Sri Lanka on a collision course with the West
Why on earth is the Rajapakse regime on a collision course with the West?  Okay, we are being bullied by the West, but haven’t we asked for it mainly on account of our  stubborn resistance to  international appeals for independent investigations into war crimes and human rights abuses? Taking blanket cover under a ‘conspiracy theory’ to undermine Sri Lanka  by the West due to our ‘strategic importance’ borders on the ridiculous. It sounds more like a ‘Jamis’ Bond plot to distract and entertain an impoverished and ignorant rural polity. From Solheim to Milliband, we have identified so called ‘international conspirators’ who serve as convenient scapegoats or punching bags. Alas, the regime does not stop to think of the long term consequences of the shortsighted unsustainable ‘ collision diplomacy’ which our role model authoritarian states such as oil rich Iran and Libya have the economic power to counter, unlike resource starved Sri Lanka.
The collision course became most evident  with the horrendous mass murder of seventeen Tamil aid workers of the French aid organiation ‘action contre le faim’(ACF) during the last days of battle against the LTTE in the Eastern province. Mainly on account of an international furor instigated by ACF alleging involvement of the armed forces, the government was compelled to appoint a Human Rights Commission(HRC) and ‘stage’ an inquiry. In a defensive stance, the government took the opportunity to include, for investigation by the HRC, several other criminal acts allegedly perpetrated by the LTTE.  The President also appointed a International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) to act as observers in order to endorse the HRC’s findings. Rajapakse’s appointment of retired Indian Chief Justice Baghwati as head of the group may have been deliberate in order to take advantage of his presumed frailty due to advanced age. Unfortunately the President seriously underestimated his mental capacity which turned out to be razor sharp in seeing through the staged inquiry to the consternation of the government.  After nearly one year of prevarication by the government , the IIGEP decided to withdraw their observer status as they alleged that the inquiry was not being conducted in a fair and transparent manner. In order to save face, the government accused the IIGEP  of  conspiring with the West to bring discredit to Sri Lanka. Such a ridiculous accusation against a group of eminent persons struck the ‘last nail on the coffin’ of lost credibility. It made them appear even more suspect in the eyes of the international community and also provided plenty of ammunition for the Tamil Diaspora to make further allegations of racism and genocide.
The confrontational stance has additionally become a election gimmick to display the regime’s bravado in confronting world powers to the largely insular rural electorate whose patriotic fervor can be easily manipulated in order to divert their attention from their own as well as the nation’s dire economic straits. The regime constantly highlights the double standards and hypocrisy of the west with regard to war crimes and human rights abuses in order to vindicate themselves of the very same injustices which is a puerile and pathetic form of defence, to say the least.
Despite its ravishing scenic beauty, Sri Lanka still remain as a poverty stricken, resource poor inconsequential little island nation in the global scenario with little or no achievements to be proud of as a nation except for the recent blow up of the regime’s  success in eliminating terrorism. Unfortunately, most of the democratic world has been slow to acknowledge this signal achievement as it has been marred by controversy on the ‘modus operandi’ adopted due to alleged violation of international conventions on warfare and human rights by the government  in the final stages of the war when the enemy’s attempts to surrender were denied or ignored. Also, their lack of respect for ‘ safe zones’ by using heavy fire power resulting in mass killing of civilians shocked the world. Continued post war persecution of suspect Tamil civilians in internment camps in violation of their fundamental rights has aggravated the government’s image as racist and authoritarian.
Due to its collision course, the regime has antagonized Britain as well as the entire European Union and continue to do so without thought of the economic consequences and diplomatic deadlocks as a result of such actions. Locally, organizations and individuals who provide constructive criticism  are relentlessly persecuted in a most ruthless manner and accused as traitors when, in reality, it is the regime that is the real traitor which is sacrificing the country and its people in order to remain in power to perpetuity like their role model dictatorial regimes such as Iran, Libya and Burma which have held power for over three  to four decades by crushing all opposition and thereby denying their citizens of  fundamental rights  to freedom, justice and prosperity.
Before it is too late, the intelligentsia of this country must lift up their heads in defence of democracy instead of meekly endorsing  authoritarianism by granting honorary doctorates to chauvinistic and despotic leaders  who only pay lip service to democratic ideals while covertly advocating extremist notions of sinhala Buddhist supremacy prejudicial to ethnic harmony, equity and national prosperity.
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Well said. However, the regime plays this card and many otherwise rational Sri Lankans accept it at face value, because it helps them avoid facing the real possibility that the hands of the government in prosecuting this war of liberation arent quite as clean as they like to believe.
It is not just the under-educated rural populace that is happily submitting itself to the ludicrously ill-conceived government propaganda. The middle and upper-middle classes of the south are also complicit. It is a testament to the virulance of tribe-mentality that formerly (on the surface) sane and educated people are falling for this ruse and tripping over themselves to pick up the baton for the government.
Just like the runaway popularity of the tragic Sinhala only act of the 50s, this government has again found the bottom denominator that seems to work timelessly: the exultation of the Sinhala Buddhist “race” (we all know this is a construct, we are all mixed up a hundred times over on this busy, tiny isle) seems to be the winning formula that makes us block out every other red flagged bit of evidence that points to the brutal, self-serving bullishness of the current regime. Ailing economy; brutal suppression of our non-Sinhala brothers and sisters; embarrassing bull-in-china-shop foreign policy antics that are showing us up for the uneducated banana republic we are morphing into.
It seems that the joy of triumph over the “other” (a.k.a. Terrorists – and by extension of illogic Tamils, and now this seems to be corroding the edges of the Muslim community) has eclipsed any room for reasoning in the Sinhala South’s mentality. You are either with us or dead, dead, dead. There is no room for the intelligensia to do anything in this climate. I fear we must wait for this society to eat itself in this hateful frenzy it has gotten itself into. The cracks are beginning to show. One day, the Sinhala South will wake up and realise that Serendib has descended into an ugly hell of their own making.
Western countries are back stabbers .mean some thing but does something else.They are BULLYS,but our President is strong enough to resist them & take firm action.
So you accept the fact that we are being bullied. So whats the solution, allow them to continue bully them. Is that what you would have done in school when others bully you. Lets accept the fact that these western bullies work according to a plan as it has always been As long as the Asia is their play ground they can play the game as they pleased. Look at Iraq, Afganistan why not Ireland, Spain, and Europe. They dont want the europe to be destabilised. Our stupid journos’s playing to their rules. Let rajapakses do the job which many people could not do. At least he was sucessful in what he had done. Give him a chance. Westener’s are the biggest abusers. They will get thier dues from god.
