Harry de Sayrah
Category Archives: economic processes
Lotus Tower to dominate Colombo’s Skyline
Harry de Sayrah
Sarvananthan sparks Financial Investigation of ICES
Muttukrishna Sarvananthan, courtesy of Colombo Telegraph, https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/ices-in-sri-lanka-is-under-investigation/, where readers will find a burgeoning series of comments
In response to the exposes in the Colombo Telegraph during the latter half of January 2016(see below for titles and the web links) and a formal complaint lodged with the Counter Fraud and Whistleblowing Unit (CFWU) of the Department for International Development (DfID, United Kingdom) by this author, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC, Canada) has launched a forensic audit of the financial accounts of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES, Colombo, Sri Lanka) pertaining to the Safe and Inclusive Cities (SaIC) and Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women (GrOW) programmes co-funded by the Department for International Development (DfID, UK) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC, Canada) and managed by the latter. In fact, 70% of the total funding for the GrOW programme is by the DfID.
Sarvananthan 
Mario Gomez
An international audit firm has been hired by the IDRC to undertake a forensic audit of the accounts pertaining to the aforementioned two projects at the ICES in Colombo. Accordingly, personnel from this multinational audit firm were in Colombo during the week March 14 – 20, 2016 and met this author on March 18, 2016.Their report to the IDRC is due before the end of April 2016. The ICES is probably the only NGO in Sri Lanka that has been subjected to forensic auditing by a grantor to date. Continue reading
Lanka’s Economic Crisis: Issues and Facts
Nimal Sanderatne, in The Sunday Times, 3 April 2016, where the title is “Who is responsible for the economic crisis?: Twofold increase in foreign debt 2010-14″
There have been plenty of accusations and counter accusations on who caused the current economic crisis. The government accuses the previous government and the previous regime accuses the new government of causing the economic crisis. This politically biased debate is not based on economic facts and figures. Statements on both sides of the political divide lack substance and cogent arguments.
MR statement: In this context of confused thinking, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa made a well-crafted statement on the ides of March. He contends that the economy was strong when he left office and that it was the developments in the last 15 months of the present government that caused the crisis. Continue reading
Filed under accountability, economic processes, foreign policy, governance, historical interpretation, island economy, landscape wondrous, politIcal discourse, power politics, propaganda, Rajapaksa regime, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, truth as casualty of war, welfare & philanthophy, world events & processes
Deeper Paths of Reconciliation grounded in Socio-economic Concerns are called for
Ahilan Kadirgamar and Swastika Arulingam, in the Daily News, 4 April 2016, with title “Call for real reconciliation”
As Sri Lanka moves on a new constitution and transitional justice process, it must prioritize local concerns of deepening economic inequalities over an international focus on war crimes. The heavy international focus on prosecutions for war-time human rights abuses in Sri Lanka is a reductive view, often shutting down discussion as opinions become divisive. On the one hand, calls for prosecution come with the demand to have international judges so as to ensure a credible process that addresses the deterioration of the criminal justice system. On the other hand, prosecution is often said to betray “war heroes” and international participation to undermine sovereignty. Even as post-war communities strive to come to terms with the aftermath of war while struggling against neo-liberal development policies imposed on them, solutions proposed by international heavyweights frequently override the concerns of the affected people. 
Tamil civilians trudge out of NKL anvil–DNews
Scene from rear of battle front- circa May 2009 Continue reading
Filed under accountability, economic processes, governance, historical interpretation, human rights, island economy, life stories, modernity & modernization, politIcal discourse, power politics, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, Tamil civilians, the imaginary and the real, welfare & philanthophy, world events & processes
Tissa Chandrasoma’s Vignettes
Rajpal de Silva, in the Sunday Island, http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=articledetails&code_title=143108 3 April 2016, introducing a book Vignettes of the Ceylon Civil Service 1938 – 1957, prepared by Vijaya and Parakrama Chandrasoma, and printed by Lazergraphic, Colombo., 2016.
This new handsome hard-cover publication by M. Chandrasoma’s sons, Vijaya and Parakrama, includes an Introduction and Postscript and six photographs showing Chandrasoma at various events during his career of nearly 20 years in the Ceylon Civil Service –which then comprised an elite group of individuals (usually an annual intake of 10) chosen from the cleverest of the Ceylon University’s recently qualified graduates. There was no political ‘input’ in this long bygone era – and hence the administration of the numerous and varied governmental departments whether they be Forestry, Fisheries, Agriculture, Public Works, Health or Revenue were managed by the best intellects that the island produced annually.
Manikkuwadumestri (Tissa) Chandrasoma’s original book, published in 1991, is once again reproduced in full. The original title, Vignettes, is most appropriate, considering that Chandrasoma’s book of 153 pages is sectionalized into 37 chapters. 
