Author: Branita

Sri Lanka is likely to receive a 200 million US dollar credit line from Pakistan for essential food, rice, and cement, sources who are aware of the deal said as the island nation is grappling with a severe foreign exchange crisis.

“It is likely to be signed when a Sri Lankan leader visits Pakistan possibly before the end of this year,” a source who is aware of the progress of the deal told EconomyNext.

Sri Lanka has already borrowed 1.5 billion US dollars from People’s Bank of China, 400 million US dollars from Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and 250 million US dollars from Bangladesh Central Bank via swap arrangements to boost its reserves and avoid a possible sovereign debt default.

Pakistan’s credit line talks come as Sri Lanka’s rice crop may fall 30 percent or more after an overnight ban on fertilizer to save foreign exchange and stop agro-chemical use.

A source from Pakistan who is aware of the ongoing discussion over the credit line said the original request, which came in September last year, was only focusing on a credit line for rice and cement.

However, when Sri Lanka’s Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena visited Islamabad in January, Pakistan was asked to extend the deal also for essential commodities as well.

“In principle, the Pakistan Prime Minister has approved this and it is in process,” he said.

“The deal will be signed when a Sri Lankan leader visits Pakistan.”

Sri Lanka is trying to finance imports of essential commodities including food and medicines through credit lines for this year amid forex shortages as it is facing risk of sovereign debt default.

Sri Lanka has a habit of going for credit lines every time money printing trigger forex shortages. Credit lines allows imports and consumption to take place on credit or a financial account inflow. Central bankers and other policy makers then complain that the external current account has widened.

The island nation has already signed a 500 million credit line with India to buy fuel from India and Sri Lanka expects to start using this credit line from the first week of April.

India also has agreed for a 1 billion US dollar credit line for Sri Lanka to buy foods and medicines.

Sri Lanka also has been in discussion with Australia for another 200 million credit line to buy lentils and essential foods, local media has reported.

Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa who has strengthened his power in the present government since taking over his new portfolio has called for local government elections to be held first so that the SLPP could strengthen itself at grassroot level, but his request had been shot down by other senior ministers who said the government is not ready for an election amidst burning issues.

The Daily Mirror learns that amidst talks that a parliamentary election may be held at the end of this year or next year, Basil had said that it was the local government elections that should be held first as this would strengthen the SLPP’S base.

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However senior SLPP ministers who have acknowledged that the country is in turmoil with the forex crisis, high cost of living and the fuel issue say the country is not ready to face any election and this might end by the SLPP weakening itself further.

In fact even the opposition parties including a majority in the SJB have voiced concerns within the parties that they were not ready for an election anytime soon due to uncertainties and splits within political parties, the Daily Mirror learns.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa attending the recently held SLPP convention had challenged the opposition to an election to which some

SJB members had vaguely accepted, but senior political sources in the government and opposition said these were mere words and political threats as neither parties were ready for an election anytime soon with some ruling out any election to be held this year.

“If at all the local government elections maybe held next year as this year it seems impossible. The people also need to be ready to vote,” senior political sources said.

In fact the struggles of the parties are widening with new alliances forming from next month within the opposition and government signaling that all major political parties including SLPP, SLFP and SJB were struggling to remain intact.

By Sugeeswara Senadhira
Last week a cowardly attack on a leading media personality took place shocking all who believe in freedom of expression, media rights and democracy. The residence of Chamuditha Samarawickrema came under a foul attack by at least three persons who reportedly came in a white car.

Chamuditha told the media that he was unable to name any party as there were scores of persons angered by his reports for Hiru television as well as the popular social media platform ‘Truth with Chamuditha.’

He added that the status of the police investigation into an earlier death threat received by him remained unclear.

“Although, the Police recorded my statement, I really do not know the outcome of the investigation.” Displaying a desire to bring the culprits to book, the Hiru TV offered a reward of Rs. 500,000 to anyone providing information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the attack.

Attempts to control the press in Sri Lanka are not new. During the colonial era, in 1857, prohibitions on publications were enacted in India and Ceylon in the wake of the mutiny of Indian soldiers in the British Indian Army. In the recent past horrendous attacks on media personalities took place during insurgencies spearheaded by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Tamil Tigers (LTTE).

Disloyalty results in death

The LTTE leadership ordered the assassination of any media persons who exposed the cruelties of the organization and their young cadres carried out the orders. The Human Rights Watch, in its publication, ‘A Culture of Fear: LTTE Intimidation, Threats and Violence’, stated that since the beginning of the ceasefire in 2002, over 200 people, mostly Tamil, have been killed apparently for political reasons, mainly at the hands of the LTTE. Those killed included teachers, journalists, individuals linked with opposition parties, and others perceived as critical of the LTTE. Some apparently have been killed solely for working in educational, social or religious program funded by the Sri Lanka government. For many Tamils in the West with family members remaining in Sri Lanka, the message was that any act of disloyalty may result in death.

