The Chris Nonis incident: The culture of impunity and due process

Critics of the Sri Lankan Government frequently claim that a culture of impunity exists in the country. What could they mean? I found a definition that is useful:

The term "culture of impunity" refers to a situation in which people in a society have come to believe that they can do whatever they want with impunity (which means without having to face any consequences for their actions)....This concept is pretty much 180 degrees opposed to the idea of the rule of law.  The rule of law is the idea that all people will be punished if (and only if) they break the law.  There is no impunity for anyone under the rule of law.

Mr Chris Nonis, the country's High Commissioner to the UK has been assaulted. Can we expect an enquiry, leading to punishment of the culprit? Most unlikely. There is no report of any enquiry, only of attempts to cover up and hide the incident, which is a strong indication that nothing will happen.

Yet, when Mr Nonis was interviewed by CNN,  he was convinced that :

we have had a vibrant civilization for 2,500 years. We have perfectly educated people and I think we're perfectly capable of carrying out our own domestic inquiry."

I wonder how many people will still believe this?

To test the principle, all we need do is observe the outcome of this incident.  I'm not holding my breath and I don't think even Mr Nonis is.

Perhaps if Mr Nonis wanted justice he should have lodged a complaint with the New York police instead?  

The need for power

There are many things that drive men: anger, greed, power, lust but surely power must rank at the forefront. Nothing illustrates this better than the assault on  Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to the UK.

The High Commissioner was apparently shouted at, slapped and then kicked by a senior politician at a party. A great public humiliation that no one under normal circumstances would accept. If the victim were weak and powerless such as the urban citizens who are losing their houses, then they would have little option but to put up with it.

Chris Nonis is neither. He is independently wealthy, educated and of some standing in society. Yet, it appears that will be willing to put up with the humiliation and carry on with his job.

The question is why? Why would any self respecting being put up with such atrocious treatment? He has no need for money, unless he has developed extravagant habits following his ascent to the circles of politics. While this is a possibility it does not seem to be likely proposition. We have not seen any evidence: wild parties, exotic women or fine motor cars that may be indicative of such indiscretion.

The most likely motive to remain in office is the need for power. His position within the Government and diplomatic community brings a great deal of influence. Power, in the raw, unchecked form available in Sri Lanka may be particularly addictive. He may have have experienced what few in history may have dared even dream. Not surprisingly, once experienced, such power is rarely given up.

That a man of some standing can be so mesmerised by power that he will put up with such humiliation is a depressing thought.

What the far greater power wielded by his attacker and his ultimate patrons must be doing to their minds is positively terrifying.

A response to “Farmers, foodporn and ICT literacy: here’s where the tough get going

Icarus had written something on ICT literacy and how meaningful the numbers were. The question posed is that "yes people do have internet access but what do they use it for?" A lot of the time for very trivial things.

I had been thinking a little on the subject of the spread of ideas.

I think one of the most critical developments in human civilisation was the invention of writing which enabled ideas to be preserved and shared. When ideas depended on word of mouth to spread they were unlikely to go very far without being distorted. With writing distortion was reduced, it became easier to understand what had originally been intended. Interpretation will introduce some subjectivity, but less so than in ideas spread verbally.

Printing, which enabled much faster and wider sharing was the next most important development.

While the means for spreading ideas were improving, in the early stages the main barrier to the spread of ideas was literacy. Only a handful of scholars and scribes could read or write. Taking ideas to people meant using town criers or preaching in the marketplace.

Wider levels of education after the industrial revolution, the development of newspapers, the telephone, the telegraph, radio and television all helped the rapid spread of ideas and the transformation of society. From Martin Luther to Marx, ideas spread through books changed societies.

Now we have something unique - an even wider and easier way of spreading ideas than ever before. Previously, to spread ideas one would have to publish something in some established media. Publishing a book was not easy and radio and television were even harder to get into. Even getting a letter published in the newspapers was not that easy.

Now we can publish sitting at home, at very little cost but yet be read by someone from across the globe.

Never have we had such power to spread ideas. It is still in its infancy but as long as people are using it, its potential remains.

All humans are not equal and not everyone will come up with a a thought that is groundbreaking or even serious. Yet, as long as people are logged in, they are potential recipients of ideas. Someone who comes up with something important will find it far easier to communicate it to a wider audience than ever before.

Too often it may seem be a little more than a waste of time, but eventually the medium will mature and the power to transform societies - for better or worse, will only grow. Hopefully it will be the good ideas that win.

Should the Chinese premier be an advisor to the Government?

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in the 'Wonder of Asia' for a flying visit, flying being the operative word.

His visit is scheduled to last a total of 23 hours, about a third longer than the 15 hours or so that he will spend travelling to and from Beijing. (The fastest flight is on Sri Lankan that is supposed to take 7 hours and 25 minutes, one way). Assuming he spends some of those 23 hours resting or sleeping after the flight the actual hours spent waking may well be as many as those spent on the flight.

No matter, for although his time spent is short, his influence is long. Notably he has single handedly solved a problem that has eluded our leaders for ages: reducing the cost of living.

In the few short hours that he has spent the price was electricity was reduced by 25% and the prices of diesel, petrol and kerosene by Rs. 3, Rs. 5 and Rs. 20.

