Merry Christmas Mr Dobbs

At least you can relax and enjoy your Christmas meal in Sri Lanka. Just cancel the GLF if you were planning on retaining it, as you have to leave before it was scheduled to begin.

I presume if one read my previous four posts about the shocking treatment where a long term resident foreigner Mr  Geoffrey Dobbs was denied entry into Sri Lanka, one would have been able to understand why I felt that he was shoddily treated and if we on the one hand encourage foreign investors and then on the other hand don't permit them to come here due to one or more people not liking him and therefore determining him an undesirable, does not lead to any security of investment and intent of a foreigner if the or she invests in Sri Lanka.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/40708-sl-lets-aussie-hotelier-back-in-after-flag-spat.html

There MUST be clear laws and rules in place to deny people we have granted residency, the right to return, as in the future there will be hundreds of thousands of foreign citizens, perhaps Sri Lanka born who will be living here, and to suddenly not permit them nor deport them when all their assets have been brought to Sri Lanka is something that must be clearly stipulated and legislated on, so that there is sufficient protection of these people.

Surely there are many Sri Lankans overseas, and do we mean that they can be suddenly and without warning be turfed out their country of residence. No they cannot without certain legal defenses.
   
I presume the Controller of Immigration read my blog entry and decided he would not like to be held accountable for treachery and relented, albeit on a temporary basis to let him in.

It will be interesting to see where this will end. It is bound to be used as an example to frighten ALL foreign citizens not to criticize the Government in any way to permanently have them refrain from making any comments that MAY be considered a slight against the rulers, even if the foreigner does not realize that is how it is being viewed withing Sri Lanka.

They are definitely NEVER going to enjoy their stay, as they never know if the locals will take anything they say out of context and misunderstand it for a slight, and promptly deport them just because some one took umbrage to something that was said to a three wheeler driver.

So a local can criticize the Govt to a three wheeler driver, but not a foreign citizen. Welcome to "Asiawe Aaschariya"

What right does the Governor of the Southern Province have to make scathing statements about someone who has brought fame to her area?

If the statement attributed to the Governor of the Southern Province (see attached link) is correct: http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/news/sri-lanka-bars-australian-luxury-072418816--spt.html  Then I wonder about if she is suitable to hold that position. If I read the article correct and one should read my two previous blog entries to get a handle on this issue of minor officials adversely affecting the future of Sri Lanka due to a personality defect of theirs.

Do the immigration authorities in Sri Lanka realize what their actions can do to Sri Lanka Investment and progressive growth? This is the second time Geoffrey Dobbs has been refused entry to this country in 5 days, as it builds a case of gross violations of a person’s rights by these actions, however much they personally determine he is undesirable. It is not them who can make that decision.

For someone who has lived in this country for the past 20 years and invested heavily in rough times, it is NO way to treat a foreigner however much of a grudge the Governor has for his flying a flag in front of her mansion to annoy her. She must grow out of this puerile behavior. I earlier held her in much higher regard, but now am forced by her actions if reported correctly describe her no better than a guttersnipe.  

After all it is patriotism we are talking about and it has nothing to do with flags and anthems, more to do with improving the quality of life of people in Sri Lanka. It is time these tin pot airheads realize they are doing this country great harm by their knee-jerk actions.

Sri Lanka is on a growth trajectory with fair treatment of all who reside here, not just those who support the policies of the Govt. as that only reflects a minority in the Country. It is therefore important that the Immigration Department has an immediate series of discussions on how they can weazle themselves out of the decisions they have made, as a result of the incorrect picture placed on this action by the Governor of the Southern Province, who has no legal right to interfere in this sort of issue, and has to be decided according to the law of the land, if it is at all followed.

It is time to make an immediate attempt to resolve this issue with consultation with all relevant bodies, as already alluded to in my previous blog posts.     

The “work in Sri Lanka conference 2013” the question everyone wanted to ask but was afraid to do, as that would have meant deportation!!!

Today the 23^rd of December saw “the work in Sri Lanka” one day seminar at which Ghotabaya Rajapakse amongst others contributed their two cents.

If you read through the Ghotabaya speech - see link: it all sounds very shallow and meaningless if the most important question cannot be properly answered.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/top-story/40638-steps-to-be-taken-to-ease-colombo-traffic-gota.html

None of the foreign citizens will know when they will be deported, as any untoward word uttered even in a three wheeler can lead to this ignominious and in the end disastrous event to anyone who comes to Sri Lanka. Until people can be assured that the Commissioner of Immigration does not act like a Hitler, there is NO point in having this conference! In the end it is Gotas word that counts, and not the law! What law?

If Geoffrey Dobbs can be summarily be prevented from returning to Sri Lanka after living here for 20 years and investing in Sri Lanka, then any lesser mortal with much less at stake is more than likely to be considered dispensable!

So those with foreign passports, that form the majority of those the Govt. wishes to attract for a myriad of reasons, read through my two previous Blog entries, and realize that until we have a real Government in place, and not a bunch of fly by night traitors masquerading as a Govt. your interests are NOT their priority, it is theirs. So you are only here through their grace and favor, and the moment they think, even wrongly that you do not suck up to them, then may God help you!! You all know what that means.

http://workinsrilanka.lk/work-in-sri-lanka-conference-2013-agenda/

Therefore until there is a Govt. with checks and balances, where there is freedom of speech and expression, and the rule of law equal to all, it is not a proposition to leave your comfortable surroundings and risk all for a dubious benefit, in a land where people are still queuing up to find a boat to Australia, despite all the notices by the Australians that they will be sent right back!

