Features

Development dilemmas of the South and G20 questions

Published

3 years ago

2023/09/7

President Vladimir Putin with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

With another G20 summit just around the corner, the poorest of poor countries are justified in posing the question to the world community: what’s in the summit for us by way of real development? The apparent inability of the most powerful political personalities among the G20 leadership to close ranks among themselves and project the image of an undivided, united grouping, adds to the urgency of this poser.

One of the most troubling developments in this connection is the reported inability of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend in person the summit to be convened in New Delhi this weekend. Instead, senior state personnel occupying the second tier of leadership of the respective countries are expected to stand in for their leaders. However, such adjustments could hardly rectify the damage caused to G20 unity on account of the absence of the Chinese and Russian Presidents.

The impression cannot be avoided that Realpolitik considerations are at the heart of these tensions within the G20. Issues growing out of the Russian invasion of Ukraine could be said to be further fueling power rivalries between East and West. However, it ought to have been clear to the impartial observer that East and West had got into an increasingly fractious relationship over the past 20 years and more, simply over the question of which power bloc would be exercising decisive power over the international political and economic order.

The latest détente process between East and West came to a close with the advent to power in Russia of Vladmir Putin. To express it concisely, ‘Making Russia great again’ seems to be the overall foreign policy aim of the Putin regime. Russian expansionist aims in the Crimea and the Ukraine, for example, made this quite clear.

The regime’s military overtures in the East European countries mentioned underscored Russia’s aim of reacquiring territory that it perceives to belong to it. In the wake of these developments, the arms race between East and West could be described as only escalating. Thus are compounded the issues between East and West.

The latter bloc has ended some of its major military commitments in the South and South-East Asian theatres, its pull-out from Afghanistan being a case in point, but its current military support for Ukraine, is concrete evidence that the West intends to continue to ‘fight fire with fire’ on the East-West confrontation front. Accordingly, there could be no let-up in the power struggle between East and West.

As is clear, tensions between China and the West are centering mainly on the economic sphere. The unrelenting trade wars between the sides are one proof of this. Of the two Eastern powers, China is the more subtle and sharp one because it realizes that in the final analysis economics drives politics.

Hence, China’s exertions to emerge superior to the US in the bilateral trade and commercial spheres. These realities ought to compel the West to adopt a more nuanced foreign policy approach towards China rather than seeing the latter as succumbing to the cruder pressure tactics adopted by the West towards its international adversaries over the decades.

Amidst these convulsive convolutions in current international politics, the poorest of the poor among Southern states would need to act with marked foresight and foreign policy dexterity. The weakest in the South cannot afford to be seen as aligning excessively with this or that major global power and their connected security formations. As indicated in this column over the past few weeks, they have no choice but to be Non-aligned.

That is, the weakest of the South are obliged to steer clear of these adversarial alliances and follow a policy of being cordial towards all major international actors with a view to acquiring their best economic and security interests. Rather than fall foul of powers that are seen to matter, the weak should view it as mandatory to engage the former in a most trouble-free, diplomatic manner and thereby secure their legitimate interests judiciously. This is Non-alignment in its essence.

At present it is the poorest countries of the world that are suffering the worst economic fallout from ongoing conflicts. The Ukrainian war is foremost among these contributors to the material impoverishment of the South, considering currently soaring food and energy prices. Clearly, given their poverty, the latter states cannot afford to align themselves with feuding big powers of either the East or West because they need the financial and material help of all well-wishers to survive. Thus, Non-alignment best serves Southern interests.

Far from being dead or obsolete, Non-alignment, in the view of this columnist, has come to its own in the present ‘world disorder’. It is relevant to indicate that Non-alignment by any other name, ‘smells as sweet’. Hopefully, there would be no hair-spitting on this score.

India, as the G20 chair, faces the challenge of keeping the formidable formation together. In this exercise it would need to address the self- interest of the states within the G20 fold. While China is handling its relations with the West with a degree of caution and restraint, the same could not be said of Russia which is showing signs of escalating its power struggle with the West in a relatively abrasive fashion.

As this is being written, President Putin has reportedly expressed willingness to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Besides other things, if true, this amounts to Russia aggravating military tensions on the Korean peninsula. If the principle of nuclear non-proliferation comes to be further undermined in the Far East, the observer should not be surprised.

China should consider it obligatory to call on its allies, North Korea and Russia, to see the wisdom of not allowing tensions in the region from getting out of hand. All relevant powers should see it to be in their interests to desist from following an adventurist course in the Far East. The US is as obliged as China to help out in de-escalating military tensions in the region.

To be specific, it is up to Swing States, such as India, to impress on the membership of G20, the importance of keeping in focus the economic wellbeing of the totality of countries. Currently, the conflict in Ukraine is contributing in a major way to keep world food and energy prices on the upswing. Concerted awareness-raising by the likes of India could perhaps convince the major world powers of the need to see an end to the Ukraine conflict by peaceful means and thereby stem rising international economic discontent.