An amazing feat. Our greatest fear is of the prices rising after his departure. Or after the election, since that happens to be conveniently at hand.

Therefore I propose a simple solution: make premier Xi Jinping a permanent advisor to the Government! This way we will have a more permanent reduction in the cost of living.

We have hundreds of ministers and perhaps thousands of advisors, one more will not do any harm, especially since he has delivered results.

Confucius has said:

 “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”

Words to ponder, as we dance merrily down the path taken by many a Banana Republic.

Chinese President XI JinpingPresident Xi Jinping’s visit

Hotels required to report guest details to police

According to a report in today's Sunday Times:

The management of tourist resorts countrywide is now required to report to the Police Station in their area whenever bookings are made by local guests. Besides their names, the address, the date of arrival and departure are among the data sought.

The report goes on to elaborate that:

such data were often transmitted by the Police Station concerned to the District Intelligence Bureau (DIB). They in turn forward that information to the State Intelligence Service (SIS) at Cambridge Place, Colombo. 

The surveillance has already started, the report quotes a hotel manager who is uncomfortable with sending out the information but does so anyway because "Otherwise they find fault with us.”

Under what law are hotels being required to cough up this information? These acts are probably unconstitutional and outside the law, but what does that matter? The laws of the land exist only for the purpose of repressing the weak, the powerless or some unfortunate political opponent.

The collection of guests data used to happen in the North and East during the conflict but I believe the practice stopped after the war ended. Now it appears to have been resurrected in a wider form that covers all parts of the country. Previously, the Government could claim that there was a war on. Now what excuse do they have? Are they monitoring NGO workers? Journalists? Opposition politicians? Who knows? Perhaps the see enemies around every nook and corner?

There have been stories circulating of the police or military trying to collect information on households in some parts of the country, this new move fits in with a general pattern of surveillance that appears to be in place.   

The Sunday Times report compares this to the acts of the Stasi, or the Ministry of State Security- the secret police that operated in the former East Germany.  Very apt, but the parallels are a lot closer than people suspect. The Stasi were responsible for the surveillance of mail and telephone conversations as well more regular types of spying.

I don't think the post is being monitored but it is known that telephones are being tapped. I believe the practice started in 2008 when all phone users were required to register their  SIM cards. The phone companies then had a database of all users and were required to give access to the powers-that-be.

Such things should not happen in free or open societies, but then, we already know that we are neither, don't we?

An anthem of hope

Peter Seeger, activist and musician died on the 27th of January this year. A fine musician, he composed in the genre of folk music.

His band (the Weavers) was named after a German play that depicted the uprising of Silesian weavers. One of the lines in the play is "I'll stand it no more, come what may".

The political message in some of his songs resulted in the band being blacklisted in the 1950's and Seeger being hauled up before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1955. He reportedly told the committee:

"I am not going to answer any questions as to my association, my philosophical or religious beliefs or my political beliefs, or how I voted in any election, or any of these private affairs. I think these are very improper questions for any American to be asked, especially under such compulsion as this."   

One of his songs was a Freedom Song of the American Civil Rights movement. Wikileaks chose the song as its "Wikileaks song". The song?

If I had a Hammer.

It speaks of a bell of warning, a bell of freedom and of a hammer of justice. A beautiful, poetic song, it became a top 10 hit for the band Peter, Paul and Mary. (Watch the performance here) and read the lyrics below. Does it carry a message for us?

If I had a hammer,
I'd hammer in the morning,
I'd hammer in the evening,
All over this land,
I'd hammer out danger,
I'd hammer out a warning,
I'd hammer out love between,
My brothers and my sisters,
All over this land.

If I had a bell,
I'd ring it in the morning,
I'd ring it in the evening,
All over this land,
I'd ring out danger,
I'd ring out a warning,
I'd ring out love between,
My brothers and my sisters,
All over this land.

If I had a song
I'd sing it in the morning
I'd sing it in the evening
all over this land
I'd sing out danger
I'd sing out a warning
I'd sing out love between
my brothers and my sisters
all over this land

Well, I've got a hammer
and I've got a bell
and I've got a song to sing
all over this land
It's the hammer of justice
It's the bell of freedom
It's a song about love between my
brothers and my sisters
all over this land

It's the hammer of justice
It's the bell of freedom
It's a song about love between my brothers and my
sisters
All over this la-a-and

Read more: Peter, Paul & Mary - If I Had A Hammer Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Urban regeneration in Colombo

There have been a number of articles on the urban redevelopment that is taking place at break-neck speed in Colombo. Many of these have focused on the human aspects: the plight of evicted residents, the loss of a certain way of life or the change in the character of the city.

There are many positive things that can come from urban renewal, depending on what drives the programme. The earliest ones were apparently carried out in Victorian London to provide social housing to the poor, replacing the terrible slums that they lived in. A similar justification is being used in the case of some of Colombo's new projects but one must note two critical points: the terrible conditions in London at the time, and the underlying purpose of the exercise : to improve the lives of the poor by providing cheap housing for the poor.

Here the impetus seems to be more modern, one of stimulating economic growth through urban regeneration. This is something that has also worked (with varying degrees of success) in many different places. This can certainly work, but only with the right policy and governance framework.

