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Let Us Recover From The Socio-Economic Crisis And Avoid Political Disaster

Published

4 years ago

2022/06/19

by Prof. Tissa Vitarana

The economic crisis that is affecting Sri Lanka has reached massive proportions and acquired novel social dimensions that threatens the very fabric of our society. The Foreign Exchange (Forex) Reserve, which averaged around USD 7 to 8 Billion before the crisis, has dropped to a mere USD 50 Million, the lowest figure in our history, as revealed by then Finance Minister Ali Sabry. The resulting dollar scarcity has led to a sharp drop in the import of essentials like fuel (diesel and petrol), LP gas, medicines and food items. This has led to mile long queues of vehicles (cars, buses, lorries, motor bikes and scooters) at petrol sheds, often for several days, and similarly for LP gas at gas stations. The Cooperative (Sathosa) and private megastores, like Cargills, and the retail outlets are empty. The outcome is hunger, starvation, unemployment, frustration and anger. This not only affects the poor 60% but aiso the middle and upper classes of society. But only a few unscrupulous mega rich and a few politicians escape the harassment.

This situation has led to the widespread peaceful protest for well over a month, with Galle Face as the epi-center. But the cruel attack on the protestors originating from Temple Trees (the official residence of the Prime Minister) triggered the outbreak of violence on the 9th of May and it spread country wide. While some of the genuine protestors, specially angry youth, turned violent, it also permitted anti-democratic political forces brought up in the past JVP terrorist tradition to burn and destroy houses and property and attack individuals. This was focused largely on MPs of the SLPP who responded to the call from Temple Trees, though they may not have been involved in the attack on 9th May. For instance the LSSP Chairman of the Balapitiya Pradeshiya Sabha had his house destroyed, though he only responded to the Prime Minister’s call, and as a LSSP member was a supporter of the protestors, and did no harm to them, and took no part in the attack on the peaceful protestors. I only hope that the JVP and its off-shoot the Peratugami Party, whose to unite appears to have failed, will not return to the terrorism of 1971 and 1988/9, which was directed mainly against the progressive forces, not the exploiters or the corrupt. Some SJB supporters too have been implicated.

As everyone knows the global economic crisis is getting worse, and the rich ex-colonial powers like the USA, UK, and France, that became rich by exploiting the Third World countries, are badly affected. The USA which was in the top position of the economic ladder has dropped to the 12th place and China is now at the top. In fact while the Imperialist powers have come down. Asia has shown growth, led by China, Vietnam, South Korea, India and Indonesia. But we must ask why is Sri Lanka near the bottom of the ladder, just above Afghanistan. The ruling class here tries to get away from any blame by putting it on our being a social welfare state. We must have economic development from both the private and government sectors, not poverty.

But successive capitalist governments, mainly led by the UNP in Sri Lanka, have not developed our economy, but followed neoliberal policies which have encouraged imports, including luxury goods, and spendthrift policies, leading to an adverse foreign trade balance. This is the basic cause of us having to go begging for dollar aid from foreign countries. In the absence of a clear national development plan we remain a basically agricultural economy barely achieving self-sufficiency in food at the best of times. Little attention has been paid to become an industrial nation by developing a value added economy, using our agricultural and natural resources. The local capitalist class is content to export tea, rubber, spices etc. in the raw form, as was the case when under British rule. For instance we continue to import tires from Britain where the value addition is done, and they make a huge profit by selling the tires in the world market,(including Sri Lanka). The same applies to our extensive natural resources like graphite and ilmenite, which could be the basis of our own large scale industries. For example by the conversion of graphite into graphene abroad a whole range of industrial products are produced at a great profit, but this is something that we can do in Sri Lanka. The sea around Sri Lanka is a rich source of fish and minerals to develop export industries. With a little effort our tourist industry can easily outstrip the Maldives, as we not only have the attraction of the sea, but also beautiful mountain scenery, well preserved ancient ruins and a rich culture.

In view of the above facts, it is sad to see how our people are suffering. The wrong neoliberal policies of the Ranil Wickremasinghe “Yahapalanaya” government (YG) that aggravated the economic crisis has continued with the SLPP Government and will be strengthened now that Ranil is back as Prime Minister. The departure of the former PM, Mahinda Rajapakse, after the May 9th events paves the way for the USA once again to proceed with the objectives of the MCC and SOFA agreements. The fact is that President Gotabhaya renegaded on his promise to our Group of 41 MPs that broke away from the SLPP in Parliament and formed an Independent Group (IG), which stated that an Interim All Party Government should be formed to restore economic, social and political stability in about 6 to 8 months, and then go for a general election. Instead he made the main enemy of the progressive forces, Ranil, the PM. This is a clear indication that he does not wish to serve our people, but follows the oath he swore when becoming an American citizen to serve the USA and even sacrifice his life for it.