God knows we need all of your support and input to take this country to the next level. Sadly with the current drivers of the helm who are bogged down in their own excrement, unable to raise up from the international allegations against them, we will not be able to secure that. Without them we can definitely reach that goal, so bide your time a little to see the back of this treachery.     

Another case of NOBODIES trying to be SOMEBODIES without a clue as to the repercussions of their action!

The knee -jerk morons in Sri Lanka public life don’t realize that every action has a reaction and that reaction can far outweigh their petty personal backlash. This is clearly illustrated in the case of the non granting of a visa to Geoffrey Dobbs a long term investor in the Sri Lanka tourism industry, over a dubious three wheeler driver’s word, of threats to the President’s person, a daily commonality, in a Banana Republic.

 http://www.sundaytimes.lk/131222/news/geoffrey-dobbs-not-allowed-to-enter-country-again-says-immigration-chief-77479.html  

He kept Sri Lanka on the map to well healed tourists when no one else was coming to SL during the height to the troubles. Then he was instrumental in adding to that with the GLF (Galle Literary Festival) and he had immensely valuable ideas on developing this industry, to say nothing of Tsunami relief.

http://www.jestforkicks.blogspot.com/2013/12/christmas-recipe-how-to-make-banana.html

However legitimate a reason there was to keep him out he MUST have due process, as otherwise we will have no tourists, inward investors or long term overseas residents who would contribute at least 3% points to the annual growth of the SL economy. If there is no due process there will be no one who wishes to come here to live and bring their assets here.

Of course I don’t expect people with no foresight like the Commissioner General of Immigration, Chulananda Perera or Kumari Balasuriya, the Southern Province Gov. to grasp these intricate points as it regards to the development of the Country, a fault of our education system in producing morons.

The Govt is trying desperately to fast forward growth and it is the same Govt that is trying desperately to prevent it from happening. So they are schizophrenic. Let me explain.

Sri Lanka finds it hard to grow its exports, as the Govt. has caboshed that by encouraging import substitution, which any economist will say stifles export growth by artificially keeping the exchange rate high which contributes to a slower growth rate. So in the same schizophrenic vein, they are trying to encourage inward investment and are by their actions preventing it.

It is now estimated that there are 75,000 elderly couples(of a total exile population of 750,000 couples 55 or over) of Sri Lanka origin who hold foreign passports, who are willing to bring in at least US$500,000 of their savings to SL in addition to their pensions to live their twilight years in comfort. There is a huge effort to attract these people from the first world to return.

When there is NO due process and whims of Neanderthals prevail, as shown in the Geoffrey Dobbs case, there is no way in hell of these people willing to risk their hard earned money on a luxury apartment in Colombo, when they can be deported because someone is peeved!! It is as simple as that.

So this US$37.5Billion, equivalent to what our whole country’s GNP p.a has been aborted due to the actions of NOBODIES trying to be SOMEBODIES, and I bet they don’t understand that either. Not only that the monthly remittance of their average monthly pensions of US$1000 minimum a couple, or US$75M a month is also out of the question now.

Think how much this sum could do to the economy. It is Very very sad that only someone of foresight such as the opposition leader, Ranil Wickremasinghe was able to mention this in Parliament on Friday the 20^th of December, which completely passed through the morons and imbeciles who claim to rule over us.

http://www.ft.lk/2013/12/21/galle-lit-fest-founder-and-top-southern-businessman-denied-entry-to-lanka-ranil/

There are intelligent people in Sri Lanka. Give them a chance to rule and we will notice the improvement to our quality and standard of living. Leaving it to this mob to continue this destruction of all potential, and is a recipe to a slow disaster. We will end up like Amin’s Uganda and Mugabe’s Zimbabwe. 

The Government MUST have a strategy that is congruent, when it makes statements of intent. When it behaves in this silly, pathetic, envious and irrational way where there is no freedom of expression, then the result is that all their best laid out plans are thrown out of the window, by one action of a cretin.

All those referred to in derogatory terms will be able to absolve themselves from blame if they admit they made a mistake and right the wrong. However, misplaced pride prevents this, and so 20M Sri Lankans are affected by their actions, in this case adversely!!

History will NO doubt judge them, but at what cost to the development of Sri Lanka and its people? In the end it is a cut your nose to spite your face situation, because it is some of the very same Govt. thugs who own some of the businesses that are building these condominium complexes that will be readily snapped up by the 75,000 couples I mentioned above. 

However as a testament to their ignorance they cannot connect the two incidents as one and the same thing! IT IS TIME WE PUT COUNTRY FIRST BEFORE SELF.

SADLY THE PRESIDENT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THIS, as if he did these tin pot NOBODIES will end in the gallows, which is the fate of traitors.            

The Case of Geoffrey Dobbs – another misguided decision

It was reported that Geoffrey Dobbs a British/Australian investor in Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, was upset that the Australian Flag was flown upside down. He had reported it to the Governor of the Southern Province, Kumari Balasuriya, who had NOT done anything about it, and then he deliberately put the Sri Lanka Flag upside down, for which he was reported, and deported!