In the case of our fair city I fear it may be a case of putting the cart before the horse.

If the economy booms, consistently over a few years people will have money to spend and there will be demand for land: for shops, for business premises, for entertainment.

When the demand materialises it makes sense to redevelop older or decaying parts of the city, to improve land usage or relieve congestion. If the economy were booming then the Town and Urban Councils would be flush with cash (from trade based taxes) and there would be less need to borrow money to redevelop. It would also be possible to get the private sector involved in the redevelopment process, minimising the need for debt funding.

Urban regeneration needs to go hand in hand with the right policy and good governance because this is what really drives growth. Ideally these should precede the regeneration effort and will help overall growth and the building of confidence. Getting this right policy costs little money but requires enlightened leadership. Once in place, growth will take place overall and attention may be turned towards the more neglected or  decaying parts of the city.

Unfortunately what appears to be happening is debt funded beautification for which there is scant demand and is likely to remain underutilised - because the fundamental drivers are not in place.

What is this business of governance? What does it take to create an economic boom? Restore the rule of law, simplify regulation, minimise the need for permits and licenses (eliminate altogether where possible, simplify where essential) have clear transparent rules that people can simply read and follow. A simple, consistent tax code, simple exchange control regulations and so forth.

What I see now is a maze of ever more complex regulations that appear to keep getting added to at an alarming rate and in a thoroughly haphazard manner. Worse, there are so many ambiguities that no one is sure what they mean so one must go from one public official to another seeking clarifications and approvals.

Bottom line: if this is to work, cut the red tape that is strangling the economy.
   

Reviewing positions with the benefit of hindsight

I spend quite a lot of my time analysing events, a process that sometimes ends with a prediction or forecast. Something else that I often do is to review some of my predictions or positions with the benefit of hindsight. I don't do it all the time, just whenever something catches my attention.

Hindsight is a great thing and spending some time contemplating one's previous positions or opinion can be very enlightening. Often it can reveal flaws in reasoning; biases or facts that should have been taken into account. Even when we find ourselves on the wrong side of history we can learn something from our mistakes. It is part of process of refining ones thinking and ideas; an essential part of learning. 

Less frequently, when one is proved right, there is a certain satisfaction that is derived, something that will drive one to be more forthcoming in one's opinions.

After years of rejecting the need for any inquiry, the Government has made an unexpected U-turn and announced its own international panel to establish if war crimes took place.

Following the (seemingly incredible) war victory five years ago many an educational institute or university held seminars and workshops on the subject of management lessons to be learnt from the war victory; a few examples are here, here, and here.

I don't know if the results of the seminars or workshops were published in full but five years on, may we revisit the question again?

What management lessons did we believe we learnt? Do these need to be reviewed further in the light of recent events ? Were there real lessons to be learnt or were these bodies simply trying to cash in on some cheap publicity?

On the bigger question of the economy, many expected a post war boom. There was a boom but it only lasted a couple of years before ending in a bust in 2012.  Despite the rosy statistics there is now no serious question that things have been in decline since then. What went wrong? More seriously where will it end?

What has happened to our EPF money?

The Sunday Times has published a report on the EPF that gave me an unpleasant shock. The fund does not appear to have the money to repay it's members.

Before getting into the details, lets understand what the fund is and what it is supposed to do. The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) was established under Act No. 15 of 1958 and is currently the largest Social Security Scheme in the country. It is a compulsory fund, all employers regardless of the size or type of business must contribute to the EPF, even if they have only one employee.

The standard contribution is a percentage of the monthly salary of each employee; the employer contributes 12% and the employee 8%. Each month's contribution must be paid before the last date of the following month. Late payments are subject to penalties ranging from 5% to 50%.

The EPF contributions are supposed to be invested for the benefit of the employees. On retirement, the employee can withdraw whatever balance is to his credit - this should be the amounts contributed over the years plus whatever interest earned.

The critical point to note is that the EPF is fully funded by its contributors. The Government does not put in one cent. All the employee gets back is what was paid in by himself and his employer (plus whatever interest).

Therefore there cannot be any shortfall in funds - unless something is seriously wrong. Yet this is what there appears to be - a shortfall in funds. According to the report it appears that withdrawals from the fund by retirees are being paid out of the new contributions made by members.

"Employers’ contribution to the EPF in 2011 was Rs. 61.9 billion with a sum of Rs. 47.3 billion being withdrawn to pay back EPF money for retirees and this amounted to 76 per cent of the total contribution....In 2012 and 2013, 115,000 and 114,000 applicants had withdrawn Rs.48.7 billion and Rs. 50.2 billion, respectively. Employers’ contribution for EPF in 2012 was Rs.70.6 billion and in 2013 the contribution was Rs.80.9 billion."

What should happen by rights is that the withdrawals need to be paid from the investments made, the fresh contributions made by existing members must be invested to provide a return for the new contributors, not pay the retirees. This probably happens on paper but the fund is obviously facing serious problems of cash flow.

So what has happened to our money?

According the EPF's annual report for 2011, 90% of the funds are invested in Government securities, 7.9% in the stock market and the rest in corporate debentures and other debt instruments.

A couple of things raise a red flag.