Sri Lanka is not on a Collision course with west. Standing up for the soverinity of the country does not mean fighting west. Those who depend on dollars might think begging europeans is the only way. that is wrong my friend. Today europeans are struggling to get close to China and India. Yesteday Liberal party of Canada deployed their election campaign accepting getting close to India and China is their main goal to economic recovery. If you are talking about human rights which human rights agency talking on killing fields in Afganistan today. So who has the moral grounds to criticize Sri Lanka in it’s war on terror.
I agree with the 1st paragraph of this letter. Most of the things done by SL government againt the west are unnecessary. But at the same time we do not want them to put their fingures to each and every afairs of SL. Sharing power is not the solution for this problem. As JVP very corretly say it will benifit only few tamil politicians. I believe , develop the country to make it more ecomomically stable (not only one part of the country. Both north and south) is the ultimate solution to this problem.
Sri Lanka is experiencing a paradigm shift in the process of growing as an international citizen. It is stepping into adulthood after spending its juvenile years trying to emerge from the destruction done by 500 years of western rule. You can understand the criticism it is subjected to by various groups.
The former colonial masters(West): No wonder they want Sri Lanka to submit its sovereignty for ever.
Old generation – Baby Boomers in SL: They have been brought up with the idea that SL should always live up to the expectation of the west. Their Father’s masters were western.
Please understand that this is not the time of DS Senanayake , JR Jayawardene or Rohana Wijeweera. This is the era of educated masses who subscribe to different ideologies irrespective of their bringing up trying to stand on their own feet. Do not parrot the defeated attitude and poison the present generation who will struggle until they realize their due freedom within the country SL.
If MR cannot deliver the promise SL will come up with a even better efficient player. The next player will only be more determined and less forgiving.
Again you to defend your action and challenge the world, before your reality expands to embrace the freedom to do things that is necessary to take SL to next level.
I read the comments above, and I see the classic case of people happily trading in their freedoms and rights in the name of security. They cheerfully give up control of their own lives and hand that power over to the powerful, whose only REAL goal is their own control over things. This has happened countless times throughout history and in all parts of the world – usually with disastrous results. People never learn, probably because they are never taught.
Of course what usually happens is that the definition of “acceptable” starts to become narrower and narrower and soon even the most hardcore followers are devoured by the system, and destroyed. Then after a period of stagnation, if not contraction, there is blood. It will happen in Sri Lanka; history shows that it always does under these conditions.
I’m sorry to say that Sri Lanka shows all the classic signs of falling into this pattern. And I’m saddened.
Oh, and this observation is not anti-Sri Lankan, anti-Sinhala, pro-LTTE, or anything like that. It’s merely an observation. And a warning. Although personally I think it’s already too late, and the descent has begun.
the halt of the pandering to the west was way overdue. it’s better that we have a government that stands up to bullying than submitting, hoping the west is going to be nice to us again.
Many people i knew who were die hard supporters of the goverment when the war was being wrapped up have since woken up somewhat to the possibilities of opressive authoritarianism facing us. I only hope that people will not be foolish enough to gove them a 2/3 majority the next election, that would truly be disastrous. Most of the problems we face politically today started when JR ruthlessly modelled the system after his own perverse whims some 30 years ago.
Sri Lanka complains about the West, but it is largely Western loans and Western aid money that is subsidizing the Sri Lankan welfare state. Let us imagine for a second where Sri Lanka would be without the IMF loan, GSP+, and UN/Western assistance for IDP camps. If Sri Lanka wants to be free of the West, it should become self-sufficient. Ironically, to be self-sufficient, it has to adopt certain Western economic and political models. There is no such value in anything called “home-grown.” Home-grown is what Pol Pot and Adolph Hitler experimented with. It is not the case that the Western models are the best ones – but it is definitely the case that they are the dominant ones. They have been experimented with for a long time. The limitations are known. On the other hand, we do not even know what MR’s “home-grown” political solution will turn out to be. Obviously, its much easier to go with the Western model here. Even the “home-grown” solution will not be 100% home-grown – the style of government is Westminister. Unless Sri Lanka reverts back to a monarchy, of course. So now we see the obvious… despite all this anti-Western buggery, most of the political models in Sri Lanka are already Western; they have not worked not because the models themselves are flawed, but because the *local* politicians have failed to adapt them to changing circumstances.
Great article. What the detractors to this article don’t understand is that their rascism and ignorance is making them irrational.
What is wrong with asking for Human Rights? does that make you a bully? no.
The fact of the matter is, this government does not like criticism of any sort, even from Sri Lankans. so much so that journalists are being jailed, tortured and bullied. This is not a democracy, it is slowly descending into a dictatorship.
It speaks volumes that This government’s friends are despots who rig elections and torture and kill their own civilians (Eg China, Libya, Iran, Sudan etc).
I don’t live in Sri Lanka, and I don’t say that the country I live in has an amazing human rights record (but by Sri Lanka’s standard we do). But at least we have the right to say what we want and be politically active and have a free media without a threat to our lives.
Something some Sri Lankans are giving up by supporting the despot that is Rajapakse. winning the war is the easy thing, winning the peace is another totally. You can’t win the peace by desecrating human rights.
why should we play to rules of west? asia is no longer da playground of west. finally sl has also stood on her feet during this regime. well done!!!!!!
thanks folks for your comments.I am glad I set you thinking.Except for Hari Narendran, the others seem to have missed my point or are they in a state of denial? All nations are interdependent stakeholders in the globalization process. Sovereignty is now purely symbolic as the power of governments have eroded considerably due to porous national borders. Instant communication systems and rapid travel technology have opened up nations to external economic, social and cultutal influences as never before. Hence governments have to cooperate, communicate and act in accordance with interantional norms purely in their self interest. Our government seems to be ignorant of this obvious fact.
concerned citizen
You can’t be both a member of the UN and signatory of its conventions and also insist on your soveriegnty if there is a suspicion that you have contravened its values. You can’t put out your hands to beg for money from the West and then also insist on your sovereignty. SL just wants a free ride, and refuses to take responsibility for its affiliations.
I think I am starting to understand.
The west criticises GOSL for killing civilians while destroying the LTTE, and for interning a quarter of a million of its citizens – so the west is a bully, and must be opposed.
