Govt will abide only by LLRC findings; Lanka capable of meting out justice on its own: No country can dictate terms to SL:
The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) Report is to be submitted to Parliament shortly and thereafter released to the media.
The LLRC was not something that came up due to international pressure. It was proposed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa long before the humanitarian operation ended, Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.
Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing at the Government Information Department Auditorium, Colombo yesterday, Minister Rambukwella said that nobody can come to Sri Lanka from a foreign land, find fault and impose punishments.
“Sri Lanka is an independent and democratic country. We have the required knowledge and strength to correct our faults and punish the perpetrators. Sri Lankan citizens will never accept outsiders coming to Sri Lanka, finding fault and punishing people,” he said.
According to Minister Rambukwella, there will be no offenders until the LLRC finds them if there are any.
“The President and the government had one stand from the beginning and it has not changed. It will never change,” the minister said.
“The stand is, it the country that has to find out if there were any mistakes and shortcomings during the humanitarian operation. The President and the government had taken this stand long before the completion of the humanitarian operation,” Minister Rambukwella said.
Responding to questions posed by the journalists, Minister Rambukwella stated that the names for the proposed Parliament Select Committee to find a solution for the ethnic issue has now been handed over to the Speaker.
A full report on the incident that took place at the Anuradhapura Prison is now available. A full investigation has been conducted and the report is already released. The authorities searched suspects following the relevant rules, regulations and procedures. The suspects had regularly communicated with the Tamil Diaspora.
The suspects had 19 mobile phones and some of them had GPS facility. They were planning to ‘celebrate’ so called `Mahaviru Day’ on a grand scale and had fake photographs etc with them. Those items were discovered during the search. Those were hardcore LTTE members. Two condemned LTTE members, some prosecuted LTTE members and some who made appeals were among them, Minister Rambukwella added.
Courtesy: Daily News
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Well done Keheliya.
“Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing at the Government Information Department Auditorium, Colombo yesterday, Minister Rambukwella said that nobody can come to Sri Lanka from a foreign land, find fault and impose punishments.”
This refers to the “Yellow Monkey” aka “Kaha Booruwa”.
Good going guys.
President Rajapaksa should follow the stance by the leader of the Tamil Nation, Mr V Pirapaharan and refuse to meet with Mr Akashi.
Mr.Yasashi Akashi, Why should we tolerate you? You have
two similar faces, one natural and the other turned out
at an Ambalangoda puppetry workshop.Which one you are showing to the President and which one you are showing to
the Press is not very clear You are a cunning jackass
with a Pro West agenda inside your dirty bosom. PLEASE
LEAVE US ALONE.
Japan stole container loads of our ‘Kothala Himbatu’ from our forests, through stupid agents in SL. ‘Kothala Himbatu’ is a well known ayurvedic treatment for diabetes mellitus type 2 (diyavediyava). They then isolated the active principle of Kothala Himbatu and produced it in tablet form to treat diabetes type 2. They also obtained universal patent rights for it, banning its use by our ayurvedic physicians. Kothala Himabatu cannot be found in our forests today in abundance as it used to be, since Japan combed our forests for it through stupid local agents. Laws, preventing our valuable forest herbs and medicinal plants from being harvested and exported, are easily circumvented through bribery and corruption. That is how wicked Japan is! They exploited us. USA too exploit us by finding new fungi growing in SL through our botanists, who secretly export it to USA for research to make new medications/antibiotics etc. to be sold back to us at exhorbitant prices. The foolish local agents who supplied them the fungi are paid a pittance.
Japan gave us some aid through loans etc but they get more in return. They are exploiting us! They are not being charitable and generous. Even the roads they build for us through the loans they give us, are through their own engineers and machinery, so they recoup several times as much back. India is even worse at exploiting us. They give us shoddy outdated goods. Let us hopefully try to be independent in developing economically by working together as ONE NATION using our own home-grown skills, just as we defeated LTTE terrorism through our own ingenuity. Even the off-shore oil and gas obtained from SL today are obtained by foreign companies. They get the lion share. The poor Sri Lanka lion is starved. Perhaps corrupt rulers in SL will pocket even the little we get. The people get nothing ultimately, as in Nigeria, whose oil is enriching the Western oil companies and the Nigerian rulers. The govt is clever at weaving fanciful tales that the off-shore oil is going to make SL rich. It will definitely make the ruling class rich but not the ordinary 99% Sri Lankans.