First is increase in the proportion of the fund invested in the stock market which has jumped from 1.3% in 2009 to 5% in 2010 and 7.9% in 2011.

The second is the delay in publishing the annual reports for 2012 and 2013. We are seven months into 2014, yet the latest accounts available are for 2011. Late publication of accounts is often one of the first symptoms of malpractice. My big worry is has the percentage of funds invested in the stock market increased significantly since 2011?

We have learned of the fraud that has taken place with regard to the fund's stock market investments. A loss of 11.7 billion was reported in 2011 due to stock market losses - insignificant compared to the funds balance of Rs.1,300 billion but compared to the contributions and withdrawals in 2011 the loss is very significant: 18.9% of the contributions or 24.7% of withdrawals.

We know that a part of our money has been lost through fraudulent investments in the stock market. What of the rest? There have been other unauthorised investments such as Rs.2.97 billion on a power generating company,  Rs.810m in a loss-making hotel, Rs.500m in an airline (Mihin Air, perhaps?) and some others. (See this report for a few more details). The biggest issue is that we do not have proper information which prevents in-depth analysis- the easiest way to cover a crime is by hiding the evidence, hence the ongoing campaign against transparency in all spheres.

Regardless of the stock market and other dubious investments I believe the bulk (75%-80%) is still in treasury bills and bonds. These are Government debt and there should be no issue with cash flows - unless the Government is bust and unable to service its debt. This, I am afraid is the sad reality that is becoming ever more evident.

In simple terms, the Government has borrowed this money from the EPF. It now needs to start repaying and is facing difficulties. The way the Government handles this with other lenders is simple - they simply borrow some more and repay the loan. They take new loans to pay old ones and even have to take additional loans to pay the interest (I have looked at this issue in come depth here).

So why not do that with the EPF? The reason is that they are trying very hard to 'manage' the debt statistics. With external lenders there is no choice but to repay - when the money belongs to ordinary citizens then the Government will try some tricks to postpone payment. This is the driving force behind the moves to turn the EPF into a pension scheme. A lump sum payment will be repaced with a monthly payment, paid over heaven knows how many years.

The sustainability of Sri Lanka's debt is an issue, the rating agency Moody's recently warned that overall debt affordability is weak. The Government will not admit that it's debt levels are too high, but it's actions in this instance betray the reality of the situation.

After all, it is not Government money that we are asking for, it is our money that was given to the Government that we want back. Is that too much to ask for?

Addendum:

Ratmale left an excellent comment on this post. With regard to administration costs, it is essential that these be kept to a minimum. As per the annual report, the EPF administration cost is around 0.68% of the fund. However the Government runs two funds the EPF and the ETF. Both funds can be managed by a single entity with almost no increase in administration costs, so for optimal benefit the management of both EPF and ETF should be merged.
  


  

The killing of planter Nihal Perera: still no justice

It was just over a year ago that a senior planter, Secretary of the Ceylon Planters Association was brutally murdered by - surprise, surprise: the Chairman of the local Pradeshiya Sabha, Anil Champika alias ‘Atha Kota’.

The eyewitness testimony makes for harrowing reading, yet despite public outrage and local protest, absolutely nothing seems to have happened.  The local press took a couple of weeks before even reporting the story properly, but at least they eventually did get around to giving it some proper coverage - although, they shied away from giving it proper publicity.

Coverage and publicity are not the same thing. This story should have been front page, headline news for several weeks. Whatever legal processes should have been followed up closely and questions should have been raised as to why nothing was happening.

Naturally this is far too much to expect from the local media, 'independent' or state. It is some consolation that they did report the story fully (even if it was in the back pages), albeit a couple of weeks after it happened.

A year later, the far more serious anti Muslim violence in Aluthgama and Beruwala did not merit even this limited coverage. The media have mostly concerned themselves with reporting some of the aftermath with no investigation of causes or proper reporting of the incidents themselves.

Most editorials condemned the violence, as did several columnists, which is all very well and may satisfy the conscience of the journalists but the fact remains that editorials and features are not often read. What is mostly read is the news, especially on the front page and in this respect coverage was woefully inadequate. First and foremost people need to know the facts, if they know exactly what happened they will be less ready to blame the victims, a view that is worryingly commonplace and may seed more widespread violence later. (For some good summaries of the Aluthgama violence see here and here)

As with Khuram Shaikh, as with Nihal Perera, as with the Trinco 5 and countless, nameless other victims of the state. These were ordinary people going about their lives in a perfectly normal, ordinary fashion. They broke no laws, were not reckless is behaviour, yet a chance encounter with the agents of State lead to a brutal death.

I hope the killers perish in hell, but that is the best we can expect. With no accountability there can be no justice, past experience testifies. With no news, people will forget and move on. They may only remember, if they or some one they know falls victim. It could be anyone really, even you or me, victims of a bandit State.     


A good piece on the Nihal Perera murder, by a former colleague of his is here, my original piece on Nihal Perera's murder is here.

Update 19th July
I was pleasantly surprised to note that the murderers of Khuram Shaikh have actually been convicted. Lets hope this signifies a change in the system and that other victims may also hope for justice.

Sri Lanka's corporate sector: Is ignorance bliss?

