was handed over to the Indian oil giant, Indian Oil Corporation in 2002. The IOC too, used only these tanks while others were forgotten in the jungles.
Since then, the storage tanks have fallen into disuse, have become more of a remnant of the past, quickly being forgotten, than a part of a beneficial development project of the government.

Accordingly, the government has planned to reinvigorate the 2002 plan to lease a number of oil tanks to IOC in order to accrue somewhat of an income from a let-down and deteriorating edifice – which we see as a logical plan.

The initial draft was to allocate 14 tanks to the IOC, 10 for the CPC and 74 to be owned by a joint venture between the two governments. However, this is also what paved the way for the trade union action by the CPC, demanding that they should receive more tanks to be managed and operated. While this might seem a yet another selfish demand made by any selfish person, there seem to be some validity in the request. The government could reach a consensus and divide the number of tanks evenly between the IOC and the government owned CPC, so that it would be beneficial to both parties. There is no harm in a zero-sum game.

But in the end, what either government should remember is that this project is worth the effort of funding our tax money in heavy amounts. After all, we wouldn't want this project to flunk like all the other boasted development projects this country has seen.

Daily News Editorial

Will it be curtains for JO?

26 April 2017

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party, or more precisely President Maithripala Sirisena, has apparently had enough. Two weeks ago the President declared that he would soon be making several important decisions, politically. Reading into the President’s statement, one cannot but come to the conclusion that he wants to consolidate the SLFP and in furtherance of this take a firm decision against the rebels of the party, read Joint Opposition.

Presiding at the party Central Committee meeting on Sunday the President unequivocally stated that all MPs of the SLFP MUST attend the party May Day rally at Getambe and a resolution was passed giving effect to this decree. In furtherance of this, letters had been sent to all SLFP MPs and Provincial Councillors that it was mandatory for them to attend the party May Day rally. Coming out more into the open SLFP General Secretary Minister Duminda Dissanayake said that SLFP MPs who boycotted the party May Day celebrations in Getambe would be expelled. What is more, the resolution also specifically mentions the mandatory presence of Mahinda Rajapaksa at the party May Day celebrations.

The past few weeks saw the President becoming more assertive, taking the full reins into his hands. He removed several SLFP electoral organisers who were backing the JO and replaced them with his loyalists. From all accounts, the SLFP is gearing up for perhaps its biggest ever May Day show this time, with over 2,000 buses already booked to transport crowds. The undoubted show of strength it is speculated will be a prelude to drastic action against the rebels.

In the past too, the SLFP had threatened action against the JO members for staging independent rallies. But these threats were lukewarm and unconvincing. This time though, it appears that President Sirisena is set to walk the talk. The tone and tenor of Minister Dissanayake’s statement left no doubt that there will be no compromise this time around and for good reasons.

President Sirisena cannot be seen to be a weakling right through, a leader of a party, nay the President of the country, who cannot get a section of his party men to fall in line. He can ill afford a direct challenge to his rule by the rebels who have even threatened to lay siege on the President’s House come May Day. Besides, it is incumbent on him to lead the SLFP to victory at elections, soon to be held. A defeat of the party caused by the present split will not only dent his image as a leader but also cause a drift of supporters towards the other camp. He would certainly not want to be a leader who presided over the defeat of the party while also being the Head of State. It has never happened before, barring the instance where CBK lost the General Election while still being the President, in 2001.

The JO has some 50 members in parliament but commands support out of proportion to its numbers, due certainly to the leadership given to it by Mahinda Rajapaksa. This is hanging like a sword of Damocles over the President. Hence he has to act and act fast. Last time around the Supreme Court held with the rebels when the UNP petitioned for the expulsions of messrs. Sarath Amunugama, Wijepala Mendis, Nanda Mathew and Susil Moonesinghe. The country was witness to a bizarre scenario where the rebels claimed they were still loyal members of the UNP while sitting and voting with the government. The court did not find anything amiss with this state of affairs. Of course that was a court that had Sarath Nanda Silva as its head. Things have changed since then. Is parliament going to witness a mass exit of members in the not so distant future? Will the SLFP hierarchy walk the talk this time around?

‘Cheers’ to John

Labour Minister John Seneviratne, no doubt, is going to be the toast of all the imbibers of this country. Speaking at a District Development Committee meeting in Ratnapura the Minster spoke in favour of reducing the price of a bottle of Special Arrack, commonly known as Gal, due to it being beyond the reach of the common man. Presently a bottle of Gal which is favoured by manual labourers and others engaged in strenuous duties, is priced at Rs. 1,500 which they can ill afford. As the Minister noted, this has made them turn to the cheap rot gut moonshine (kassippu) which is injurious to health.

