24 COVID-19 DEATHS SRI LANKA WON THE ‘WAR’ REPORTED, AS 2,269 NEW BUT LOST THE LAW CASES CONFIRMED MAY 14 - 16, 2021 VOL: 4- ISSUE 247 . ‘WHY DO WE DESERVE TO DIE?’ THE LEGENDARY DIVA 30 GLOCAL PAGE 03 REALITY CHECK PAGE 05 COMMENTARY PAGE 07 LITERARY LIVES PAGE 09

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In pandemic milestone US lifts indoor mask guidance for vaccinated people WASHINGTON - Federal health officials on Thursday (13) ad- vised Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus that they could stop wearing masks or maintaining social distance in most settings, the clearest sign yet that the pandemic might be nearing an end in the United States. The new recommendations caught state officials and businesses by surprise and raised a host of difficult questions about how the guidelines would be carried out. But the advice came as welcome news to many Americans. “We have all longed for this moment,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said Thursday. “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.” Permission to stop using masks also offers an incentive to the many millions who are still holding out on vaccination. Providers are administering about 2.09 million doses per day on average, about a 38% decrease from the peak of 3.38 million reported in mid-April. President Joe Biden hailed the new recommendations as a “mile- stone” and urged Americans to roll up their sleeves for vaccinations. Still, Biden urged Americans not to turn on those who were not yet vaccinated. “Please treat them with kindness and respect,” he said. The agency said that vaccinated Americans would have to con- tinue to abide by existing state, local or tribal laws and regulations and follow local rules for businesses and workplaces. But many lo- cal officials and business operators will be hard-pressed to maintain mask requirements now that the federal agency has spoken. -NYT

Netanyahu poised to gain political -MOHAMMED ABED / AFP Palestinians walk after performing Thursday and Friday (14) amid gifts and sweets. But casting a pall (12) with Pakistani Prime Minister lifeline as violence flares Eid al-Fitr prayers amidst debris rising hostilities between Israel on the festival, already subdued Imran Khan on the occasion of Eid. JERUSALEM - Civil unrest between Jews and Arabs in Israel near the al-Sharouk tower, which and Palestinians, in the second due to the raging pandemic, was The king "stressed Saudi Arabia's dealt a strong blow on Thursday (13) to efforts by Prime Minister housed the bureau of the Al-Aqsa celebration in the shadow of the deadly violence between Israel and strong condemnation of the Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu’s main political rival Yair Lapid to form a new television channel in the Hamas- coronavirus pandemic. The three- Palestinians, with fears growing that measures in Jerusalem and the government and unseat the Israeli leader. controlled Gaza Strip, after it day festival, which marks the it could spiral into full-blown conflict. acts of violence carried out by Naftali Bennett, head of the ultranationalist Yamina party and a was destroyed by an Israeli air end of the holy fasting month of Echoing the mood in much of the Israel... (and) affirmed that the kingmaker after an inconclusive March 23 parliamentary election, strike, in Gaza City, on Thursday Ramadan, is traditionally celebrated Muslim world, Saudi Arabia's King kingdom stands by the Palestinian said he was abandoning coalition talks with Lapid, the opposition (13). Muslims around the world with mosque prayers, family feasts Salman voiced scathing criticism people," the official Saudi Press leader, preferring a wider unity government. marked a sombre Eid al-Fitr on and shopping for new clothes, of Israel in a phone call Wednesday Agency reported Lapid, who heads the centrist Yesh Atid party, has three weeks left in a 28-day mandate from Israel’s president to try to form a governing coalition. If he fails, a new election - Israel’s fifth in two years - is likely. A “rotation” deal in which Lapid and Bennett would take turns as UN Security Council to meet Sunday prime minister had been mooted, but it would need the backing of Arab legislators for a parliamentary majority. Bennett was quoted by Israeli media as saying the current strife with Israel’s 21% Arab minority would make such a government un- on Mideast after US delay feasible. Israel-Gaza cross-border hostilities have been accompanied by UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security for the diplomacy to have some effect,” he and men,” Blinken said. “We’ve been very violence in mixed communities of Jews and Arabs in Israel. Syn- Council will hold a virtual public meeting said, before the meeting was set for Sun- clear that rocket attacks must cease,” he agogues have been attacked and street fights have broken out, Sunday (16) to address the soaring vio- day. said. prompting Israel’s president to warn of civil war. lence between Israel and the Palestinians, The United States, Israel’s key ally, has Security Council sessions, held by vide- Mansour Abbas, who heads the United Arab List party, said on diplomats said Thursday (13). defended the Jewish state’s deadly offen- oconference due to the pandemic, require Channel 12 TV that Bennett phoned him to say a so-called “govern- The United States, which had blocked sive in response to rocket fire from the support of all 15 members. ment of change” with Lapid, leader of the centrist YeshAtid faction, an originally scheduled Friday (14) ses- Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas Early Friday, Israel bombarded Gaza was now “off the table”. sion and proposed a meeting early next which controls the Gaza Strip. with artillery and air strikes as part of the In a televised address, Lapid voiced regret at Bennett’s decision week, agreed to move the session - re- But President Joe Biden’s administra- ongoing operation against Hamas, the but said he would continue his efforts to put together a coalition. quested by Tunisia, Norway and China - tion has also voiced alarm over civilian military said. Israeli political commentators gave him little chance of success. to Sunday, the same sources said. casualties and earlier pushed Israel to In Gaza, more than 100 people have -Reuters/Agencies The United States said earlier Thursday hold off on evictions of Palestinians in been reported killed since Monday (10) it wanted to give time for diplomacy. Jerusalem, the immediate trigger for the -- including 27 children -- and more than Secretary of State Antony Blinken, flare-up. 580 people wounded as heavy bombard- Colonial pipeline said to have asked about the scrapping of Friday’s ses- Blinken spoke Wednesday (12) to Israe- ment has rocked the crowded coastal sion, had said the United States was not li Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enclave and brought down entire tower blocking a meeting but wanted to hold it and Palestinian President Mahmud Ab- blocks. paid roughly $5 million in ransom later. bas, and a senior State Department offi- Inside Israel, seven people have been “We are open to and supportive of an cial, Hady Amr, was en route Thursday to killed since Monday, including one six- to hackers open discussion at the United Nations,” the region. year-old, after a rocket struck a family WASHINGTON — The operator of a critical fuel pipeline on the Blinken told reporters in Washington. The United States is seeking “an end home. East Coast paid extortionists roughly 75 Bitcoin — or nearly $5 mil- “I think we’re looking at early next to the violence which continues to claim -AFP lion — to recover its stolen data, according to people briefed on the week. This, I hope, will give some time the lives of innocent children, women -Read more on Page 4 transaction, clearing the way for gas to begin flowing again but com- plicating President Joe Biden’s efforts to deter future attacks. Colonial Pipeline made the ransom payment to the hacking group Dark Side after the cybercriminals last week held up the company’s Trending News Quote for Today business networks with ransomware, a form of malware that en- crypts data until the victim pays. Dark Side is believed to operate Nepal: Ousted Prime Minister, KP Shar- Armenia: Acting Prime Minister Nikol- He who angers you conquers you. from Eastern Europe, possibly Russia. ma Oli, is reappointed after the political Pashinyan accuses Azerbaijani troops of cross- -Elizabeth Kenny The company pre-emptively shut down its pipeline, which opposition failed to secure the majority of ing the southern border and trying to stake Word for Today stretches from Texas to New Jersey and delivers nearly half of the lawmakers’ support. claim to territory, in a new escalation of ten- transport fuels for the Atlantic coast, setting off a cascading crisis Myanmar: A Japanese journalist ar- sions between the arch foes. Ubiety [yoo-bahy-i-tee] -noun- the that led to panic buying at gas pumps. property of having a definite loca- The president on Thursday (14) cautioned it would take time to rested while covering the aftermath of Australia: The country calls for the World the Myanmar coup is to be deported, To- Health Organization to be given greater pow- tion at any given time; state of exist- resolve shortages. “They should be reaching full operational capac- ing and being localized in space ity as we speak,” Biden said. “But we want to be clear: We will not kyo says, after charges against him were ers to investigate outbreaks after an independ- feel the effects at the pump immediately. This is not like flicking on dropped as a diplomatic gesture. ent panel found dithering and poor coordina- a light switch.” Japan: A petition to cancel the Tokyo tion when COVID-19 emerged in China. Today in History Biden did not rule out the possibility that the administration Olympics with more than 351,000 signa- Royalty: Prince Harry says he moved his wife 1948 - David Ben-Gurion and the would target the cybercriminals with a retaliatory strike, saying that tures is submitted to the city’s governor, and son to California to break a family cycle of Jewish People’s Council proclaim the United States would pursue “a measure to disrupt their ability with its organizer urging officials to “pri- “pain and suffering” after realizing his father the establishment of the State of to operate.” oritize life”. Prince Charles “treated me the way he was Israel, precipitating the first Arab- On Thursday, eight websites associated with DarkSide were USA: Pablo Picasso’s ‘Woman Sitting treated.” Israeli war pulled offline. It was not immediately clear why. Near a Window (Marie-Therese)’ sells for Iran: Amnesty International says a 20-year- The company’s decision to pay the ransom may help Biden stanch $103.4 million at Christie’s in New York. the political fallout from rising gas prices and long lines at the old who identified himself as a non-binary gay Today is... pumps, but it emboldens other criminal groups or rogue states to - The US State Department urges citizens person was killed by relatives due to his sexual Chicken Dance Day take American companies hostage by seizing control of their com- to “reconsider travel to Israel” due to the and gender orientation, as a viral campaign puters. recent surge in violence between the Jew- backed by celebrities drew attention to his A day to pack your inhibitions away -NYT ish state and Palestinians. plight. and have some silly fun 2 MAY 14 - 16, 2021 WEEKEND EXPRESS WOMEN IN FOCUS

Saturday (15) is International Day of Families 2021 COVID-19 and unpaid care work in Sri Lanka

Cooking, cleaning, caring for children, sick and the development and the Sustainable Development Goals. ily, and undertaking domestic and care not only for women, but also for men elderly…care work is the backbone of thriving fami- Services provided through care work, including emo- work simultaneously. and children as well. lies, communities and economies. These activities are tional care and rest, contribute to people’s well-being. More women are also leaving employ- Global research shows that the in- important for our physical and psychological well-be- In fact, women are often seen as performing unpaid ment. Evidence from 55 countries shows volvement of fathers in care work can ing—a truth that has become ever so evident during care and domestic work in exchange for male econom- that, by the end of the second quarter of contribute to better physical and men- the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka and the world ic provision, equipping them to be active members in 2020, there were 1.7 times more women tal well-being of fathers; improved over. Families – in all their rich diversity - are one of society. Alarmingly, in Sri Lanka, marriage now even than men outside the labour force. Be- health and labour market outcomes for the main places where people are cared for and nur- more drastically lowers women’s odds by 26% of be- fore the pandemic, 73.7% of women in mothers; and better health, cognitive tured. coming a paid employee, whereas for men it slightly Sri Lanka were categorized as ‘economi- development and school achievement Over the past year, many of us have spent more increases the odds by 2.5%. cally inactive’. for children, and household chores and time in our homes, and these daily functions of care As global unemployment rates in- care work teaches important life skills have sustained us, strengthened us, supported us, and COVID-19 and the unequal distribution of crease, the Labour Department in Sri not only for women and girls, but also kept us safe and well. However, such care functions for men and boys. care work within families Lanka notes that the most vulnerable It was estimated that by the end of are largely overlooked, undervalued, and deemed un- Before the pandemic, Sri Lanka’s Time Use Survey groups in the labour force including 2020, over 100 million people would worthy of being recognized as ‘proper work’, and often (2017) reported that 87.3% of women and girls above women, youth and persons with dis- have fallen into extreme poverty. The women bear the brunt of this work. the age of 10 participated in housework and care work, abilities, will be most affected. Adoles- Sri Lankan economy is presently strug- cent girls, who are also shouldering a What is ‘unpaid care or domestic work’ whereas only 59.7% of men and boys engaged in these gling to recover from the economic and activities. significantly greater care load, are at a social effects of the pandemic. Close to and why is it important? Women’s engagement in domestic and care work high risk of discontinuing education to 1 million people in Sri Lanka were es- According to UN Women, care work involves hands was therefore 27.6% higher than that of men. The meet the care needs at home. timated to become newly poor due to on, personal and often emotional contact, such as renewed surge in COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka has Care work and violence against the pandemic. Men’s involvement will feeding a child, bathing a frail older person or emo- amplified different care needs resulting from school women within families greatly unburden women and girls from tional labour such as managing relationships and ad- closures, job losses and increased care needs of de- the pressures of care work, and will em- dressing grievances and conflicts within a family. On pendents. Considering the feminization of ageing in Since the outbreak of COVID-19, all power them to receive education and the other hand, domestic work (or housework), such Sri Lanka, as women continue to make up the major- forms of violence against women and engage in income generating activities. as cleaning and doing laundry, can involve little if any ity of the older population, within families, women in- girls have increased globally, particular- It will contribute to a significant in- personal engagement. While these involve varying cluding elderly women bear the heaviest of this care- ly intimate partner violence. Research crease in household income, which will be an immense support during crises physical and mental effort and intensity, this type of load. shows there is a link between the bur- den of unpaid care work and violence such as the COVID-19 pandemic and work is typically not remunerated, and referred to as This increase in care needs has caused many wom- thereafter. ‘unpaid care or domestic work’. en to undergo stress, anxiety and depression. Female against women. According to a 2019 household sur- In-fact, the McKinsey Global Institute Albeit it being unvalued, care work is identified to heads of households in particular, are facing a triple estimates that $12 trillion can be added have direct implications for the achievement of human burden while being the sole breadwinner of the fam- vey in India, 42.2% women who failed to fetch water or firewood for the fam- to global growth by advancing gender ily had experienced beatings, and 41.2% equality. Sri Lanka specifically has the women who failed to prepare meals for potential to add $20 billion a year to its men in the family were beaten. Before GDP by 2025, which would increase its current economic growth trajectory by the pandemic, 1 in 5 women in Sri Lan- about 14%. ka were estimated to have experienced physical or sexual violence by an inti- mate partner in their lifetime and 35.3% Towards a more equitable fu- of women agreed men can have a ‘good ture—Recognise, Reduce, and reason to hit their wife’. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Redistribute emerging reports from those on the Even though care work is identified frontlines shows that violence against to be an urgent response to the COV- women, particularly domestic violence ID-19 pandemic, the UN Women-UNDP has intensified. Gender Response Tracker reveals that country-level initiatives to address ur- Common misconceptions that gent care work needs are a mere 8% of perpetuate gender inequality the global social protection and labour Misconception 1: Care work does not market responses to the pandemic. take much time and has no value com- Thus, the world urgently needs a pared to other types of work. strong policy and programmatic push to ‘Recognise, Reduce, and Redistribute’ The reality is that people around the care work to achieve gender equality world spend about 16.4 billion hours and its associated social and economic on unpaid care work every day. This benefits. is equal to 2 billion people working 8 Recognise hours per day without pay. Globally, UN Women reports that Currently there is a dearth of national women bear the largest care burden data to measure and recognise the value since they spend about 3 times as many of care work. Adequate research and hours on unpaid domestic and care macroeconomic analyses need to be work as men. carried out to address this knowledge Additionally, based on data from 64 gap.Policy making needs to take ‘care countries, if valued using a minimum work’ into account, and policies must wage, care work could amount to 9% of address gender inequality that governs global GDP, which is about US$11 tril- non-consensual, in egalitarian care bur- lion. This would grow exponentially high dens on women and girls. There needs if more data is available for all countries to be proper evaluations of the impact in the world, including Sri Lanka. of policies and programmes that aim to address the unequal care burdens on Misconception 2: Care work is some- women and girls. thing that women are ‘better at’, ‘natu- rally’ do or ‘must’ do Reduce Gender in egalitarian, unfair care The reality is that the notion of ‘care work burdens on women and girls can work as women’s work’ is owing to be reduced through: investments in deeply entrenched gender norms. Gen- public infrastructure and services to der norms are the unspoken ‘rules’ that support families; social protection poli- determine what acceptable behaviour cies and programmes to promote gender is for women and men in society. Care equality and women’s empowerment work is often associated with notions of that improve women’s financial inde- ‘altruism’ and ‘self-sacrifice’, and is con- pendence and their safety, girls’ right sidered a form of a service or sacrifice to education, and equal access to em- that women do for their families. ployment opportunities and addressing Moreover, in mainstream economics, issues of retaining women within the ‘work’ is conceptualised as something workforce. Policies and programs must that brings a monetary income. Such cater to the specific needs of vulnerable money-earning work is treated as ‘prop- households, such as low-income fami- er work’ or typical ‘men’s work’, and lies, women-headed households, people care work at home, which is not remu- with disabilities and daily wage workers. nerated, is considered typical ‘women’s work’. Redistribute In reality, unpaid care work provided Redistribute care work between by women contributes immensely to the households and societies, and men and economy, yet it is not accounted for as women, through gender transformative ‘proper work’. labour policies including recruitment, Why is care work everyone’s retention, promotion and safe work- ing environments as well as services for responsibility? parents, such as paternal leave, flexible Our world is hard hit by the COV- work for men and women, and safe pub- ID-19 pandemic. Sickness, job loss, and lic childcare services. various other social, economic, political Without greater equality within fami- consequences are rampant. lies and shared responsibility of domes- Care work within households is the tic and care work between both men foundation on which we – and future and women, gender equality will not be generations – learn to become active, achievable. contributing members to society and the 15 May marks International Day of economy. Thus, care work is crucial for Families. On this day and every day, our time, and it is everyone’s responsi- let’s work towards recognizing that care bility. work is not women’s work, it is family Gender inequality that governs unfair work. care burdens on women is detrimental -UN Women Sri Lanka WEEKEND EXPRESS MAY 14 - 16, 2021 3 GLOCAL