“Eternal vigilance is not only the price of liberty; eternal vigilance is the price of human decency.”Aldous Huxley 


A question that came up amongst friends concerning the resignation of Jayantha Dhanapala from the board of Dialog Axiata. It is widely presumed to be a result of the conflict of interests between Dialog's policy of blocking websites (at the behest of the state) and Dhanapala's advocacy of transparency and governance through the Friday Forum.

Dhanapala's position was taken by Mahesh Amalean, a founder of MAS and a widely respected businessman.

The question that was raised was: Why did Amalean take up the position that was vacated in such controversial or at least dubious circumstances? Does Amalean not support transparency and good governance?

My hypothesis is that in all probability Amalean was never aware of the controversy in the first place. Why?  Are the vast majority of people, including those in the upper echelons of the private sector, ignorant of the larger issues of governance?

In my limited experience (for one does not broach such controversial subjects in the  corporate world) only a tiny minority are aware:

a. of the deplorable state of of the local media, including the nominally independent media, which is reluctant to highlight real issues or direct substantial criticism  towards the government,

b. of alternative news sources, on the web or on social media.

While mainstream print media do carry some columns or occasional pieces that are critical, these are tucked away in the inner pages, relegated to the features section which are seldom, if ever, read. Only the retired and the young have the time to delve through long features, busy executives tend to focus on headlines and a few summaries.

Corporate executives obtain most of their information from the mainstream media. That too mainly from the news and business sections which carefully steer clear of any controversy. People's opinions are views are shaped by the information they receive, the bland diet fed by the mainstream will only lull the mind to state of dangerous complacency.

If so, then the vast majority of the educated, literate and largely well-meaning people who occupy positions in the corporate sector are blissfully ignorant of the massive problems of governance that plague the nation and threaten its very existence.

They are aware of individual cases of corruption, of the difficulties in dealing with the state and its agencies, of abrupt changes in policy or process but they cannot connect the dots and the see the bigger picture.

Is it possible for someone to conduct a survey of the private/corporate sector to ascertain:

1. Their main sources of news.
2. Their awareness of alternative media.
3. If they are aware of alternative media, the frequency with which they access such sources.

What do you think? Are our corporate executives and leaders aware and informed? Or happy and ignorant?  Do you fall into the category of a happy hamster?





All you beasts of the field, All you beasts in the forest, Come to eat. His watchmen are blind, All of them know nothing. All of them are mute dogs unable to bark, Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;  (Isaiah 56:10) 

Pieter Bruegel, The Blind Leading the Blind (1568)

Freedom and liberty

The denizens of the land that is referred to as Sri Lanka are supposed to be "free". The British ruled the territory until 1948 but since then it has been self governing and it's inhabitants, supposedly free.

Are we really free? Free to think? Free to write? Allowed to go about our affairs unmolested, secure in the knowledge that we cannot be falsely accused of wrong doing, of being questioned or detained without reason?

In the event of being detained, being assured of due process, the right to a fair hearing, the right to basic justice, not subjected to victimisation at the hands of the police, politician or indeed the Government in general?

Do we have real freedom of association, to meet and talk to people we want to? Do we have the freedom to practise our own beliefs, or non-beliefs as the case may be, unhindered, as long as we cause no nuisance to others?

Are we allowed conduct our business affairs in peace, to carry on lives in our own way, free from obstruction or interference?

The people who lived here before 1948 or before the rot set in, somewhere in the 1960's will probably tell you that they enjoyed these freedoms and liberties. Do we enjoy them today? Are we really free?

Our leaders are thought to be modeling the country's development on Singapore, witness the sprucing up of the city, the streets, the pavements and the park. These words, from Singapore's first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew are prophetic; will our leaders continue to drive us down the path to ruin?

Ceylon was Britain's model Commonwealth country. It had been carefully prepared for independence. After the war, it was a good middle-size country with fewer than 10 million people. It had a relatively good standard of education, with 2 universities of high quality in Colombo and Kandy teaching in English, a civil service largely of locals, and experience in representative government starting with city council elections in the 1930s.

When Ceylon gained independence in 1948, it was the classic model of gradual evolution to independence. Alas it did not work out. During my visits over the years, I watched a promising country go to waste....

….....It is sad that the country whose ancient name Serendip has given the English language the word "serendipity" is now the epitome of conflict, pain, sorrow and hopelessness.

(From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965-2000, p414, 418)

A question on the arts

Has anyone noticed the unevenness in the geographic distribution of great art in Europe?

For example the Dutch can claim some of the greatest painters but have produced almost no musicians of note?

The central Germanic-Austro Hungarian region has many great musicians but no serious painters or even writers ?(Goethe and Schiller excepted). The reverse is true of Britain, plenty of great painters and writers but only a handful of musicians.

In sculpture, Italy reigns supreme, all the great ones seem to be confined to that country, I have not heard of any major figure outside Italy.

The question is why is this so? Could one reason for the peculiar distribution of skills be economic?

In society, the arts require a minimum amount of leisure. Societies living on the margins of existence will rarely produce anything-people will be spending their time searching for food and the basics of existence, there is no time to spend on abstract thinking or creation.

With increasing wealth a society can support craftsmen and artisans who are not directly engaged the production of food or other necessities of life.

Could the different ways in which countries or regions developed have affected the way in which the arts developed?

