|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Wednesday, 19 September 2001 |
 |
|
 |
Letters | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Sports Obituaries
|
Where were they when Tigers attacked Sri Lanka? Now that the US has been hit again everyone seems to be sitting up and talking about eradicating terrorism from the face of earth. Watching CNN showing the world the horror of it all as it happened, seeing the anguish on the faces of ordinary Americans fleeing from Manhattan and listening to the bold and fanciful statements being made by the mayor of New York and various other VIP's including US congressmen and European politicians of the likes of Tony Blair about all free nations getting together to eradicate the menace of terrorism made me wonder whether they have been living in another planet all this time. Where were these concerned leaders when Sri Lankans were getting hammered by the Tamil Tigers. Where were they when the Central Bank, our own World Trade Centre, the Sacred Temple of Tooth of Buddha, were attacked by terrorists? When numerous bombs were used to kill many innocent people, when an attempt was made to assassinate our President before the elections, when the Bandaranaike International Airport - our only international airport was bombed by a suicide squad? These so called leaders of the free world did not then talk about getting together to eradicate terrorism. They issued travel advisories to their citizens about travelling to Sri Lanka and continued to assist the terrorists. The Head Office of LTTE Tamil Tigers was allowed to remain in London, and these brutal Terrorists who introduced the Suicide Bomers to the World were allowed to freely operate in many Western countries. Why? It is because it is only terrorism against the white nations that is not acceptable or is it because in some way the whites of the world are more human than the blacks, browns and yellows? I think all of us in our own small way should draw attention to the problems we have. Those who are concerned about terrorism now have refused to even allow us to purchase weapons legitimately to defend ourselves and forced us to negotiate with shady arms dealers. Why will these champions of the free world not decide to help us destroy the murderous LTTE?. Why can they not provide us with the weapons to destroy the Tigers, Why cannot they train our soldiers? Why can't they, if they are genuinely concerned about eradicating terrorism help us in every way they can? The Tigers are said to collect about $30 million in Canada alone. Are they not aware of this? Then why is it allowed? Why is Anton Balasingham (one of the heads of LTTE) tolerated abroad.? Is England and the other white nations issuing travel advisories against visiting the US? Will they declare America as a War Risk Zone as they did Sri Lanka after the airport attack? What about war risk insurance premiums? Will they increase the Insurance premium for flights and vessels going to America as they did with Sri Lanka. How about security audits at the airports. Let us be honest. Let us tell them straight the developed world is only interested in anything if it has an adverse effect on them. Let there be one honest and brave politician among our lot who will dare to bring these issues to the open. Should we not lobby our cause before the blood and dust is cleared away from Washington and New York? C.T. - via e-mail Put Sri Lanka first: Join hands with USA to wipe out terrorism On Tuesday 11th a terrorist attack in New York sent shock waves across the world. This deliberate and deadly attack razed the World Trade Centre and collapsed parts of the Pentagon which are of Economic and Political importance to the Americans. The prime suspect in this case is said to be Osama Bin Laden, a wealthy Saudi millionaire presently under the protection of ruling Taliban of Afghanistan. He used his inheritance of $250 million to build the Islamic Fundamentalist Terrorist group known as 'Al Quida' and had declared a Jihad or holy war against the US. The LTTE which is banned both in the USA and the UK as a terrorist organization in a message says," ... the destruction of the Pentagon will be a good lesson for the Sinhala army and the chauvinist, aggressive, authoritarian Government of Sri Lanka. This will be a good warning to superpowers like America, which helps countries such as Israel, which helps to fight freedom fighters...". It had accused the American Government of branding the LTTE as terrorist and had asked whether the US still harbours the idea of functioning as a global policeman. The massage had also expressed grief of the LTTE over the loss of life of the fighters. Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in his message about the terrorist attack never condemned the perpetrators of this barbaric crime and never asked them to be brought to justice. He had also never asked the nations of the global strategy to combat terrorism. In the past he had never offered support to the Government to eradicate terrorism in Sri Lanka or stamp out global terrorism. If we compare the speech of Ranil with that of President Chandrika the latter had asked the people to unequivocally stand against terrorism. The President unreservedly condemned the dastardly attack and highlighted the paramount necessity for concerted action by the international community against terrorism. She added that countries should redouble their efforts in combating this menace. Ranil, is virtually noncommittal on the scourge of terrorism. He is soft pedalling terrorism because he could get mileage from the LTTE and their fellow travellers. At a time when Sri Lanka is faced with a grave crisis of terrorism Ranil's stand deserves widest condemnation should be censured by all right thinking people of this country. Again, compare the stand taken by Ranil when Katunayake, Sri Lanka's only international airport was attacked, with the role played by the Democratic Party which gave full support to the Republicans to wipe out terrorism not only in USA but also the world over. The weak leadership offered by him is virtually an invitation to the LTTE, their fellow travellers and the fifth columnists masquerading as peace nickers and peace lovers to go ahead combining terror with call for peace. The NGO peace activists as well are acting in collusion with the terrorist campaign of the LTTE and has no other choice like the rest of the world to wipe out terrorism in Sri Lanka. As much as USA is not prepared to enter into negotiations or talk with Osama likewise Sri Lanka should follow america's example of not entering into any compromise with who ever but declare war. I would like to challenge the foreign funded peace groups who are beating the drums for peace in Colombo to - (a) Publicly call for a dialogue between the Western powers and Osama Bin Laden (b) Call the USA and other Western nations not to declare war on terrorism but to engage on peace talks (c) Explore the possibility of a negotiated settlement with all the groups banned for terrorism in the USA and the UK. They will never dare this for the simple reason that they tend to lose the great flow of funds and perks from the benefactors. The President of the USA has declared that Pentagon will use $40 billion for a sustained military campaign in targeting not just terrorist organizations but their sanctuaries and the States that harbour them. Furthermore, the US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfity had said ".... It is not just a matter of capturing people and holding them accountable but removing the sanctuaries, the support systems, ending states who sponsor terrorist and terrorism...." On Wednesday 12th the USA declared itself at war with the terrorists. Sri Lanka should do the same. Sri Lanka has no other choice but to follow America's example and not come to any compromise with the LTTE. Today the global battle cry is war on terrorism until victory is achieved. DR. P.A. SAMARAWEERA - Colombo. The Ceylon Electricity Board, must have paid a colossal sum of money for a Notice full page advertisement in the Daily News August 30. This notice is a waste of money taken of the CEB expenditure. Though he had stipulated the shedding time of the power cuts, this was not carried out as per the Notice. Why then did he have to put this Notice. The following shedding times were blocked out for different areas in the City as well as the suburbs an outstations. First Block - 4.00 p.m. to 7. 00 p.m. 2nd Block - 6.45 p.m. to 9.15 p.m. 3rd Block - 7.00 p.m to 9.30 p.m. 4th Block - 9.15 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. Nugegoda came under the 4th block on 30/08/2001 (9.15 pm to 11.30pm). A patient was scheduled for surgery at one of the Nursing Homes in Nugegoda around 7.30 pm. on 30/08/2001 having taken note of the Notice published by GM-CEB. To our utter dismay the CEB had ignored the notice that was published and the power cut to Nugegoda was placed on the 2nd block (6.45 pm - 9.15 pm). Why is the CEB placing huge advertisements and not adhering to what was published. When we phoned TP No. 324477 which is given in the Notice to inquire and complain about this matter the Consumer Service Manager replied that they were unable to keep to the schedule and there were further changes to be made on 01/09/2001. ROY DE SILVA - Nawinna. Sea water desalination plant for Hambantota The news report on the above (DN Sept. 15) appeared very interesting, as an engineer myself with some experience in desalination plants in the Gulf. I really appreciated the very good proposal to establish 10 desalination plants at Hambantota for