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Features

The hard challenge of clinching a political settlement in the Middle East

Published

8 hours ago

2026/07/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

Bruised hearts: Displaced Palestinian civilians in the Gaza.(Photo by Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Despite some sections of the Trump administration persisting with the view that the possibility could not be entirely ruled out of there being a diplomatic solution to the current US-Iran hostilities in West Asia, the skeptic could not be blamed for thinking otherwise. The intensity, scale and frequency of the tit-for-tat strikes by the antagonists over the past few days against selected military targets and civilian infrastructure in particular in West Asia make the adoption of this stance excusable.

The continuing hostilities render the mentioning of the MOU signed between the warring parties in mid-June a laughable matter. While it could very well be that the foes are wishing privately for a cessation of hostilities before long, what seems to be uppermost on their minds right now is to negotiate with each other from a position of strength. This strategy compels them to incapacitate each other militarily to the extent possible, lest they have to concede too much to each other during negotiations. Hence the stepped-up hostilities.

However, even on the question of there being a negotiated political settlement in the West Asian theatre in the longer term, the skeptic could come to be seen as scoring over the optimist. Developments on the ground account for this.

At the time of writing Israel’s Netanyahu government is going ahead in fairly care-free fashion with the establishment of more Jewish settlements in the Gaza and the West Bank, and it’s all happening under the apparently complacent gaze of the US. In fact, some quarters estimate that Israel is in control of some 65% of the Gaza Strip. Ethnic cleansing, that is, is being drastically stepped-up.

Accordingly, in terms of the power relations of West Asia, the world is almost back to the status quo of the late forties of the last century when the state of Israel was established and the Palestinians were reduced to a microscopic minority in the land they came to inhabit. Therefore, even the impartial observer would be compelled to ask: ‘Will a negotiated peace be ever possible in the Middle East?’

The humanist in the observer would prefer to answer this question in the affirmative and it is indeed the ideal stance to adopt considering the staggering human and material costs of the conflict. But the way ahead to peace could be expected to be highly hazardous and arduous. Among other odds, it would also prove an uphill endeavour to win minds and hearts.

The US’ Trump administration would need to be counted out in this pursuit. This is on account of the fact that it has been far too wayward in its management of West Asian affairs in particular over the past couple of years. Given its unpredictable character it is a matter for conjecture whether it could be counted on to live up to its commitments.

Moreover, Israel could be expected to ‘go it alone’ in the Middle East regardless of whether US help is coming or otherwise. It has indicated as much in recent times and Israel could be doubted on this score only at the doubter’s peril. Because time and again Israel has demonstrated that it could steadfastly defend its interests even single-handedly in the Middle East. History bears this out.

However, a durable alliance with the US would stand Israel in good stead. On the matter of military and intelligence assistance, for example, the US’s help proved invaluable for Israel in the past and going forward this is bound to be so as well. Moreover, it is unlikely that the Trump administration would give up on Israel, considering that a strong Israel is crucial for the furtherance of the US’ strategic and economic interests in West Asia.

But whether the above factors would have a considerable bearing on the question of working out a durable solution to the West Asian tangle is an entirely different matter. Israel, as in the case of the Palestinian enclaves, is acutely security conscious and would need to satisfy itself fully that it could live in a security environment that would guarantee its complete safety, going forward.

The Middle East is badly in need of another peace effort on the lines of the Oslo Accords of the mid-nineties that brought the key actors together and helped hammer out a solution that addressed some of their notable concerns. To be sure, that process did not prove to be the ideal answer to the tangle, but it yielded some respite to the region and drove home that one-time sworn foes could indeed negotiate with a degree of success. The West Bank authority, although falling short of fulfilling some key Palestinian aspirations, is testimony that a degree of success is possible if the intent is right.

Given the current realities of West Asia, peace-making is bound to be an uphill challenge. The violence faced in recent times by the Palestinian community, in particular, has been nothing less than mind-numbing. Merciless has been the violence visited on them by the Israeli side. In such circumstances, durable peace in the region could smack of an idealist’s dream.

Nevertheless, there needs to be urgently, a meeting of minds over the divides. The US would need to be counted out as an honest broker in bringing the sides together but the rest of the West would do well to step up to the challenge.

In this exercise the onus would be on the world’s democracies to take the initiative and doggedly stay the course. An acceptable combination would be the EU and the UN. Given their credentials, the main sides in West Asia ought to find them the least controversial.

Even if the relevant institutional and political arrangements could be shored up to take a reconciliation process forward, winning hearts and minds for the peace drive would prove a grueling challenge. Over the past few years in particular tens of thousands of hearts and minds on both sides of the divide have been bruised badly in the runaway murderous violence that has come to define the Middle East.