Any pea brained idiot in Sri Lanka will realize that what he did was to show how one would feel if one’s own flag was incorrectly positioned, as no one took notice of it until he wanted them to understand how he felt. To deport a man for that is unconscionable in any country, as the reasons were quite clear, because in Sri Lanka people are NOT sensitive to how others feel, only selfish for themselves. That was clearly demonstrated in this action. I also understand that after CHOGM he had attempted to return to Sri Lanka where he has assets and business interests and was refused entry.

Sri Lankans by and large were unsympathetic to his cause, and I must reiterate that I DO NOT know the man nor have I met him, nor has anyone he knows even egged me to write this blog article. It is purely mine from what I know of the man and of his businesses and my personal experience.

He was also instrumental and was the visionary behind the Galle Literary Festival, which did not happen in 2013, ostensibly because Geoffrey was ill, and there was no one who was capable of deputizing, and it looks like a no show this year too for 2014, as it is obvious GD is persona non Grata!

If that were a black mark on the SL tourism industry it would be one thing, however, the envy and jealousy of our local tour operators and tourism professionals to foreigners is definitely playing a part in this action.

Geoffrey unlike most of our local hot shot tourism ‘grandes’ really understands what it takes to attract high end tourists to Sri Lanka. I was fortunate to visit his high end boutique hotels at the height of the LTTE wars, and at all times his small and exquisite hotels were FULL and brimming with well healed tourists, who just stayed at his place and relaxed, not travelling around the country. He therefore was able to cash in on these clients, get repeat clients and get recommendations from satisfied clients, without resorting to a huge marketing spend, and keep his places full, and at US$400, a night THEN as in 10 years or more ago! Something unheard of and not done by our local operators.

Like all Aussies he was probably a little brash, and was able to keep some of the income overseas when bookings were made on line on overseas cards and payment gateways when local ones were not available.

It is this envy in wanting to put down a successful entrepreneur and I suspect the greed amongst some local wanna bes in Govt who want to get their dirty paws on some of his properties, is what may be driving this harassment.

Sri Lankan tour operators have NO clue in how to market Sri Lanka. They DO NOT know how to attract FIT travelers (independent US$1000 a day spenders) and provide the value services, which ensure repeats and recommendations. I have been to enough soirées in Western Capitals to know how dinner table conversations turn to where have you been on holiday this year? It is purely on recommendation that these wealthy travelers who can go anywhere they please choose their travel destination.

I remember some very famous names who stayed in Dobbs hotels, who were in the top of their fields, be it in politics, business, arts or academia, and who enjoyed the anonymity at his places, to stay there in the height of the LTTE battles. What a one up-man-ship for them to say they were in Sri Lanka last week for a relaxed ten days, when the news is all about war!

Like all of us GD may have had faults, which led people to dislike him, but as far as his service to Sri Lanka especially during the worst of our times there is NO dispute. This is NO way to treat a foreigner and I am sure a huge drawback to our tourist industry, because through the contacts that Dobbs made over the years, we may lose foreign investment in tourism as well as high spending tourists. It is therefore a great loss, and those answerable are those in the top of Govt in SL today, who are possibly the worst traitors of Sri Lanka who would rather the country suffer to satisfy their envy and greed. We must first decide if we want any foreigners in Sri Lanka, as if we do, we must know how to treat them. If we don;t that is fine too, but let it be done with transparency and not at the whim and fancy of some debauched bureaucrat or politician.

Remember, however much the LTTE were terrorists, they were Sri Lankan citizens who fought for land in Sri Lanka, not in buying up property overseas or fattening bank accounts in Switzerland, that all at the top engage in today. So the ruthless terrorists of today don’t give a rat’s ass for their country and would sell their mothers to the highest bidder, have no love for Sri Lanka, and are in the process of milking whatever potential we have in Sri Lanka. 

I am sorry Geoffrey there is nothing I can do for you, just point out the anomalous and irony of life we lead in this Banana Republic. If you were our tourism adviser with teeth, we could be at the top of the game today, as none of our jokers have any vision of our potential. It is only high end tourism that will be of value in Sri Lanka. How many rich Indians do you think will fly in to SL in their private jets if we permitted them to fly direct to our provincial airports? 

It is not 2.5M el cheapos that screw the hotels with low ball block rates, that are being constructed like monstrosities to pollute our skyline that we need. We have 200,000 beauty spots in Sri Lanka and if we have a small boutique hotel in about 5,000 of these places that is enough to bring in a minimum of US$5B in tourism, where there are 10 well trained and very well paid staff to serve each and every individual tourist. Today any well trained staff in this industry go overseas as the remuneration cannot be matched here. We therefore only offer third class service in our so called 5 star hotels. Trust me I know.

I have yet to be greeted, treated and served promptly and cordially and with respect by senior staff at these supposedly top end Hotels! I am not white by the way and so does that count against me?

I digressed a little, but I trust the reader gets the point of what I am trying to say.                  

The Kenyan safari was a wasted junket – costing the taxpayer US$1700 per night for just one person, and that is for the crew on the aircraft as well!

The apparent dishonor brought on Sri Lanka by the President visiting South Africa for the Mandela Memorial, was further exacerbated by the uninvited visit of a huge delegation of hangers-on including a snatched Sri Lankan Airlines plane at state’s expense to Nairobi.

