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I refer to the comments made by the Coconut Development Authority
Chairman on the subject of desiccated coconut markets and returned
desiccated coconut consignments. He is quoted as saying that there is no
reason for losing our Niche markets as this is a global trend.
In making this statement does he want us to believe that the Niche
markets have disappeared or are disappearing from the international
market place and is a phenomenon of the past ? Further he goes on to
suggest that the high prices fetched by Philippine and Indonesian D.C.
is because they export to Europe while Sri Lanka concentrates on the
Middle East market, implying that the Middle East market offers low
prices.
Coupling this with the news item that a shipment of some 5000 bags of
D.C. has been returned from Greece due to contamination, points to poor
quality exports which cannot meet European standards. After all, Greece
is a European country. Does this really mean that we concentrate on the
lower-priced Middle Eat markets because their quality requirements are
less stringent and D.C. which is unacceptable to European buyers due to
low quality can be sold to Middle East buyers?
If this is not the case, why are we not concentrating on the European
market which by implication of the Chairman's statement fetches higher
prices?
In the light of this turn of events the loss of premium markets that
Sri Lanka D.C. was reputed to enjoy in the past seem more likely to be a
matter of poor quality. The news item referred to earlier of a returned
shipment due to contamination surely must result in an immediate inquiry
by knowledgeable and eminent persons into the entire process of quality
control instead of trying to pass the buck by saying "This incident was
part of a plot organised by a group to cripple the local desiccated
coconut industry". If there is any evidence to justify this claim the
public must be told the whole story including what is being taken to
punish the culprits.
Maintaining quality standards I believe is the responsibility of the
C.D.A. If it is not, the C.D.A. still being the institution supporting
coconut product exports should compel the responsible institution to
initiate a full and thorough investigation into this situation and
establish how contaminated shipment got through in spite of quality
control requirements for food shipments items such as the issue of
Phytosanitory Certificates and initiate stringent procedures such as
proper supervision of D.C. mills to ensure hygiene and sampling of
shipments before issue of export certificates.
J.V.R. Dias
The President called a spade a spade, when he addressed the mammoth
gathering at Anuradhapura recently.
"We have nothing to hide" he stressed and the people applauded. I
should say that this is a cogent remark to the entire nation. In the
past, Ranil Wickremasinghe had something to hide and the common man was
not aware of his activities during his tenure of office.
This may be the difference between the President and Opposition
leader Ranil Wickremasinghe. Men from all walks of life would
undoubtedly appreciate this good quality upheld by the present regime
under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Warapalane Jayawardena
It appears that the pro-LTTE diaspora has taken over the human
trafficking business from the original human smuggling organizers and
are on full overtime work now. In this wake, the announcement made by
Minister Keheliya Rambukwella that the government has requested foreign
governments to deport illegal Sri Lankan asylum seekers, is very
laudable.
According to media reports a good lot of Sri Lankans have become
asylum seekers. Originally it was organizations based in Europe and
Australia that smuggled people by trawlers to Canada, France and
Australia as asylum seekers. Each of them had to pay $ 9000 (about Rs.
1,125,000) for the journey. The operation was a profit generating
business, second only to drug trafficking. But now the LTTE diaspora
does it with political motives.
In the past, the base for human trafficking was Thailand and
Indonesia. But those governments have eliminated the problem. Our
country is now used as the departure point, may be due to its strategic
location. Again in the past, it was Afghans and Iranians who went as
asylum seekers but now Sri Lankans have joined the band wagon.
The most common modus operandi of the human smugglers is to make
those expecting to take boats, to wait in small groups of five of six
near the coast. They are then transferred in batches to fisheries
harbours and thereafter taken to trawlers anchored at sea.
In June, a boat carrying 200 Afghans and Iranian asylum seekers
capsized near Christmas Islands and 90 people died. This trawler is said
to have originated from Sri Lanka. Nearly 1000 asylum seekers have been
deported from Britain during the past three years. Several were found to
be Indians holding Sri Lanka passports. Media reports state that over
200 Sri Lankans are stranded in Togo, in West Africa.
They have been abandoned by smugglers who promised them passage to
Canada. Nearly 700 Sri Lankans are in detention camps in Australia. Now
all operations are being done by the pro-LTTE diaspora to show the world
that Tamils especially, are yet being victimized in Sri Lanka and that
they therefore migrate by the dozens at a time seeking asylum.
