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IS IT TRUE…

06 Nov 2022

  • That incontrovertible camera evidence led to the booking of Minister Amaraweera’s nephew [brother’s son] regarding the mayhem let loose at Yala? However, Yala authorities say that other persons related to politicians and their catchers are also involved and Ministry officials are tardy in going after them. It has now transpired that the Minister’s vehicle had, on an earlier date, knocked down a deer in the sanctuary and a boisterous gang had forced a leopardess and its cubs, who were favourites of regular visitors, to disappear. Anyway, it’s a bad idea to appoint a Minister of Wildlife from Hambantota because local politicians and their kith and kin begin to interfere with the administration of the sanctuary. The large number of jeep drivers, small boutique owners, and hoteliers involved in this much-visited site begin to twist the arms of local politicians, as we saw when an attempt was made some time ago to regulate the jeep drivers who were a law unto themselves. If the President does not step in and address this issue, another tourist site will fall into the hands of thugs and their political sponsors who are only interested in their vote banks. While we are talking of an upsurge of foreign visitors, our popular sites are being taken over by thugs who are only interested in fleecing them.
 
  • That in Sigiriya a similar debacle is in the offing because previous ministers-in-charge have appointed hundreds of their supporters as labourers in the Cultural Triangle? It is said that a daily bus service from Kuliyapitiya brings them from their hometowns to Sigiriya and back. Basic services like toilet facilities and timely issue of tickets are not easily available. The Sigiriya Archaeological Museum, which is an outright gift from Japan, is badly maintained and the display boards are mildewed. The road network is deteriorating. Minister Harin Fernando who has become a globetrotter with his cronies, trying to do what his officials are paid for, should visit these sites and see the damage that is being done daily to our tourist attractions. In the trade, it is an axiom that a satisfied tourist is the best publicity for a destination and no amount of globetrotting is a substitute for a well-managed tourist sector. With the resurgence of tourism, beach boys in southern hot spots have again started to patrol the shoreline, give the middle finger to the Police, and take their complaints to local politicians. This is not a difficult scenario to understand because some of the local politicians have been beach boys themselves.
 
  • That as the investigation into the Priyamali scandal widens in scope, a Buddhist monk – who is accused of dealing with gold bars which the accused lady had promised to deliver to some of her customers as repayment – has been remanded? This appears to be the tip of the iceberg. The ‘modus operandi’ of Priyamali had been to lavishly spend on rituals. She has liberally sponsored poojas not only in temples but also paid for demonic rituals for her well-being. With all that mumbo jumbo, she joins Gnana Akka, Pastor Jerome, and hundreds of shamans who dot this country claiming to heal or bring prosperity to weak characters. In spite of the Aragalaya, Gnana Akka has resumed her trade and Anuradhapura sees many high and mighty people descend like locusts on her shrine room and hotel, which she allegedly had the good fortune [ha ha] to have built by the armed services on the State account. Look out for that red thread on the wrists of her loyal devotees.
  CHINA                                   The recent developments in Beijing should be closely followed by our decision-makers because shifts in leading personalities and policies there have a direct effect on indebted countries like ours. The Party Congress is held once every five years to select its leaders who automatically become the rulers of China. It was a coronation of Xi Jinping, who got an unprecedented third term of office. Leaders like Li Keqiang, the Prime Minister who was in charge of the economy, did not make it to the Politburo.  All indications are that China will aggressively pursue its political and military interests and, as in the case of Taiwan, take a harder line. The machinations of the West in Ukraine and the South China Sea have brought a new consolidation of the fraternal linkages between China and Russia. New combinations of emerging powers like China, Russia, and India have curbed the monopoly of power which marked the 20th century. These countries are now poised for a new technology-based future, which will most likely supersede Western norms and rules which dominated the recent past. For instance, there will be a challenge to Western concepts of human rights and rules of globalisation, leading to a new synthesis in the conceptual sphere.  New members of the Central Committee (CC) like Li Qiang, who is likely to be the next prime minister, are technocrats who are personally loyal to Xi. In our discussions regarding debt forgiveness, China is likely to follow a policy of offering further loans to set off existing liabilities. Zhao Leji, the former Head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, has also made it to the CC, signalling a furthering of Xi’s anti-corruption drive. The day is not far off when our local bribe-takers will be exposed by the new heads of Chinese State corporations which have operated in Sri Lanka.   S.P. TAO   President RW was right to heap praise on the late S.P. Tao at the opening of the Mireka building, which is the latest project of Tao’s Shing Kwan Group. Tao was a longstanding and firm supporter of Sri Lanka. He began his relationship in the days of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, when, as an owner of a shipping line in Singapore, he began supplying the then powerful Food Commissioner’s Department.  A Chinese Christian born in Nanking, he came to Singapore on the invitation of Lee Kuan Yew and was associated with the development of Raffles City. As the owner of a successful shipping company, he helped in the establishment of the Ceylon Shipping Corporation. As a believer in this country’s potential, he invested in two of its biggest construction projects – the World Trade Center and the Havelock City development, which have transformed the Colombo skyline. When the banks were dragging their feet, Tao invested his personal funds to complete these projects, because, as he often said, he had faith in this country’s future. Other urban development projects came to Colombo because of their confidence in SP’s judgement. He spent his funds to promote our industries when he gave a floor in his multi-floored Shanghai Mart to the Board of Investment (BOI) to display our products. Tao had many friends, particularly among the earlier generation of civil servants and ministers. His house near the salubrious Botanic Gardens of Singapore was a haven for many of his Sri Lankan friends, whom he loved to entertain – even to the extent of checking their food preferences before cooking a delicious meal. He died a few years ago at the ripe old age of 105. On his birthdays he wrote to his close friends, celebrating a long friendship. His contribution will not be forgotten by them and it is heartening that his daughter Dr. Mildred and grandson will continue the family tradition of considering Sri Lanka as their special place.   CRICKET As we write, our team in Australia is preparing for their battle with England, which has to be won if we are to remain in contention for the World Cup. The pendulum swung against us during the encounter with New Zealand, when, after a magnificent start during the power play, Pathum Nissanka – who is one of our best fielders – dropped a sitter from an in-form Kiwi batsman, who went on to make a century and win the match for his team. If we had won that encounter and the Kiwis were beaten by England as it happened, we would have, after the victory over Afghanistan, come close to the top of the table and been well on our way to the semis. That is now only a remote possibility. While we were deservedly the winners of the Asia Cup, the World Cup encounter showed many gaps. The most obvious was the deterioration of our ground fielding, which was in stark contrast to our excellent showing in that department in the UAE. Obviously, lack of acclimatisation to Aussie conditions was an important factor. The Indian team spent two weeks practising in those conditions and was better prepared. We had to undertake a difficult travel schedule, which put us at a disadvantage. The batting was erratic, with high scores by Pathum and Kusal Mendis in one match and inconsistency in others. The top order is not reliable and swinging the bat at every ball may be good enough for local club cricket but not for international games. A serious rethink is now due and petty bickering by the administration based on club affiliations must stop.  


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