Express Newspapers (Cey) Pvt. Ltd., 185, Grandpass Road, Colombo 14, Sri Lanka Health ministry tells Telephone: 0117 322 705 (Editorial) 0117 322 731 (Advertising) chronic patients 0117 322 789 (Circulation) Email – [email protected]/[email protected] Epaper - http://epaper.newsexpress.lk Get specialist Facebook –News Express Sri Lanka opinion before 24 COVID-19 deaths reported, as 2,269 new cases confirmed getting jabbed COLOMBO - Sri Lanka recorded 24 the highest so far, reported on Monday number of cases of COVID-19 was rap- on inter-province travel came into effect COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s health COVID-19 related deaths on Thursday (10), the same day a team of medical idly and exponentially rising and the at midnight on Tuesday (11), with Po- authorities on Thursday (13) rec- (13), as new cases topped 2000, with specialists warned COVID deaths may number needing ICU care, as well as lice Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana say- ommended people who suffer from 2,269 confirmations and the country reach unprecedented levels and a grave deaths related to COVID-19, was speed- ing the restrictions will be in place until certain underlying conditions get a went into a three-day island-wide ‘move- national catastrophe was a real poten- ily escalating. May 31. The more stringent three-day medical specialist’s opinion before ment restrictions’ in what amounted to tial threat in the near future. Meanwhile, Thursday’s confirmation ‘movement restriction’ was announced receiving any of the COVID-19 vac- a de facto curfew. The ‘movement re- The team comprising specialists of 2,269 new cases, took Sri Lanka’s on Wednesday (12), with revised health cines currently being rolled out. strictions’ which went into effect 11:00 from the Sri Lanka Medical Association COVID-19 tally to 135,796, with 26,126 ministry guidelines on restrictions for The advice comes amid uncon- p.m. Thursday, is scheduled to be lifted (SLMA) and its Intercollegiate Com- receiving treatment at various desig- permitted functions, which allows for firmed reports that people with at 4:00 a.m. on Monday (17). mittee (SMIC) with expertise in pre- nated hospitals and hotels across the only one person per family to leave the high blood pressure, diabetes and The 24 deaths recorded from vari- vention and management of COVID-19 country. house on a given day based on the last other chronic conditions were ous parts of the country, attributed to infection, who met President Gotabaya Health authorities have been scram- digit of the National Identity Card (NIC) turned away at a number of vac- COVID-related pneumonia and COVID- Rajapaksa on Monday, called for a bling to build new health facilities while number. Exceptions have been provided cination centres in Colombo on infection take Sri Lanka COVID-fatality rapid action plan to reduce the infec- ratcheting up a vaccination drive, mainly for purposes of work and for obtaining Thursday. count to 892. COVID fatalities have seen tion caseload, and impressed upon him using Sputnik vaccine from Russia and health services. The claims could not be inde- a spike in recent days, with 26 deaths, the urgency of the situation, where the Sinopharm from China. A 20-day ban -ENCL pendently verified; however the officials guidelines of the Ministry of Health on both the Russia-made Port City Economic Commission Bill to be Sputnik V and the Chinese Sinop- harm vaccines recommend people debated over two days with a number of underlying con- ditions and allergic or anaphylactic COLOMBO - The Colombo Port City scheduled to be taken up for debate on reactions to vaccines, pharmaceu- Economic Commission Bill will be debat- May 19 and 20, and that regulations un- tical products or food items, preg- ed in Parliament on May 19 and 20, the der the Finance Act, No.11 of 2004, Order nant and lactating women, and Parliament communications department under the Finance Act, No. 35 of 2018, those already suffering from SARS- said on Thursday (13). Order under the Finance Act, No. 11 of CoV 2 or any other acute illnesses Secretary General of Parliament Dham- 2006, Order under the Ports and Airports consult a specialist prior to getting mika Dasanayake said the Committee Development Levy Act, Eight Orders un- the shot. on Parliamentary Business chaired by der the Special Commodity Levy Act, Two Guidelines for Sputnik V also Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena Orders under the Strategic Development recommends those with chronic had decided to hold next week’s Parlia- Projects Act and a Regulation under the liver and kidney diseases, endo- ment sittings on May 18, 19 and 20 and Foreign Exchange Act have been sched- crine disorders (apparent thyroid that Parliament would be convened ad- uled to be taken up for debate on May 18. function abnormalities and dia- hering to health guidelines pertaining to Questions for Oral Answers will be held betes mellitus in decompensation COVID-19. from 10.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. on the same stage), serious diseases of the he- He also confirmed that the Colombo day. matopoietic system, epilepsy and Port City Economic Commission Bill was -CG other central nervous system dis- – J. Sujeewakumar/ENCL eases, acute coronary syndrome and acute cerebrovascular dis- A man waits to board a train at a railway station in Colombo, as the government ‘Illegal’ Indian family arrested in Jaffna amid eases, myocarditis, endocarditic imposed travel restrictions and weekend lockdown to curb the spread of and pericarditis to obtain special- COVId-19 coronavirus came into effect on Thursday (13). However, authorities ist opinion. It also recommends have said the railway department will operate several office trains across calls for tighter border control COLOMBO – A family suspected to be recovery, but there was no way to know for special precautions be followed districts and provinces to take essential workers, and that the trains will be by persons with a history of any operating between main stations avoiding all sub stations from Rameshwaran, India was arrested in certain if the highly transmissible variant is the Jaffna peninsula for illegal entry, police present in the community without further bleeding or coagulation disorders said, amid calls for tighter border control genome sequencing. and vaccination be postponed for to keep out deadlier strains of SARS-Cov-2. Samaraweera warned the Indian strain, citizens who have been recently Bar Association calls for probe into Police Media Spokesman Deputy Inspec- which has caused much devastation across discharged from hospitals after be- tor General (DIG) Ajith Rohana said the the Palk Strait, poses a threat to Sri Lanka ing treated for COVID-19. killing of suspects in police custody family, comprising a 61-year-old woman, too. The guidelines note that the de- her 34-year-old daughter and the daugh- As of Thursday, B.1.617 has been detect- cision to vaccinate any person not COLOMBO – The killing of two al- some weapons. Representations had ter’s two sons aged nine and five, were ed in 44 countries with the World Health indicated for vaccination should be leged underworld figures in police also been made with regard to the taken into custody on Thursday (13). Initial Organization (WHO) declaring it a fourth based on a proper risk-benefit as- custody this week have the hallmarks safety of Mabula a.k.a. Uru Juwa, pri- investigations have revealed they had come ‘variant of concern’. sessment by the treating physician of extra-judicial killings, the Bar Asso- or to his death, the BASL said. from Rameshwaram, India, he said. These strains are more transmissible, or or by the recommendations of an ciation of Sri Lanka (BASL) said, call- “The state and the police have a “They had arrived from India on May 6, are associated with more disease severity, expert from the relevant specialty ing the deaths an affront to the rule of duty to ensure the safety and security on an Indian boat halfway and the rest of or evaded immunity (meaning they can under his guidance. law. of persons in their custody, irrespec- the way aboard a Sri Lankan fishing boat,” infect people who have already had COV- The Sinopharm vaccine, mean- The Association in a statement is- tive of the character of such persons Rohana said. ID-19 or have received a vaccine). while, is not recommended for sued on Thursday (13), claimed appre- and the seriousness of the nature of Earlier this month, police found two oth- Smaraweera, warning the numbers were people with uncontrolled epilepsy hensions about the fate that awaited the allegations against such persons,” er families who had allegedly come to Sri expected to further rise in the coming days, or other progressive nervous sys- the two suspects had been communi- the statement signed by BASL Presi- Lanka illegally and were said to be hiding said the fast-spreading UK variant in the tem diseases, with a history of cated to authorities while they were dent Saliya Pieris and Secretary Ra- in Puttalam and Kochchikade. country is also suspected to have come from Guillain-Barre syndrome and for still in custody. jeev Amarasuriya said. Sri Lanka found an Indian national with a foreign returnee. “The danger is high as those who had experience adverse Condemning the killing of alleged Malabu and Wijeskara had been the B.1.617 strain of SARS-CoV-2, known we have found an Indian national with the nervous system reactions after a gang leader Dharmakeerthi Tharaka taken into custody for murder, rob- as Indian variant, on May 8. Indian variant as well now,” he said. previous dose of the same vaccine, Perera Wijesekara alias Kosgoda bery, extortion and organized crime, Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said the best way to pre- pregnant and lactating women and Tharaka, who police claimed had died according to the police. Smaraweera said the Indian national who vent the strain from coming to the country those below the age of 18 as no following a shootout Thursday morn- The BASL said it was an imperative tested positive for the strain in Sri Lanka – is to follow strict quarantine system. clinical trials have been carried out ing, and that of Mabulage Dineth Mel- requirement of criminal justice that the island’s only case yet – had made a full -economynext.com with adequate evidence so far. an Mabula alias Uru Juwa who died persons accused of serious crimes in- Guidelines for Sinopharm also under similar circumstances the pre- cluding murder are tried by a court of recommends caution and clini- vious day, the BASL said such deaths law and punished for their crimes and Govt. extends resident and tourists visas for cian advise, for patients with acute will tarnish Sri Lanka’s image. that the networks that aided and abet- diseases, acute onset of chronic It claimed that on Wednesday (12), ted such activities are prosecuted and diseases, severe chronic diseases, the attorney-at-law representing dismantled. 60 days amid anti-coronavirus controls allergies and fever. These include Wijsekara had informed the Associa- “This requirement is defeated by COLOMBO – Visas of tourists and foreign the office said, adding the tourists can also diabetes, a history or family history tion of his client being suddenly trans- the failure of police officers to control residents in Sri Lanka will be extended for visit the immigration office in Battaramulla of convulsions, epilepsy, encepha- ferred from the custody of the Crimi- the unarmed suspect purportedly ac- 60 days without penalty, the immigration before July 9, get the endorsement and pay lopathy or mental illness, decrease nal Investigation Department (CID) companied by them without the use office, which is cutting down services as the visa fees. in platelets or clotting disorders, to a special police unit at Peliyagoda, of lethal force. It is incomprehensible part of efforts to contain the coronavirus Resident visas area also extended till July impaired immune function includ- expressing fears his client would be how on several occasions the police surge said on Thursday (13). 9, the office said, adding that foreign resi- ing malignant tumour, nephrotic killed in custody. have been unable to protect unarmed The validity of all categories of visas is- dents can contact 0707101050 from 8:30 syndrome and AIDS, with the lat- The BASL said that despite the As- suspects in their custody,” it said. sued to foreigners are automatically ex- a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to get an appointment ter advised to be vaccinated on an sociation informing police chief Chan- The association requested Presi- tended from May 11 to July 9, the Controller to visit the head office and get the visa en- individual basis as safety and ef- dana Wikcremeratne via email and dent Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the gov- General of the Department of Immigration dorsed. ficacy data are not available, WhatsApp between 8:00 and 9:00 ernment to take serious note of these and Emigration said, urging holders of tour- Passports will be issued to Sri Lankans People injected with immuno- p.m. on Wednesday of the lawyer’s ap- incidents and to take action to prevent ist visa to access eservices.immigration.gov. in case of an emergency from Battaramulla globulin are advised to be vaccinat- prehensions, Wijesekara was reported repeats. It also called for an independ- lk/vs and pay the relevant fees before July head office and regional offices in Kandy, ed at least one month apart, so as by the media to have been killed while ent and impartial investigation into 9, 2021, without a penalty. Vavuniya, Matara and Kurunegala, the of- not to affect the immune efficacy. in custody when he had allegedly tried the events. Those leaving the country during the fice said. State Minister Sudharshani Fer- to attack the police while recovering -economynext.com period can pay the visa fee at the airport, -ENCL nandopulle, confirming the guide- lines, said that after studying avail- able data on the vaccines, health authorities have recommended not US helps AG’s Department strengthen access to justice giving the jab to people with a his- COLOMBO – The Attorney General’s eral Sanjay Rajaratnam PC, Secretary, will also support research. The electronic tory of allergic reactions to other Department on Thursday (13) inaugurat- Ministry of Justice M.M.P.K. Mayadunne diary and file management system fea- vaccines and sever underlying con- ed a state-of-the-art training centre and attended the inauguration in person tures a schedule of hearings, case assign- ditions. launched an electronic system to track Kelly and USAID Mission Director Reed ments, and file tracking and storage to “Sputik V is not recommended cases and legal files. The US embassy Aeschliman attended virtually. The inau- strengthen the security of the data and for people with severe allergic re- in Colombo, which helped set up the fa- guration featured the launch of the US- reduce delays caused by the current man- actions and other underlying con- cilities through the USAID program, said supported training facility, electronic di- ual tracking system. ditions,” she said, noting the Sin- the tools will strengthen the ability of ary and file management system, and the The US Embassy in a statement issued opharm vaccine will be given to justice sector professionals to uphold the Attorney General’s Department website. on Thursday said the assistance to the people above 60 years of age in ad- rule of law in Sri Lanka. Dappula De Livera deeming the facili- Government of Sri Lanka to strengthen dition to the current 30-to-59 cat- “Around the world, US assistance has ties another first in the 136-year history the justice sector was one component of egory, following discussions held helped strengthen access to justice and of the Attorney General’s Department, the longstanding partnership between at Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 task force. promote good governance, which spurs said the opening of the training centre the American and Sri Lankan people to Sri Lanka has so far adminis- economic growth and protects human was a notable, salutary achievement that support self-reliance and strengthen rule tered the first dose of Sinopharm dignity,” said Martin Kelly, Deputy Chief meets a long-felt need for continuous of law. It said US Agency for Interna- and Sputnik V to 147,741 and of Mission (DCM) US Embassy, noting learning and professional development. tional Development (USAID) program 14,673 citizens respectively, while the tools inaugurated will help make ad- He also said the new tools will “drive the in Sri Lanka, totalling more than Rs 350 231,557 out of the 925,242 who ministration of justice more efficient. institution from strength to strength”. billion ($2 billion) since 1961, promotes a received the AstraZeneca had re- Attorney General Dappula De Livera The dedicated training facility in- healthy, educated, and employed popula- ceived the second dose of the vac- PC, Supreme Court Judge Justice Yasan- cludes a board room, auditorium, com- tion. cine by mid-April. tha Kodagoda PC, Acting Solicitor Gen- puter laboratory, and other facilities that -ENCL -economynext.com/ENCL 4 MAY 14 - 16, 2021 WEEKEND EXPRESS HOT TOPIC