Of course, the minister’s suggestion will clash against the concept of mathata titha of the former President and also the current attempts by President Sirisena to combat drug and alcohol abuse. However the government should open it’s eyes to reality. Although it may earn extra shekels to the state coffers by way of excise revenue, on the other hand this will be offset by the extra expenditure imposed on the health budget to cure illnesses caused by drinkers taking to the rot gut.

The Island Editorial

Needed: A memorial at Meethotamulla

25 April 2017

 

Japan is a predominantly Buddhist country and most of her people believe in nirvana. The generous Japanese taxpayers can rest assured that they will definitely attain the supreme bliss someday. (Non-Buddhists among them will go straight to heaven!) For, they have acquired enough merit all these years by helping the hapless Sri Lankans, who are exploited and cheated by a bunch of wily, greedy politicians who are helping themselves to public funds.

Nearly seven decades have elapsed since the British colonialists left this country, but successive governments have failed to manage even municipal waste. Besides, a heavy shower usually turns the capital into a billabong of sorts within minutes. But for generous financial assistance from friendly nations such as Japan for rehabilitating dilapidated sewers etc we would have had to wade through muck in Colombo. So much for the achievements of the governments led by the two main parties, which have finally come together and made a bigger mess of the affairs of the state!

Luckily, the Japanese people are too considerate and solicitous to demand that their government refrain from spending their tax money to help a country which votes crooks into power and inflicts suffering on itself willingly. They cannot be unaware that Sri Lankan politicians spend colossal amounts of public funds on their luxury vehicles while begging for foreign aid. Their tolerance and munificence are praiseworthy.

It is being argued in some quarters that Japan has been so exceedingly bountiful to Sri Lanka because the latter courageously leapt to its defence in San Francisco in the aftermath of the WWII and refused reparation thus making it embarrassing for other nations to demand their pound of flesh each. That may be so, but we believe, it would have cost Japan much less to make reparation to the entire world than to provide financial assistance to this country all these decades.

No sooner had the Meethotamulla disaster occurred than Japan offered its help to manage the garbage crisis. It lost no time in rushing a team of experts, who have handed over their report to the government after studying the disaster site; they have analysed the situation and recommended ways and means of solving the problem once and for all. They have pointed out that the Japanese, too, used to protest against massive garbage dumps in the 1960s and successive governments worked hard and succeeded in solving that problem. In other words, Sri Lanka is still where Japan was half a decade ago as regards waste disposal thanks to the corruption-ridden, inefficient governments it has been burdened with.

We are not short of politicians who wrap themselves in the flag and boast of what they call their outstanding service to the nation. They never miss an opportunity to wax eloquent on the virtues of patriotism and urge others to ask what they can do for the country and not what the country can do for them. Will these great patriots explain why they have failed to tackle even the garbage problem let alone build the national economy?

Since the Meethotamulla tragedy, government leaders have been running around like headless chickens. Instead of getting their act together, they are flaying their holier-than-thou opponents, who are also responsible for the mess the country has got into.

One of the recommendations made by the visiting Japanese experts is to stabilise the Meethotamulla garbage mountain immediately to prevent another collapse and then reduce its size gradually through waste recycling etc. It behoves the government to heed expert advice and take necessary steps to mitigate the crisis.

Opinion is divided on the number of people who perished in the Meethotamulla disaster though the government says it is 32. The actual number could be higher, we reckon. We suggest that after the garbage dump is removed or reduced to a manageable level a huge memorial be erected so that not only the victims but also the monumental failure on the part of the present-day political leaders to remove garbage and ensure public safety will be remembered forever.

Ceylon Today Editorial

How We Forgot Earth Day

25 April 2017

Last Saturday (22) the world celebrated and commemorated Earth Day – a day set apart for celebrating and demonstrating support for environmental protection. It is also a day we completely forgot about ironically even in the wake of the Meethotamulla garbage disaster.

Of course, we cannot be held responsible for forgetting Earth Day, where we usually celebrate the need of environmental protection, by turning off our lights for ten minutes or so (a rather useless gesture considering the bigger picture of climate change and the world going to hell). Even US President Donald Trump was rather ambiguous during his official Earth Day address – of course, being an advocate of anti-climate change ideologies (he believes it to be a myth created by neoliberal movements) it came as no surprise he forgot to mention the dire need to protect our environment, save our resources, the use of alternative energies for the betterment of our present, as well as the future.

The US administration's lack of ignorance and myopia when it comes to science, technology and research – which saw massive budget cuts once Trump grabbed power earlier this year – has now paved the way to a new movement that has mobilized those of the scientific communities to fight the age of ignorance that sees no importance in facts proven right.

Thus was the birth of the March for Science (formerly known as the Scientists' March on Washington) where a series of rallies and demonstrations were held in Washington, DC and more than 600 other cities across the world on Earth Day.

