All may be good in Sri Lanka except for one!

By Dr. Laksiri Fernando

Asian Tribune: I was in Colombo for two weeks before Christmas for some personal matters and all appeared positive, more or less, except perhaps for the thorn of the ‘General’. When I was waiting for the connection in Singapore, two expatriates came across and talked to me about the situation in the country in extremely positive manner.

One was a young company executive working in Timor Leste in the software business and the other was a more experienced construction engineer who has been living in Darwin, Australia, for the last 30 years or so. Both were up to date of the events in back home thanks to the internet and the latter was rather excited about the Southern Expressway.

When we reached the airport in Colombo, the things were much more orderly than before, both at Immigration and Customs. Those rusted bureaucrats who used to give some hard time for their returning compatriots have almost disappeared or replaced with much smarter, polite and young officers, both men and women. Like in other international airports, the special counters for the local passports were an added advantage for the Sri Lankan returnees.

The Emirates flight from Singapore to Colombo going to Dubai was almost full unlike in the war-days and around 60 per cent of the travellers were foreigners who got down in Colombo probably as tourists or business travellers.

However, the travel from Katunayake to Colombo City was not that impressive in early hours of the morning. Without illuminating lights, the shops and buildings along the road appeared dilapidated and rundown. The road itself has been neglected recently with potholes and lumps. This perhaps raises a doubt whether the much boasted success in the country is real or an illusion. Without illumination at night, things may appear hollow.

The Southern Expressway had been opened a week ago from Kottawa to Galle with eight interchanges which could be covered within one hour. Earlier it took around three hours for the journey. This is the first expressway in Sri Lanka whatever the weaknesses. Yet there were criticisms from the cynical ‘Colombons’ to mean those who believe they are the ‘superior lot’ in Colombo. The narrow emergency lane was one valid criticism. But some complained even about the lack of street lights in the expressway!

Budget and all

The Budget for 2012/13 was under discussion in Parliament but without much enlightened debate within or outside. Trivialities took more attention than the real issues of fiscal policy, deficit, tax policy, investment or inflation. More allocations for provincial councils were a highlight of the new budget without much attention given by the debaters. One Minister quipped that the debate was like ‘playing cricket by the same team,’ both balling and batting at the same time. I just wondered how it could be the case in real life.

Mohan Lal Grero, one of the most devoted and constructive opposition and UNP MPs crossed over to the Government and quoted Confucius to emphasise the importance of the Budget’s focus on long term investments in infrastructure and education. It was not coincidental thereafter that a sort of ‘Arab Spring’ hit not the country or the Government but the main opposition party, the UNP.

When an election was held to elect the leader of the UNP, and when the incumbent leaders allegedly manipulated the vote to remain in power, there was violence in ‘recent Arab style’ to storm the party office and damage not only vehicles but also the glass cover of the Buddha statue in the premises.

The Government leaders were apparently laughing. Even the President made a call for a ‘strong opposition party’ instead of the present meek one to preserve democracy in the country. Perhaps as a seasoned political leader, the President must be feeling the lack of a proper barometer to gauge the changing sentiments underneath in the political scene, except for erratic outbursts by the JVP.

Similar antics were demonstrated in more or less in the same style by the breakaway left wing group of the yet left wing JVP, when they precipitated the university students to march from Peradeniya to Colombo to protest against the alleged privatisation of universities. The demonstration was promptly halted by the army.

There are apparently genuine concerns about the way the private universities are proposed to be set up or the policy is marketed. Instead of an arrogant implementation of privatisation, a moderate or limited policy of allowing credible private institutions of higher education could have appeased many of the concerned sections of the students as well as the parents. These concerned people are the traditional support base of the ruling coalition.

More disastrous was the attempted forced implementation of ‘plastic baskets’ for the vegetable transportation to Colombo. The protests by vegetable producers in many places, and particularly in Dambulla, shown on the state electronic media demonstrated that there is a genuine grievance by small producers in going along with the policy.

Inflexibility of the Minister was largely responsible for the unwarranted crisis just before the festive season which was fortunately averted by the timely intervention of the President. The decision was to postpone the implementation. But was it a matter that warranted the President’s interventions to avert was the question?