These badly scarred personalities would need to experience healing without much delay. It is therefore a multi-faceted challenge that is at hand. Since wide-ranging expertise would be needed in the healing process, people’s participation in peace-making, ranging over the divides, would need to be made a durable reality. It will be a time for enthroning humanity and ensuring the rejection of all forms of violence and coercion.

Features

Amazing Thailand …right here in Colombo

Published

8 hours ago

2026/07/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

For many Sri Lankans, Thailand is the go-to holiday — beaches, temples, food, and that famous warm hospitality.

In fact, I’ve been to Amazing Thailand 24 times myself, and was honoured with the Friends of Thailand International Media Award by the Tourism Authority of Thailand for promoting Thai tourism.

The good news I have for you today is that you don’t even need a passport to get a taste of Amazing Thailand.

The Royal Thai Embassy, in Colombo, is bringing a vibrant slice of Thailand, to the city of Colombo, with Thai Festival 2026 — a cultural experience like never before.

Whether you are an avid enthusiast of Thai culture, a total novice, or simply just interested in exploring foreign cultures, Thai Festival 2026 is going to be the perfect opportunity for you to get more than just a glimpse into one of the most celebrated cultural heritages in South East Asia. And ENTRANCE IS FREE.

The festival will be held on the 1st and 2nd of August, 2026, at Siam Nivasa, 43, C.W.W. Kannangara Mawatha, Colombo 7, and the East Parking Area, of the Colombo Municipal Council, from 11:00am to 5:00pm.

Both days will be full of live entertainment, and dispersed throughout with Thai cultural displays, including exhilarating traditional dance performances and breathtaking Muay Thai demonstrations.

Exploring art and craft specific to Thailand, tasting irresistible authentic Thai cuisine, and playing arcade games, are just a few more fun-filled events available for visitors at the festival premises.

An array of Thai products will also be available for purchase.

While at the festival, you will find Sri Lankan Alumni from Thai universities sharing their experiences with you and willing to answer any questions you might have, related to studying abroad in Thailand.

You can also register for the Muay Thai workshop that will be happening on the 7th and 8th of August, 2026, in Colombo.

Irresistible authentic Thai cuisine

Visitors can also stand a chance to win traditional Thai souvenirs, get exclusive photo opportunities, and, the big one — to enter the raffle draw, at the end of each day, for the grand prize of an all-inclusive round trip to Thailand.

Be sure to avail yourself of this exceptional opportunity and add a cultural spin to your weekend.

To keep up with the latest updates on Thai Festival 2026, head over to the Thai Festival official social media pages.

The Royal Thai Embassy in Colombo official webpage:

https://colombo.thaiembassy.org

Official social media:

Facebook: @RTEColombo

Instagram: @thaiembassysrilanka

Thai Festival official social media:

Facebook: Thai Festival in Colombo

Instagram: @thaifestival_colombo

TikTok: @thaifestival.incolombo

Features

Thicker, stronger hair …

Published

8 hours ago

2026/07/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

Hair fall, in this heat, can be so frustrating, and noticing a thin patch is even more worrying. The good news is … yes, with a little care and kitchen ingredients, you can nourish your scalp and support healthy regrowth.

Try these four easy home remedies … even our grandmothers trusted:

* Coconut Oil and Curry Leaves Tonic:

Warm 04 tablespoons of coconut oil, with a handful of curry leaves, till the leaves turn black. Cool, strain, and massage into scalp 02-03 times a week. Leave for 01 hour, or overnight.

Why:

Coconut oil deeply nourishes, while curry leaves help strengthen roots and add shine.

* Onion Juice for Spot Treatment:

With cotton, dab the juice of 01 small onion, directly on the thin/bald patches. Leave for 20-30 minutes, and then wash with a mild shampoo. Use twice a week.

Why:

Rich in sulfur, onion juice helps boost blood circulation to the scalp.

* Aloe Vera and Castor Oil Mask:

Mix 02 tablespoons of fresh aloe vera gel and 01 tablespoon castor oil and apply to the scalp, focusing on thinning areas. Leave for 45 minutes, and then rinse with cool water.

Why:

Aloe vera soothes the scalp, while castor oil coats hair to make it look thicker.

* Fenugreek and Curd Strengthening Pack:

You will need 02 tablespoons fenugreek seeds, soaked overnight, and 02 tablespoons plain curd.

Grind to a paste, apply to scalp for 30 minutes, and then wash.

Why:

Fenugreek strengthens strands and reduces breakage.

Extra Tips for Healthy Hair:

Avoid tight hairstyles that pull on the scalp.

Eat iron and protein rich foods: greens, dhal, eggs, fish.

Use lukewarm water, not hot.

Be gentle when brushing and drying.