The early civilisations of Greece and Rome set the philosophical and aesthetic  foundation for Western art. Emperors, Kings and the Church were early patrons whose dictates may have shaped the development of the arts before economies developed to the point where merchants and the general public could become supporters.

Perhaps they way training took place - the way the necessary skills were learned and transferred have played a part?

These are just questions that occurred to me. Does anyone have any thoughts? 
 

The BBS is run by the CIA!

This is what the Daily News has to day:

The sequence of events that led to the formation of the BBS (from around mid-2011 to late 2012) shows that the covert neocon teams operating from Colombo embassies found some “useful idiots” (in their own nomenclature), ripe for exploitation.

The “opportunity” for the neocons came in the form of Dilanthe Withanage, a graduate in Computing (1984) from the little-known Georgian Technical University, Tbilisi, Georgia, and the yellow-robed extremist Galabodaaththe Gnansissara…..

……..Withanage’s work history filled with a diverse range of short-term “careers”, pointing to a confused, overseas qualified local failing to get traction and Gnanissara’s own troubled past would have lit up the eyes of the neocons. Georgia where Withanage graduated, probably through sheer coincidence, happens to be the country where the CIA conspiracy of “Colour Revolutions” was first launched in 2003, installing the now-soured American puppet government of Mikheil Saakashvili through the so-called “Rose” revolution.

What a revelation.

The article closes with this:

It is time that the people of Sri Lanka, and the government, tell the BBS where to go. Dilantha Withanage and Galabodaaththe Gnanissara do not seem to need much help to get there!    

Now the Daily News clearly holds the BBS responsible for the problem. This is exactly what all independent analysts and observers have been saying all along.

 Now comes the revelation that not only is the BBS the cause, they are funded and run as a covert operation by the CIA with the intention of destabilising the Government. If this is correct then the interests of the Government and the BBS are on a collision course.

If this is the case, and given the outcry about the activities of the BBS why does the Government not follow the advice of the Daily News (and the call of it's own minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara) and arrest the leaders of this subversive group?
 
This is not the first time that the BBS has broken the law. On countless occasions, sometimes in full view of the police, they have been filmed damaging property, trespassing or unlawfully entering private property.

Yet, in the land that fearlessly defeated terrorism, they roam free and unpunished. Indeed the very architect of that fearful war chose to grace the occassion of the opening of a new building by the BBS.

Even if the Government was sleeping, why did the Daily News not rush to the forefront, to expose the subversive activity in Aluthgama and Beruwala while it was going on? They could have caught the CIA operatives red-handed. What better way to expose them? The Aluthgama attacks should have been headline news in the national press. Why wait for days in numbed silence before reporting on it?

It simply does not add up. The only logical explanation that fits the claims of the Daily News is that the Government, the BBS and the CIA are all in cahoots, all working to destabilise the country and ruin the peace.

Now that is something I can believe.


ps. *News Flash* Watareka Vijitha Thero, the moderate monk, (who previously was supposed to have attacked himself) has now been arrested!!!

Someone is supposed to have quipped that the situation is now worse than a parody, which just about sums it up. Welcome to Bananaland.

The sequence of events that led to the formation of the BBS (from around mid-2011 to late 2012) shows that the covert neocon teams operating from Colombo embassies found some “useful idiots” (in their own nomenclature), ripe for exploitation.
The “opportunity” for the neocons came in the form of Dilanthe Withanage, a graduate in Computing (1984) from the little-known Georgian Technical University, Tbilisi, Georgia, and the yellow-robed extremist Galabodaaththe Gnansissara.
- See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/conspiracy-behind-chief-aluthgama-actors#sthash.rnOaGInq.dpuf

The sequence of events that led to the formation of the BBS (from around mid-2011 to late 2012) shows that the covert neocon teams operating from Colombo embassies found some “useful idiots” (in their own nomenclature), ripe for exploitation.
The “opportunity” for the neocons came in the form of Dilanthe Withanage, a graduate in Computing (1984) from the little-known Georgian Technical University, Tbilisi, Georgia, and the yellow-robed extremist Galabodaaththe Gnansissara.
- See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/conspiracy-behind-chief-aluthgama-actors#sthash.rnOaGInq.dpuf

The sequence of events that led to the formation of the BBS (from around mid-2011 to late 2012) shows that the covert neocon teams operating from Colombo embassies found some “useful idiots” (in their own nomenclature), ripe for exploitation.
The “opportunity” for the neocons came in the form of Dilanthe Withanage, a graduate in Computing (1984) from the little-known Georgian Technical University, Tbilisi, Georgia, and the yellow-robed extremist Galabodaaththe Gnansissara.
- See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/conspiracy-behind-chief-aluthgama-actors#sthash.rnOaGInq.dpuf

"No Limit" outlet in Panadura Petrol bombed

Update from Twitter 10:40pm 21st June

Dinouk Colombage ‏@Dinoukc 26m

Tense situation has been reported in Panadura as reports emerge of people stoning houses. Police and STF have been deployed

Navamani Newspaper ‏@NavamaniLK 30m

Panic situ in Thottawatte and Sarikamulla STF and Police have been deployed in the area #lka

Navamani Newspaper ‏@NavamaniLK 34m

Some unidentified persons who had arrived in Thotawatte Panadura has attacked 2 house n dissapared on being confronted by residents#lka

Updates from Twitter- 11am, 21st June

The Muslim-owned "No Limit" stores' outlet in Panadura was attacked in the early hours of this morning, possibly with petrol bombs. Fortunately nobody appears to have been hurt but the store is in flames. Four fire brigade trucks are currently attempting to douse the fire.