Lasantha Wickramatunga criticised the government for corruption and human rights abuses, so he was a bully, and had to be beaten to death on his way to work.
JS Tissainayagam criticised GOSL, so he was a bully and had to be imprisoned without charge for months before being put away on trumped up charges of “terrorism”. I know the pen is supposed to be mightier than the sword – but TERRORISM? Really?
The Indian doctors providing healthcare in the happy-happy concentration villages criticised the government, so they were bullies, and had to be secretly imprisoned by CID. What happened to them, by the way?
The astrologer who said the president might lose power was a bully, and had to be stopped.
Is there a pattern here?
And what is the word for someone who uses force to silence any criticism? Hero?
Nothing new Ihave to say.Mr. Rohan Welangoda has given the correct answer.
Re. Concern Citizen
Your Comment on the comments is incorrect. What you are trying to say is go alone with the wind but my friend if the wind is double standard what should we do? Yes we have to follow the world norms. But who create those norms and why they don’t follow their own norms. I don’t think you need any examples.
This is a very well-written and timely article. What a lot of Sri Lankans seem to ignore is the fact that it is extremely beneficial for Sri Lanka to maintain good relations with the so-called ‘West’. Many of the Western states are places where considerable Sri Lankan citizens live, and concerning foreign investments, international trade, tourism, higher education and many other areas, good relations with these states are extremely useful.
Given the geopolitics of our times, it is indeed necessary to develop new partnerships with other emerging states, but we need to think where we want to go with our foreign policy.
I presume the way ahead is to create a state apparatus and a society that lives globalisation to the fullest, i.e. where the economy thrives, media freedom is ensured, where citizens, especially the young, are given increased professional opportunities and possibilities of foreign travel, – all this making Sri Lanka an active and constructive player in the international scene.
It is not by practicing politics of antagonism that the government can reach its goals. It is indeed true that Colombo needs foreign aid, but what I am saying is that, we need to look at the long-term picture, and build our relations with the West in such a way that we reap the best economic fruit, with the long-term objective of becoming an equal partner of many of our donor states (in both East and West).
The current regime has been doing too much to become increasingly unpopular in the West, to the point that the Head of State is unable to get appointments to meet some Western leaders. I am not categorically reproaching the government, but a constructive policy change would make it more popular internationally, something Sri Lanka strongly needs these days….
I’m extremely concerned over the human rights abuses of the minority Tamils.
Certainly, the deceitful and manipulative behaviors of the Sri Lankan government in so many years do nothing to ameliorate my concerns.
In fact, I believe we are witnessing a full scale act of genocide which has been implemented by the Sri Lankan government against their Tamil minority.
Why else would they keep independent observers out of their country?
As usual in such cases the world’s governments are content to do absolutely nothing to save anyone.
Each and every one of us, Sri Lankans, should be deeply ashamed of this because, like it or not, Sri Lankan government represent us. We elect them; therefore, we are directly responsible for the policies they choose to pursue
The quote “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel” couldn’t find a better home than our fair island today.
While there are many fair questions that can be raised with respect to the West’s sometimes double standards when it comes to human rights, that should in no way distract from the very real structural issues we have with our government and institutions of law & justice.
It comes down to what do we as Sri Lankans want our country to be?
I see it as a democracy and a meritocracy, with strong institutions blind to ethnicity and political affiliation, committed to the rule of law and a constitution guaranteeing the rights of the individual.
The one piece of the US constitution that all nations should adopt: “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.
No one in their right mind can argue we are anywhere near that, particularly with the government in power today.
And as much as the West might occasionally deviate from these principles in their foreign policy, domestically they overwhelmingly adhere to them and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them operating on the principle that all nations wanting to be a part of the global community have to live up to and respect those ideals.
As many commentators have pointed out, we have no hesitation going to the West with a begging bowl to keep our economy afloat and to fund much need infrastructure and aid projects.
It has been 50 years since independence and our public finances are in worse shape today than they were when we gained independence. It is not the West that created the problems than became the LTTE. It is not the West that has implemented domestic policies that have torn apart our society on an ethnic basis. It is not the West that has corrupted our police force and judiciary. It is not the West that is plundering the public purse to fund extravagant and unnecessary lifestyles for our politicians.
Let us not waste time pointing fingers at bogeymen and instead direct them to where the blame truly belongs. To our self proclaimed Sons of the Soil.
Is it a collison course or a collusion course? We will know it soon when the GSP+ will be restored after a deal!
vna,
Even after 60 years, Sri Lanka has not managed to get rid of the political family system. Social relations are still in the feudalistic stage. This tells me that if you want something home-grown, it will be a monarchy. There’s nothing modern about monarchic rule.
The time has long passed when ex-colonies tried to find their own indigenous political structures. In most countries, this involved experiments with socialism, which failed. Also, countries found that they had to shut themselves out from the outside world—which also didn’t work, given that globalization was developing apace.
In order to try a different political system, SL will need to abandon capitalism and change its mode of economic production (because political systems take shape around economic systems). Given that it hasn’t even been able to resolve the simple problem of ethnic rights, which other ex-colonies have learned to control if not to eradicate, I don’t think SL has the cultural and intellectual resources to blaze some totally autonomous trail.
Look at the former 3rd World countries that have made it to 1st world or nearly—they did it by emulating the West, beating them at their own game. As one cultural theorist, Homi Bhabha, has pointed out: mimicry can be menacing. You can’t pretend that history didn’t happen. Colonialism happened. You have to take the reins from there—not go back to the past. It was the previous generation–the one that you disdain–that won freedom from the British. The next generation screwed things up.
Don’t try to depict MR as some romantic hero, who is battling to pioneer some unique Sri Lankan system. He’s just another greedy, power-crazed politician and mass murderer—not even a benevolent or inspired despot.
Yes west stop bullying Sri Lanka if we can go back to the where poor uneducated Sinhala pessonts govern by elite tamil professionals with colombo 7 elite running the goverment. Thats the only scenario acceptable west and tamil diaspora. Just like they did ruvanda where they successfullly establish country to be govern by tutsi minority.
I for some it hurts when west dont care abbout them fearing that their low value adding industries surving out of concession given Sri Lankan and west going go bust. These industries over sucked the labour and lives of over two generation for a meager salary and made few people and non value adding middle managers rich. Yes for this will really hurt.