By Iyad Abuheweila and Vivian Yee In Gaza, an ordinary street, and extraordinary horror GAZA CITY — The taxi was loaded with every- thing the family would need for Eid al-Fitr, a holi- day of feasts and cookies and new clothes that Is- raeli airstrikes on Gaza have transfigured this year into a time of swooping drones and fear. In their four suitcases, the al-Hatu family — mother, father, son, daughter — had made sure to pack kaak filled with date paste, the biscuits tra- ditionally shared among friends and family dur- ing Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. But they also brought enough clothing and food for several days — no one knew when it might be safe to go back home. Until then, to try escape the airstrikes, they were going to stay with another daughter, on Al Mughrabi Street, a five-minute drive away. They had all agreed: It would just feel safer if they were all together, said the son, Mohammed al- Hatu, 28. They were still unloading the taxi driver’s white Skoda sedan outside their temporary home shortly -SAID KHATIB / AFP before noon Wednesday (12) when the first drone Smoke billows from an explosion following an Israeli air strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday (13) attacked. Al-Hatu’s sister had already lugged one suitcase inside. Al-Hatu, who had been carrying another, staggered into the doorway of the building, bleed- By Guillaume Lavallée ing, and collapsed. Out on the street, their father, Said al-Hatu, 65, and the taxi driver lay dead. A few yards away, their mother, Maysoun al-Hatu, 58, was alive, but des- perately wounded. Israel pounds Gaza as conflict intensifies, “Save me,” she begged Yousef al-Draimly, a neighbour who had rushed downstairs, recounted. “I need an ambulance. Save me.” An ambulance came, but Maysoun al-Hatu did not make it. stops short of ground operation Less than a minute after the first strike, a second drone strike ruptured the street, killing two more JERUSALEM - Israel bombarded Gaza with Israel”. “We believe that Israelis and Palestin- ground offensive as “one scenario”. In Gaza, AFP photog- men: a worker at a laundry on the block and a pas- artillery and air strikes on Friday (14) in re- ians deserve equal measures of freedom, secu- raphers said people were evacuating their homes in the ser-by. Another man, a barber whose shop was next sponse to a new barrage of rocket fire from rity, dignity and prosperity,” Blinken said. northeastern part of the enclave ahead of possible Israeli to the laundry, was so badly wounded that his leg the Hamas-run enclave, but stopped short of a The Israeli army clarified early Friday that attacks, with Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, had to be amputated. ground offensive in the conflict that has now its troops had not entered the Gaza Strip as it warning of a “heavy response” to a possible ground incur- On Thursday (13), the first day of Eid al-Fitr, claimed more than 100 Palestinian lives. had earlier stated, blaming an “internal com- sion. and the fourth day of the worst conflict between As the violence intensified, Israel said it was munication” problem for the confusion. With the conflict showing no signs of easing, Israel has Israel and Palestinian militants in years, Gaza City carrying out an attack “in the Gaza Strip” al- There were intense artillery exchanges been rocked by an unprecedented wave of mob violence, in was silent with fear, except when it was loud with though it later clarified there were no boots on Thursday night, and AFP reporters saw Israeli which both Arabs and Jews have been savagely beaten and terror: the sudden smash of Israeli airstrikes, the the ground. troops assembling at the security barrier. police stations attacked. whoosh of militants’ rockets arcing toward Israel, the shouts of people checking on one another, the Israeli security forces have also been scram- Balls of flames rose high into the sky after Defence Minister Benny Gantz ordered a “massive rein- last moans of the dying. bled to contain deadly riots between Jews and strikes smashed into densely packed Gaza. forcement” to suppress the internal unrest. Just after midnight local time on Friday (14), Is- Arabs, and projectiles have been fired on Israel Dozens of rockets were fired from Gaza to- The heavy bombardments coincided with the start of Eid rael announced that its ground forces had attacked from Lebanon. wards the southern Israeli coastal cities of Ash- al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy fasting Gaza. The United Nations said the Security Coun- dod and Ashkelon, and in the vicinity of Tel month of Ramadan, and saw the faithful pray at mosques On what would ordinarily be a festive day of cil would meet on Sunday (16) to address the Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport. and amid the rubble of Gaza’s collapsed buildings. shopping and visiting friends, the streets of Gaza conflict, while the US Secretary of State An- Israeli army spokesman John Conricus said Israel’s air force launched multiple air strikes, targeting were nearly empty, save for a few heedless children tony Blinken said Washington was “deeply the country was “prepared, and continue to locations linked to Hamas, with the air force saying jets had playing in their new Eid outfits. concerned about the violence in the streets of prepare for various scenarios”, describing a struck a “military compound” of the group’s “intelligence The shops that in better times do a brisk trade headquarters”. in nuts, chocolate and kaak cookies were shuttered, At least 103 people have been killed since Monday, in- the crowds of thousands they normally serve hud- cluding 27 children, and more than 580 wounded, the dled at home. Along streets usually loud with cafes health ministry in Gaza said. offering juice, coffee and water pipes, only a few restaurants were open, and those only for delivery. Heavy bombardments have brought down entire tower “There was life here, but now it’s horror,” said blocks. Maher Alyan, 55, who lives on the street where Said Inside Israel, seven people have been killed since Mon- and Maysoun al-Hatu were killed, and who called day, including one six-year-old, after a rocket struck a fam- an ambulance after the airstrikes. “It’s not a normal ily home. feeling, to see a guy dying in front of you.” The Israeli military said earlier it had hit targets in Gaza If there was an explanation for why missiles found more than 600 times while 1,750 rockets were fired from their way to Al Mughrabi Street, it was not readily the enclave. apparent to those who make their lives there. Hundreds of rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome It is a street of cinder block and concrete build- air defence system. ings, with tangles of power lines running over small Three rockets were also fired from southern Lebanon storefronts. The laundry, the barbershop next towards Israel, landing in the Mediterranean Sea, Israel’s door, a falafel shop and a pharmacy are down the street from where the al-Hatus’ taxi had parked. On army said. Thursday, blood still smeared the pavement and A source close to Israel’s arch-enemy Hezbollah said the the sidewalk. One video taken after the first drone Lebanese Shiite group had no link to the incident. strike and posted on Facebook shows a white-hat- The military escalation was triggered by weekend unrest ted, bloodied man lying face down in an alleyway at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound, which is sacred near the white Skoda, whose roof and right side to both Muslims and Jews. were punched in as though with a giant fist, its back The disturbances, in which riot police had repeatedly window shattered. clashed with Palestinians, has been driven by anger over Another video shows clouds of dust hanging over the looming evictions of Palestinian families from the the site, with another man laying on the pavement Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of east Jerusalem. perhaps 50 yards down the street. A third person The surging tensions sparked clashes in many of Israel’s can be seen moving toward him, only to be ob- mixed towns where Jews live alongside Arabs, who make scured by the tawny dust of the second strike. up about 20% of the country’s population. Later in the day, a photo shows, two of the bodies near the car had been covered with what appeared Nearly 1,000 border police were called in to quell the vio- to be yellow signage. One of the al-Hatus’ grey suit- lence, and more than 400 people were arrested. cases still stood on the sidewalk, handle up. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said inter-communal When the first drone struck, shards killed a violence in multiple towns was at a level not seen for dec- falafel shop worker and hit Nader al-Ghazali, who ades, and that police were “literally preventing pogroms”. ironed women’s clothes at the laundry. Bleeding, al- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said police were Ghazali tried to crawl away, witnesses said. increasing their use of force, warning of the “option” of de- The barber, Muawiyah al-Whaidi, who was a ploying soldiers in towns. friend, ran into the street, trying to help him. That Israeli far-right groups have clashed with security forces was when the second strike shook everything, the and Arab Israelis, with television footage Wednesday airing thunder of the blast mixing with screams of shock footage of a far-right mob beating a man they considered and the cries of children. an Arab in Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv, leaving him with serious Dr. Osama al-Sharafi, 32, rushed out of the phar- injuries. macy where he works to try and help, he recalled. He stopped at the first casualty, Mansour al- In Lod, which has become a flashpoint of Arab-Jewish Draimly, 65, who had been passing through Al clashes this week with an Arab resident shot dead and a Mughrabi when he was killed. His body had been synagogue torched, a gunman opened fire Thursday at a pierced in several places by flying fragments. His group of Jews, wounding one. walking stick lay askew on the pavement next to Netanyahu said the violence was “unacceptable”. him. Al-Sharafi tried to stanch the bleeding, he “Nothing justifies the lynching of Arabs by Jews, and said, but al-Draimly was soon dead. nothing justifies the lynching of Jews by Arabs,” he said, Around the same time, al-Sharafi saw another adding Israel was fighting a battle “on two fronts”. wounded man stagger into the pharmacy, soaked Amid the rocket fire, Israel’s civil aviation authority said in blood. it had diverted all incoming passenger flights headed for Tel “He was torn,” al-Sharafi said. “He was like a Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport to Ramon airport in the south. ghost.” Hamas announced it had also fired a rocket at Ramon, in Never before, he said, had he seen such carnage. a bid to stop all air traffic to Israel. When the pharmacist looked down the street, he saw al-Whaidi, the barber, lying in the ground, his Israeli media said the rocket missed its target, but a leg badly injured. He had not made it in time to help number of international airlines cancelled flights amid the al-Ghazali, the laundry ironer. By then, neighbours aerial onslaught. said, his friend was motionless. - Agence France-Presse -New York Times WEEKEND EXPRESS MAY 14 - 16, 2021 5 REALITY CHECK