Dear ND, This question from me is in good faith ( bona
-fide) Do you sincerely feel that our striking oil is not
going help us much? I always had a fear that by striking
oil we would be a target for the West imperialists to
invade our country on some cooked up allegations. But you
are expresiing another viewpoint.
Dear AUJ,
The question you raised is very valid.
Let’s assume rich deposits of oil and gas are discovered in the Mannar Basin by CAIRN (British and Indian Conglomerate, which can be pumped out for several decades.
What is the agreement with the UPFA govt on how the fuel will be shared? Are the oil wells on lease for a specific number of years, after which the GOSL will solely own it and manage it?
In the meantime, what is our share of the oil? UPFA govt has not been transparent about it with the nation.
From what I have learnt about the rich oil wells in Nigeria, Shell manages them and gets a lion share of the oil. Profits from the small percentage Nigeria gets is grabbed by the corrupt Nigerian leaders. The Nigerian people do not benefit from their own natural resource. This has led to militant uprising against the Nigerian govt and Shell Company. Perhaps this is an object lesson for us.
I would like GOSL to be transparent about the contract with CAIRN LTD. We know nothing about the agreement details. People are fobbed off by the govt. This leads to reasonable suspicion by the nation that the country will not stand to benefit from the oil profits. I hope the GOSL come clean and reveal the details of the contract with CAIRN.
China and Russia may also be allocated regions in the Mannar basin and elsewhere to explore for oil. What are the contracts with them if fossil fuels are found?
If we have a decent, caring, patriotic govt who puts country first and not to line their own pockets, we have nothing to worry.
If we strike rich deposits of oil which will last many decades, you can bet your bottom dollar imperial West will be drawn to us like bees to a flower. Their industries and economies depend on fuel oil and gas. USA has always been eyeing SL for its strategic value, for a base in Trinco especially. Oil will give SL added value for USA and other imperial west nations to home-in. Strong UPFA govt will be deposed on some flimsy excuse, TNA, diaspora Tamils, JVP, UNP and other enemies of the govt will be manipulated for a Libya type insurrection and an excuse for imperial West to invade through NATO militrary might, to topple the UPFA govt and set-up a puppet govt in SL for their advantage, to exploit our resources, as in colonial times.
We need to anticipate this, like in a chess game, and take defensive messures by defence alliances with China and Russia, now itself. To hell with India! India is a stooge of the imperial West and will join them to exploit us. India is already exploiting us with adverse trade agreements.
I wonder what others think about this point you raised.
The companies that undertake oil exploration invest their own money at significant risk.
If commercially viable quantities of oil are found, they invest further in installing rigs to extract the oil.
The contracts between the oil company and the owner of the land/sea is for period of time in which the company earns revenue from the sale of the oil and pays royalty to the owner. The royalty is a paltry amount.
At the end of the contract (about 20 years) the rigs revert to the owner. They are junk at that time. The owner has to either extend the contract or invest in rejuvenating the infrastructure.
Large deposits of natural gas was found in East Timor immediately after independance. The Australian Govt took control of the resource and is managing it on behalf of East Timor who lack the expertise to undertake a huge venture of this nature.
Finding oil within a country’s maritime boundaries is beneficial to the country in the longer term, say from year 20 onwards if the supplies continue in commercially viable quantities.
Dear ND and Dear JS (addressing you direct for the first time)
Excellent ! Thank You very much for the very erudite
and scholastic analysis of the problem paused by me.In
fact I thought this Cairns is an Indian Co. but I now
know that it has a powerful British PAW as a conglamorate.
Both of you very patriotically not condemned the Project
in toto but you have projected the pros and the conss
and the dangers associated with it with premonition to be
transparent and to be cautious at every step.I love
reading your entries ,educative and friendly.
As my Master,the Lord Buddha has taught me you are in
the category ‘ panditha nanca sevana” (ASSOCIATE WITH
THE WISE). THANK YOU.
Current contracts are only limited to “find” whether oil is avialable and how much etc. Once the quantity, quality and costs etc are properly known, then only the commercial oil extraction contracts will be signed. What the terms then would be a totally unknown at the moment. The duration of the contracts will depend on the life of the oil availability etc. However as ND said, what is in the current tenders to “find oil” is unknown, whether the “oil finder” will be the “preferred” contractor to “extract” oil and at what “loyalty” is also unknown.