The 40 to 50 strong delegation (only 4 needed max) to buy loyalty staying at the Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi where the normal Business Suite costs US$1,700 just for B&B is a travesty of unimaginable proportions.  https://secure.kempinski.com/KINBO1/en/choose_room.html

Any fool will tell you that this was a hastily organized trip, and not planned at all. Firstly let me say that any President worth his self respect WILL NOT go to a country less than a month after their President snubbed the CHOGM, and sent the Foreign Minister instead. I found that surprising too! So it came as a shock to the Kenyan authorities that the Sri Lankans wanted a Presidential visit at the time they were celebrating 50 years of Independence and could not be bothered with a Sri Lankan state visit as they had their hands full with the terrorist threats and many African Heads of State arriving for the celebrations.

LET ME CLEARLY STATE that Sri Lanka was NOT invited by Kenya and it took a while for the Kenyan authorities to OK the trip not wanting to offend the Sri Lankans!  Just ask the senior official in the Kenyan Foreign Ministry who was tasked in the end to sort the mess.

All the official duties were hurried affairs, each and every one. The UN compound in Nairobi is only the second largest of UN compounds holding many UN Agencies. The visits there too were brief impromptu affairs, just to fool the public in Sri Lanka, and so was the tree planting in that compound.

Proof of the chaos can only be further evidenced, as there is no currently serving Ambassador in Nairobi. There are hardly any staff in the Embassy TO ORGANIZE THIS hurried visit and the official meetings with the Kenyan Govt. were just photo opportunities for the Sri Lankan papers and TV to show that the President is in fact on an official trip. The 8 agreements signed were ALL nebulous, not worth the paper it was written on. The Kenyans were peeved when SL offered to help with counter terrorism, citing the defeat of the LTTE as proof!!  No time was spent at these meetings, just check it from the Kenyans.

To add insult to injury, the Kenyans were forced to throw an impromptu state banquet in the President’s honor, and they showed their disgust by the style of the banquet. Anyone of our delegation who went can corroborate that it was quite a non event, with BOTH Presidents and first ladies on a small round table no different to the other guests at the dinner!

The real purpose was to go on a safari to the Masai Mara at huge expense where it costs about US$1,000 per head per day. The cost of the whole junket is estimated at US$2M including the use of the aircraft and opportunity cost of a plane. This Rs260M for 4 days is NOT justified as nothing came out of it, of any benefit to Sri Lanka. It may have been the first official visit of a Sri Lanka Head of State to Kenya, but what a way to do it, without even an Ambassador!

Kshenuka Seneviratne, what were you thinking when you hopped on the plane for the joy ride?  Protocol was not followed either, and when you finally get called to account for this when a future investigation is made, do not plead ignorance like you were asked to come, or that you did not know who was authorizing the unconscionable expenditure. I have the bill from the dinner at the Italian Restaurant at the Kempinski where the free loaders had dinner on the day after  and I do know none of the delegates knew what they ate.

Just ask the Buddhist priest at the Vihare where the President went to meet with Sri Lankans. He did not meet with any of the waiting throng of garment workers or other Sri Lankans, he just did his Ayubowan trick and sped off. Ask the Priest how long he spent in the Vihare? Not even a minutes thank you!

Just remember everything has just become a photo opportunity for the local gallery and it is all bogus, as the real extravagance, the cost of the trip, and the wasted resources of the people’s money by all of these people’s servants could easily have been more efficiently spent, and more productive output achieved if this trip was properly planned for the benefit of the Country, and NOT for the trippers who participated at state expense.

Sri Lankan delegations are creating a bad name for wasting the Country’s resources, and like the last visit to Tanzania, at the time Obama was also in the area earlier this year, that was another junket of massively expensive proportions, with nothing achieved again.

It is clear that the ANC would only prefer to see LTTE representatives at Mandela’s funeral as they helped train the LTTE, and so they invited a GTF person from London. Remember it was ONLY the TNA that was invited for the ANC centenary celebrations in South Africa. What is our Govt. playing at?            

Unwilling to toe the line - cast them away - the UNP meeting in Kegalle on 14th Dec 2013

Yesterday at the Kegalle District Balamandela meeting to introduce the Chairman of the new UNP Leadership Council, the host Kabir Hashim MP the Chairman of the UNP, and also a member of the Leadership Council invited all stalwart UNPers which included all the elected UNP members of the various Kegalle District Pradeshiya Sabhas, Provincial Council and sitting MPs.

The purpose was an exchange of ideas amongst active UNPers, a continuing series of meetings around the Country, (Sunday will be in Kalutara) to get feedback from the grass roots active supporters and gauge their concerns and expectations, so that a consensus can be reached on the way forward to make a detailed plan to win the people of Sri Lanka over to UNP.

The venue was at Kabir’s hill top estate bungalow, which is about 3km from the main Colombo Kandy road inside his sprawling, Tea, Rubber and Cinnamon Estate. It was an invitation only event, and the press was not present.

There was the Ven Girambe Ananda Thera who was instrumental in the set up of this Council, to take over the power of the Opposition Leader into the hands of the Leadership Council partly due to the pressure from the rank and file UNPers for change, and also from the Sajith faction who was gunning for Ranil and did not want him in any position. People ask why is the Buddhist Clergy getting involved in politics, but in their opinion, the UNP faction of priests who can clearly see the anti Buddhist actions of the Government in the name of Buddhism, wished to see a more rational Buddhist approach to Government and believe it is only the intelligent UNP that can bring it about, following the true precepts of Buddhism, and there they DO have a point.