Asia is home to 99 By Sui Lee Wee of world’s 100 most World’s most vaccinated vulnerable cities nation is spooked by Of the 100 cities worldwide most vulner- able to environmental hazards all but one COVID spike are in Asia, and 80% are in India or China, Marie Neige, a call centre operator in Seychelles, was according to a risk assessment. eager to be vaccinated. Like the majority of the resi- More than 400 large cities with a total dents in the tiny island nation, she was offered China’s population of 1.5 billion are at “high” or Sinopharm vaccine in March, and was looking forward “extreme” risk because of a mix of life- to the idea of being fully protected in a few weeks. shortening pollution, dwindling water On Sunday (9), she tested positive for the coronavi- supplies, deadly heatwaves, natural disas- rus. ters and the climate emergency, the report “I was shocked,” said Neige, 30, who is isolating found. at home. She said she has lost her sense of smell and Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, taste and has a slightly sore throat. “The vaccine was plagued by pollution, flooding and heat- supposed to protect us — not from the virus, but the waves, topped the ranking. But India, symptoms,” she said. “I was taking precaution after home to 13 of the world’s 20 cities most precaution.” at risk, may face the most daunting future China expected its Sinopharm vaccines to be the of any country. Delhi ranks second on the linchpin of the country’s vaccine diplomacy program global index of 576 cities, compiled by the — an easily transported dose that would protect not business risk analyst Verisk Maplecroft, just Chinese citizens but also much of the developing followed in India by Chennai (third), Agra world. In a bid to win goodwill, China has donated 13.3 -Kiana Hayeri/The New York Times (sixth), Kanpur (10th), Jaipur (22nd) and million Sinopharm doses to other countries, according Lucknow (24th). Mumbai, with a popula- People perform a funeral ceremony for a girl killed in powerful explosions outside a high school in to Bridge Beijing, a consultancy that tracks China’s im- tion of 12.5 million, is 27th. Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul on Sunday (9) pact on global health. Looking only at air pollution – which Instead, the company, which has made two varie- causes more than 7m premature deaths ties of coronavirus vaccines, is facing mounting ques- worldwide each year, including a million By Adam Nossiter tions about the inoculations. First, there was the lack in India alone – the 20 cities with the of transparency with its late-stage trial data. Now, Sey- worst air quality in urban areas of at least chelles, the world’s most vaccinated nation, has had a a million people are all in India, with Delhi surge in cases despite much of its population being in- topping the list. ‘Why do we deserve to die?’ oculated with Sinopharm. The air pollution assessment was For the 56 countries counting on the Sinopharm shot weighted towards the impact of micro- Ask Kabul’s Hazaras as they bury their daughters to help them halt the pandemic, the news is a setback. scopic, health-wrecking particles known For months, public health experts had focused on as PM2.5, owing in large measure to the KABUL — One by one they into their own hands. On Sun- car full of explosives at the school trying to close the access gap between rich and poorer burning of coal and other fossil fuels. brought the girls up the steep day, a wheelbarrow stacked with gates. As the students, all girls nations. Now, scientists are warning that developing Outside Asia, the Middle East and north hill, shrouded bodies covered in a the bloodied clothing of the girls, at that hour, rushed out of the nations that choose to use the Chinese vaccines, with Africa have the largest proportion of high- ceremonial prayer cloth, the pall- packed tight in plastic bags, was mixed-gender school in panic and their relatively weaker efficacy rates, could end up lag- risk cities across all threat categories, with bearers staring into the distance. parked outside one mosque where into the neighbourhood of dusty ging behind countries that choose vaccines made by Lima the only non-Asian city in the Top Shouted prayers for the dead bodies had been brought. At an- streets, two more bombs went off, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. That gap could allow 100. “Home to more than half the world’s broke the silence. other mosque, a basement room, killing even more. Nearly all the the pandemic to continue in countries that have fewer population and a key driver of wealth, The bodies kept coming and the crowded with black-robed wom- victims were girls. resources to fight it. cities are already coming under serious gravediggers stayed busy, strain- en, echoed with muffled sobs. At “Yesterday their dreams were “You really need to use high-efficacy vaccines to get strain from dire air quality, water scarcity ing in the hot sun. The ceaseless a third mosque grim-faced men shattered,” said Ghulam, a day la- that economic benefit because otherwise they’re go- and natural hazards,” said the report’s rhythm was grim proof of the pre- clustered on the steps, murmur- bourer, preparing to mourn at the ing to be living with the disease long-term,” said Raina lead author, Will Nichols. “In many Asian ceding day’s news: Saturday (8) ing about taking up guns and join- Qamar-e-Bani Hashim Mosque. MacIntyre, who heads the biosecurity program at the countries these hubs are going to become afternoon’s triple bombing at a ing forces with a Hazara warlord “Today we are going to bury Kirby Institute of the University of New South Wales in less hospitable as population pressures local school had been an absolute named Abdul Ghani Alipur, who them with thousands of dreams,” Sydney. “The choice of vaccine matters.” grow and climate change amplifies threats massacre, targeting girls. There is on the run from the govern- he said. “That is one of the poor- Nowhere have the consequences been clearer than from pollution and extreme weather, was barely room atop the steeply ment. est schools in the neighbourhood. in Seychelles, which relied heavily on a Sinopharm threatening their role as wealth generators pitched hill for all the new graves. Outside the metal gates of the Those girls don’t even have 15 vaccine to inoculate more than 60% of its population. for national economies.” The scale of the killing and the Sayed Ul-Shuhada High School, cents to buy bread.” The tiny island nation in the Indian Ocean, north- China, while richer than India, faces for- innocence of the victims seemed twisted by the blast, the remains For the Hazaras of sprawling east of Madagascar and with a population of just over midable environmental challenges as well. further unnerving proof of the of the girls’ final moments — Dasht-e Barchi, home to over 100,000, is battling a surge of the virus and has had to Of the 50 cities worldwide most beset by country’s violent unravelling, as shredded backpacks, charred one million people, the precise re-impose a lockdown. water pollution, 35 are in China, as are all the Taliban make daily gains and notebooks, crushed slippers, loose identity of the killers didn’t seem Among the vaccinated population that has had two but two of the Top 15 facing water stress, the government seems unable pages of notes — were piled in a to matter all that much Sunday. doses, 57% were given Sinopharm, while 43% were according to the report. to halt their advances or protect pit, pored over by silent onlook- Their faces bore the minority’s re- given AstraZeneca. Thirty-seven per cent of new active But different political systems and lev- its people from mass killings. On ers. signed look of perennial persecu- cases are people who are fully vaccinated, according to els of development may play in China’s Sunday (9) there were mourners All over the Dasht-e Barchi- tion. They noted bitterly that, over the health ministry, which did not say how many peo- favour, Nichols said. “For China, an everywhere in the neighbourhood neighborhood Sunday, grieving an hour after Saturday’s attack, it ple among them had the Sinopharm shot. emerging middle class is increasingly de- of the bombing, home to the per- families of Hazara buried their was difficult to spot a single mem- “On the surface of it, that’s an alarming finding,” said manding cleaner air and water, which is secuted Shiite Hazara ethnic mi- daughters, ages 11 to 18. Streams ber of the security forces in the Dr. Kim Mulholland, a paediatrician at the Murdoch being reflected in government targets,” nority, but hardly any security to of mourners snaked up the area’s school’s vicinity. Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, he said. “China’s top-down governance protect them. hills. The air was filled with la- And they cited many of the oth- who has been involved in the oversight of many vaccine structure – and willingness to take abrupt The death toll — possibly reach- ments for the dead sounding from er attacks they had been subjected trials, including those for a COVID-19 vaccine . measures, such as shutting down factories ing over 80 young girls — ex- mosques. Some girls were so badly to, and the government’s repeated Mulholland said the initial reports from Seychelles to meet emissions goals – gives it more of ceeded even previous massacres disfigured by the blasts they could failure to protect them. correlate to a 50% efficacy rate for the vaccine, instead a chance of mitigating these risks.” in this bustling neighbourhood not be identified Sunday. “We get blown up on the street, of the 78.1% rate that the company has touted. India’s weaker governance, coupled of a minority long singled out for There was the fear that the mas- in the mosque, in the hospital, at “We would expect in a country where the great ma- with the size and scale of its informal persecution by the Taliban and, sacre was just a prelude. the wrestling club, everywhere,” jority of the adult population has been vaccinated with economy, makes it far harder to address in recent years, the Islamic State “We can’t do anything but said KazimEhsani, the imam an effective vaccine to see the disease melt away,” he environmental and climate problems at group. Afghanistan’s second vice mourn,” said Jawed Hassani, a of the Qamar-e-Bani Hashim said. the city level, he added. president, SarwarDanesh, himself shopkeeper, outside the Imam Ali Mosque. “And yesterday when Scientists say breakthrough infections are normal When it comes to global heating and a Hazara, said over 80 girls had mosque. He said: “We supported the attack happened, there wasn’t because no vaccine is 100% effective. But the experi- its effect, the focus shifts sharply to sub- been killed in the attack. the government, but all we get in even one police officer,” he said. ence in Seychelles stands in stark contrast to Israel, Saharan Africa, home to 40 of the 45 most After the 2001 US invasion, the return is being blown up. These “Now, there’s a crowd, and there which has the second-highest vaccination coverage climate-vulnerable cities on the planet. Hazara were a minority that made girls, they came from working- isn’t even one security officer,” the in the world and has managed to beat back the virus. The continent will be hit the hardest not the most of the country’s new edu- class families. They don’t have imam said. A study has shown that the Pfizer vaccine that Israel only because of droughts, heatwaves, cational and business opportuni- anything.” “People are collecting their used is 94% effective at preventing transmission. On storms and flooding, but also because it is ties, and they make up a large part Nobody has yet claimed respon- loved ones’ bodies,” he said. “We Wednesday, the number of daily new confirmed COV- so ill-equipped to cope. of the country’s young technocrat sibility for the attack. are in shock. Everybody is terri- ID-19 cases per 1 million people in Seychelles stood at “Africa’s two most populous cities, La- generation. But through it all, The government blamed the fied.” 2,613.38, compared to 5.55 in Israel, according to The gos and Kinshasa, are among those at Hazara Shiites became a target of Taliban, which denied any role. Everybody here can easily run World In Data project. highest risk,” the report noted. Other es- choice for Sunni militants like the The Taliban, however, continually down the litany of attacks the Wavel Ramkalawan, the president of Seychelles, de- pecially vulnerable cities included Monro- new Taliban insurgency and ISIS. target the Hazaras for violent per- Hazaras of Dasht-e Barchi have fended the country’s vaccination program, saying that via, Brazzaville, Freetown, Kigali, Abidjan They have grown increasingly secution. And they have a record suffered over the years. the Sinopharm and AstraZeneca vaccines have “served and Mombasa. angry at the government, accus- of opposing education for girls, “We haven’t committed any our population very well.” He pointed out that the Sin- The climate index combined the threat ing the security forces of standing especially teenage girls. But some crimes, and now it’s happened to opharm vaccine was given to people ages 18-60, and in of extreme events, human vulnerability, by while they suffer horrific casu- analysts blamed the remnants us again,” said Mohammed Hakim this age group overall, 80% of the patients who needed and the ability of countries to adapt. The alties. Now, on the edge of what of renegade Taliban who once Imon, one of the mourners. to be hospitalized were not vaccinated. report is the first in a series of risk assess- many fear will become a return of claimed allegiance to ISIS. “Why do we deserve to die?” he “People may be infected, but they are not sick. Only a ments for cities and evaluates threats to Taliban rule in many areas, and a Whoever was responsible, they asked. “The people who commit small number are,” he told the Seychelles News Agen- liveability, investment potential, real es- new civil war some see as inevita- appear to have taken pains to kill these crimes, they are the enemies cy. “So what is happening is normal.” tate assets and operational capacity. ble, the Hazara are increasingly as many of the girls as possible. of humanity.” Sylvestre Radegonde, the minister for foreign affairs -AFP determined to take their security First, a suicide bomber blew up a -New York Times and tourism, said the surge in cases in Seychelles hap- pened in part because people had let their guard down, according to the Seychelles News Agency. Sinopharm By Siddhartha Kumar did not respond to a request for comment. In a response to an article from The Wall Street Jour- nal on Seychelles, a spokeswoman for China’s foreign Bodies found buried near river in India as cremation prices soar ministry blamed Western media for trying to discredit Chinese vaccines and “harbouring the mentality that NEW DELHI - Multiple bodies in the state of Uttar Pradesh on pandemic. Nearly 100 bodies have told the IANS news agency. Locals ‘everything involving China has to be smeared.’” have been found buried in the sand Wednesday (12). washed up on the banks of the Gan- believe the shortage of wood for fu- In a news conference, Kate O’Brien, director of im- along the Ganges river in northern A senior administration official ges in neighbouring districts in the neral pyres might be a reason why munizations at the World Health Organization (WHO), India, officials said on Thursday said one of the sites was a major states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar corpses are being abandoned in this said the agency is evaluating the surge of infections in (13), days after bodies of suspected regional cremation spot, and there earlier this week, with the frighten- manner. Seychelles and called the situation “complicated.” Last coronavirus victims were seen float- was no confirmation that the bodies ing visuals sparking shock among “A package for cremation accord- week, the global health group approved the Sinopharm ing on the water. were of COVID-19 patients. locals as well as on Indian social ing to Hindu rites is now between vaccine for emergency use, raising hopes of an end to a Local media reported that since “Some people in the region do not media. 15,000 to 20,000 rupees (271 dol- global supply crunch. the death toll in the ongoing second burn bodies but bury them in the Hindus regard the Ganges as the lars). It is obvious that poor people But some scientists say it is increasingly clear that wave of the pandemic began to rise sand by the river. Several bodies ap- holiest river and consigning bodies cannot afford it and they are opting the Sinopharm vaccine does not offer a clear path to- in India, prices for cremations have pear to have been buried recently, to it is not part of any religion’s tra- for riverside burials,” Gupta said. ward herd immunity, particularly when considering shot up. our teams are on the spot and are dition, including Hinduism. Officials said they would ensure the multiple variants appearing around the world. This may have caused poor fami- carrying out a probe,” District Mag- Panic gripped locals in Unnao. that the deceased get dignified last Governments using the Sinopharm vaccine “have to lies to either consign remains of istrate Ravindra Kumar told dpa by “The monsoon is barely a month rites. “Our administration is trying assume a significant failure rate and have to plan ac- patients to the river or bury them phone. away and once the Ganges becomes to ensure that people do not follow cordingly,” said John Moore, a vaccine expert at Cor- instead. The development comes amid flooded with water, these bodies this practice. We are reaching out to nell University. “You have to alert the public that you Many bodies draped in saffron allegations and reports that mass will be washed ashore. The district local communities and have assured will still have a decent chance of getting infected.” cloth, a colour sacred to Hindus, dumping of COVID-19 patients was administration should exhume the that we will arrange cremations for Many in Seychelles say the government has not been were found buried by the river in taking place in some regions as In- bodies and perform a proper crema- free,” Kumar said. forthcoming. two locations in Unnao district dia sees its deadliest days of the tion,” Shrish Gupta, a businessman, -dpa -New York Times 6 MAY 14 - 16, 2021 WEEKEND EXPRESS RETHINKING AMERICA

By David E. Sanger and By Charles M. Blow Julian E. Barnes Fatigue is a luxury Biden signs executive you can’t afford order to bolster federal As columnists, we often test the bounda- ries. government’s We want to write in provocative ways that inspire readers to think and discuss. cybersecurity But we don’t want to descend into hyper- bole or, worse yet, hysteria. WASHINGTON — As the East Coast suf- As many of our critics are quick to re- fered from the effects of a ransomware attack mind us, we often slide right into that on a major petroleum pipeline, President Joe abyss. Sometimes they are right. There is Biden signed an executive order Wednesday no real science or formal methodology to (12) that placed strict new standards on the cy- this form of commentary. We write it not bersecurity of any software sold to the federal only as we see it, but also as we feel it, and government. our feelings fluctuate.