When Australians found natural gas in East Timor, they wanted 95% of profits while allowing only 5% to the East Timor, in the first round of negotiations (unbelievable isn’t it?). I heard (only heard) that East Timor rejected that offer, but what happened after that is unknown to me. East Timor might have changed their mind later thinking 5% is better than absolute nothing! That is how it happens in this world.
However if found, oil can be a blessing as well as a devil who will attracts US and UK devils to destroy our beautiful country.
Manjula is right. Fossil fuel discoveries may not benefit us. It may be a curse than a blessing. If substantial deposits are discovered the US and imperial West great white sharks will definitely home-in on it, to grab the lion share for themselves, leaving us a pittance, which will be grabbed by corrupt politicians. This is what is happening in Nigeria and East Timor as Manjula said. I hope Hon President will be patriotic and play his cards right for the benefit of the nation.
Fossil fuel is an outdated source of energy. In 20-30 years time, it will not be an asset; it will be a liability. the taxes and other expenses required for using fossil fuels will by far overtake the benefits of using it as an energy source.
The best SL could do now is to channel all the oil search money into reforestation of its lands to restore ecobalance and revive hydropower as a viable energy source. Soon, mass and individual transportation will rely more on electricity and less on fossil fuels.
Our leaders are continuing to hope for oil discoveries; this was a reaction of the poor nations in the 70’s when the Arabs ruthlessly used oil as a weapon to gain economic dominance.
As FM stated, fossil fuel use (this includes coal) will be gradually reduced and stopped altogether, in the long run. This is because of CO2 pollution through fossil fuel misuse and threat to ecology. Greenhouse effect is said to be due to CO2 pollution in the atmosphere. With the build-up of CO2 layer in the upper atmosphere, sun’s heat is reflected back to earth by this layer and is trapped. This is termed the ‘green house’ effect. In cold countries they have greenhouses built of thick polycarbonate sheets on an aluminium frame, to trap heat and grow tropical veg and flowers etc. CO2 in the atmosphere is dissolved in rain and falls as acid rain, destroying our forests, crops and buildings.
Ozone layer in the upper atmosphere over the two poles has been eroded leaving two large holes. As a result, sun’s radiation is melting the polar caps, leading to rising sea levels. Global warming also contributes to this. Small islands, as in the Pacific Ocean and even the Maldives, may disappear in the next hundred years. Sri Lanka may also be reduced in size considerably. There may be no Jaffna, Puttalam, Trinco and Baticaloa. Hence no ‘eelam’. So the prospects for Maldives and SL is rather gloomy, by the turn of the century.
To combat this, the whole world should rather turn to sources of power which are CO2 and pollutant free, such as hydro-electricity, solar power, wind power, and ocean wave power. May be one day, we’ll be able to even harness the power of lightening, if we can trap it. Nuclear power is too dangerous, as the disasters in Russia and Japan have proven.
The forest cover over the earth is very important. They are the world’s natural lungs. They inhale CO2 and exhale O2 during the day. But through man’s unmanaged ‘progress’, forest cover has been drastically reduced over many centuries. Amazon forest have been cleared for farming and for breeding cattle by greedy US ranchers mostly, for beef. Similarly, logging in the Amazon, Africa, Borneo, Indonesia etc have deprived the world of large areas of forest cover. Forests also acts as magnets to draw rain. With loss of forests and no rain, large extents of land have now become deserts. People are starving in these lands unable to grow food. Africa is fast becoming a desert. Large areas of algae in the seas have also disappeared through polution. Sea algae too plays an important role in aborption of CO2 and release of O2 into the air. This is the important carbonic cycle forests and algae plays in our lives, which we have destroyed.
The solution lies in concerted efforts by all the countries to stop logging and grow valuable forests FAST. In SL, the Hon President has started this policy of cultivating forests but selfish men continue logging, greedy to grow rich. They don’t care about the bigger picture of destruction of the world in time to come. There have to be stringent laws against this with severe penalties.
At the same time, growing forests and management of forests through a cabinet ministry specified for this task, our valuable animal life will also be conserved for future generations. Those plants/trees/grass which elephants consume should also be grown on a massive scale in the forests, to reduce/eliminate elephant-man conflicts. I think, man as the rational animal, has a duty to care for our animal life and the plant life on earth. We have to care for our ecology or we’ll be wiped out also with their extinction. That is the price we pay for our folly.