producing drinking water, by the Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Development as Head of the Steering Committee. However, I am little curious about the statement made by the Coordinator to the Steering Committee Dr. Sunimal Fernando about these desalination plants which could produce electricity as a byproduct, thereby reducing the cost of the plants! As per my limited knowledge about the desalination plants, it basically utilises sea water and electricity (power) to produce drinking water from sea water and concentrated brine is obtained as waste, which may be used to produce salt after a drying out procedure. Accordingly, I wish to request Dr. Fernando to kindly give more details of the type of desalination plant which he proposes, so that I could enhance my knowledge in the field of desalination. DONALD DISSANAYAKE - Wattala By Article 12 of the MoU between the JVP and its destined natural ally the PA, have resolved" to appoint Committees of persons with specialist knowledge and experience in respect of subjects of all Ministries" a long overdue salutary measure, in keeping with the practice of technocrats deployed in Govts of developed countries, which of course rara avis and a lost tribe in our present day Public service! In this context Sirimavo Govts were fortunate to be secured by a first generation of mostly central school products sincerely and selflessly dedicated and committed genuinely to the tasks entrusted, among Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments of yore. Once the political authority decides the policy, its unreserved implementation and direction without leaving room for saboteurs to adulterate and for feet dragging was ensured in the past with least misgivings to Ministers who were themselves equally knowledgeable above all with common sense to distinguish a simple thing as a 'golf course' from a 'tennis court' before donning the mantle of Sports not betraying one's mediocrity. We had in the Public service men with such strong character and proven calibre who would stand up to any giant and say in emphatic 'no' to any wrong direction regardless of personal consequences when one is convinced of justification of administrative fiats and norms, their legality and morality tenable. We had a D.S.T. Chandra Cooray who was once summoned to the Temple Trees and questioned by then caretaker PM as to why he could not authorise a Permanent Secretary's higher salary to a DIG Sydney Soysa supernumerarily appointed to head an adhoc Ministry of Internal Security created during caretaker interim. Dr. Dahanayake in his husky voice yelled out "Do you know I am the Prime Minister! You are too big for your shoes. Do what I say" to which DST Cooray responded with a smile and being a polio victim himself limped back to the Treasury but the adhoc Permanent Secretary continued to draw the lesser DIG's salary until his Ministry withered away after the General Election that followed and caretaker PM himself rolled up his mat and pillow to take early morning bus to Galle unobserved having lost even his Galle seat into the bargain. Even during Colonial era we hear of upright and principled British Civil servants e.g. them G. A. Badulla who preferred to shot himself fatally through his brains rather than suffer the ignominy of having to answer a then rare Audit Query for a fault of a subordinate! Nowadays Audit Queries are a common thing with every weekly mail delivered at ministries Depts. A more recent holder of august DST's post permitted to my personal knowledge a cortier of rogues to squander as much as 5 lakhs of Public servants contributions under his custody over a property transaction with a mere warning to the culprits for the extraneous reason of violating the PSMPA Ordinance! This beloved country is not yet lacking in honest, sincere and dedicated sons of the soil in the Public Service or even out of it but they are overshadowed by an exclusive self-seeking class in the top-bureaucracy asserting their claims more on rotting seniority rather than on creative, result oriented merit, a set of mere pen-pushing square pegs in round holes, feathering their own nests, proving their only expertise in circumventing the FR & AR in corrupting their bosses in dividing the spoils in their predatory games compromising paramount national interests! Fifty years of their post-independence chequered career had landed the country in an abyss from which no present day rogue elephants could pull it out unless they are of the calibre of 'Sandhanthakule of yore'. The true and genuine sons of the soil alone would have an abiding and selfless interest in the certain glorious future of this beautiful isle to be spared for any more generations to follow! W. SAMARANAYAKE - Maharagama |
     |
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