Among the media persons killed by the Tigers are Chelvy Thiyagarajah, founder of a feminist journal called Tholi. She had won the prestigious International PEN award in 1992; Balanadaraja Iyer, Sri Lankan Tamil activist, writer and poet; Kethesh Loganathan, former Editorial Consultant of the Weekend Express, Tamil political activist, Human Rights advocate and Deputy Secretary General of the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP); Rajani Thiranagama, University Lecturer, Author, Tamil human rights activist and feminist and Relangi Selvarajah, Tamil broadcaster and actress.

The JVP too was also responsible for many killings of media personnel. Top media personnel killed by the JVP include Thevis Guruge, Chairman of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC); Premakeerthi de Alwis, lyricist and radio and television announcer at SLBC; Kulasiri Amaratunge, News Editor of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC); Sagarika Gomes, announcer at SLRC and Jinasena Kasthriarachchi, newspaper correspondent.

The 1989-1991 period saw a rise in the killing of media personnel. While the above assassinations were conducted by armed insurgents, there were several murders for which State agencies or politicians were blamed. The most prominent of one, which came under international limelight was the murder of Richard de Zoysa, journalist, actor, television personality and correspondent for Inter Press Service.

On 18 February 1990 Richard de Zoysa was abducted and murdered by an armed gang, believed to be a State sponsored death squad. He was 32 at the time of his death. Richard was posthumously awarded the 1990 IPS International Achievement Award and the IPS Award for Excellence in Independent Journalism was renamed in his honour.

Media intimidation

Richard’s gruesome killing spurred his mother, Dr. Manorani Saravanamuttu, to launch a campaign for justice for the ‘disappeared’ on behalf of the mothers who had lost their sons, wives who had lost their husbands and sisters who had lost their brothers. Dr. Saravanamuttu’s relentless campaign attracted international attention towards the plight of victims who disappeared without a trace during the 1988-90 terror period. In 1996, she was awarded the ‘Weera Mathru’ title.

The intimidation of media persons continued and some of them had to keep changing their residences for safety. Jiffry Yoonus, popular cartoonist of the Communist Party newspaper, ‘Aththa’ edited by the firebrand B.A. Siriwardena was attacked in 1992. His popular cartoons usually triggered controversy among politicians of the day. But despite harassment and intimidation, he continued his work undeterred for over 50 years. Yoonus described the most harrowing experience faced by him in an interview to ‘Illustrating Asia’ a book edited by American author John Lent in 2001.

“One day in August 1992, three vehicles with about 20 thugs came to my house. A minister’s bodyguard shoved a pistol into my mouth, broke a tooth, and then pointed the gun at my head. He threatened to kill me in front of my wife if I did more cartoons against His Excellency (President Ranasinghe Premadasa). The next day they returned, smashed up my furniture and stabbed me. At the hospital, doctors put 16 stitches to treat the wounds,” Yoonus said.

After this incident, Yoonus vacated his house for safety and lived in a small room in the ‘Aththa’ office building on Cotta Road, Borella.

Last week’s attack on Chamuditha’s residence was condemned by Media Minister Dullas Alahapperuma. “This incident only reveals the pathetic nature of a pathetic faction in society. We condemn this attack as it was an assault on the media as well. The government is committed to exposing the criminals who launched this heinous attack who may now be in hiding. As a responsible politician, I am of the view that the four thugs involved in the attack on Chamuditha’s house must be exposed before long,” he stressed.

Alahapperuma, who has always been a stout defender of media freedom, has assured a transparent investigation and said: “It is my responsibility as the Mass Media Minister to create an environment of media freedom.”

Those who believe in democratic values await a fair and transparent probe as promised.

The Police Scotland officials who had come to Sri Lanka to train Police officers have left in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the relevant modules will be covered by local instructors, according to the Police Media Unit.

The Sri Lanka Police recently stated that bilateral discussions were ongoing to resume training which had been temporarily halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Accordingly, when contacted by The Morning yesterday to inquire into the progress of the rPoliceelevant training programmes, an official of the Police Media Unit said that the Police Scotland officials who had come to train local Police officers have left the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Police Scotland officials have left Sri Lanka. However, the relevant training modules are being covered at Police training schools by local instructors,” he added.