The move is part of a broad effort to -Stefani Reynolds/The New York Times The danger, of course, is the Chicken strengthen the United States’ defences by en- Little problem: If you inflate everything couraging private companies to practice better Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) speaks to reporters following a Republican vote to remove her from her into a sky-is-falling panic, what does one cybersecurity or risk being locked out of fed- leadership position, at the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday (12) write when the sky really does begin to eral contracts. But the bigger effect may arise fall? What credibility does one have left from what could, over time, become akin to a among the watchful when the country government rating of the security of software By Catie Edmondson and Nicholas Fandos products, much the way automobiles get a truly nears the possibility of a political safety rating or restaurants in New York get a apocalypse? health safety grade. Well, I’m not sure how to answer that. The order comes amid a wave of new cyber- Republicans oust a defiant Cheney, It seems to me that the possibility of de- attacks, more sophisticated and far-reaching struction came in waves during the Trump than ever before. Over the past year, roughly administration, with more near-misses 2,400 ransomware attacks have hit corporate, than the heart could handle. local and federal offices in extortion plots that confirming Trump’s grasp on the party Defcon 1 became our political default, lock up victims’ data — or publish it — unless and they wore down our anxieties about they pay a ransom. WASHINGTON — In a remark- cause they had “plenty of others to At the White House later in the the danger. We are human beings; our The most urgent fear is an attack on critical able display of loyalty to Donald choose from”. day, speaking to reporters after panic can’t be permanent. Our minds and infrastructure, a point made clear this week to Trump, Republicans moved quick- “I will do everything I can to meeting with President Joe Biden bodies simply aren’t meant to sustain it. Americans, who were panic-buying gasoline. A ly to purge Rep. Liz Cheney of ensure that the former president and other congressional leaders on But here we are again facing another ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline’s in- Wyoming from House leadership never again gets anywhere near infrastructure, McCarthy brushed very real threat to our democracy, and it formation systems forced the company to shut on Wednesday (12), voting to oust the Oval Office,” Cheney told re- off a question about comments by would be a shame if we were so weary of down a critical pipeline for several days. The their No. 3 for repudiating the for- porters afterward. Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, Donald Trump and his supporters’ attacks pipeline supplies 45% of the East Coast’s gaso- mer president’s election lies and “We have seen the danger that whom he has anointed to succeed on the pillars of this country that we dis- line, diesel and jet fuel. holding him responsible for the he continues to provoke with his Cheney. Stefanik had echoed some missed warnings about what it all means, While every president since George W. Bush deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. language. We have seen his lack of of Trump’s false claims around has issued new guidelines to bolster the coun- as with all others that preceded it. The action, orchestrated by par- commitment and dedication to the widespread voter fraud. With the ouster of Liz Cheney from her try’s digital defences, Biden’s order is intended ty leaders, came by voice vote dur- Constitution.” “I don’t think anybody is ques- to reach deep into the private sector. And it is leadership position in the House of Repre- ing a raucous closed-door meeting Cheney’s public comments tioning the legitimacy of the presi- sentatives, the Republican Party has made far more detailed than past efforts. on Capitol Hill that lasted just 15 Wednesday were an unmistakable dential election,” he said. “I think For the first time, the United States will absolutely clear that it is fully committed minutes. jab at Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Cal- that is all over with.” to Trump and the lie that he continues to require all software purchased by the federal With the votes stacked against ifornia, the minority leader. After government to meet, within six months, a se- Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who propagate about the election: that he won ries of new cybersecurity standards. Although her, Cheney made a defiant fi- the deadly assault on the Capitol helped lead the charge against and the election was stolen from him. the companies would have to ‘self-certify’, nal speech rather than fight the by Trump’s supporters, McCarthy Cheney, said his case boiled down According to an Ipsos poll, 55% of Re- violators would be removed from federal pro- ouster, warning that Republicans said the former president had to a simple idea: “Can’t have a con- publicans believe that the outcome of curement lists, which could kill their chances would follow Trump to their “de- been responsible for the violence ference chair who recites Demo- the 2020 election was the result of illegal of selling their products on the commercial struction” by silencing dissent and and should have quickly called off crat talking points.” voting or election rigging, and 60% agree market. refusing to reject the myth of a sto- rioters who were threatening the “It’s time to focus on stopping with the statement that “the 2020 election The order also establishes an incident re- len election. She drew boos from lives of members of Congress and the Democrats and save the coun- was stolen from Donald Trump.” Further- view board, much like the teams that inves- her colleagues. his own vice president. try,” he said. more, 63% don’t agree that Trump was tigate airline accidents, to learn lessons from After months of infighting that But he quickly walked back Trump weighed in Wednesday even partly to blame for the Jan. 6 insur- major hacking episodes. The White House is erupted after the violent end to the criticism, which had enraged morning with statements attack- rection. mandating that the first incident under review his presidency, Republicans’ un- Trump, and since then he has ar- ing Cheney and cheering her re- The Republican Party is now fully com- will be the Solar Winds hack, in which Russia’s ceremonious ouster of Cheney, the guably done more than anyone moval, including one calling her premier intelligence agency altered the com- mitted to a lie and a liar — this even after scion of one of the nation’s most else in his party to keep the former “a poor leader, a major Democrat he was forced from office, even after he puter code of an American company’s network powerful conservative families, president in the fold. talking point, a warmonger and a management software. It gave Russia broad caused the party to lose control of both reflected how far the party had After backing her in a previous person with absolutely no person- houses of Congress. Time to panic yet? access to 18,000 agencies, organizations and strayed from the policy principles leadership challenge, based on her ality or heart.” companies, mostly in the United States. Some of us held out hope that Trump’s and ideological touchstones that vote to impeach Trump, McCarthy Republicans who have styled influence would diminish once his presi- The new order also requires all federal agen- once defined it. The vote — and had come to see Cheney as a dis- cies to encrypt data, whether it is in storage or themselves in his image also gloat- dency ended, but as Sen. Lindsey Graham while it is being transmitted — two very differ- the manner in which it unfolded — traction and political liability in ed openly, including freshman told the Fox News host Sean Hannity on ent challenges. When China stole 21.5 million illustrated how Republican Party his quest to regain the House ma- Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Monday (10): "To try to erase Donald files about federal employees and contractors orthodoxy has come to be defined jority and become speaker. Carolina, who treated Cheney to a Trump from the Republican Party is in- holding security clearances, none of the files more by allegiance to a twice- Behind closed doors in the Con- mocking farewell on Twitter: “Na sane. And the people who try to erase him were encrypted, meaning they could be eas- impeached former president who gressional Auditorium Cheney nanana, nananana, hey hey, good- are going to wind up getting erased. It’s ily read. (Chinese hackers, investigators later prizes loyalty over all else than by took to the stage Wednesday bye Liz Cheney.” impossible for this party to move forward concluded, encrypted the files themselves — to a political agenda or a vision for morning to make her parting plea, Rep. Ken Buck, a conservative without President Trump being its leader avoid being detected as they sent the sensitive governing. drawing jeers as she warned her Colorado Republican who did because the people who are conservative records back to Beijing.) It came as more than 100 Re- colleagues about the consequenc- not vote to impeach Trump and have chosen him as their leader." Previous efforts to mandate minimum publicans, including some promi- es of their current course. voted against removing Cheney on Trumpism will not go gentle into that standards on software have failed to get nent former elected officials, said She ended with a prayer quoting Wednesday, warned that the par- good night. It will rage; it is raging. through Congress, notably in a major show- they were considering breaking from the Book of John — “Ye shall ty’s rush to purge dissenting voic- down nine years ago. Small businesses have The Republican Party belongs to off and creating a third party if the know the truth, and the truth shall es was more politically dangerous Trump, full stop. And it controls a large said the changes are not affordable, and larger GOP failed to make major changes set you free” — and a request for than Republican leaders seemed ones have opposed an intrusive role of the fed- majority of statehouses that will redraw to extricate itself from Trump’s God to “help us to remember that to understand. congressional districts this year, after last eral government inside their systems. stranglehold and what it called democratic systems can fray and “Liz didn’t agree with President But Biden decided it was more important to year’s census. That could set up an elec- “forces of conspiracy, division and suddenly unravel.” Trump’s narrative, and she was toral imbalance for another decade, as it move quickly than to try to fight for broader despotism”. mandates on Capitol Hill. His aides said it was “When they do,” she added, cancelled,” Buck said. did in 2010. a first step, and industry officials said it was In an unrepentant last stand “they are gone forever.” “We have to deal with this nar- Republicans in many of those state- bolder than they expected. minutes before Republicans voted Republicans made it clear they rative at some point,” he contin- houses are also pushing through voter Amit Yoran, CEO of Tenable and a former to strip her of her post, Cheney were not interested in those re- ued. “There are major issues — the suppression measures, and possibly even cybersecurity official in the Department of urged her colleagues not to “let minders. border, spending. But to suggest more important, some laws would allow Homeland Security, said the question on eve- the former president drag us back- “She who thinks she leads, but that the American people in 2022 local boards to refuse to certify election ryone’s mind was whether Biden’s order would ward”, according to a person fa- has no followers, is only taking a won’t consider the fact that we results. stop the next Colonial or SolarWinds attacks. miliar with the private comments. walk,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx, were unwilling to stand up to a Not only did Republicans support sub- “No one policy, government initiative or She said that if the party wanted R-NC as she made the motion narrative that the election was sto- verting the last election; they are well on technology can do that,” Yoran said. “But this a leader who would “enable and to recall Cheney, according to a len, I think will be taken into con- their way to building the architecture to is a great start.” spread his destructive lies”, they statement her office released af- sideration with their vote.” better subvert the next one. -New York Times should vote to remove her, be- terward. -New York Times Democracy cannot exist in a society in which nearly half the participants have abandoned it, a lie is elevated to the po- By John Eligon sition of truth, participation becomes the thing being poisoned. Chauvin may face longer sentence over So is panic now appropriate? Or do we simply carry on, hoping for the best and against the worst? Do we pretend that is ‘Cruel’ actions and abuse of power it not possible that our democracy is be- ing stolen right out from under us while MINNEAPOLIS - Saying that Derek factors allows Cahill to sentence Chau- sentence Chauvin beyond the 15-year die,” and that Chauvin “remained in- we whistle? Chauvin was “particularly cruel” for vin to more than 15 years in prison, the guideline, said Ted Sampsell-Jones, a different to Mr. Floyd’s pleas.” Panic fatigue is real. I get it. killing George Floyd slowly, the Min- longest punishment for second-degree professor at Mitchell Hamline School Police officers have a duty to treat Anger is exhausting. I get it. neapolis judge who oversaw Chauvin’s murder under Minnesota’s sentencing of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. people they arrest with respect, to use But what are your options? Acquies- murder trial issued a ruling Wednes- guidelines. Floyd’s death attracted global at- only reasonable force and to provide cence? Passivity? Ignoring the blare of the day (12) that could significantly in- While state statutes allow the judge tention after video surfaced showing medical attention when needed, the alarms because you have tired of the ten- crease the amount of time the former to sentence Chauvin to a maximum of Chauvin kneeling on his neck for more judge wrote. sion? police officer spends behind bars. 40 years, legal experts say it is highly than nine minutes as he repeatedly That “was an egregious abuse of the The Republican Party as it is now posi- In the six-page opinion, Judge Peter unlikely that he will receive more than cried out that he could not breathe. authority to subdue and restrain,” Ca- A. Cahill said prosecutors had proven 30 years. “It was particularly cruel to kill hill wrote. tioned is no longer simply a part of our po- that Chauvin had abused his position Cahill also ruled that prosecutors George Floyd slowly by preventing his Jurors also convicted Chauvin of litical system; it is a threat to our political of trust and authority, treated Floyd did not prove a fifth aggravating fac- ability to breathe when Mr. Floyd had third-degree murder and second-de- system. The party has converted itself into with particular cruelty, and commit- tor — that Floyd was particularly vul- already made it clear he was having gree manslaughter, but Chauvin will the enemy within. ted his crime in the presence of chil- nerable because he was restrained and trouble breathing,” Cahill wrote. only be sentenced on the top charge of The question is whether we’re too tired dren and with the active participation intoxicated with drugs. He added that Floyd “was begging second-degree murder. His sentenc- from the Trump years to see what is hap- of at least three other people. The find- Still, the judge needed to find only for his life and obviously terrified by ing is scheduled for next month. pening and mount an actual defence. ing of what are known as aggravating one aggravating factor to allow him to the knowledge that he was likely to -New York Times -New York Times WEEKEND EXPRESS MAY 14 - 16, 2021 7 COMMENTARY

By Kassapa Playing politics with the pandemic As Sri Lanka hovers on the cusp of its worst health crisis in a century