Ok does this bully affect our farmers who swet to feed us. Does our traditional industries get affected? Even among the garment sector there are few who invested on higher value additions which produce up market products. Are they concerned. They are not because they are not competing on price.
In the long term Sri Lanka can not compete on price in any industry as we do not have economies of scale. Sri Lanka will have find differentiated segments. Here is a golden oppotunity for Sri Lanka to find that.
Some people here are going on and on about SL being bullied by the West. What exactly do they mean? The West is telling the GOSL stuff it doesn’t want to hear – that is bullying? If you go to kovil or church or mosque or whatever, and the priest exhorts you to do better than you are, is that bullying? Do you just give up your confession because some cleric tells you something you don’t want to hear? Come now.
Look, the West is prosperous, powerful, influential and largely unified. It’s their club, so to speak. And if any country wants to join their club, who’s to say that they as members can’t impose standards and conditions? (BTW, doesn’t the GOSL, and certain political groups, do the same thing when they decide who is Sri Lankan enough?) They (the West) don’t HAVE to trade with us – it’s their businesses and their money. They can easily take their business and money elsewhere. Same with all sorts of aid – it’s their money and they have the right to demand a certain level of standard before they hand it over. They can easily take that money and give it elsewhere; the world is full of misery and poverty.
One solution is to form your own “club.” OK fine. The current world condition shows that it doesn’t work, at least not yet.
And if you want to find new allies and partners, where do you turn? Iran? China? Colombia? Great role models! You want our country to be like North Korea or Zimbabwe? The only thing unifying them is standing up to the West; otherwise they could care less about each other. And anyone who thinks that China and India and so forth are somehow less ruthless, greedy, and opportunistic than the West is stuck in fairy-land. Some day, China will demand some sort of repayment for all this no-string money they are giving us. If we are not careful, our country will become, to paraphrase American rappers, China’s “bitch.”
So my word of warning to all these commentators above so willing to make standing up to the West their one and only priority: be careful what you wish for or you will get it – in spades – and drag the rest of us down with you.
Quit clinging to the colonial past. Instead of using it as an excuse, see it as a challenge to do positive things for the lives of everyday citizens.
Another reason to keep the 300 000 innocent civilians in Sri Lankan concentration camps.
Sri Lankan government shamelessly fleeces kith and kin of IDPs. Family members and kinsfolk of IDPs in the internment camps had remitted 100 million rupees in the past two months, according to I.D. Weerasena, Deputy General Manager of Bank of Ceylon. In the past four to five months, 500 million rupees had been deposited by the IDPs, said Mr. Weerasena, whose state-controlled bank had opened banking units with online and ATM facilities in the internment camps and deals with 21,000 new account holders.
While it is the responsibility of the state and the international community that badly wanted the civilians to end up in the internment camps to look after them well, the Colombo government keeping them in sub-human ways has started looking at them as ducks laying golden eggs, said a social worker in Vavuniyaa.
As state receives foreign exchange through Diaspora remittances and through foreign aid meant for the IDPs, the local money reaches the IDPs is fleeced from them in various ways from business of the southerners to bribery of the military.
The “kind “Sri Lanka Government which let the elderly over 60 years go ? Not until each and every one of them paid exuberant fee.
And the businesses set up inside the concentration camps by Sri Lankan military (don’t forget: bribe, bribe, bribe) are charging astronomical prices for rotten vegetables.
Rajapaksa has the right attitude giving the finger to the foreign dictators. I literally mean “dictators” because they want to dictate to us what to do and expect us to dance to their tunes.
UN is not US or UK alone. They’re only 2 members. If majority UN member nations agree that a probe is not required then that’s it! Sri Lanka can still be part of the UN because you abide by the majority consensus.
I’m just patiently waiting for the day that support to LTTE elements will blow up right in their face. If history is anything to by then they’re in for a big surprise. They don’t have the slightest clue what sort of pet (monster) they’re adopting!
As for this loans bs, I dare the west to stop the loans today! They will not for anything! (all talk) If you understand the world then you will also know why. I shall save my self writing an essay. Balance of wealth is shifting rapidly from West to East. The tipping point is only few decades away at which point a massive confrontation between the East & West is due. Bottom line is if you deny IMF loans on political grounds, then you risk the collapse of the international monetary system. At least the creation of a massive pool of “black money”. And it will set a precedence that will propagate. I still don’t understand why some people stressed over IMF loans.
As for people who are worried about long term damage (people who are really worried about getting a Visa one day haha) take a deep breath and rest easy. All you need is a change of administration. Vote for an ass licker (Ranil would be the best candidate atm). Curse the previous administration and go “we’re different (meaning I have bent over backwards with my rear cavity wide open for business). All will be forgiven
Ahh what a world aye..
Doomed to repeat it,
What’s up, yo! I agree with you. The white man came on a civilizing mission to give you and your people a half-assed education, hamburgers, coca-cola and diabetes.
Imagine the nerve of your people now saying ‘no’ to all this greatness! Say what?
It seems like nobody wants to follow the white man’s ways anymore, dude. I guess it’s just you and me now!
God Bless!
Observer: give finger to foreign dictators and bullet to the local dissidents is it?
Take a step back, ignore the source of the criticism and ask ourselves
Is the such a thing as human rights? And if so, should they be upheld?
I am not sure if the regime and its supporters are can answer “yes’ to the above. If the answer in “no” then there is no debate. If yes, lets separate the issues from the critics and focus on the issues.
“As for this loans bs, I dare the west to stop the loans today! They will not for anything! (all talk)”
Its called “philanthropy.” When you have so much money, it is considered “civilized” to give some to the less fortunate.
“Balance of wealth is shifting rapidly from West to East.”
I am not an economist by any means, but I stronly disagree with that. Based on personal observation, outsourcing is increasing from the West to the East. Labor laws are very poor in (most of) the East. Labor laws were this poor in the West about 100 yr’s ago and dating back to the Industrial Revolution. On the other hand, it is my *opinion* that lack of stringent labor laws and labor unions with political clout prevents the emergence of a solid middle class. If the worker is so easily exploitable, how much wealth (theoretically) can we accumulate for himself? The other day I was shocked to read that estate workers in Sri Lanka are making 200 rupees a day. It seems like the minimum wage concept is totally foreign to the Eastern mindset. Then again, this would explain why the distribution of wealth in modern-day Sri Lanka resembles something from feudal Europe. Back to my original point. The West has found a source of cheap labor in the East. A much more potent weapon than any loan. Besides, we know how so many of these loans are utilized by corrupt third-world despots anyway; how little money actually goes to the man on the street. And the last point, migration patterns are still from East to West, not vice-versa. So where is the wealth, exactly, or more narrowly, where does the potential for tapping into that wealth still lie? The West.