Despite the Chief Constable of Police Scotland being quoted in the Scottish media stating that Police Scotland has stopped training officers of the Sri Lanka Police over human rights-related concerns, the Sri Lanka Police has denied this, stating that bilateral discussions are ongoing to resume training which had been temporarily halted due to the prevalent Covid-19 pandemic situation.

According to Scotland’s The Sunday Post, the demand for a Parliamentary inquiry into the services and international clients of Police Scotland came after Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone confirmed that a controversial Sri Lankan training contract would end. The announcement had come after concerns of a leading human rights lawyer, a United Nations (UN) rapporteur, and the testimony of torture victims who had allegedly been raped, beaten, and asphyxiated by the Sri Lankan Police and security forces.

They accused Police Scotland of being naïve in continuing to train Sri Lankan officers despite damning UN reports into human rights abuses in the country. Campaigners claimed that the national force was giving credibility to an administration linked to violence, torture, and disappearances.

However, when contacted at that time, Police Media Spokesman and Senior Superintendent of Police Nihal Thalduwa claimed that the reports that the training given by the Scottish Police to the Sri Lankan Police officers had been stopped were untrue.

“Certain reports that the Scottish Police has halted training programmes for the Sri Lanka Police Department officers are erroneous. We have not been notified of such by the Scottish authorities,” he added.

Thalduwa said that even though such a halt has not taken place due to concerns over the human rights record, the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a halt of not only the Scottish training, but many other training programmes. He added that due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation, Sri Lankan Police officers have not left for Scotland since 2020.

Finalising a document with the political aspirations of Tamils of Indian origin in Sri Lanka, Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Leader and Samagi Jana Balawegeya (SJB) Opposition Parliamentarian Mano Ganesan said that the said document will be first handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and then sent to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Towards mainstreaming as full citizens in the Sri Lankan polity, the TPA and civil activists have finalised a document with the political aspirations of the Tamil people of Indian origin in Sri Lanka (Malayaha Thamils). The document would be submitted to all stakeholders,” Ganesan said in a Tweet yesterday.

In a statement to the media, Ganesan said: “The political, cultural, economic, and social spheres of our people should be brought into the Sri Lankan political and administrative structure. There are areas where large gaps remain where our people are sidelined, discriminated against, ignored, and disregarded in the national mainstream. This regretful reality should change. We will work with all parties including the Government to achieve our community’s Sri Lankan goal.”

Adding that the document compiles grievances and remedy-related appeals, Ganesan said that it will be submitted to all stakeholders, beginning with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

“Thereafter, we will submit it to Modi, as India is the signatory to the first three pacts entered into between the Leaders of Sri Lanka and India in 1954, 1964, and1974, which decided our lives. Further, we will take it up with the Government of the UK, which we believe has a large share in the set of obligations towards Indian-origin Tamil Sri Lankans.”

Furthermore, he said that the TPA will conduct talks with Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa, and plans to visit Tamil Nadu to meet its Chief Minister (CM) M.K. Stalin and other political parties.

Meanwhile, seven other Tamil political parties, led by the TNA wrote to Modi last month, requesting him to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to fully implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. The TNA further wrote to Stalin last week, where they requested direct engagement with Tamil Nadu in order to ensure that a new constitution in Sri Lanka would not affect the goal of the devolution of power to the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

Officials from the High Commission of India accompanied by representatives from the Indian railway organization RITES and the Sri Lanka Railways travelled aboard an air-conditioned train [AC Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU)] on its successful trial run in Sri Lanka on 18 February 2022.

This AC DMU had been supplied under a US$ 318 million Line of Credit (LoC) from India. The first AC DMU supplied under this LoC was put into operation on 09 January 2022.

The US$ 318 million LoC was finalized in 2014-15 for the supply of railway rolling stock to Sri Lanka, upgrading railway tracks and other mutually agreed projects in accordance with the request and requirements of the Government of Sri Lanka.

Since then, high-quality railway coaches and AC DMUs supplied from India have helped strengthen the railway infrastructure as well as travel experience in Sri Lanka. Various other projects under this LoC including the upgrading of railway tracks are at different stages of implementation.

Lines of Credit from India have contributed to the upgrading of the railway line from Colombo to Matara, track laying on sectors such as Omanthai-Pallai; Madhu Church-Tallaimannar; Medawachchiya-Madhu; and Pallai-Kankesanthurai, installing signalling systems, and supply of rolling stock to Sri Lanka railways.

India looks forward to continue mutually beneficial cooperation in the transport sector, including in railways where India’s world-class capabilities and assistance have contributed significantly to the development of railway infrastructure and facilities, job creation, economic growth, enhanced connectivity and passenger comfort and safety in Sri Lanka.