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THERE is no doubt that Allan Rock will be a common enemy of all peace
loving Sri Lankans. His ten-day visit in Sri Lanka led him to side with
the terrorists for political and financial gains and as a result, he
fabricated the story of the Sri-Lankan military aiding the Karuna's
faction, a breakaway LTTE group, to recruit children into its force.
I suggest that for the sake of security and peace in Sri Lanka, he
shall not be allowed to enter into our country for any reason.
JAY DESHABANDU
- China - via email
I like to respond to Ariyadasa Yapa's callous comments (Reference DN
Nov. 29) about not finding Silvas in his long list of national heroes.
Some people never change their bad old habits! Mr. Yapa is one of
them, and he quite arrogantly uses this valuable resource - The Daily
News Readers Column, as a platform to vent his own frustration in a
manner of resentment to his fellow readers.
I do not wish to subscribe to his polygamous tradition of judging
people by their names, but may I ask him with due respect, have you ever
seen the name Yapa in your book of national heroes?
Wake up to yourself Mr. Yapa and look around you....you will find
many brave selfless Silvas dying for your country today in true heroic
fashion. My very own brother was one who made the ultimate sacrifice in
honour of fighting the LTTE to protect you!
Your own book of heroes may not contain his name amongst the long
list of popular upper class family names that continually disgraced our
Motherland by licking colonial boots.
But please learn your history Mr. Yapa, I guarantee that you will
find, unlike my fallen brother, many of those so-called affluent heroes
have been educated at Eaton, graduated from Oxford, lived by English
aristocratic code and even addressed the masses in a foreign language;
all at the cost of our own people's future.
I bet they all were very patriotic! Of course, as an unprivileged
underdog, I am proud to have acquired my new British passport. But I am
equally proud to be a genuine Sri Lankan, and even more proud to be a
brother of a fallen hero.
Yes. Mr. Yapa, despite my non-heroic name, I feel like I have
achieved all I wanted in life. I sincerely wish if you could share this
wonderful feeling, it might make you a better person one day!
KALINGA SILVA
- via email
I refer to Mr. Ariya's letter (Reference DN Nov. 30) about the
birthright of a child. Although, he has made some interesting factual
comments about the dual nationality to which I agree in principle, he
has got the issue about birthright completely wrong!
There is no law in any country that a child automatically becomes a
citizen of that country by just being born in there! If either of the
parents is a citizen only, that child inherits this birthright by
registration.
For instance, a child born in UK to foreign parents, will inherit the
nationality of the parents. He or she will not automatically become a UK
citizen simply by being born in there.
I thought, I should correct Mr. Ariya on this fact. But, everything
else he said about dual nationality is very interesting and I condone
his strong views one hundred per cent.
N. R.
- via email
DUAL citizenship has become one of the most interesting issues
amongst the people in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan expatriates in many
countries.
Daily News must be commended for creating the right platform for
blending very valuable opinions of people from across the board aiming
at creating dual citizenship is a valuable migration tool for Sri Lanka.
At the end of the day dual citizenship should be steered in favour of
both parties including the people of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan
expatriates.
In this regard Ministry of Finance and Planning has a great role in
identifying the problems of current dual citizenship process and making
recommendations to the Government towards maintaining resourceful Sri
Lankan expatriate community in linking them with Sri Lanka through the
dual citizenship.
Let us look at what neighbouring countries of Sri Lanka are doing on
the dual citizenship issue. People of Pakistan and Bangladesh are not
affected anyway when they acquire citizenship of other countries.
Expatriates of those countries do not have to pay in order to keep
their original citizenship but spend a lot of money on investments on
their countries as they do not have unnecessary barriers.
Until recently people of India had problems in this regards similar
to the issue in Sri Lanka. However the Government of India changed its
migration laws in meeting with the expectations of the expatriate
community and the people of India.
In 2003, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, introducing the
citizenship act said "We do not want only your investment. We also want
your ideas. We do not want your riches, we want the richness of your
experience. We can gain from the breadth of vision that your global
exposure has given you."
He further said "Whenever India has faced a challenge to its security
or to its territorial integrity, you have tirelessly championed its
cause. When there was an effort to isolate India after our nuclear tests
of 1998, you came forward to stand by India."
The present Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh decided to
grant dual citizenship to anyone who has migrated from India after 1950
further facilitating trouble-free grant of dual citizenship to
qualifying members of its 25-million diaspora in 110 countries.
Sri Lankan expatriates all over the world are tirelessly working in
maintaining the good image of their birth country.
Political power which was granted with their citizenship is one of
the most powerful weapons that Sri Lankan expatriates acquired in their
adopted countries.
Should Sri Lanka need these weapons to facilitate fighting against
the terrorism or any other international threats against people of Sri
Lanka.
Can Sri Lanka invest in those countries to gain necessary power to
overcome the power acquired by its enemies in those countries?
If Sri Lanka follows the path of India on the dual citizenship issue,
Sri Lanka not only gains the economic advantages, it will also gain the
necessary power base which is the most needed tool for national security
in Sri Lanka.
SUMANE LIYANAARACHCHI
- Australia - via email
A. R. sounds like a bitter man with no understanding of life in
Australia. This kind of bitter and twisted thinking is what keeps
pulling Sri Lanka backwards when it has so much potential to go forward.
Most other countries encourage their expats to become dual citizens.
A$30,000 is a huge amount of money for the Australians.
It is not the kind of money we have in spare cash. The Cost of Living
here is high and we normally need two incomes just to fund our trips to
Sri Lanka.
However, the expat community is the one that forms lobby groups to
lobby the Australian Government against partiality to the terrorists,
fund some of our musicians and sports teams, provide many families in
Sri Lanka by sponsoring children, just to name a few.
Many of us cannot afford to buy land in Sri Lanka - we are too busy
paying off our mortgages here. Get real - let go off the bitterness and
jealousy and let Sri Lankans living abroad a better chance to help their
motherland.
G. M.
- via email
EVERYONE born in Sri Lanka should have their rights maintained till
they die. (Reference DN Nov. 27) most of us irrespective of our present
citizenship which often need to maintain the right of benefits in that
country help our families in Sri Lanka often with periodic monetary help
from abroad.
Of course current conflicts and past conflicts keep most of us away
from our family and friends.
SANGARALINGHAM
via email
I just finished reading the excellent article on dual citizenship by
Anjalika. (Reference DN Nov. 10). I hope your article will reach the
relevant authorities concerned and make the necessary changes for the
benefit of our country.
Their asking people to pay so much money to get thier dual
citizenship and limiting our stay there will definitely will be a loss
to our country.
The suggestions you have made is very reasonable and appropriate. If
there is anything I can do from my end I will gladly do so.
REX ARSECULERATNE
- USA - via email
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EDITOR'S NOTE: As a mode of encouragement the levy imposed when
applying for dual citizenship has been reduced in the Budget of 2007 to
Rs. 200,000 per family unit, irrespective of the number of members in
the family provided that the applicant makes a deposit exceeding US $
25,000 for a three year period in a bank in Sri Lanka. |