“The tipping point is only few decades away at which point a massive confrontation between the East & West is due.”
The Soviet Union was the last great Eastern confrontation faced by the West. Since that time, there have been trivial threats, like Islamic fundamentalism which are now under control.
“Bottom line is if you deny IMF loans on political grounds, then you risk the collapse of the international monetary system.”
LOL! Is Nalin De Silva writing economic books now… ask yourself, who wants the loan, and who is giving it? Sri Lanka could easily be *UN sanctioned* off the map like Iran, North Korea, and Cuba. It is because of nuclear India (which is also a Western friendly democracy) that anyone pays any attention to Sri Lanka. Luckily for the rest of the world, their monetary systems rest on a firmer foundation than Sri Lankan politics.
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Bravo, Heshan! Brilliant response!
Cheers : ) Actually it is all common sense. There is nothing subtle here. Notice, I did not make any predictions (as that would require raw data).
Cheer squads aside… Disgusted don’t drop those pom poms or the mini skirt!
Someone is struggling with English again. Philanthropy does not refer to loans. That is when people donate money to worthy causes!
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/philanthropy. I was talking about L.O.A.N.S. – the kind where you lend money expecting people to pay it back with INTEREST. Talking in simple terms it’s pure BUSINESS! No philanthropic intentions at all there. So please don’t twist things I have said. If you don’t have a valid argument better to keep quiet. You can at least pretend to be smart that way.
Bottom line is IMF represents the balancing tank of currency. If you start influencing that over political grounds, you damage something that should ONLY be purely based on commerce. That is all I was saying. lol
As for the wealth shifting, I wasn’t talking about Russia. China is the next great empire. If you don’t understand this I really can’t help you. Depending on your age, you may live to see what I (and lot of intelligent analysts) are talking about. Sure as hell I know US will default on all the bonds China purchased/are purchasing as we speak. You will see the fireworks then
Sri Lanka is no where close to being UN sanctioned! Haha, pretty much all of South East Asia should be UN sanctioned then including most of the middle East. NATO can be renamed to UN as well.. Heshan’s comic genius never fails me!
You agree that there are rapid trends of out sourcing to Asia. You and I both know it is because of low cost of production in the region right? Why? You had the answer, cheap labour. Material and equipment will more or less be the same cost no matter where you go unless it’s an abundant local resource. But with this competitive edge, the East is grabbing huge chunks of trade share.
We only saw recently how GM, Ford was struggling to stay alive, against companies like Toyota & Hyundai. Walmart is 90% Chinese mass produced merchandised. Apparel is almost always made in the sub continent or China. IT is dominated by India. Sure workers don’t get a proportionate amount of wealth, but still the profits go back to their country. Even if it’s one person making millions out of it. Western populace is moving more and more into services oriented jobs now because of this trend. I’m not saying it is a bad thing. Problem is, in international trade it’s all about imports/exports.
On top of it Asian countries don’t need to support Health Care and other costly welfare programs. I know this blasphemy to even utter but it is indeed an economic benefit. With sub standard health care you get low life expectancy. That means a population that only lasts just over their energetic working and reproducing age. On top of it Asia has very low standards of living. Which means they’re great savers!
To begin with East didn’t have much wealth. Colonial rule ensured unashamed robbery. Therefore it was not possible for the West to offer products and services at profitable rates to the East. And they ensured the protection of their markets with protective commerce practice. What they didn’t realise was that the system they love so much – Capitalism – can’t hold walls around trade. That’s why I love it! “Bottom line”, “maximum value to the share holders”, being the new buzz words there was growing pressure and globalisation and FTAs became inevitable.
Now what you have is the classic case of the seal of a vacuum being breached. What happens? I’m sure I don’t have to explain that to you.
West knows what’s going on. They’re not dumb! But they have the tools to stop (or at least hamper) it too. It’s called regional destabilisation. Middle east and Oil is the classic text book example we all know now.
What they’re trying to do in Sri Lanka atm has nothing to do with Sri Lanka or the plight of Tamils. In fact we’re a fly on the wall – insignificant. It’s a proxy war to destabilise India. Tamil Nadu population is the trigger point for destabilisation in India as opposed to their neighbour Pakistan. If you ensure an Eelam in Sri Lanka you ensure a lot of unrest in India. India knows this and that is why they secretly support Sri Lanka to stay united. You have a lot to understand Heshan. First you’ll have to swap your Union Jack undies.
It was only last week more disgusting pics of American private security personnel running [amok] around in Afghanistan [Edited out]
Where’s human rights for that? Preachers should practice first! Then we’ll see real human rights. [Editors note: Dear Observer, kindly stick to site guidelines. Please illustrate your point by referencing website where you source your information from. Thank you.]
“I was talking about L.O.A.N.S. – the kind where you lend money expecting people to pay it back with INTEREST. Talking in simple terms it’s pure BUSINESS!”
Well well, what a coincidence. I too was talking about L.O.A.N.S. The kind of loans whose repayment was fully C.A.N.C.E.L.L.E.D for 21 third-world nations at the 2005 G8 summit.
“In July 2005, world leaders gathered in Gleneagles, Scotland, and announced a plan to cancel debts, increase foreign aid, and make changes to international trade policy. One year later, it is important to look back and take stock. On the positive side, some debts have been cancelled for 21 nations”
http://www.choike.org/2009/eng/informes/3133.html
“Bottom line is IMF represents the balancing tank of currency.”
Please, let go of the Nalin-esian economic theories. No nation is forced to take an IMF loan. As long as a loan is not taken, no harm, no pain. As for those (developing) nations that take loans, there are no hidden strings attached. There is the loan and the interest rate. End of story. Inability to pay back the loan on time means the loan should not have been taken in the first place.
“China is the next great empire. ”
Just because you see a “Chinatown” in every major capital of the world does not mean China is poised to take over the world. China is known for exporting low-cost, low quality merchandise, thats about it. It is still far behind Japan, which is why Japan is one of the ten richest nations and China is still a developing nation. The standard of living is much higher in Japan than it is in China, and the gap between rich and poor is much greater in China than it is in Japan. South Korea is also ahead of China.