I digress, as the main point of meeting the people’s representatives in Kegalle is to find out at the grassroots level, what the party needs to do to return to power. Of course the impediments to this must also be rationally discussed.

Not unexpectedly there were a bunch of die hard Sajith loyalists amongst some PS members who directly accused the Council of not including SP in their group, and that he should be brought in and be given a leadership position in keeping with his purported popularity amongst the grassroots level.

Unfortunately the character of Sajith attracts a side of UNP support that few people can stomach, as their rationale is mainly irrational and not logical.

We are looking for leaders here, not followers! So in Sajith’s hardworking character, we have one who believes strongly that by somehow scrounging Rs50,000 from a friend or an unsuspecting follower, and then coming to a village temple and donating it for the well being of the temple, that the accompanying UNP pradeshiya sabha members and other seniors would believe that this strategy will endear him first to the local politicians (which it does, as it is an opportunity for them to show their rank and filers that a leader came to their village, and gain credit for inviting him to their temple and providing the strength) secondly to the rank and file, and thirdly to the floating voter who sees a UNP senior in their midst, the most important component which it does NOT.

Whilst there is some truth in this it is merely temporary, cynical, and personality building and NOT party building. It is HIS foundation that he is promoting, making a speech, forcing his contacts in all newspapers to put it in so people can see that he is giving a sound bite and carries on as a loner, WITHOUT an inclusive party platform. The press exposure has now backfired.

If one analyses the speeches he gives, whilst appealing to the gallery about another  Premadasa era, these people DO NOT KNOW and cannot remember what the real Premadasa era consisted of. Only the Rajapakse era has contributed to more untimely deaths of Sri Lankan citizens than the Premadasa era. Then if one analyses the pulling power for voters, there is NO dispute when comparisons are made of the two appealing to the masses that a Rajapakse will beat a Premadasa anytime hands down.

In short these local councilors, who Sajith cultivates together with the caste vote, are taken up by this clever ploy, believing this is the answer to the UNP crisis. If common sense prevails it is someone like Girambe Ananda who whilst not in the thick of the political intrigues of the UNP who can see the wood from the trees, and included Thalatha and Sajith in the Leadership Council to strengthen the party, as the party needs ALL not just Sajith. Let us not forget that there are more people opposed to Sajith than Ranil, and so he is NOT the sole answer to the UNP prayers either.

It was therefore not surprising that Girambe Ananda Thero patiently tried to explain that their Sajith who was included in the Council, is still welcome, and it was him who dissuaded Thalatha from also joining, but now the 7 remaining members are the Lucky 7 who can guide the party through to the next election, if the rest of the objectors toe the line, as their Sajith has clearly demonstrated that he lacks a collective brain, and wants to dominate, just like the opposite number, and therefore DOES not present the answer to the UNP crisis.

By the time the discussion ended, some saw the truth in his statement, and let us hope they can reflect on this, and come to the conclusion that by his actions, a potential leader of the UNP has consigned himself to the dustbin of history.           

It is time we take a cue from Mandela before it is too late – hanging on too long!

Let us not forget: Nelson Mandela who was elected to the Presidency of South Africa after a long period of struggle for equality for all, resigned from Office, or did not seek re-election, when he felt it was time to go, at the height of his fame.

      https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/unlike-many-others-mandela-did-not-want-to-be-president-for-life-lawyers-collective/

In my opinion, it was downhill all the way as NO ONE could emulate him or at least come close to him, and have debased the Presidency to such an extent that the Present President was unceremoniously BOOED by the crowd at Mandela’s Memorial – Celebration of an uncommon life. If he remained President for life South Africa may have gone to greater heights!   

In Sri Lanka’s case we have LOST the unique opportunity to UNITE due to the lack of vision of our President, unlike Mandela, and worse his desire to be President till whenever he wants, by removing term limits, destines Sri Lanka to the cess pit of degradation. It is clear as daylight how this contrast has affected Sri Lanka domestically by divisive policies, and Internationally as a pariah state of lawlessness and there is ONLY one person who MUST take all the blame.

Only he can get us out of this or put us into it! the lost opportunities become more apparent as each day passes, and it is clear that the Ruler does not get it, as the climb up the greasy pole all these years has firmed the desire to stay at the top, a classic historic characterization of ruthless dictators. In Sri Lanka’s case we only have to look at Premadasa, who would have turned into one had he lived.

The pathetic lonely figure of our President at this Memorial, should be a reminder to him and all in Sri Lanka that he is not someone who is a statesman. It is the duty of all citizens to stop fawning and being sycophantic as that further entrenches unnatural behavior bordering on the insane. That too is only too apparent in history. If he wants history to give him the benefit of the doubt, he must leave office when his term expires and go into graceful retirement, then maybe there might even be a couple of leaders or ex leaders at his memorial. Otherwise there is a fat chance of there being none, as all other dictators who one associated with may have pre-deceased him, and we are already seeing evidence of that. So please heed this and get out while the going is still good! 

Sri Lanka is not one person, it is a great country with great people, don’t kill it! 

The ‘treachery’ of the Government is further exposed! I am ashamed

I would like to believe that I am truly concerned about the well being of all the Citizens of Sri Lanka and have dedicated the rest of my life to further that cause at the expense of personal safety, luxury, entitlements whether due or demanded or happiness, and am daily pointing out the incongruity of life that affects this well being.