Harshi N. Perera
In a democracy, it is the duty of the opposition to bring to the
notice of the public the wrong doings of the government. Even though I
agree with the Opposition in most instances, I am afraid I cannot agree
with them when they constantly blame the government for using personnel
from the Forces to do work in farms, constructions, animal husbandry
etc. They charge that the status quo of these personnel is demeaned by
using them for such work. They claim that these men who bravely fought
and ended the war should not be treated in this manner. I wish to
explain to the Opposition why I do not agree with them.
We are a poor country. However, we recruited personnel to the Forces
and purchased war equipment beyond our means, as we had a war to fight.
Today, we have no wars to fight either within the country or out. We
neither have internal strife and riots day in and day out where
especially the army has to be used. The Police is sufficient to look
into these matters. Although we are in this situation, we cannot reduce
the personnel in the forces, but must keep them and pay and upkeep them
with public funds. Financially the country has a big burden here. In
this context, I think it is a wise move by the Defence Ministry to use
the personnel for national development, whereby they can to some extent
find the expenses they need. For example the Navy is running petrol
sheds earning good profits. The Mahabage petrol shed is a great show
piece.
Using the armed forces personnel who at present have no combat work
for national development work is the most appropriate and practical
thing to do. I cannot see what is wrong in this exercise. It is true
that the tri-forces are there in a country to defend the country and its
boundaries.
Every Sri Lankan citizen knows the value of the Forces and the
respect they should be given. But their (the Citizens') respect and the
high esteem they have for the Forces personnel will not diminish or
lessen just because they are indulged in development work as stated
above. When natural calamities and disasters strike a country, we see
personnel from forces being used to help in numerous ways.
Of course we all agree that like every country we too have the Army,
Navy and the Air Force to defend our country and its boundaries. But I
do not see what is wrong in using these personnel in normal peace time
for development of the country. I am sure that while they are engaged in
this kind of civil duties, they are constantly and periodically given
the necessary training in their respective forces.
B. Joseph
A Pirith ceremony organized by the Agrarian Services and Wildlife
Ministry was conducted in the catchment areas of 500 wew (tanks) with
the participation of 6,000 monks, anticipating the prevailing drought to
end. When we read the news item, we were reminded of a highly amusing
story written by veteran journalist Hemapala Munidasa years ago in one
of his journals.
The story was regarding some rituals like Ang Adeema (pulling horns)
and Pol Gaseema (breaking coconuts) conducted by villagers to bring an
end to the diarrhoea epidemic and drought that prevailed in the village.
This news story was reported in the Journal by Hemapala Munidasa as
follows:
'Ang adeema is good for diarrhoea, pol gaseema is also good, but what
is most reliable is pol mudu gaseemai' (inserting coconut brushes).
In the story Hemapala Munidasa pointed out the circumstances in which
those sacred rituals were conducted meaningfully, and how it becomes a
mockery when conducted otherwise. Likewise, the present drought and lack
of water in wew are consequences of large scale destruction of the
catchment areas of wew, large or small and large scale destruction of
environment and the soil by dumping and spraying highly toxic materials
and ingredients that are inimical to life and its environment. Those
anti-biological ingredients when taken out of the deep earth and put on
the life friendly surface of the earth, not only kills all lives in the
soil but would dry up the whole environment, increasing the heat.
Therefore, chanting of Pirith would bring no water to wew.
Gallege Punyawardana.
The Sathosa shop in Kegalle uses an old fashioned cash register,
which does not print the names of the items of goods purchased by
customers. We are unable to check the bill when several items are
purchased. Even the corner shop mudalali gives a hand written bill with
the names of the items purchased. The newspapers said that about 40
Sathosa outlets had irregularities. That is the very reason why a new
cash register is necessary.
Representations to the Head Office in Colombo has had no effect. I
suppose they do not know that customers’ convenience comes first.
Will the minister in charge please order a new cash register for
Kegalle.
Dr. R.A. Gunasene
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