“Sure as hell I know US will default on all the bonds China purchased/are purchasing as we speak. You will see the fireworks then”
LOL. Someone is happily waiting for the US economy to crash, which will never happen. The US budget was actually balanced (no deficit) during the Clinton era; if the recession ever goes away, Obama will surely aim for that again. Also if the US economy crashed, that would make the currency worthless… meaning groups like OPEC would be losing millions of dollars a day. Dozens of countries would lose millions in revenue from trade and tariffs, the UN would lose its primary source of funding, etc. etc. Other than an economic meltdown, I am not sure what “fireworks” you are talking about. China has no chance against the US in a war, so what options are left?
“But with this competitive edge, the East is grabbing huge chunks of trade share.”
You are missing the point. Cheap labor never benefits the worker, only the manufacturer. It may marginally benefit the consumer. I have no idea what you mean by “trade share.”
“We only saw recently how GM, Ford was struggling to stay alive, against companies like Toyota & Hyundai.”
The Japanese definitely have an edge in the American automobile industry. But Japan is not a developing nation.
” Walmart is 90% Chinese mass produced merchandised.”
Walmart is 100% owned by Westerners. So whats your point?
“Apparel is almost always made in the sub continent or China.”
Made in factories where the workers are paid the equivalent of a few dollars a day when converted from Chinese currency to American currency.
“Sure workers don’t get a proportionate amount of wealth, but still the profits go back to their country.”
Actually 95% or more of the profits go to the manufacturer and 10% goes to the worker. If you are a company like Nike which makes shoes in Indonesia, and you pay the workers the equivalent of $2 USD a day, and sell the shoes in America for about $50 per pair, your profit margin is about 98%… this does NOT contribute to the growth of the Indonesian economy in any useful way… for the simple reason that the AVERAGE INDONESIAN WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE COST OF THE NIKE SHOES…. which is WHY he choses to work for $2 USD a day (which no AMERICAN would ever do).
“IT is dominated by India.”
IT is not dominated by India. A few aspects of IT are simply outsourced to India. But what is it that is being outsourced? Customer service and a bit of coding. Marketing, manufacturing, and original software engineering are all done in Silicon Valley. Who dominates IT? Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, AOL, etc. None of these companies are dominated by Indians or even micromanaged by Indians. What about the market for PC’s/laptops? There is no brand of computers manufactured by Indians.
“On top of it Asian countries don’t need to support Health Care and other costly welfare programs.”
That’s the reason why many Asian countries have an extremely poor healthcare system.
“On top of it Asia has very low standards of living. Which means they’re great savers!”
They are also great exporters of their own people and they are great loan takers, neither of which is anything to be proud of.
“It’s called regional destabilisation. Middle east and Oil is the classic text book example we all know now.”
Middle Eastern oil is a 2-way street. The Middle Eastern countries are getting billions in oil revenue every year. Do explain how that translates into regional destabilization. By the way, the USA protected Saudi Arabia against an Iraqi invasion (Saddam wanted to conquer Saudi). Explain how that contributes to regional destabilization? Regional destabilization is 6 Middle Eastern countries declaring war on Israel. Regional destabilization is rich Muslims funding madrassas in Pakistan, where children spend 18 hours a day memorizing Q’uran.
“It’s a proxy war to destabilise India. Tamil Nadu population is the trigger point for destabilisation in India ”
Tamil Nadu is one of the four richest states in India. The Indian Government is not at all centralized; a federal system is there which gives maximum power to State governments. So Tamil Nadu is already as independent as it could be (unless it became a seperate country). To assume Tamil Nadu wants to secede from India under any circumstances is sheer nonsense.
Observer, are you saying that we can justify human rights violations on the basis that the US is also guilty of the same?
Are you also saying that we can do so with impunity because we can turn to China and Russia (which have no qualms in dealing with any number of unsavoury regimes) ?
Heshan, again, I never said that Walmart, Ford, Google, MS was owned by eastern countries. What I was trying to say was that more and more, resources (both material & human) for these giants are being sourced from Asia. Argue much as you like but when Walmart makes $$$$$ of sales $$$ go to the manufacturers, suppliers as well. Walmart is so competitive/under cutting that, their profit margins are very slim on individual items. They make big bucks due to the sheer volume of cheap [stuff] they sell!
In fact Walmart only pays very little to their employees. Average American hard working people. Not only that, now they’re (big end of town) using the whole financial crisis as an excuse to strip away more benefits and rights of the working man. How can these people turn around and support American or other Western products? They can’t even pay for their medical needs. Most of them can’t afford health insurance and they might as well lived in a 3rd world country with free medical care.
Look MS, Oracle, IBM and Google may dominate IT. But also have a look who are behind the scenes as well. Lot at the back end service providers. If you think India is all about call centers, then you have a serious case of prejudice for a black man or live in a hole. When they make money so do these Indian IT companies. We all know some have done very well becoming billionaires in India.
Where are all the electronics made (including Laptops as you mentioned)? China, Taiwan! Are you saying Chinese factories aren’t getting paid for building your shiny new iPhone? Sure Steve Jobs takes a cut but he didn’t retain some of the overall wealth in the US. Like the good ol’ days of big oligopolies. How could he?
As for Japan, 100% agree it’s a developed country, never I stated it was a 3rd world country. But it’s still E.A.S.T! What I was saying initially.. West -> East
Slowly but surely, there is a shift in wealth no matter how you deny it. Most experts agree on this matter and I’m bold enough to say it’s FACT! But I do agree that wealth is not equally spread. Then again who wants to be socialist?
You’re talking about US ability to manage their deficit. Record numbers are bailing on home mortgages and credit cards. The government is coughing up billions to keep the banks afloat. On top of it, have to cough up more TARP money to keep inefficient factories and manufacturers afloat. How is this sustainable? Where is the pressure coming from??
Also Hehsan, you can sugar coat US oil drama anyway you like, explain to me where are the Weapons of Mass Destruction?? Or was it a lame excuse to gun for Iraqi oil at great civilian sacrifice? The
“Shock & Awe”! Oh don’t even tell me Iraqis are getting paid for that oil.. lol. The price is set by a puppet government put in place by US it self! Who are getting bribed by the US. How is that for conflict of interest??? Sure as hell, more people are dying now in Iraq than during Saddam’s rule! Oh dear…
Old man, what I am saying is if US, UK, EU likes to complain about the Sri Lankan HR situation then they better look in the mirror and fix them selves up first. [Edited out] It’s easy for EU to talk HR when the first thing they do in a war is to join with the HR violators and go on an ethnic cleansing spree.