Our country is in grave danger. Our economy and society are on the verge of collapse, and it is questionable whether it is through the implementation of wrong policies by ignorance or by design. At the helm are Gotabhaya as the Executive President, Ranil Wickremasinghe as PM, and Basil Rajapaksa as the leader of the main party forming the Government, the SLPP. They are all committed to serve the USA. Ranil may very well help the USA to achieve the objectives of the MCC and SOFA agreements, which he had agreed to sign when PM in the earlier YG. In brief these agreements would allow the USA to exploit our economy as the British rulers did, and to make Sri Lanka as a whole an American military base. The latter has become necessary after the International Criminal Court (ICC) ruled that the USA should quit its main base, Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean rim, which is on an island that belongs to the country of Mauritius. If these are done Sri Lanka will lose its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. At the end of the Second World War, Japan was forced to allow the USA to establish its military base in Okinawa island. When the women are raped by American soldiers, they cannot be charged in the Japanese Courts of law, but in the Courts of the USA. The final outcome is no or trivial punishment. When this happens to a powerful country like Japan, what will Sri Lanka’s fate be. It is the duty of all who love Sri Lanka to become aware of these dangers and resist all moves that are detrimental to the interest of the nation and all our people.

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ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ departs Colombo

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/12

Priyan

The Italian Naval Vessel ‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ departed the Port of Colombo today, 12 September 2026, after completing a replenishment stop for logistics and services.

During the ship’s stay, the Commanding Officer of ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, Captain Marco GUERRIERO, called on the Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Harsha De Silva, at the Western Naval Command Headquarters.

Members of the visiting crew also toured several tourist attractions across the Colombo area during their port call.

News

Green Climate Fund (GCF) Regional Dialogue for East and South Asia will be held from 14 to 17 September 2026 at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Hotel, Colombo

Published

9 hours ago

2026/09/12

Priyan

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) Regional Dialogue for Eastern and Southern Asia is scheduled to be held from September 14 to 17, 2026, at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, Colombo.

The Dialogue is hosted by the Government of Sri Lanka. The Green Climate Fund is the world’s largest dedicated climate fund established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to assist developing countries in responding to the challenges of climate change.

The Green Climate Fund aims to promote a paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development
pathways by supporting developing countries in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

The Ministry of Environment of Sri Lanka serves as the country’s National Designated Authority for the Green Climate Fund, playing a critical role in coordinating access to climate finance, nominating institutions for accreditation to the Green Climate Fund and approving funding proposals, and ensuring that activities supported by the Green Climate Fund are aligned with national development objectives.

More than 120 delegates from 10 countries are expected to participate. The participating countries are Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, the Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, and Sri Lanka.

Participants will include representatives of National Designated Authorities of the above countries, Direct Access Entities, Accredited Entities, civil society organizations, the private sector, development partners, and technical institutions across the region.

Sri Lanka’s delegation comprises Dr. Dammika Patabendi, Minister of Environment, Anton Jayakody, Deputy Minister of Environment, K.R. Uduwawala, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, and high-level government officials.

The Dialogue will provide a platform to:

Share challenges, experiences, and lessons learned from the implementation of climate change projects and programmes.

Strengthen regional cooperation and partnerships on climate finance.

Discuss the Green Climate Fund’s evolving strategies, policies, and approaches.

Identify opportunities to accelerate climate investments across East and South Asia.

Hosting the Regional Dialogue in Colombo will provide Sri Lanka with an important opportunity to engage with senior government officials, private-sector representatives, development partners, technical experts, and international climate finance institutions.

The event is expected to support Sri Lanka’s efforts to improve access to climate finance and international grants, showcase national climate action initiatives and achievements, and strengthen the country’s engagement with the global climate community.

The Dialogue will also offer a strategic platform for Sri Lankan institutions that have applied for direct accreditation to present their project concepts and engage directly with representatives of the Green Climate Fund. These engagements are expected to support the accreditation process and contribute to the expansion of Sri Lanka’s network of Direct Access Entities through stronger regional partnerships and increased cooperation on climate finance, the Regional Dialogue will
contribute to positioning Sri Lanka as a credible and reliable partner for climate investment.

Projects that Sri Lanka has received funding from this fund are:
• The main projects that Sri Lanka has received support from the Green Climate Fund at present include the Wevu Gam Pubuduwa Project (52.1 USD Million) and the GCF Knuckles Project (49 USD Million).