The Daily Mirror has reported that the fire may have been caused by an electrical fault. However employees, who were sleeping in the staff quarters, and neighbours have both apparently said they heard 10 explosions from the store.
 

Recent updates from Twitter reproduced verbatim below, images & tweets from Rifas M Kaleel, Dinouk Colombage and Navamani:

This motorcycle was burnt outside the store, GM of store asks how could internal electrical fire cause this.

 

STF keeping agitated crowd yelling police 2 arrest those responsible over burning of No Limit store

Crowd building outside burn No Limit store. Police trying to clear them away

 STF using armored vehicle to clear crowd that is becoming agitated with police

Employees, who were sleeping in the staff quarters, and neighbours have both said they heard 10 explosions from the store

General Manager of the store says 4 employees were sleeping in staff quarters at the time of the fire. No injuries reported.

Police believe petrol bombs may have been used to start the fire. 

CcTV cameras outside are undamaged, however, police believe main tapes inside are destroyed.

Retired policeman, who lives next to the store, claims several explosions took place beginning at 2.30am.

Armed soldiers are now joining the STF to "maintain the peace" in Panadura.

Witnesses say several men were seen fleeing from the direction of the store shortly before the fire. Police say they have no suspects.

Armored STF being dispatched around the town of Panadura to ensure no further issues arise.

   

Anti Muslim violence

Update 17th June:

Given the media blackout on the events, the main source of information is Twitter. Search for and follow updates from #Aluthgama. For those without Twitter accounts check Groundviews, for some updates. There is also a new report from DBS Jeyaraj.

The latest round of violence is the inevitable  result of a campaign that started about a year and a half ago. I put up a number of posts on the subject, which I have now tagged under one label for easy access. 

There is still a dearth of information but columnist DBS Jeyaraj has put up a summary of the latest events and incidents that  on his blog and the Daily FT also carries a report.

Anti - Muslim violence breaks out

Reports are emerging on Twitter of what appears to be a wave of anti-muslim violence that has broken out in Aluthgama, Beruwala and other parts of the Western coast. The trigger appears to have been the BBS rally held in Aluthgama this afternoon.

Pictures from The Virakesari Twitter feed:

Pictures of unrest also available on the BBC Sinhala FB page.

Summary of tweets below (updated to 10pm, 15th June 2014):

Under "indefinite" police curfew: Aluthgama (clashes Thurs & 2day) & now Beruwala (one of oldest #muslim settlements in #srilanka). #lk

Rpts: Muslim shops burnt, Buddhist rally stoned, police teargas; seq of events unclear. Muslim homes/mosque later stoned: witnesses

Police blanket being imposed on media. Many being stopped from entering Aluthgama now

Police refusing to comment, phone of spokesperson now switched off

Reports from the ground in #Aluthgama: crowds gathering again on Masjijd Road, Hospital Road, Simon Silva road. 

The tense situation in #Aluthgama is worsening, got a call from Aluthgama. All land line cut. Where is the media? Government? 

400 STF deployed in #Aluthgama. Situation calmer in Dhargatown now. Some reports of violence in New Town area. DT mosque has called for calm

At least 10 shops were under fire in Aluthgama according to Lankadeepa, Police spokesman says situation normalised now 

Reports of houses being torched in Meeri Penna, Sapula Kanda Road, Aluthgama. 

Police curfew announced in Beruwela, as attacks reported from many areas, Police to provide security for all mosque around Sri Lanka.

video journalist attacked in aluthgama tenese situation.he's camara also break by mobs.

Tense situ reported from Kotiyakubura, Group led by Buddhist monks protesting against a new school constructed with Kuwait embassy funds

Muslim Council of welcomes Police curfew and urges Govt. and Police to protect Muslims and their estalishments

"I don't know who attacked first but once clash started it was like a war " BBC reporter in Aluthgama who escaped unhurt

Houses torched in Kotapitiya, Mathugama. Mosque attacked in Panadura: reports.

Attack on Muslims n business premises by BBS mob brought from outside area was planned attempt to provoke Muslims to retialiate n clash  

Police curfew announced in Aluthgama after clashes between Sinhala & Muslim groups, at least 2 TV journalist attacked

The above are reproduced verbatim from Twitter. I have no independent information to cross-check the above but readers are invited to provide any further information available. 

A response to Dayan Jayatilleka's Post Election 2015 Scenario

Dayan Jayatilleka has written something about a possible post election scenario.

Well I must say Mr Jayatilleka seems to have awoken from a deep slumber to find that the stuff his nightmares have come to life.

He claims "an entirely predictable response to perceptions of external and ethnic siege from afar and the ‘near abroad’. We have the Gang of Four of David Cameron, Samantha Power, Jayalalitha and Navi Pillay to thank for the prospective radicalization"

What utter nonsense. 