This was bared again yesterday in Parliament, when Sumanthiran MP representing the TNA faction in house, said that the Law was not followed in the appointment of the new DIG for the Northern Province. Pujitha Jayasundera. He was appointed to this post WITHOUT consultation of the Chief Minister of that Province, and this was pointed out in Parliament. 

Why can’t this Govt. follow the law of the land? The Ministers constantly remind the House, when the Opposition attack them, that they are following the law!! The Law or the relevant statute clearly says that the senior Police appointments be done with Consultation with the Chief Minister and Governor of the related Province. Why was this not done? Is Wignesweran not worthy of this procedure? Let us not forget that when the Govt. acts outside the Law of the land it is Treachery. So who is guilty of treachery? Will his or her head roll? Either in reality or metaphorically? It should. Where is the resignation? IGP!

So there you have it. Another case of Treachery by an unpatriotic murderous Govt. Why does evidence of treachery occur everyday and nothing done about it? Simply because treachery by the Govt. and all its constituents from the Top to the lowly individual being treasonous on its behalf are “NOT accountable”, and every one not in this catchment ARE!!!

Simply put, this is the problem of the Country, where the Traitors get off scott free and the Patriots who really love Sri Lanka are branded traitors. That is the tragedy of Sri Lanka today.

The thugs and low life and the underworld who really rule Sri Lanka today, do not know the law, as the other Chief Ministers of other Provinces are either in this category, or at least they DO NOT KNOW THE LAW. We know in law that ignorance of the law is no excuse (you cannot say that you did not know that killing someone was a crime!)

I guess the Police Chief did not know the Law – I am not surprised! Are you? 

This is what happens when most in the Police force disregard the law as something that does NOT apply to them and to their sponsors in Govt be it local or National  and therefore act ULTRA VIRES.

Until the Rule of Law is applicable to all equally we are in a Banana Republic ruled by a Red Banana!            

What happened in North Korea is quite likely to happen in SL too!!

The Pontificating ruling politicians who think no end of themselves, in Sri Lanka, must realize that they are only a heartbeat away from the same fate that befell the second in command in North Korea, when he fell foul of the leader.    

This poor guy Jang Song the Uncle of the Leader, was just removed in full public view and executed soon after. (we have no idea if he was tortured to give out the secrets, if any, he held – about who else had access to the regime’s dirty secrets)  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/north-korea-executes-kim-jong-uns-powerful-uncle-jang-song-thaek-9001737.html

When leaders get too powerful, and when absolute power corrupts, those holding some of the evidence of the corruption, who are suspected even slightly of disloyalty in Sri Lanka can get the same treatment, albeit in Sri Lankan style of white van abductions, and a body discovered. It is a sobering thought that this could happen to the closest confidants or even family members, if they are felt to be a threat to the process of authoritarianism.

I am sure we probably have ALL the Ministers in SL quavering not knowing if they will be able to skip town in case of such a pogrom, but they will not realize that till after it happens, as the surprise is the best form of defense (of absolute power) in this instance.  

If history is any guide this is the end result of our type of government, the only question being how soon this will happen. It is only inevitable that the dissent now in private against the regime, will manifest itself in public, and to dissuade others from joining what more frightening method than a notable personage being destroyed right from the pedestal that they have got up to, if they raise the ire of the Ruler. 

This is the classic method as history shows to get rid of threats to power of those who intend to be immortal, not realizing their mortality, and that those who usurp power to totalitarian leanings can only fall. The height of the fall is only limited to how high one wants to go in usurping authority!

If only our leaders realize that their lack of knowledge of history is one where they can remain in total ignorance, not knowing that the fate that will befall them cannot be prevented, by resorting to the occult or horoscope. The latter message as always is wrongly interpreted by those who only wish to believe what they want.                  

Big Fat Mamas in the Ministry of Women’s Affairs are MASS MURDERERS – Why no mention in the Budget debate on 9th Dec?

Yesterday’s budget debate on the vote on the Ministry of Women’s and Children’s Affairs talked about everything to do with women, but not about the actual goings on in the Ministry of Women’s Affairs itself, leading to murder. It is not just about he money allocated to the Ministry, it is whether the Ministry itself has a capable administrative structure to carry out the duties of the Govt. that are assigned to the Ministry, and it is in this context that I make these serious allegations. 

None of the participants in the debate SAID ANYTHING we do not know. It was just the good old boring stuff, as to why we must protect our women and children. No real stirring stuff from either side. The UNP was represented by a phalanx of women in the form of Rosy, Thalatha, Anoma and Chandrani. The Govt. has NO equivalent and should be ashamed of themselves as they only have a sycophant in the form of Pavithradevi who is really in want of good **** to straighten her up to see sense in her particular department. Poor Sumedha who did have the job is now only in charge of a tiny department of distributing the MPs Photocopiers when it is time to, and car permits and that sort of stuff. Tissa Karaliyadda the Minister is so ineffective that he is worse than incompetent as HE DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO TACKLE THE BATTLEAXES IN HIS MINISTRY.

So to get to the point, the biggest problem with the Ministry, who have a huge responsibility to safeguard the rights of women and children in Sri Lanka that form 70% of the population, is that the Big Fat Mamas in the Ministry in the form of the various secretaries DO NOT ALLOW the Ministry to be effective as their incompetence will be shown to the world and stand out!!