7.5 USD Million has been allocated from GCF for 5 National Designated Authority Readiness Projects (NDA Readiness Projects) and for the National Adaptation Plan Readiness Project (NAP Readiness Project).

Approval has also been obtained for 3 regional projects. (Cooling Facility Programme, Global Fund for Coral Reef Investment Window, PEEB COOL Programme)

Sri Lanka has also identified 5 project concepts as priority projects for the Green Climate Fund period 2024-2027 and has taken steps to submit those project concepts (Concept Notes) for
approval by the Green Climate Fund.

The “Climate-resilient Fisheries in Sri Lanka” project concept (USD 107.5 million) submitted by DFCC Bank has already received approval.

News

Prof. Pieris says Buddha Dhamma recognised as source of law under Constitution

Published

11 hours ago

2026/09/12

Thilina Walpola

G.L. Peiris

Former Minister and People’s Joint Opposition Convener Prof. G.L. Peiris has challenged the assertion that the Supreme Court’s determination on the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution would be based solely on law and not Buddhist teachings, arguing that such a position is inconsistent with Article 9 of the Constitution and established judicial precedent.

In a special statement, titled “Buddhist Doctrine as a Source of Law in Sri Lanka”, Prof. Peiris has said the issue had arisen during the 22nd Amendment determination proceedings when Ven. Balangoda Kassapa referred to the Buddha Dhamma in his submissions.

According to Prof. Peiris, the Chief Justice responded that the determination would be made on the basis of the law and not Buddhist teachings.

Describing this as a “cavalier dismissal” of the Buddha Dhamma. Prof. Peiris has said it is contrary to Article 9, which gives Buddhism the foremost place and requires the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana.

Full text of the statement: In the 22nd Amendment determination proceedings, Venerable Balangoda Kassapa, in his submissions, made reference to the Buddha Dhamma. His Lordship the Chief Justice, in reply, made the strong assertion that the determination would be made on the basis of the law and not Buddhist teachings. This cavalier dismissal of the Buddha Dhamma is totally inconsistent with Article 9 of the Constitution and its authoritative interpretation in judicial decisions.

I. Authoritative Sri Lankan Judicial Authority A few examples may be cited.

In the Antiquities Amendment Bill, the Supreme Court, in its determination, observed: “The expression Buddha Sasana is wider than Buddhism and includes the entire establishment, together with objects and places of religious practices and worship of Buddhists”.

In Re the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution and the Provincial Councils Bill, 1987 2 Sri Lanka LR 312, Wanasundera J, referring to the term Buddha Sasana, said that it was “a compendious term encompassing all ancient, historic and sacred objects and places which have from ancient times been associated with the religious practices and worship of Sinhala Buddhists”.

It is clear that the Buddha Sasana is not confined to matters of ritual or practice, but includes the substance of Buddhist teachings. This is borne out clearly in other judgments of the Supreme Court.

An explicit example is the determination of the Supreme Court in the Ayurveda Amendment Bill, SCSD, numbers 22-35/2023, where the Court declared: “We hold that Buddha Sasana in Article 9 of the Constitution includes the dhamma, principles and teachings of Buddhism, including in particular recognized and undisputed codifications of the teachings of Lord Buddha”.

There are several other passages in the judgment which offer strong authority on the point.

The Court declared: “We determine that the word Buddha Sasana in Article 9 is a compendious term and includes the entire establishment of Buddhism as defined above. We conclude that the Tripitaka, consisting of the Vinaya Pitaka, the Sutta Pitaka and the Abhidhamma Pitaka, falls within the word Buddha Sasana. Hence the State has a duty inter alia to protect and foster the Tripitaka”.

The Court was uncompromising in its declaration that “While retaining the word Buddhism to denote the religion to which foremost place has been accorded in the Republic, the word Buddha Sasana was used to impose a duty on the State to protect and foster the entire establishment of Buddhism”.

The Court’s approach is very clear from the following passage: “We must proceed to interpret Article 9 of the Constitution on the basis that this change was intentional on the part of the legislature. It was meant to cover an area wider than Buddhism”.

II. International Judicial Authority

There is valuable material in the jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice at The Hague.

Judge C. G. Weeramantry, in his dissenting opinion in the ICJ’s 1996 advisory opinion on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons, said that Buddhism could provide an important humanitarian perspective when considering the legality of nuclear weapons. The judge cited as his source the work by Walpola Rahula, entitled What the Buddha Taught, 1959.

Similarly, Judge Weeramantry, in his separate opinion in the maritime delimitation in the area between Greenland and Jan Mayen case, 1993, commented on the international legal concept of equity. In this connection, he referred to “the elaborately researched concept of fairness and justice in Buddhism”.