Organizers of the march had claimed that the march is a non-partisan movement to celebrate science and the role it plays in everyday lives. The goals of the marches and rallies were to emphasize that science upholds the common good and to call for evidence-based policy in the public's best interest. The march was organized by scientists skeptical of the agenda of the Trump administration, and critical of Trump administration policies widely viewed as hostile to science. The march's website states that an "American government that ignores science to pursue ideological agendas endangers the world".

Particular issues of science policy raised by the marchers include support for evidence-based policymaking, as well as support for government funding for scientific research, government transparency, and government acceptance of the scientific consensus on climate change and evolution.

Unfortunately for us, we didn't have anything close in resemblance to the March for Science on Earth Day, let alone any celebration that called for government's attention on environmental protection and scientific research into such matters. Sadly for us, to our government, environmental protection is yet another banner-call to show off their political prowess. It's yet another crusade adopted only when it's trending for our politicians, as well as our civil society activists – we are looking at you who call yourself Social Justice Warriors (SJWs). The best example for this was the Meethotamulla disaster – it was the people who were suffering from it who continued to fight against it that spoke about it and it was only after the dump collapsed the SJWs took up the fight for the people. Where were they before it collapsed? Apart from this, it was only after the disaster occurred that it occurred to President Maithripala Sirisena, himself, to make garbage collection and recycling essential throughout the country.

Until then, the President who is also the Minister of Environment was slumbering away in matters only he knows about. Unfortunately, this has been the role of all the predecessor governments as well – passive and reactive. It's about time they realized that there's no point in closing the stable gates once the horse is out.

Sri Lanka – you and me, the majority – is not a scientific community. We are a religious community. We would rather consult our many religions when faced with a problem, than find a plausible and practical solution – meaning we would rather pray when sick to be cured, than going to the doctor. This is apparent from our government's interest in sciences as well. Since 2009, the government's policy on scientific research and technology has remained unchanged and stagnant. Our Ministry of Science, Technology and Research exists only to promote science and innovation among schoolchildren by holding exhibitions every two years or so. Our government has not promoted nor have they funded scientific thinking, let alone research into solving our day-to-day problems. Our so-called scientists have become political 'G-Men' handling ministries, carrying out orders of their superiors.

They have been accused of being corrupt and of financial fraud on numerous occasions. Not all of them are men of science after all.

In a backdrop like that, it's no wonder Sri Lanka forgot Earth Day.

Daily News Editorial

Foreign travel check on MPs

25 April 2017

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's edict restricting UNP ministers’ and MPs’ foreign travel will no doubt be endorsed by a majority of the public. The Premier has ordered that foreign travel of MPs not to exceed three times a year per Minister or MP. Needless to say most of these trips are mere jaunts, more often than not with family members in tow. There are two categories of foreign visits undertaken by politicians. There are trips sponsored by foreign embassies for so called study tours and workshops with all expenses paid. This was the case when a western embassy sponsored a series of foreign visits to Ministers and MPs some time ago to acquaint themselves with the federal system practised in the host country. Upon their return after enjoying the hospitality of that country certain MPs went onto lambaste the federal system which needless to state was in bad taste.

The other category of foreign trips undertaken by MPs are paid for by the tax payer and thus there should be an evaluation of the cost benefit factor of these trips (The exception being the foreign travel of the country's Foreign Minister, although, we once had a Foreign Minister who was noted for his almost weekly visits abroad always accompanied by spouse and brood. That worthy also once undertook a visit to Iceland, a country far removed from Sri Lanka's orbit).

Not just parliamentarians, even provincial councillors and members of local bodies undertake frequent foreign jaunts with tax payers’ money, the trips billed as study tours. Sometime ago members of a local government body took turns to visit a certain country to undertake a study on garbage management. Nobody in authority sought to inquire as to the outcome of this ‘study tour’ or whether the country gained by this exercise. Needless to say, if the combined knowledge of all these members who undertook this tour were put to use perhaps we would have been spared the tragedy that befell Meethotamulla. There were many such foreign trips being made by provincial councillors and LG members at the expense of the tax payer with no back up check to verify if they or the country, benefited by such trips. Ditto for our erstwhile people’s representatives in the august assembly of parliament some of whom are abroad even when important Bills are taken up for discussion, often related to the subject of their ministries. Hence, it is time that someone in authority cracked the whip and the Premier calling the riot act no doubt would come in a for praise, although some would wonder why MPs have to go abroad as much as three times a year - the ceiling imposed.