Others in this world don’t think we have an HR issue! According to the UN majority agrees.
Sorry gv, I thought the issue with photos were a big story. Well I heard of it many times. Here’s a link
http://www.topix.com/afam/2009/09/us-contractors-bring-their-deviant-sexual-behavior-to-kabul
Look it’s the first google link that came up. Dig more and you’ll find better coverage.
“Argue much as you like but when Walmart makes $$$$$ of sales $$$ go to the manufacturers, suppliers as well. ”
This does not back your earlier assessment that outsourcing benefits third-world nations. First of all, look at the exchange rate. It costs Walmart very little to set up a factory in India or Indonesia, pay the workers less than minimum wage, and pay a tiny tax (tariffs) to the Indian/Indonesian government. The only way that the WORKERS would benefit is if Walmart payed them what it pays AMERICAN workers. But then outsourcing would have no purpose. Secondly, these are low-end jobs. H1-visas are issued for skilled workers to COME to the USA. High-skilled jobs are NOT being outsourced. As I said, customer service and some minor coding is all that is being outsourced. Manufacturer? Walmart IS the manufacturer. Walmart OWNS the factory… the factory is not outsourced. The only thing being outsourced is the *cheap* abor.
“In fact Walmart only pays very little to their employees.”
Do you know what minimum wage is? It’s $7.75 in the USA. That is the minimum that Walmart pays its American employees. If you think Walmart is paying less than that, that is a figment of your imagination that you need to deal with elsewhere.
“They can’t even pay for their medical needs. Most of them can’t afford health insurance and they might as well lived in a 3rd world country with free medical care.”
When all is said and done, the quality of healthcare in the USA is better than it is in any Asian country. Having access to healthcare has nothing to do with quality.
“But also have a look who are behind the scenes as well. Lot at the back end service providers. If you think India is all about call centers, then you have a serious case of prejudice for a black man or live in a hole. When they make money so do these Indian IT companies. We all know some have done very well becoming billionaires in India.”
Behind the scenes what??? All that matters is who controls the market. There is no Indian company that comes close to competing with Microsoft, Google, etc.
A few billionaires indicates nothing. Osama Bin Laden, Fidel Castro, and Robert Mugabe are all billionaires.
“Slowly but surely, there is a shift in wealth no matter how you deny it. Most experts agree on this matter and I’m bold enough to say it’s FACT! ”
I don’t think you understand what wealth means. Wealth is not based on paper currency. Wealth is based on economic indicators and diplomatic muscle. All the economic indicators show that China is still lagging far behind the West. China does not have veto power in the IMF (only the USA does)… China does not call the shots in the UN. China does not even attend the summit of the 10 richest nations (G-10) nations. What has happened with China is that it embraced a few free market economic policies, which resulted in explosive economic growth. On the other hand, economic growth does not go on forever. There is a point at which it levels off. Leveling off indicates stability… on the other hand, the developed nations reached this stable equilibrium point ages ago (that is why they are called “developed”). There is nothing special about China. It is still at the “explosive economic growth” stage, which is natural for a developing economy.
“You’re talking about US ability to manage their deficit. Record numbers are bailing on home mortgages and credit cards. The government is coughing up billions to keep the banks afloat. ”
So far the economic recession recovery plan has been a success. Look at J.P Morgan Chase. GM and Ford are still around. The housing crisis is over. There is no boom, of course, but a boom is not necessary to indicate stability.
” “Shock & Awe”! Oh don’t even tell me Iraqis are getting paid for that oil.. lol. ”
Actually the Iraqi’s are getting paid for the oil. They are getting paid more than they were during Saddam’s time, because the market is bigger now. In Saddam’s time, the oil was sold through the black market; Saddam used the money to build palaces for himself. Ever heard of the UN oil for food scandal? Plus, the USA is not the only buyer of Iraqi oil. There are pipelines that go from Iraqi to Turkey to Iran to Syria. Plus, Obama has pledged to remove all Americans from Iraqi before 2020.
Observer,
I agree that the Governments of the US and some of the EU need to look in the mirror and fix themselves as well. Maybe not all the EU but those that were involved in Iraq / Afghanistan.
The wrongs of the US have been well documented by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch – see for example:
Afghanistan: US Should Stop Using Cluster Bombs (search for this on the HRW site)
Urgent investigation needed into civilian deaths in Afghanistan (search for this on the AI site)
There are many more reports on both websites on the US
http://www.hrw.org/en/search/apachesolr_search/US+afghanistan
Both HRW and AI have nothing to do with either the US government or the EU governments. They have consistently pointed out the atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They have also highlighted a lot of problems in Sri Lanka. There are reports dating from 1990 which highlight the abuses that took place in the south during the crushing of the JVP. I don’t think it is possible to dismiss the reports of these two bodies on the basis that they were complicit in the abuses in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If there is anyone who has a real concern for rights then the reports of AI and HRW need to be viewed very seriously and investigated fully.
http://www.hrw.org/en/search/apachesolr_search/sri+lanka
http://www.amnesty.org/en/ai_search?keywords=sri+lanka&op=Search&form_id=search_theme_form&form_token=ce7144a7894e9877e89e0fb2d0505536
The UN vote was won with the support of many countries whose record on Human rights was even worse than Sri Lanka’s so that it is only a victory in terms of political manoeuvring, not a real endorsement of our Human rights record.
Old man,
A week ago US killed 30 civilians in an air strike on 2 oil trucks! Where is the UN asking for a ceasefire for the safety of Afghan civilians?? Why is Navi Pillai’s big mouth silent? Did a US “sock” get stuck in there? She should demand a damn ceasefire if she cares for all the humans in this world. Or am I the only one that see her ethnic bias there?
I totally accept war is BLOODY war! It’s ruthless to the bare bones. Those that go into war should understand the full consequences (including the people they claim to stand for) and accept the [Edited out] u get with it. Because you put them in more harm’s way.
We were given this war and we just responded with ruthless efficiency to rid of our enemies. That is the sovereign right of our country and respect that! That’s all we ask for. US can run around and hunt down their enemies too. And we’d like to offer our well wishes in their hunt and wish them all the success! We all too well understand there will be collateral. Wars aren’t precision heart surgery right?