For those of us who were wide awake while Mr Jayatilleka was speaking up and standing up for the regime, these trends were apparent from the very start of 2005, from the time the family descended en-masse from all corners of the globe.

I first looked at the issue in 2008 and more recently a couple of months ago.

He goes on to say "The North will get the Gaza treatment. In the South the Weliweriya Doctrine will be more in evidence than not. There will be “two, three, many” Rathupaswelas. "

The Weliveriya doctrine, as Mr Jayatilleka terms it is only the logical result of the culture of impunity that prevailed in the military that enabled the war victory. It follows incidents in Chilaw (fisherman killed), Katunayake (worker killed, factories smashed by Government goons) and a couple of others. The war victory was a result of a no-holds barred, assault. Whether these tactics went against the rules of war we cannot tell, but there is a lot of very uncomfortable material that is surfacing.

As for this:

"The hard-line will include neo-isolationism in foreign relations, a firmer positioning on an Islamabad–Beijing axis, and greater reliance on Israel.

Is this not already already very much in evidence? I agree though that this will get worse, so we will be keeping company with Zimbabwe and other rogue states.

As for the election, it is not the opposition candidate that will matter. I reckon that all that will matter is the quantum of resources the rulers will pour into the election (state, crony, and perhaps (shockingly) even some personal funds?) and how many they are prepared to kill.

Exposed: Rights Advocacy A Gateway To Lavish Lifestyles

This was the rather lurid headline for a story about alleged financial irregularities at the CPA.

There are questions of governance at hand but we need to understand what is of legitimate public interest and what is not. The private lives of individuals, however debauched, are of no interest to the public at large unless it happens to involve public property, funds or resources.

Let us try to understand the issues at hand. There is an allegation that there are incorrect or wrongful expense claims being made.

How do we define what is incorrect or wrongful? If this were a person holding public office it would be covered under the Financial Regulations and the Administrative Regulations.

As a privately funded institute it would be governed by whatever internal policies are applicable, which we do not have access to. The person making the allegations claims that it is against policy, but we have no way of knowing what the policy is and are therefore not in any position to judge.

Dinner at a restaurant sounds like good fun, but it may be legitimate if the people entertained were those falling within the applicable rules (if any) at CPA.

This brings me to the crux of the problem: there is an allegation of financial irregularity but since this institute takes no public money, is of no interest to the ordinary citizen; apart from perhaps providing some cheap and tawdry entertainment. This is a matter for the donors and staff of the institute to worry about. It is not that governance is unimportant, it is just that this matter is not of any public interest.

People may disagree with work of CPA, the causes they advocate or the message they give. These need to be judged on their own merits, although I admit that an organisation that acquires a reputation for being misgoverned may find its public legitimacy eroded.

If it were PUBLIC money, TAXPAYERS money, THEN there is legitimate public interest in ensuring that there is no abuse. Public servants and bodies are funded by taxpayers, which is why the rules they are governed by are public. It would be possible to determine what types of spending were permitted and the procedures to be followed in the case of a public body and therefore make some informed judgement about the basic case being made. If it is our money it is in our interest to find out how it is spent and if that spending is to our benefit.

This is why matters of misgovernance and corruption in public bodies by public officials must be pursued relentlessly. When it concerns private money and individuals it is only in the interest of those involved to investigate. It's not our money so who cares?

Instead of looking at the real issues, I'm afraid all that is happening here is some rather cheap thrills, people oohing and ahhing over size of the bill and the choice of courses.

I think there are some much bigger issues that we have to worry about.

Why is the President taking over the Buddha Sasana and Cultural Ministries?

A report in the Ceylon Today claims that the President will take over the ministries of Buddha Sasana and Cultural Affairs. These ministries were previously under the purview of the Prime Minister D.M Jayaratne, a senior SLFP figure.

Is this a move to sideline the Prime Minister or otherwise clip his wings? The rivalry between the First Family and the old party hands of the SLFP is well know and thought to be worsening. The reason cited for the takeover: "failure in providing an adequate response to various religious problems and conflicts" rings rather hollow - in the first place the problem is one of law and order, not religion; in the second place what about the new Religious Police Unit that was supposed to have been set up to deal with the problem?

Could this also represent another change in stance - to try and bring more religion into politics? Perhaps a change in strategy prompted by or inspired by the meeting with India's Prime Minister, Modi? Most likely a bit of both, I would guess, although readers are invited to suggest other, more sinister motives that may come to mind.

It is not that the President does not have enough responsibilities already, his official website lists no fewer than thirty two statutory institutions that come under his purview; from the Salaries and Cadre Commission to the Ceylon German Technical Training Institute. This is apart from the Ministry of Defence, The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Religious Affairs (and all the bodies that come under them) adding up to a grand total of seventy eight.

   
From an administrative perspective this is quite ridiculous, there is no way that any person can devote sufficient time to pay proper attention to the issues that can crop up under each of the bodies or even review their budgets or spending. I imagine that things must be running either completely independently under these bodies with no interference or that a lot of approvals are stuck in very long queue awaiting his Excellency's attention, with work being frozen until an appropriate decision is reached.

Any which way ones looks at it, its very strange and very silly. One hopes it is not a sinister step on the road to theocracy.