So what do I mean? Just to take one of many similar examples, UNICEF Sri Lanka have spent a lot of money and done various studies on Children related issues of concern, and have put forward proposals to the Ministry along with the funding on how it should be implemented. These Fat Mamas have shelved them, as they are too incompetent to implement, not knowing one end of the pencil from the other. They are political appointees who have NO IDEA what their job entails and so by not implementing they have become “mass murderers.”  YES MASS MURDERERS

WHY? One is guilty of crimes of commission and of omission. It is the latter murder they are guilty of. If they implement the numerous recommendations of UNICEF and other bodies, the deaths of many children, mothers and women in general can be avoided along with suicide of women. I therefore accuse you and you know who you are, of these 100’s of deaths. It is time someone axed them!!  

It is time for an investigative team to (from say the Media) to get to the bottom of this revelation and point the finger at the incompetents and name and shame them, so they resign and allow the very capable people to take over and implement all  the hundreds of recommendations that are just lying in shelves due to the bloody mindedness of bureaucrats who have deliberately shelved them, as they prefer to highlight their ignorance by NOT WORKING.         

The big milk powder scams – cause and effect!

WE MUST determine if it is the Government’s duty to authorize prices for essentials!  Free market will not result in shortages, and may reduce prices.

Taking the milk powder issue as an example, the large distributors of Milk Powder have asked for an increase in the retail price of powder by Rs250/Kg. That works out to more than Rs100 per 400g pack, an absolutely humongous increase. They are playing a game of poker with the Govt. with heads you win! tails you win also!

Apparently with this increase they have created a shortage in the market, and today, a consignment of Rs80M worth of Milk Powder was discovered in a warehouse, with the Govt. maintaining it was purposely hidden from the Consumer. It would be interesting to see the outcome of this as the Consumer Authority seized this. Does it mean they confiscated this?

Have they released it to the market, and received payment for it? There are unanswered questions here, and as usual the public are misled as to the mechanics of the raid, and the real outcome of this detection. Johnston Fernando’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs claims it to be one of their successes. Doe the proceeds from this go to Johnston?

This lack of accountability as to what happens to the milk powder once seized is part of the conspiracy that is never questioned nor answered.

It could have been a set up deliberately to give Johnston some publicity, with the owner of the powder then being able to claim a LOSS in his books and then pay NO tax in his company as it is a definite loss of stock.

Then he shares the proceeds with Johnny and both become rich from the deal, all the time the Govt. in the form of lost tax, (the whole value of the seized powder will be set off against profits!) and both Johnny and Owner share the spoils. Great way for him to curry favor with Johnny and for him not to lose any money either, as he retains what he would have paid in tax from the proceeds.

In this way the people of Sri Lanka instead of believing that they have been saved from the errant trader have actually been fleeced, with loss of taxation to the treasury.

This is an example of how the people of Sri Lanka are being fooled by wily and unscrupulous business men and Governing politicians. 

So LOOK OUT!!! What you hear is not all that it is made out to be, it is completely the reverse. 

Sri Lanka as a country has the most devious people in the world, when it comes to benefiting from the ignorance of the people. The Politicians, as of now it is the Government of the day is out to take us for a right royal ride, and the population permits it with overwhelming votes.   

Police Killing or Unjustifiable Murder – the latest 3 killings in the South?

A brilliant constable, Weligama Liyanarachchige Sunil, who joined the STF and then later transferred to the Prevention of Corruption Unit of Matara Police Division, was brutally murdered in his bed along with his wife, Apsara by a gang of at least four, one of whom was identified as Katayam Chinthaka a neighbor and an underworld gangster.

One of the gang Sumith Priyadarshana (an ex-commando of the Sri Lanka Army) was arrested and admitted involvement in the murder. The police reported he was shot dead when attacking the police when they were taken to show where the arms were hidden. Then today, two more of the suspects were reported killed in the early hours of the morning, when they jumped into the Denagama river, whilst trying to escape from Police custody! The police said the two suspects jumped into the river after they were taken to a hideout in search of weapons said to have been hidden by them!!!!  

The heinous crime of the double killing must be properly solved and accused found guilty, and punished to the full extent of the law. It is a capital crime and if guilty warrant the death sentence.

What actually happened I cannot say for certain but follows a typical pattern put out by the police. I wish they could be a little bit more imaginative on how they describe the killings!

The standard explanation when police kill suspects is to say they were shot whilst struggling with the police when taken to show where the weapons were hidden.

Why do the police kill suspects? Sri Lankans do not make a hue and cry about it as murderers get their just deserts and that is part of the karuma of living, paying the price for our sins. This punitive justice is what we are known the world over for and is part of why there is a case in the HR courts and why the world is also after us.

The more sinister reason though is that the big Kahuna behind the drug peddling and murders is free or will not face justice and the lord of the Drug Peddling in the South gets Police protection. Why? There is no trial to point out who and why the killing took place, as the suspects are now dead! period. The police killer gets killed by the police, and that is all they want.

The Budget Farce! – Captains of Industry don’t want to rock the gravy train.

Yesterday's Budget seminar at the Kingsbury Hotel, where the Whos who of Colombo were present, was a total and unadulterated non event. It is embarrassing to even hear the Big Boys being so sycophantic, if it was true! They only think about their survival, without thinking about the Country's survival. In short the budget was ZILCH!