Israel also had a legitimate case for their war and I think today’s report is unfair to them! I can understand the sort of witch hunt UN subject people to that they don’t favor. Cough! Not US! Cough! Not UK!
What we don’t like is hypocrisy! Those that beat the hell out of innocent people all over the world have no right to judge others who are engaged in legitimate wars. We had 10/20 times the 9/11s and we had a right to defend ourselves!
Like I said before old man, there are no human rights in any war. Killing is wrong no matter if the bullet was between your temple or the back of your neck. Or if the bomb came in one piece or a cluster. It’s all about maximum kills, maximum destruction, etc. That’s what make good generals. After all, killing enemies is their business. It’s effin wrong and painful! But that’s war and sometimes it has to be done! So stop getting all fussy about it.
JVP, LTTE they all had it coming and I have no sympathy whether they were passionate Sinhalese or Tamils. One of my uncles was JVP and to this date no one knows what happened to him. Yeah dead for sure but donno how. I couldn;t care less about his fate. He was an enemy of the state far as I was concerned. I don’t want any form of justice for him. he got it the cold hard way. They killed people who didn;t deserve to die and like that old saying goes, those who pick up swords die by swords.
[Editors note: Dear Observer, we would like to remind you again to please follow the site guidelines in your comments. We recognise your constructive engagement, but please avoid the use of profanity. Thanks].
Hehsan, we can go back an forth about this. Your arguments are rather derivative and not to the point. Or maybe we live in 2 different worlds. Either way you’re talking about US’s (West in general) current prosperity and I’m talking about how things are going to end up down the track based on trends I observe. So I can kind of understand where the discrepancy lies.
- Most Western people are living beyond their means in an unsustainable way.
- Asian’s are working harder for less and they’re hungrier than ever.
Long as it’s an open global market, which way do you think the scale is eventually going to weight towards? Those that burn the money or save the money? Wealth is also power and in these areas too they’re building armory.
I personally think US will engage in direct military oppression before this scale tip too much. That;s the fireworks I was talking about.
And also ponder if Chinese are getting a raw deal out of this whole globalisation thing and they’re getting “used” as you say, how come they can afford to buy US bonds when the US budget is going into deficit? Surely they must be making money somewhere right?
Mind you these aren;t the Chinese you get in the China towns in LA as you mentioned earlier, these are real Chinese cunning people you’re talking about. They will very rarely get into a bad deal! haha Sorry if I offended any Chineese, not meant to be racist
Watch this doco called “Ascension of money” I think the last episode of that series was called “Chimerica”. Just some complementary material.
ISRAEL is reeling from the accusations of a UN fact-finding mission that it deliberately sowed death and destruction among civilians in the Gaza Strip during a three-week military operation in January.
The mission was chaired by a respected South African judge, Richard Goldstone and published its report on Tuesday September 15th. It concludes that “While the Israeli government has sought to portray its operation as essentially a response to rocket attacks in exercise of its right to self-defence, the Mission considers the plan to have been directed, at least in part, at a different target: the people of Gaza as a whole.”
LETS SEE USA and CPA take action on these findings??
or is it one law for some and another one for the LDC’s
@Observer:
I’m merely stating the obvious and you are indulging in conspiracy theories. Statements like “most Westerners are living beyond their means” and “Asians are working harder than ever” are meaningless because they cannot be objectively verified. I also think that labels like East and West become less relevant day by day because globalization has redefined identities, so to speak. You may be from the East, yet you were educated in the West, your partner is from the West, and your career takes you from East to West… not to mention your children, who are an exact balance between the two. People in the West understand this pretty easily, whereas people in the East have a difficult time… this is one reason I don’t buy your Western conspiracy theories. The West is actually more ethnically diverse than the East. A Tamil man has a better chance of becoming mayor of Toronto than he does becoming mayor of Colombo… in fact, there was one Tamil lady a few months ago who ran for mayor of London. Using colonialism to discredit the West is also a bad argument… there was no colonialism after 1950… 60 years is enough time to recover. What could the West have plundered from the East 60 years ago that would make the West still be super-rich today? Mango’s? Cinnamon? Tea? Rubber? Plus you should keep in mind that the technology for plundering was pretty bad 60 years ago…
The real reason why the West is rich: Industrial Revolution. Every nation that is industrialized is self-sufficient. You can do your own research; in any event, its a more sensible argument than putting forth colonialism and documentaries on China.
Observer,
let me give you my perspective. I, like most other people lead busy lives in the office. Most of out time is taken up by work and free time is spent doing chores, there is very little time to spend analysing events.
We go on in our humdrum existence, relying the press for the little time that we spend on current affairs. The press reports little nothing wrong so we happily spend our lives thinking everything tickety-boo: until we actually see something that scares [edited out] us, which is what has happened to me.
Minor employees in the office being taken in and held for no reason, the sister of the next-door servant disappearing after visiting the police station to make a complaint about some petty matter, amongst other stuff.
So far these problems have affected the underclass- who are poor and mostly from minority communities. It does not touch us and we do not think it exists until we see it happening.
Malinda Seneviratne was a witness to an abduction, see his views here:
http://sinhale.wordpress.com/2009/08/09/the-nationalist-paperson-the-folly-of-%E2%80%98underworldism%E2%80%99-in-tackling-the-underworld/
We look in the newspapers and there is absolutely nothing; yet things keep happening, so we know there is a problem. What happened to the two boys in Angulana is a very small tip of the iceberg.
At the end of the day, human rights is not about some abstract academic concept, it is not about what has happened in Iraq or Afghanistan, it is about [the fact that we are] in the line of fire, which is why the rule of law needs to be restored.
will the real channel 4 please stand up!!
http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2009/09/17/channel-4-fake-video-footage-last-original-has-emerged
Great article. I hope the big bullies the west – will stop aid. Sri lanka will crash like a rocket from space. We cant teach the west lessons??? No westerner or aisan or african is trying to get citizenship in S Lanka? Why? But they are still going by boats risking their lives to get into the Big Bully countries that harrase and kill there people???? Why…???because they know there is freedom, democracy and economic hope.
Sinhala nationalists are sleeping. Their sons will pay a huge price, while the presidents kids with western education, western influence and converant in western languages and dressing in and living culture will have the best of both worlds. I know this for a fact. wimal weerawansa has the same story. What stupidity !! What madness!! Sri Lanka is in the dark ages economically and socially. The Bullies have been our politicians. the west will get on with life and will not need us for thier survival. I am sure we will die without their help.