It was former United States President Ronal Reagan who famously observed that though politics is said to be the second oldest profession it bears a striking resemblance to the first. The pandemic politics the government is engaged in, in the midst of a deadly health crisis that is threatening to cost thousands of Sri Lankan lives reminds us of Reagan’s words. Last year, when COVID-19 first hit Sri Lanka, Presi- dent Gotabaya Rajapaksa was among the first lead- ers to close the borders of a country. The government rigorously imposed a lockdown, ensuring the deadly virus was kept at bay for a good nine months. It also ensured President Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) won handsomely at the twice postponed general elections. There is nothing wrong with that: the President did his duty by the na- tion by protecting it against the pandemic when many other leaders failed to do so. It was similar to elder brother Mahinda being rewarded with a similar vic- tory at the 2010 general elections after winning the Eelam war. Even if President Rajapaksa was playing politics then, it was for a just cause. Now though, the full force of the pandemic is upon us, thanks to the lackadaisical attitude adopted by the government from late last year. When the ‘second - AFP wave’ emerged, the government refused to own up to it, fearing it would tarnish the reputation of the pow- By Basil Fernando ers that be. Instead of being transparent about it and stamping out the second wave, we were fed fairy tales of there being no ‘community transmission’, only clusters in Minuwangoda and Peliyagoda! President Rajapaksa and his government appear obsessed with protecting the “economy”- even if it Sri Lanka won the ‘war’ but lost comes at the cost of many Sri Lankan lives. As a re- sult, at the time of writing, with the very real prospect of thousands of deaths looming in the next few weeks, the government has refused to budge and its spokes- persons keep repeating there will be no lockdown. the law It is rarely that the three leading medical profes- sional bodies in Sri Lanka join forces. Now they have. Calling a civil conflict or a civil war, a war nations in the world where debt payments results of ‘the war’ was the destruction of The Sri Lanka Medical Association, the Association itself, is very misleading. Wars are fought exceed the annual income. This indebted- Sri Lanka’s criminal justice system to a very of Medical Specialists and even the pro-government with external enemies. However, civil con- ness is a product of having to make extreme great extent. Successive Governments have Government Medical Officers’ Association spoke in flict or a civil war is a fight that takes place expenditures for the war. admitted that the police were used during unison this week demanding a lockdown, warning of among the brethren, with the people who And that is going to continue for a long the conflict times for military purposes. dire consequences, if this was not done. All they got should in fact be living together as a nation. time. So long as the economic crisis deep- That meant the police function was de- was restriction on inter-provincial travel. A day later, What the ties of blood mean within a fam- ens, there will be more internal conflicts of feated. With large scale deaths that have as the pressure on the government grew, a night time ily is politically and socially speaking what all sorts. As the poverty increases, the dis- never been investigated, the criminal in- curfew was added on. This is obstinacy at its worst, exists among everyone who belongs to a na- content of all sectors of society will grow vestigation function suffered a great decline simply because neither the President, COVID-19 Task tion. and with that, there will be more conflicts. from which it would find it most difficult to Force Chief (and Army Chief) General Shavendra Silva nor anyone else wants to admit that they got it Civil war is a tragedy that destroys the The kind of State structure we have has no rise again. wrong. very foundation of a society and of a nation. other solution to conflict other than to re- However, after the conflict periods, in- There was more politics at play, even at a local lev- The primary responsibility of all concerned sort to harsher security measures to repress stead of trying to restore the criminal jus- el. The Piliyandala area was placed under a lockdown is to avoid a situation that could lead to the people. tice system, it has been greatly undermined after its Medical Officer Health, in consultation with bloodletting between those who, whether Social control by extreme forms of re- by interferences into the investigative the relevant authorities noted a sharp rise in infec- they like it or not, are part of the same body pression will become a permanent part of mechanism, the prosecutorial mechanism tions. Enter Gamini Lokuge, local strongman of the called the nation. life until and unless the causes that made and the adjudication systems. area who considers himself above the law, especially While avoiding such a situation is a pri- Sri Lanka incapable of settling its disputes It has gone to the extent of a government when he is on his home turf. He influenced authori- mary responsibility of all, the greater bur- through internal discourse and conversa- appointed commission calling for the with- ties to lift the lockdown barely eight hours after it was den falls on the hands of those who are tion are rectified. drawal of indictments filed according to the enforced. Now, the case numbers there have risen running the State. The primary purpose of Already there are manifestations of the law and to punish those who investigated exponentially. Should some of them succumb to the a State is to create the necessary condition abuse of the powers to use administrative those crimes and even those who prosecut- virus, Lokuge will surely have blood on his hands. for everyone, despite their various differ- detentions in order to suppress every kind ed them. Then there is the sordid saga about the vaccines. The government was busy doing research on char- ences, to live together within a framework of dissent. As we know from past experi- A culture of extreme fear has been spread latan Dhammika’s concoction when the rest of the of mutual trust leading to mutual benefits. ences, the abuse of the detention processes throughout the entirety of the system of the world was hurriedly placing orders for virus vaccines, Thus, when we talk about winning a ‘war’ under the pretext of national security has administration of justice. knowing very well that demand will by far outstrip we are in fact talking about a failure that has been the major cause of dictatorship that Unable to control even the prisons in a supply. To add to the chaos, the pundits making deci- profound implications. At the end of such we have known in history. decent manner, the use of inhumane treat- sions could not do the simple arithmetic of dividing an unfortunate situation, the most elemen- The concentration camps and gas cham- ment and torture has become part of the the number of vaccines by two. So, they gave the first tary common sense obligation for everyone bers during Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s re- way the prisons are run as pointed out in dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine to too many people and particularly the State is to ask where we gime started with the use of this idea of pre- a report published by the Human Rights (so they could say we vaccinated this many) and are failed. The only meaningful question that ventive detentions. Commission. now left short of vaccines for the second dose- doing could lead to a positive result for the pre- When that process of preventive deten- The conditions created by the war contin- further research on mixing and matching vaccines. It sent and the future is about the causes of tion starts, where it will end is anybody’s ue and are aggravated each day. The system is laughable; if not for the fact these decisions have the failure that created the civil war. guess. Every form of evil has its own logic. that allowed an internal conflict to degener- deadly consequences! It is easy to engage in blame games. How- This logic also has its implications on ad- ate into a civil war is still the supreme law There was more bungling on the vaccine issue. In a ministrative detention. of Sri Lanka, and that is the 1978 Constitu- bid to appease growing public anger, the government ever, such blame games are childish and turned to its only ‘friend’, China, to obtain more of foolish. They belittle the gravity of what is When more and more repression is need- tion. At the root of all the major conflicts in their Sinopharm vaccines. Beijing obliged. However, meant by a civil war and trivialize the heavy ed, there is something that the authorities recent decades is the introduction of the ab- there was a catch: Sinopharm had not been approved cost in terms of lives and material losses will find necessary to displace, and that is rogation of the principles of constitutional by the World Health Organization (WHO) for emer- that individuals as well as the whole of soci- the law. The law in its normal sense be- law by the Constitution. gency use. The government asked the local National ety suffered as a consequence. gins to disappear and is replaced with what The negation of constitutionalism is con- Medicines Regulatory Authority to approve its use. Claims of triumphalism are a manifesta- would normally be considered illegal and sidered the Constitution of Sri Lanka in that The doctors there, respected professionals, refused to tion of a degenerate moral sentiment. It is even criminal. all power has been given to a single person. do so without the relevant data, which wasn’t read- said that the defining quality of civilization Administrative detention itself is such a While Sri Lanka’s situation cannot be com- ily forthcoming. The government then sacked several is the capacity for empathy. If even a tragic measure. However, judging from the past pared to that of Germany in the Second NMRA members and replaced them with others! situation such as a civil war does not evoke few decades, it could go much further. It World War because Sri Lanka has not been That was not all. A few days ago, it was announced feelings of empathy for those who have suf- was not long ago that the disposal of dead engaging either in a civil war or any exter- that the WHO approved the Sinopharm vaccine for fered and who continue to suffer, the result bodies were allowed without following the nal war, nor have we done crimes against emergency use. Jumping on the bandwagon was is a dead nation – dead psychologically, normal legal procedures, such as the provi- humanity to the extent of the extermination Kingsley Ratnayake of Sirasa fame who had recently become His Master’s Voice as the presidential media dead socially, dead emotionally and dead sion for post mortems in the case of suspi- of Jews and other such evils, in one respect spokesman. In his first task in his new job, Kingsley institutionally. Nothing has been won. The cious deaths. Sri Lanka and its constitutional situation said that “as a result of a discussion President Gota- truth is that we continue to lose. That was nothing more than the legaliza- is the same as was created by Hitler for his baya Rajapaksa held with the Director-General of the To be continuing to lose and not being tion of murder. Such highly planned sys- advantage. WHO via Zoom last Friday (7), the WHO on the same able to recognize this continuing loss cre- tems of murder achieved through gazette He took all the power into his hands. Eve- evening approved the emergency use of the Sinop- ates further distancing among people, para- notifications could happen at any time un- ryone had simply to obey. No independent harm vaccine”. lyzing of all forms of creativity within the der these circumstances. institutions were allowed to function in any The rebuttal from the WHO was prompt and bru- society and the nation. In order to displace the law and to make way. That situation is similar to the situa- tal. It pointed out that the WHO process took several This is happening in Sri Lanka not only the abuse of power legalized, it is necessary tion created through the 1978 Constitution months to complete and added that countries made in terms of a particular group of persons to weaken the judiciary as much as possi- and it has become worse. their own decisions about using vaccines. Sri Lanka against whom “the war” was directed but ble. If the judiciary remains strong, then the Thus the 12th anniversary of the end of maybe on the cusp of its worst health crisis in a cen- also to everyone in the society. people will resort to the courts when they the war is a moment at which we cannot say tury but nothing stops the President from trying to Every major crisis that exists can be are threatened. the same thing as Abraham Lincoln did at score a brownie point with the public. At the beginning of the pandemic, the President traced to some extent to the civil wars that When the courts are weakened, people the end of the American civil war in his Get- boasted that he dealt with issue as best as he can but happened in the South, the North and the have nowhere to go to and therefore are in tysburg address: he is now playing politics with the pandemic. If this East from 1971 to 2009. Sri Lanka during a helpless situation. And such a situation is “That this nation, under God, shall have a is his best, we shudder to think what anything less this time became a place of great instability created by design. new birth of freedom, and that government would be like. Unfortunately, it is the average citizen and ever increasing poverty. One of the most important aspects of of the people, by the people, for the people, who pays the price- with their lives. All these conflicts have contributed to Sri a civilized social life is a well-functioning shall not perish from the earth.” -This article was originally featured on Lanka becoming one of the most indebted criminal justice system. One of the major -AHRC counterpoint.lk 8 MAY 14 - 16, 2021 WEEKEND EXPRESS GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