No mention was made about the benefit that this country receives from over US$10B from remittances of workers, as that figure is grossly discounted in official figures. The Growth rate is purely attributable to this and NOTHING in the budget will add to that growth which is already discounted. If we had NO budget the growth will be higher.

If anyone including Koshi Mathai of the IMF continue to say this is a great budget they are all eating out of the Govt. gravy train and don’t want to rock it. Yes even that paragon of virtue Koshi, who seems to want to live here forever, as it is just too good to leave. Nowhere in the world in future, will he be called to address so many important gatherings, and no where will he ever feel so important, so why not praise your hosts? Just good sense, if it want for the fact that the public are taken for a ride. The IMF is being scammed by this person.

The budget is a rich man’s budget where even the rumor of a WEALTH TAX did not materialize, as it was shot down before it even made it to the Speech by whom BUT THE VERY WEALTHY. So they paid the Govt. back handsomely by PRAISING this budget. So it is dog eat dog, or let us all share the spoils! I hear behind closed doors they argued furiously that it would be a disincentive to investment, and will encourage capital flight. THERE IS NO BASIS FOR THAT. 

Let us list some of the glaring issues.

1   The percent of public expenditure paid out of direct income taxes is one of the lowest in the world. The RICH MUST be brought into the income tax bracket even if they are not charged a wealth tax. It is easily done, we know who the 50,000 who do not pay taxes are, they don't even have a tax file, but they travel in Rs30M + cars and sport utes. 

2    The indirect tax burden on the poor on basic food stuffs, (Rs30 on a Kg of Sugar) is the highest in the world, making our poor Sri Lankans one of the highest consumption taxed people on earth. The man who earns and spends 75% of his Rs 20,000 monthly income (US$150) on food for his family and mobile phone pays 15% of this gross in taxes.

3    The estimates of Revenue from Taxes is way off the mark, and they always play a ruse to overestimate this to appear to keep within their borrowing limits.

4    The corruption cost built into the infrastructure element of the Capital Expenditure is way too high, and so 20% of the Capital Expenditure is wasted, and not put into the project itself if it was transparent. (If only this could be added to Education!)

5   The interest on Public Debt, mainly foreign borrowings is way too high. I can renegotiate them at interest rates as much as 50% less, if corruption is not involved in seeking these loans. This will save at least Rs150B a year in interest alone!!

6    It is a national disgrace to spend and allocate so much money to Sri Lankan and Mihin airlines, when we will not be able to compete with the hundreds of aircraft that the Gulf Countries are now ordering, and so will have in use in the next 10 years. There are cheaper ways to fly.

7                   There is NO effort to use renewable energy resources, starting with NO duty on 100% electric cars and reduced duty on hybrids. Accordingly there is no corresponding tax on high polluters like 3 wheelers, that can reduce air pollution by leaps, and save lives, and make this country a ecologically sound state.

8              There is NO serious effort to encourage ORGANIC agriculture, like direct subsidies for this and reduction in the Fertilizer subsidy still further that contributes to CKDU. The Rs1B allocated to safe water is NOT enough, too little too late and will not reverse the current impending disaster, of 50,000 seriously ill kidney patients within a four years.

9                   Encourage off shore and on shore wind turbines and scrapping Sampur should have been a cornerstone of the Budget if we are serious about energy conservation, reduction in pollution, and ecologically at the forefront.

10                   The Tax (increase by 25%) on all telecommunication bills, will affect everyone in the Country, with the poorest again bearing the tax proportionately more (meaning regressive) with no counter to it!

11               There is NO COL (cost of living) allowances for pensioners, govt. servants, or any other lower paid people in as much as any increase bears any resemblance to the cost of living. The small amounts granted do not scratch the surface.

12                   MOST importantly there is NO INVESTMENT in Education over and above allocations to pay the existing teachers’ salaries. This is the most IMPORTANT infrastructural investment that is needed to enhance the KNOWLEDGE economy. Education has a long lead time, which if not spent now will take years for Sri Lanka to achieve knowledge supremacy. Foreign Tertiary establishments are NOT sufficient to fill the gap, which is most acute at the Montessori, and Primary levels to change our thinking, from followers to thinkers!

13                 Silly tools like tax holidays for getting a stock market quotation WILL NOT improve the CSE. Only a forced sell down of shares to increase the public float, will make any difference to the foreign investment in our Stock Market.

14                   A serious look at transfer pricing by multinationals is now the order of the day, as way too much untaxed profits are disappearing due to the ignorance of our Inland Revenue and Customs Authorities who are INTELLECTUALLY UNABLE to grasp this concept. With SL now seen as a growing economy they (MNCs) will not leave or threaten as they did in the past. It is the connivance of our people that permit this today.

15                NO Clear assurances of the rule of law have been made to encourage FDI, which is the only real requirement for long term FDI knowing your money is safe from being forcibly taken over. The track record of this Govt. is poor, and the legal system corrupt, so it is only the high risk gamblers like the Packers who will invest.   

This is just a few points that were obvious to me in the few minutes I took to type  this up. I am sure you can add to this list.

Take heed to what I say as we are only too ready to accept the spin that comes out of Temple Trees. It is all hogwash and we had better be prepared for the downfall.