The policy of ‘plastic baskets’ undoubtedly was good in preventing waste and maintaining quality. However, the implementation should have come naturally from the producers or the middlemen themselves through education and persuasion. Flexibility also was needed for small timers who perhaps cannot afford plastic baskets and I have myself seen vegetables transported, for example, to Paddy’s Market in Sydney, Australia, in gunny bags or similar packs.

The issue reminded me of what the driver of my taxi told me when I was travelling from the airport to Colombo. Identifying himself as a strong SLFP supporter from his childhood, he said that he fears that many of the UNP crossovers appear to have taken over the SLFP in many matters of policy. What he said was about the phenomenon of Trojan horse.

When the time is ripe, there is a possibility that the ‘renegades’ might come out of their hide. This has happened before and this can happen again. But this possible treachery should not be said of all.

Reconciliation

The most satisfying event during the period undoubtedly was the public release of the report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) after submitting it in Parliament.

Although I have not yet studied the whole report carefully, it appears a reasonable and a professional submission on the matters referred to it by the President. It contains more than what can be expected under the circumstances of an end a brutal war with terrorists, risking the country’s sovereignty, integrity and independence.

The Commission has rightly identified “governance, devolution, human rights, international humanitarian law, socio-economic development, livelihood issues, issues affecting hearts and minds, leadership issues and many more.” What is perhaps missing is clear cut ‘accountability.’ To quote the preamble again, “The Commission hopes that its observations and recommendations would provide pointers to areas where decisions are needed, sooner than later.”

A Commissioner whom I met, rather socially, emphasised the ‘issues of rule of law and governance’ that apparently had transpired prominently during their interviews, submissions and field visits. He appeared deeply moved by the humanitarian concerns such as ‘disappearances’ and ‘livelihood issues’ of the Tamil people in the north and the east.

Apparently there is still an opening in the country for genuine reconciliation, if not for several ill-advised blunders. It is in this context that the ongoing changes of Tamil names of streets and places are completely regrettable and obviously chauvinistic.

The newest ‘atrocity’ during my visit was the move to change the name of the Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha to ‘Nelum Pokuna Mawatha’ in the strategic area near the Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo 7. Whatever the pretext or the excuse, the move was to denigrate and belittle the name of the much revered art historian and literary figure of Tamil origin.

More controversial issue before I left was the rumour or the news to pardon the former General Sarath Fonseka by the President, of course, if such a pardon is requested by the family or him. It is unlikely that he or his family would request a pardon. As we all know, Fonseka was the Commander of the Army during the war-victory who then had audacity to contest the President at the last election.

For his ‘revenge’ for some reason, he also had audacity to align with not only the UNP but also the JVP to contest the President. He was a potential danger for the whole system of democracy in Sri Lanka at that time and perhaps for the victory of the war. I wrote about ‘Sri Lanka: The Danger of the General’ (Asian Tribune, 30 November 2009). But his challenge was primarily a political one and not purely a criminal matter. Like many others in the system, and beyond, he must have crossed many lines of that nature and for that he was convicted.

In my personal view, however, it was a gross mistake on the part of the Government to prosecute him although the convictions appeared legitimate and routine. There was also an element of humanitarian concern given his age, his role in the victory and health conditions.

Although he was a formidable political challenge at loose, it could have been ignored or faced squarely, as President has done in all other occasions and challenges in the past. Fonseka was a legitimately elected Member of Parliament.

However, it might be a bigger mistake or a blunder on the part of the Government to release him at this stage unless his health and humanitarian issues are of concern. If he could be pardoned now, why he was convicted in the first place? Of course pardons are given after convictions but not normally on matters of this nature.

I couldn’t agree more with the Special Correspondent of the Asian Tribune the other day (25 December 2011) on the same issue who said: “The more the Government celebrates victory against the LTTE with military parades, the more that people are reminded of Fonseka who also had a lot to do with that victory. So every parade has a Fonseka ghost marching in front, virtually in chains, reminding everyone that despite what he did, the country has chosen to jail him rather than honour him.”

I also see the point that “Maybe the Government should shift to civil activities on the reconciliation theme, and move away from military celebrations. That might dilute the attention on Fonseka.”

Only qualification of mine however is that ‘reconciliation’ should be addressed on its own merit and not merely to dilute the attention of Fonseka.