By Jamie Maxwell By Mahir Ali The UK is hurtling Israeli flashpoint Resistance to the latest bout of attempt- towards a ed ethnic cleansing in the Old City has fed into spiralling violence in Jerusalem in the constitutional crisis days leading up to Eid. Sheikh Jarrah — the Last week’s local and national election re- Old City neighbourhood where the legally sults in the United Kingdom revealed a sanctioned evictions of long-standing Pal- country radically, and perhaps irreparably, estinian residents at the behest of Jewish divided. settler organizations predictably sparked a Labour retained power in Wales; Boris response — serves as a reminder that the Johnson’s Conservatives scored huge victo- Nakba is much more than a historical event. ries throughout England; and in Scotland, It is an ongoing catastrophe, perhaps best Nicola Sturgeon’s pro-independence Scot- exemplified by the creeping annexation of tish National Party (SNP) won a remarkable the West Bank. fourth term in office. Amid the confrontation centred on Al Including the Scottish Greens, separatists Aqsa mosque — with stones and fireworks once again command a majority of seats at on one side, and stun grenades, tear gas Holyrood, Scotland’s devolved national legis- and rubber bullets on the other, causing lature in Edinburgh. Both parties – the SNP hundreds of injuries — Hamas opted for and the Greens – support a new referendum its usual tactic of lobbing a bunch of mis- - Sonali Pal Chaudhury / NurPhoto via AFP on the break-up of Britain. siles towards Jerusalem. They caused little damage and few casualties, whereas the Is- According to Sturgeon, Scotland’s incum- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers a speech to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters bent first minister, this will take place at some raeli response claimed the lives of at least 24 during a mega-rally ahead of state legislative assembly elections on the outskirts of Kolkata on April people, many of them children, in the Gaza point over the next five years – it is a matter 12, 2021 of “when not if”, she reportedly told Johnson, Strip, according to reports. who opposes such a poll, during a phone call That’s par for the course in that part of over the weekend. By Sachi Satapathy the world. Likewise the swift Western con- The SNP leader may well be right. From demnation of Hamas’s futile attacks. More Thatcherism to Brexit, Iraq to austerity, the broadly there have been the usual calls for roots of British disunity run deep – and there a “de-escalation on both sides” from the is no obvious solution on the horizon. US and EU. Moral equivalence between the Scotland’s grievances are chiefly democrat- brutality of the oppressor and the resistance A prime minister unfit for of the oppressed remains a problematic hur- ic. The Conservative Party has held power at Westminster for 47 of the past 71 years, yet dle for Western ‘diplomacy’. the Tories have not won a general election in This is reflected in efforts across Europe Scotland since 1955. Scots voted overwhelm- and the US, legally or legislatively sanc- ingly against Britain’s departure from the EU tioned in some cases, to effectively outlaw a pandemic most criticism of Israel, and specifically the in 2016, yet, on January 1, they lost their Eu- ropean citizenship rights just like everyone boycott, divestment and sanctions move- else. The widely respected publication ent, scientifically sound messages The pandemic has revealed that ment. It’s worth recalling that there was also The UK is now hurtling towards a constitu- The Lancet in a May 8 article said, on the state of the epidemic and the worst features of this prime opposition to pressure for sanctions against tional crisis. ‘The Institute for Health Metrics its solutions, to reassure the pub- ministership are not merely late- the South African apartheid state. It took Conscious of the ongoing impasse in Spain and Evaluation estimates that In- lic amid their fear, and to pro- night comedy fodder; they come a few decades for sufficient momentum to over Catalonia’s attempts to secede, Stur- dia will see a staggering one mil- vide steady guidance to cities and at the cost of lives, livelihoods, build up to make a difference. geon’s preference is for a poll that lies beyond lion deaths from COVID-19 by states. And it demanded a leader and our collective psyche. It may take even longer in the case of legal challenge in the UK courts. A so-called August 1, 2021. If that outcome who would put the country’s well- There must be a reckoning for Israel. After all, the Afrikaners who domi- “wildcat” referendum, she says, organised were to happen, [Prime Minister being first, above his obsession the lives lost, and for the vast, nated South Africa lacked the leverage of a without London’s consent, is off the table. Narendra] Modi’s government with winning elections. avoidable suffering about to ensue historical holocaust. Mind you, this is not But in Britain, Westminster is sovereign, would be responsible for presid- However, what we saw instead under Modi’s watch. to suggest that Europeans, or anyone else, the constitution formally “reserved” to the ing over a self-inflicted national was a prime minister who was Modi has promised repeatedly: ought to overlook one of the 20th century’s House of Commons. That means Johnson will catastrophe.” outmatched by the pandemic. A Everything will go back to normal; most atrocious crimes against humanity. stonewall Sturgeon’s demands for a re-run of The Indian Medical Association prime minister who in April 2020 everyone will have amazing treat- On the contrary, the horrific Nazi extermi- the 2014 plebiscite – which saw Scots vote by (IMA), representing more than urged Indians to light candles and ments; there will be vaccines for nation campaign against European Jews a ten-point margin to remain part of the UK 350,000 doctors nationwide, said diyas (lamps fueled by oil or ghee) everyone. The fact that these are should forever serve as a particularly sordid – and effectively lock Scotland inside the Un- the central government’s failure for nine minutes at 9:00 p.m. to conflicting claims – not to men- reminder of the depths of hatred to which ion, whether it wants to be there or not. to prepare the necessary roadmap “defeat the despair” brought on tion patently false – can only part- human beings can descend. Despite efforts to play down the likelihood to ensure sufficient vaccine stocks by the COVID-19 pandemic. In his ly detract from their allure. One can only wonder whether historical of a legal battle, the Anglo-Scottish stand-off had resulted in a shortage of vac- address, Prime Minister Narendra Like any competent quack, In- memories play any role when, for instance, could easily end up in front of the British Su- cine doses. Modi asked people to clap, ring dia’s PMO focuses on a winning German legislators effectively criminalise preme Court. The catastrophic decisions in bells or clang utensils on March vibe, not a factual case. Modi posi- solidarity with Palestine amid a rising tide Obstructionism could be a risky strategy for India’s Prime Minister’s Office 22, 2020. tions himself as an alternative to of neo-Nazism in their nation, when French Johnson, however. The prime minister – an (PMO) have doomed the country India needed a prime minister “the scientists” and “the doctors” politicians and retired generals promote Is- arch-Brexiteer – is already profoundly un- of 1.3 billion to a season of untold who would support the state gov- such that followers have to choose lamophobia, or when Israeli fascists mobi- popular in Scotland. suffering. India, long a beacon of ernments, instead of trying to con- between trusting them or him. lise to chant ‘death to Arabs’ in Palestinian Since taking charge of the Tory Party in scientific progress and medical in- solidate all power centrally to take This process, in extreme forms, neighbourhoods. 2019, he has launched four separate initia- novation, is now the hub of a glob- credit of managing the pandemic. leads to what some psychologists Meanwhile, notwithstanding bipartisan tives aimed at “saving” the Union from the al pandemic that has infected at One example of Modi’s consoli- refer to as “identity fusion.” Wil- opposition to a congressional effort to leg- threat of Scottish separatism. The latest of least 20.8 million people and al- dation of power was the creation liam Swann, a professor at the islate some leverage over how generous US these stalled earlier in the year when Oliver ready claimed more than 238,000 of the Prime Minister’s Citizen As- University of Texas at Austin, subsidies to Israel, mostly in the form of Lewis, the head of Downing Street’s special lives in India. sistance and Relief in Emergency coined the term in 2009 while military aid, are used, there are persistent anti-independence task force, abruptly quit While the spread of the novel Situations (PM CARES) fund. studying theories of individual reports from the US suggesting that the after briefing against one of his cabinet col- coronavirus has been aggressive This fund discriminates against identity. mood over unquestioning backing for Israel leagues. Lewis had been in post for a grand around the world, much of the the states and gives special ex- Once fused with a group or lead- is shifting, not least among younger Ameri- total of 14 days. profound impact it will have in emptions (to write off donations er, he observed, followers seem can Jews. Johnson’s next move will be to ‘love bomb’ India was preventable. As the In- as “corporate social responsibil- tied to them in such a way that It may be so, although there’s scope for Scotland with infrastructure spending – while dian public braces for the worst of ity”) that are denied to those who things are true because the leader scepticism. It was nonetheless intriguing to simultaneously trying to push the debate over this crisis, it’s worth remembering wish to donate instead to their said they were true. Dystopian as encounter an opinion column in The New independence onto the political back-burner. that the reach of the virus is not own state’s Chief Minister’s Fund. that may seem, it can be a coping York Times recently in which former CIA That isn’t going to happen – not while the attributable to an act of God or a PM CARES gives the prime mechanism: Orienting your sense chief John Brennan advised Joe Biden to SNP remains dominant at Holyrood. foreign invasion, but to a colossal minister enormous discretionary of truth around a person can be watch Palestinian film-maker Farah Nabul- Scotland’s unionist parties are in disarray. failure of leadership. power to dispose of huge financial more comforting than doing so si’s Academy Award-nominated short film Faced with Scotland’s staunchly left-leaning, The outbreak that began in resources, as he pleases. The func- around a nebulous, uncertain, or ‘The Present’, which depicts the ordeals Pal- Europhile electorate, the Tories are moored China demanded a prime minis- tioning of the fund is shrouded in otherwise threatening reality. estinians routinely face in crossing check- on 23% of the vote. ter and his cabinet that could act secrecy, with even the national Identity fusion is not appealing points not between the occupied territories Labour, meanwhile, remains landlocked by swiftly and competently to protect Comptroller and Auditor General because it makes sense; it is ap- and Israel, but within the West Bank. the constitutional divide; unable to ditch its public health, informed by science not allowed to audit it. pealing because it alleviates the Who knows whether Biden will bother, traditional British opposition to independ- and guided by compassion and We have a prime minister who, cognitive and emotional burden of but either way chances of a substantial pol- ence and equally powerless to stop young, public service. consistent with his mistrust and thinking. However, it also warns icy shift in the US — perhaps the only coun- working-class Scots shifting in huge numbers It required an administration undermining of scientific fact, or- us about the dangers of having a try capable of single-handedly compelling away from the Union. that could quickly deploy reliable ganized a massive election rally prime minister who is manifestly Israel to reconsider the status quo — remain Unionists, then, are in a bind: the more tests around the nation to isolate even as the daily infection rate unprepared to govern. infinitesimal. It won’t matter that Human Johnson resists Scottish self-determination, cases and trace and contain the vi- was touching 300,000 and more. -Sachi Satapathy is an Rights Watch has at last acknowledged that the tighter the SNP’s grip of the Scottish polit- rus’ spread, as well as to manufac- His decision to emblazon his international development Israel is guilty of the crimes of apartheid and ical landscape grows. (After 14 years in power, ture and distribute medical sup- photograph on every vaccination practitioner who has worked persecution. Sturgeon fell just one seat short of an outright plies around the country. certification issued is another ex- on large-scale projects and this It will matter even less that Israel remains SNP majority last Thursday (6).) It begged for a prime minister ample of where this government’s article was originally featured in a political mess, with its fourth election -aljazeera.com who would deliver clear, consist- priorities lie. on asiatimes.com in two years predictably yielding no clear mandate, and its caretaker prime minister facing corruption charges and the prospect of imprisonment. Benjamin Netanyahu was once more af- Editorial of The Hindu forded the opportunity of forming a govern- ment after his Likud party won 30 Knesset seats in March, falling short of a majority B.1.617 a matter of concern by 31 seats. He failed, and last week Yair The Indian variant, B.1.617 and its or found to be evading detection by sistently been among the most af- their vaccines continue to be effec- Lapid of Yesh Atid, which won 17 seats, was family of related coronaviruses have diagnostic tests. Concerns that the flicted States, were being linked to tive. Such studies have already be- invited to have a go. That effectively means been categorized as a Variant of Con- B.1.617 may be playing a role in dis- the variant. However, it was in early gun in India, but while laboratory either a (probably temporary) government cern (VOC) by WHO, a classifica- ease spread in India were expressed April that this variant became for- studies show that vaccines continue led by Naftali Bennett (who is even nastier tion which will now prompt greater by scientists by mid-March. The IN- mally classified as a lineage, B.1.617. to be effective, some of the emerg- than Netanyahu in some respects), or a fifth international scrutiny of those who SACOG, or the Indian SARS-CoV2 It was only after the UK’s labelling ing variants do seem to be better election. test positive overseas. While there Genomic Consortia, had flagged a it as a VOC that it was called so by at evading antibodies. Along with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud are several so-called ‘variants of in- variant with two concerning muta- health authorities in India. In fact, monitoring re-infections and cases Abbas, meanwhile, has lamely put off indef- terest’, only three, other than the tions, E484Q and L452R, that sepa- unlike the United States’s CDC or of breakthrough infections (testing initely elections scheduled for this month. B.1.617, have been categorized as rately had been found in other vari- Public Health England, India still positive after being double inoculat- One could argue that under the circum- VOC — the UK variant (B.1.1.7), the ants elsewhere. INSACOG said they does not have a classification crite- ed), flagging variants must be seen as stances, Palestinian elections, like the as- South Africa variant (B.1.351) and now seemed to appear together on rion for labelling viruses as variants a crucial health response. Detecting pirations of young Palestinians who have the Brazilian variant (P2). a variant that was linked to a large of interest, or concern. Classifying newer variants does not always mer- never had a chance to vote, hardly matter. Usually, in countries that detect fraction of cases in Maharashtra and variants is not just a matter of mere it radical changes in public health re- But how exactly do young Israelis see their emergent variants, it is the health began to be called ‘double mutant’ academic interest. Based on the sponse — such as masking up — but future? Are they comfortable with the idea authorities there who flag them as or even ‘triple mutant’ (as it also prevalence, some variants may go they go a long way in reminding peo- of living in, and fighting for, a proto-fascist potential VOC. To qualify as one, had another important mutation, on to become the dominant strain in ple to continue being alert, viewing state? Would they be willing to confide as the identified variant must be linked P614R). a region or multiple geographies. It vaccines as an important defence but much the next time they commune with to increased transmission or be as- In March nearly 20% of the cases then becomes the responsibility of not a magic pill, and keeping health their grandparents? sociated with more severe disease out of Maharashtra, which has con- vaccine companies to check whether authorities on their toes. -dawn.com WEEKEND EXPRESS MAY 14 - 16, 2021 9 LITERARY LIVES

Leontyne Price – 1927 By Dwight Garner Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings The Legendary Diva A novelist who went on a

Sir Christopher Ondaatje, in this two part series, explores the extraordinary musical journey of the quest for an authentic life “If you like the book, I shall drink a quart of Bac- revolutionary soprano with many firsts to her credit, including the first African American singer ardi in celebration,” Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings to achieve an international reputation in opera, and is dubbed the ‘most important opera singer wrote to Maxwell Perkins before sending him her first novel, ‘South Moon Under,’ in 1932. “If you that there was’ don’t like it, I shall drink a quart of Bacardi.” Perkins liked her novel. Already the most im- portant editor of his time, he added Rawlings to an elite roster that included Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Wolfe and F. Scott Fitzgerald. He was her great mentor and friend across 17 years of correspondence and some 700 letters, notes and telegrams. Under Perkins, Rawlings wrote her best two books: ‘The Yearling’, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1939, and ‘Cross Creek’ (1942), an unclassifi- able mix of memoir and observation about life on a remote citrus grove in interior rural Florida. Ann McCutchan’s plain-spoken new biography of Rawlings, ‘The Life She Wished to Live’, care- fully unpacks their relationship. McCutchan is a sensitive observer of Rawlings’ work and of her deeply unconventional life in general. This is the most recent biography of Rawlings, after Elizabeth Silverthorne’s ‘Marjorie Kinnan