Of course there would be those who will contend that MPs who had entered parliament for the first time, particularly those representing the rural outbacks, should be given the opportunity for foreign travel, if not to widen their horizons, then at least to make up for lost opportunities. This perhaps is the basis followed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa when he included in his ample entourage on foreign travel MPs and functionaries who possessed no clue as to the subject matter of these visits. There were businessmen, artistes and long term loyalists included in such tours, running up astronomical bills. How such inclusions brought any benefit to the country was anyone's guess.

Be that as it may, while no one can begrudge foreign travel for ministers and MPs all such travel ought to bring some form of returns to the country to justify such visits. Ditto for provincial council and local government members. More often than not MPs go abroad to visit their children who are either studying or settled down with their families. This cannot be done at the expense of the tax payer.

WW back with a bang

National Freedom Front Leader and Joint Opposition stalwart Wimal Weerawansa, after lying low for a brief period following his release from remand prison on bail, has returned to his usual self, making high octane pronouncements and directing his fusillade at the government. Weerawansa in the meantime also displayed his soft side, telling reporters that he planned to visit the Welikada prison next week to meet with his prisoner colleagues who gave him moral support while behind bars. All this, while storm clouds were gathering within the National Freedom Front over Weerawansa, for the second time deciding to call of his ‘hunger strike'.

According to reports, at the politburo meeting of the NFF, some stalwarts had questioned the prudence of WW calling off the ‘hunger strike’, putting his own credibility and that of the party on the line. They of course are justified in their claim.

Mahatma Gandhi, popularly called Gandhi Ji used his famous satyagraha campaign of non violence to bring the mighty British Empire to heel. Local cardboard Ghandhis seems to have rendered this time honoured non violent form of protest to irrelevance by trying to imitate the great savant at every turn. That is why Weerawansa has even earned the ire of his own party men.

The Island Editorial

A rudderless bark

25 April 2017

The country has been moving from crisis to crisis like a rudderless bark with government leaders being all at sea. People have had to contend with a double whammy. Close on the heels of the Meethotamulla garbage disaster, which snuffed out 32 lives and caused rubbish to pile up in Colombo, came a Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) strike. There were long queues at fuel refilling stations all over the country. The warring oil unions warned that if their trade union action continued there would be no fuel to generate electricity. Thankfully, sanity prevailed at last and the trade unions agreed to call off the strike following a meeting with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last night.

The question is why the government took so long to meet the trade unionists and sort out the issue through negotiations. Maybe, it mistakenly thought it would be able to tame the unions with the help of the judiciary, police and the armed forces. Its brinkmanship only caused hardships to the public. Although the CPC strike has been called off several other key issues remain unsolved, the garbage disposal being one of them.

As for this sorry state of affairs, one may say, with apologies to Yeats, that things are falling apart as the centre cannot hold and mere anarchy is being ‘loosed’ upon the country.

CPC workers resorted to trade union action in protest against an alleged government move to hand over the Trincomalee oil tank farm to India. Their fear is not unfounded. The yahapalana leaders, out of their sheer desperation to get rid of the Rajapaksa government and savour power, enlisted the support of several foreign powers including India and sold their souls to New Delhi in the process. Now, it is payback time. The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe regime has to make good on their pledges or run the risk of getting a RAW deal from India, which feels insecure vis-à-vis increasing Chinese presence here.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe is apparently engaged in full-time economic hitchhiking internationally. President Maithripala Sirisena is bellowing rhetoric and devising ways and means of preventing the Rajapaksas from making a comeback. The PM, in his wisdom, seems to think Sri Lanka can never achieve economic development as an independent state without paying tribute to India. It was under a UNP-led government that Indian Oil Company (IOC) secured a foothold in the Trincomalee oil tank farm. The UNF administration was also planning to let the IOC acquire more refilling stations at the expense of the CPC’s distribution network, but thankfully it was dislodged in 2004. Thirteen years on, India is apparently trying to achieve its goal.

The PM yesterday assured the CPC trade unions that he would not enter into any agreement with India on the Trinco oil tank farm during his visit to New Delhi. However, he is expected to have talks on, among other things, the controversial Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), which is heavily loaded in favour of India. Sri Lankan professionals including doctors are opposed to the proposed pact, which they say, will only help solve India’s unemployment problem.

The Rajapaksa government blundered by smooching with the dragon and antagonising India. The present regime has sought to appease both India and China by offering them national assets on a platter. What needs to be done is to craft the country’s foreign policy in such a way that no foreign power will have any reason to worry about Trinco or Hambantota or any other area being used against it.

Letting China control the Hambantota Port and India the Trinco oil tank farm will only make this country a battleground of big powers with other strong nations, too, demanding their share of the ports and other strategically important locations here.

It is hoped that the government will honour its pledge to the CPC unions without provoking them into trade union action.

Sri Lankan workers have got something to preen themselves on in time for this year’s May Day. Let the CPC trade unions be congratulated on their successful struggle.