Continue reading
Filed under British colonialism, cultural transmission, economic processes, education, governance, historical interpretation, island economy, life stories, literary achievements, modernity & modernization, parliamentary elections, politIcal discourse, social justice, sri lankan society, world affairs
Comments on the Brussels Terror Attacks from India’s Position
Monish Gulati, courtesy of CLAWS and Eurasia Review, 2 April 2016, … from http://www.eurasiareview.com/02042016-brussels-terror-attacks-a-grim-reminder-on-preparedness-analysis/, where the title is “Brussels Terror Attacks: A Grim Reminder On Preparedness – Analysis”
Three Explosions, with two likely caused by suicide bombers, rocked the Brussels’ Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro station on 22 March, prompting a lockdown of the Belgian capital and heightened security across Europe. More than 30 people have been reported dead and scores injured, some of whom are critical. The explosion on a three-coach metro train, as it was leaving Maelbeek station for Schumanstation, left more than 20 dead.
Key locations of the Brussels attack. Graphic by ThiefOfBagdad, Wikipedia Commons
Belgian authorities bolstered security after the attacks, raising alert levels to maximum, shutting down all Brussels metro stations, evacuating the city’s airport, canceling trains in and out of Brussels and ordering evacuations of all but essential staff at two nuclear power plants. Belgium called for three days of national mourning. Continue reading
Panoramic Street View Imagery of Lanka at Your Fingertips
Economic Times
Tech giant Google today launched the Street View imagery of Sri Lanka on Google Maps that will allow users to view and experience 360-degree panoramic imagery of the country from their phones, tablets and computers. With addition of Sri Lanka, Street View is now available in 76 countries, including the US, Japan and South Korea. Street View allows users to see how a city or a place looks like in real. Using cars and bikes fitted with cameras to collect imagery, Google collects and st …..Read more at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/51527559.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
BUT THEN … Continue reading
Muttukrishna Sarvananthan: Recent Essays from a Man from Point Pedro, 2011-15
Muttukrishna Sarvananthan
Elusive Economic Peace Dividend: all that glitters is not gold
Abstract: This research paper compares and contrasts the post-civil war economic development in the conflict-affected Eastern and Northern Provinces and the Southern and Western Provinces in Sri Lanka. In spite of high economic growth in the conflict-affected provinces, employment generation has been very low; unemployment rates and poverty are very high. Moreover, the ruling party (at the time of the first draft of this paper in June 2014) has lost significant share of its vote received in the recent provincial elections (2012–2014) compared to its share of votes at the provincial elections in the immediate aftermath of the civil war (2008–2010) indicating that the economic growth at national and provincial levels has not filtered down to the households. Continue reading
Filed under economic processes, female empowerment, gender norms, historical interpretation, island economy, life stories, modernity & modernization, politIcal discourse, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, social justice, sri lankan society, teaching profession, unusual people, welfare & philanthophy, world events & processes
The Yahapalanaya Government in Crisis … and the War Crimes Dilemma — Rajan Philips
I. Rajan Philips: “Neither whys nor wherefores, let alone solutions, as government lurches from crisis to crisis,” Sunday Island, 20 March 2016,
To paraphrase the poet (Coleridge), it is crisis, crisis everywhere, but no robust government response anywhere. The economy is in deep trouble and no one is trying to exaggerate the challenges or the consequences of failure. The power system has failed and the consequences have been felt everywhere and more than once or twice. Whether the causes of these crises are current or inherited is immaterial. The people are reasonable enough not to expect instant solutions, but they can see through bluff, bluster and incompetence on the part of any government, old or new, corrupt or conning. The current economic troubles are mostly inherited from the previous government. And the electrical troubles go back even farther. But the political and administrative troubles are mostly manufactured by the present government. The deficit between good governance promises and actual practices is worse than the budget deficit. The confusion in government ranks is confusing everyone else. There is an Executive President and an Executive Prime Minister. Together they made a cabinet that broke the rule for size that they stipulated in the much vaunted 18th Amendment. The size of the cabinet doesn’t matter when all it has are Jokers and no Aces. The Prime Minister has virtually become the Man for all Ministries in the cabinet and the government. Every file goes to him for decision and statement as the government lurches from one crisis file to another.
Filed under accountability, american imperialism, centre-periphery relations, economic processes, modernity & modernization, performance, politIcal discourse, power politics, reconciliation, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, working class conditions, world events & processes
Musings I: The Gambler’s Guide to Sri Lanka’s Prospects at the T20 World Cup
Michael Roberts, courtesy of islandcricket.lk… http://www.islandcricket.lk/columns/michael_roberts/471830215/wt20-sri-lankas-prospects-and-the-gambler-s-guide
KOLKATA, INDIA – MARCH 13: Heavy security presence during a Pakistan training session at Eden Gardens on March 13, 2016 in Kolkata, India. (Photo by Jan Kruger-IDI/IDI via Getty Images)
“Dim and Slim.” That was (and remains) my answer to a question presented by Hilal Suhaib of islandcricket.lk about Sri Lanka’s chances at the World Twenty-Twenty in India. That question was asked a week back. I was going to add another quotable quote as caveat: “but that can be a plus — with nothing to lose Lanka can spring surprises.” Continue reading