- Phenix/Metropolitan Opera Rawlings: Sojourner at Cross Creek’ appeared in 1988. It’s a pleasure to meet this cursing, hard- She steals the show in the documentary ‘The Opera House’, about drinking, brilliant, self-destructive, car-wreck- the building of the ‘New Met’ at Lincoln Centre ing, fun-loving, chain-smoking, alligator-hunt- ing, moonshine-making, food-obsessed woman The doors to the magic world of Karaĵanconducting. She made again on the page. opera opened for Leontyne Price another appearance, again replac- Rawlings was grateful that Perkins took the through television and NBC Op- ing Anita Cerquetti, at the Royal long view in literary matters. Art mattered more era Theatre under music director Opera House in London, and at than money; fame was OK, but only if noble and Peter Herman Adler. In January the Arena di Verona – both as deserved. Rawlings had that kind of fame in the 1955 she sang the title role in Puc- Aida. early 1940s, but her reputation has slipped. cini’s Tosca – which was the very In part, it’s because ‘The Yearling’, about a boy first appearance by an African In the autumn of 1959 she sang whose father orders him to kill his constant com- American in a leading role in tel- with great Swedish tenor Jussi panion, a pet deer, after it eats too much of the evised opera. She went on to star Rjörling in Verdi’s Il Trovatore family’s sorely needed corn, is misperceived as a in three other NBC Opera broad- in San Francisco; and then Aid- dewy young adult novel. In reality, it’s as unsen- casts: Pamina in The Magic Flute aand her first onstage Pamina in timental as a blade of saw grass. (1956); Madame Lidoine in Pou- Vienna, and repeated Aida at Lon- In part, too, it’s because Rawlings got tangled lenc’s Dialogues of the Carmel- don’s Covent Garden. The British in an invasion of privacy lawsuit after describing ites (1957); and Donna Anna in Broadcasting Corporation organ- one of her neighbours by name in ‘Cross Creek’. - Jack Mitchell Don Giovanni (1960). Her Tosca ized a recital of American songs The court proceedings dragged on for five years, Leontyne Price performance with David Poleri, for Price with Gerald Moore as destroying her concentration and nerves. She the Cavaradossi, was the first TV well as a concert of operatic scenes was never quite the same. broadcast with a mixed race cou- from Richard Strauss for BBC Ra- Finally, ‘The Yearling’ is no longer (or rarely) PART l In early 1952 she sang Mistress Ford ple, and her later NBC broadcasts “If you are going to think black. in a Juilliard production of Verdi’s Fal- dio. She followed this with a full taught because of some of its racial language. were boycotted by NBC affiliates opera recording for RCA singing Rawlings used the N-word in her book, and in Don’t think down on it, or think it is staff and, hearing her performance, in the South – because of her race. something in your way. And this way, she was cast by Virgil Thomson in his Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni everyday life often referred to the Black workers under Erich Leinsdorf. on her citrus grove by the same term. when you really do want to stretch out all-black opera Four Saints in Three In March 1955 she auditioned and express how beautiful black is, Acts which performed on Broadway Hers is a complicated case. In rural Florida, at Carnegie Hall for the Austrian She was busy and made her she was considered quite liberal in her time. She everybody will hear you.” for two weeks, and then travelled to conductor Herbert von Karaĵan -Leontyne Price Paris. Meanwhile she was signed to debut at the Salzburg Festival actively fought discrimination and struggled with who was touring with the Ber- in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis her own prejudice. Her friend Zora Neale Hurs- sing Bess in George Gershwin’s Porgy lin Philharmonic. He was so im- Leontyne Price was born in Laurel, and Bess directed by Robert Breen. conducted by von Karaĵan; and ton wrote to her about ‘Cross Creek’: “You have pressed with her singing ‘Pace, recorded Verdi’s Il Trovatore for written the best thing on Negroes of any white Mississippi on February 10, 1927. Her She sang her opening performance pace, mio Dio’ from Verdi’s La father worked in a lumber mill and of Porgy and Bess at the State Fair of RCA Records in Rome,then re- writer who has ever lived.” Rawlings was born in forza del destino that he offered turned to Verona to sing Il Tro- Washington, DC, in 1896. Her father worked in a her mother was a midwife and in the Texas on June 9. 1952, and received to manage and direct her Europe- church choir. She began piano lessons glowing reviews. The popular produc- vatore with tenor Franco Corelli. government patent office. He also loved the out- an operatic career – which would But still no invitation from the doors, and bought a dairy farm in nearby Mary- with the local teacher, Mrs H.V. McIn- tion went on to perform in Pittsburgh, never be practically possible. But nis, when she was five. Her parents ex- Chicago, and Washington, DC, before Metropolitan Opera, although land. Her mother was a frustrated social climber it was an exceptional endorse- Rudolph Bing went backstage in whom Rawlings disliked almost from birth. changed the family phonograph for an touring Vienna, Berlin, London and ment. upright piano when she was in kinder- Paris. On the eve of the European tour Salzburg to invite them to make Rawlings was precocious. She entered, and garten, and she was taken to see and Leontyne Price married William Warf- their debut at the Met but giving won, a lot of literary contests. She graduated Price began touring the US and no definite date. This was not to- from the University of Wisconsin in 1918 and, hear Marian Anderson sing when she ield, the popular bass-baritone singer, Canada after a successful Town gave a concert in Jackson, Missouri. who co-starred with her as Porgy. She tally Bing’s fault. He had invited with her first husband, moved to New York City Hall debut in November 1954. Price to sing two Aidas in 1958 to make a go of it as a freelance writer. The experience was immediately inspi- was married in the Abyssinian Baptist They were all recitals on the Co- rational. Church in Harlem. but, on the advice of Peter Her- She did public relations work for the YWCA’s lumbia Artists roster. She was man Adler and others, she was War Work Council; she dabbled in tabloid jour- accompanied first by John La When she was in her teens she sang “Art is the only thing you cannot warned not to make her debut in nalism to survive. She wrote ‘Songs of a House- Montaine, but then changed to the racially stereotypical role of wife’, a recurring column in verse for a Gannett in the choir at St. Paul’s Method- punch a button for. You must do it the David Garvey who remained her ist Church, and played piano for the old-fashioned way. Stay up and really Aida – an Ethiopian slave. She newspaper. (One ended: “I like to hear the mur- accompanist until he died. She was advised to enlarge her rep- murings /When my dessert appears / The sym- chorus at Oak Park Vocational High burn the midnight oil. There are no toured India and Australia, giv- School. She also earned a little money compromises.” ertoire. William Warfield quotes phony of supper-time / Is music to my ears!”) ing concerts and recitals for the She first saw Florida while visiting with her singing for funerals and civic functions. -Leontyne Price US State Department. On May Peter Adler in his autobiography, My Music & My Life: husband. Together they bought, sight unseen, 3, 1957 she sang Aida in a con- with money left from a small inheritance, a 72- While still a child she became friend- After Porgy and Bess returned to the cert performance with the Phila- ly with the daughters of Alexander and United States in 1953, William War- “Leontyne is going to be a great acre orange grove and a rundown farmhouse. She delphia Orchestra in Ann Arbor, wanted to write full time and live on the citrus Elizabeth Chisholm, a wealthy white field had trouble adjusting his many Michigan. It was her first public artist. When she makes her debut family who encouraged her singing and theatrical commitments to the single profits. It takes a certain eye to see the beauty of performance of what would be- at the Met, she must do it as a flat, swampy, sun-impacted rural Florida. Jack piano playing. She worked part-time demands of the Gershwin show. He come her signature role. lady, not a slave.” in her teens as a maid and baby sitter was dropped from the cast while Price Kerouac didn’t have it. Rawlings had that eye. for the Chisholms. Hoping for a job continued in the show for another She bloomed at Cross Creek. She threw herself “We should not have a tin cup Instead Price performed Liu in into the difficult work of running the grove, and teaching music, the young Leontyne year – both on Broadway and a second out for something as important Turandot at the Chicago Lyric Op- Price enrolled at the all-black Wilber- American tour. This put a strain on essentially taught herself to fish and hunt. People as the arts in this country, the era with Birgit Nilsson, and sang had never heard a woman swear so frequently. force College in Wilberforce, Ohio. She their relationship and the couple were richest in the world. Creative Massenet’s Thais. Then she sang joined Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, legally separated in 1967, and divorced She threw big dinners, serving game birds artists are always begging, but Aida at the Teatro alla Scala in she’d shot herself or mallards she raised, achiev- which helped organize some of her ear- in 1973. Both Price and Warfield were always being used when it’s time Milan and received the tumultu- ly recitals. In 1947 she won third place ambitious to have opera careers, but ing the best flavour, McCutchan writes, “by feed- to show us at our best.” ous reception she deserved. One ing them skim milk, clabber, grains and greens.” in an inter-state vocal competition that racial barriers did not make it easy for -Leontyne Price critic from Milan wrote: led to a performance in the National black singers. Price and Warfield did Rawlings was messy, and moody. One doctor Negro Musical Festival in Chicago. however sing duo concerts, and began told her, she said, “I had an engine too big for It was in San Francisco on “Even our great Verdi would the chassis.” She suffered her entire life from ab- a concert tour together for Colum- September 20, 1957, as Madame have found her the ideal Aida.” She remained with the School of Mu- bia Artists. The Metropolitan Opera’s dominal pain caused by diverticulitis, which was Lidoine in the US premiere of bad for her joie de vivre. Her condition leads her sic when it separated from Wilberforce General Manager Rudolf Bing had an- Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Car- She was the first African Ameri- University and became Central State nounced publicly that he would hire biographer to give us a sentence for the ages: “Be- melites that Price made her grand can to sing the prima donna role tween four enemas, she wrote a sonnet.” University, headed by Charles Wes- black singers for the right part, but it opera debut – a last minute sub- in Italy’s great opera house. She ley who urged Leontyne to seriously was not until Price was invited to sing Rawlings drank too much, and sometimes stitute for the Italian soprano sang Donna Anna in Don Giovan- drove while doing so. This book describes at least consider advanced studies in voice. ‘Summertime’ from Porgy and Bess on Antonietta Stella who had just ni in Salzburg that summer, and When she graduated in 1948 she sang April 6, 1953 at a fundraiser that Price five serious car crashes. She once ploughed into a had an appendicitis operation. the Cio-Cio-San in Madame But- mule, destroying the animal and her car. A visitor a benefit concert at which the famous got her chance to sing for the Met. She made her own scheduled terfly for the first time in Vienna bass Paul Roberson sang. She won a However, the distinction of the first to Cross Creek later wrote: “On the way to Oca- European opera debut as Aida at with von Karaĵan conducting. la she nearly scared me out of my mind driving scholarship to the Juilliard School black woman to sing as a member of the Vienna Staatsoper with von -Part ll next week that year and her former employers, the Metropolitan Opera Company went 75 miles an hour, at times almost 80, with one the Chisholm family, helped with the to Marian Anderson who sang Ulrica in hand on the steering wheel, and a handkerchief school expenses when she was ad- Verdi’s Unballo in Maschera on Janu- wadded up in it, while with her other hand she mitted to the studio of Florence Page ary 7, 1955. Price made her formal re- fumbled about for cigarettes or the lighter on the Kimball – her principal voice teacher. cital debut in November 1954 at New dashboard.” In 1949, in her first standing-room in- York’s Town Hall. Come to this biography for Rawlings’ outsize troduction to the Metropolitan Opera, personality, her quest to lead a life that felt au- she heard Lĵuba Welitsch sing Salome. “The way I was taught, being black thentic to her. The next year she joined the Juilliard was a plus, always. Being a human “There are times when I resent — almost to Opera Workshop and sang small roles being, being in America, and be- madness — being a woman,” she wrote in a let- in Mozart’s Magic Flute and Puccini’s ing black, all three were the greatest ter. “I want to fare forth alone … I want to be a Schicchi. In the summer of 1951 she things that could happen to you. The solitary fighter, loving no one, with no one loving sang Ariadne in Strauss’ second cast of combination was unbeatable.” me.” Ariadne auf Naxos. -Leontyne Price -New York Times 10 MAY 14 - 16, 2021 WEEKEND EXPRESS SPORTS

COUNTER PUNCH By The Line Judge Silver lining amid gloom As Mathilda and Milka qualify for Olympics COLOMBO - Amid the sudden spike sons best known to them. It was after a from three jumping events held in Vil- 2019 and January 26, 2020, including the benefit of the riders.” A relieved Karls- in COVID-19 cases in the country, year-long legal wrangle with the world leneuve-Loubet in December 2019, as any points earned, should be counted son said she was happy (to qualify) with the Sri Lankans rejoiced at the news that equestrian federation (FEI) following an well as a further six competitions from for the Longines Ranking and the Olym- bumpy road. “I am so happy to have it done showjumper Mathilda Karlsson and appeal to the Lausanne-based Court of three events at the same venue in Janu- pic Ranking be reinstated. As a conse- now. I am so looking forward to represent- gymnast Milka Gehani de Silva have Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that Karls- ary 2020, where the points earned by quence of the CAS decision, Karlsson ing Sri Lanka in the Olympics,” she said inan qualified for the upcoming Tokyo Olym- son’s Olympic slot was reinstated last Karlsson from December was not taken is back again ranked number two in interview with ‘Voice of Good Sport’. pics while US-based athlete Ushan Thi- month after her world came crashing into account. This resulted in Sri Lanka the Olympic Group for South East Asia, “Olympics is a very important event for wanka Perera is on the brink of achiev- down in February 2020. being disqualified from the 15 individual Oceania, with her horse Chopin VA, and everyone. Everyone is fighting really hard to ing the qualifying standard in the high Mathilda grabbed one of the 15 indi- show jumpers’ slot. has earned Sri Lanka an individual quo- get the spot. I knew that I did not do any- jump. The postponement of the 2020 vidual show jumpers’ slots for the Tokyo Although the FEI admitted that it was ta slot for the Olympic Games in Tokyo thing wrong. Everyone tried to do everything Olympics by a year because of the pan- Olympic Games after competing in three their mistake as they approved these later this year. they could to get this spot. I think Hong Kong demic has turned out to be a blessing in events in Villeneuve-Loubet, France in events earlier and had done so “mistak- Karlsson and the Sri Lanka Equestri- was pretty sure they would have it when I disguise for Sri Lanka providing athletes December 2019, where she finished 2nd, enly”, Karlsson was forced to seek re- an Association were represented by Luc dropped in the rankings in November but an extended opportunity to achieve di- 4th and 4th respectively. This helped her dress with CAS with the help of the Sri Schelstraete and Piotr Wawrzyniak of I gained points that I needed in February. rect qualification. to jump into second place in the South Lanka Equestrian Association after the Schelstraete Law Firm from the Nether- They took a chance I guess to try to find a It would have been a travesty of justice East Asia Oceania region by increasing FEI Tribunal dismissed her appeal. lands, who in a statement commented on reason why I shouldn’t go,” she explained. for Karlsson in particular, if the Games her world ranking points from 150 in Following the hearing, the CAS Panel the decision as follows: “It is a landmark The CAS also reconfirms that Mathilda had been held last year. For, though the November to 345 points in December in a landmark decision upheld the ap- decision for the equestrian sports as this Karlsson as an athlete bears no fault or guilt Sri Lankan-born Swedish showjumper following the Villeneuve-Loubet event, peal by Karlsson and the Sri Lanka CAS decision illustrates the FEI’s discre- in the matter. qualified to represent the country of her which helped her climb from seventh in Equestrian Association ruling that all tionary powers are limited and that the “It took a long time to get through the sys- birth in equestrian at the beginning of the region’s ranking position. competitive results obtained by Karls- FEI needs to observe utmost care in ap- tem and to finally win this case but I knew last year, she was disqualified from the But in February, FEI decided to ret- son at the CSI2* events in Villeneuve- proving equestrian events where rank- the whole time that I was right and I would 15 individual show jumpers’ slot for rea- rospectively remove six competitions Loubet, France, between December 13, ing points are to be earned. All this for get through. I had a little bit of time against me because of postponement because of co- rona. It worked to my advantage because this took over a year to get through. I am so re- lieved that it is finally over and I will be par- ticipating in the Olympics,” said Mathilda expressing her gratitude to the President of the Sri Lanka equestrian body Suranjith Pre- madasa for his support. Artistic gymnast Milka Gehani has become the second Sri Lankan to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after qualifying through the continental quota. The 18-year-old was the first reserve for the Asian quota, ahead of Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak, and became eligible to compete from the zone after the 9th Senior Asian Championships, which was scheduled to take place from May 29 to June 1 in Hangzhou, China, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. De Silva has represented Sri Lanka at several international competitions, includ- ing the 49th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in 2019 and also finished in the top eight at the Asian Championship in Indonesia in 2018, becoming the first Sri Lankan to do so. High jumper Ushan Thiwanka Perera could become the first athlete to gain direct qualification in Tokyo after setting a South Asian record and renewing his Sri Lanka re- cord by raising the bar to 2.30 metres at the 2021 Lone Star Conference Outdoor Track and Field Meet in Texas. World Athletics has set a qualifying stand- ard of 2.33m for the Tokyo Olympics. While 12 athletes will be selected from qualifying standards, 20 other athletes reaching top world rankings will be eligible for the Olym- pics. In March, Perera shattered the long-stand- ing Sri Lanka high jump record of 2.27m set by Manjula Kumara Wijesekera in 2004 and also had equalled the record in 2005. So the future seems bright as Sri Lankans are poised to vie for glory in Tokyo. -ENCL Japan doctors union warns ‘Impossible’ to hold Olympics during pandemic TOKYO - Holding the Tokyo Olympics safe- ly as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage would be “impossible”, a union of Japa- nese hospital doctors warned on Wednesday (12). “We strongly oppose holding the Tokyo Olympics at a time when people around the world are fighting the new coronavirus,” the union said in a statement submitted to the government. “It is impossible to hold a safe and secure Olympics during the pandemic.” The union, which represents staff doctors at hospitals, is one of a number in Japan for different medical professionals. It does not list the size of its membership. “We can’t deny the danger that many kinds of new virus variants will bring to To- kyo from around the world,” the union state- ment added. The statement comes as Japan battles a fourth wave of virus infections, with several areas including the capital under a state of emergency. The surge has put pressure on the coun- try’s healthcare system, with medical profes- sionals repeatedly warning about shortages and burnout. In recent days, several gover- nors have said they will not allocate hospital beds for athletes. And plans for teams to train in Japan before the Games have in some cases been scrapped. With just over 10 weeks until the Games open on July 23, public opinion re- mains opposed, with most favouring a fur- ther delay or cancellation. But organizers say they can safely hold the Games thanks to virus countermeasures and point to a string of successful recent test events, including some featuring overseas athletes. -AFP PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS (CEY) PVT, LTD. NO - 267, RAJA MAWATHA, EKALA - JA - ELA