MARRYING EARLY AND TIME FOR GLOBAL DYING YOUNG DEMOCRACY PROMOTION MARCH TO BE RAMPED UP 12 - 14, 2021 FROM ‘SCRANTON JOE’ VOL: 4- ISSUE 238 ‘WE WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS TO . 30 APPROPRIATELY AT THE UNHRC’ PRESIDENT FOR THE POOR INTERVIEW PAGE 03 REALITY CHECK PAGE 06 RETHINKING AMERICA PAGE 07 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE PAGE 09

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Hundreds of thousands take holy plunge in Ganges HARIDWAR - Hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotees plunged into India’s Ganges river on Thursday (11) as the country kicked off one of the world’s largest religious festivals, even as officials reported the biggest spike in coronavirus cases for three months. Hindu ascetics known as Naga sadhus, many naked apart from a coating of ash and carrying swords or tridents, led the bathers at the Kumbh Mela, or pitcher festival, in the northern town of Haridwar. All participants at this year’s event, that runs until the end of April, are required to present a negative coronavirus test result before being allowed into the festival grounds, authorities said. But there was little evidence of social distancing in place on Thursday as bathers jostled at the riverbank. Devout Hindus believe bathing in the waters of the Ganges absolves people of sins, and during the Kumbh Mela brings salvation from the cycle of life and death. More than 22,000 people had bathed in the holy river by 8 a.m. (0230 GMT), police overseeing the festival told ANI, a number that was expected to rise significantly throughout the day. Authorities said that more than 100 million people attended the festival in 2019, the last time it was held, a figure that most expect will be lower this year. After an almost three-month lockdown last year that was one of the world’s harshest, India has relaxed almost all re- strictions on movement since a peak in cases in September, including reopening vast stadiums for cricket matches, one of the country’s national obsessions. However, India’s COVID-19 cases numbers are again surg- ing, putting it among the top five countries reporting the most daily new infections. Officials reported 22,854 new infections on Thursday, the highest in nearly three months, taking the country’s total to 11.3 million. Deaths rose by 126 to 158,189, health ministry data showed. - Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images -Agencies Buddhist monks pray for the victims of the 2011 Tohoku a powerful earthquake, deadly tsunami and nuclear ensuing nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi earthquake and tsunami at a beach in Iwaki, Japan on meltdown that traumatized a nation. Around 18,500 nuclear plant blanketed nearby areas with radiation, Thursday (11), Japan observed a minute’s silent at people were killed or left missing in the disaster, most rendering some towns uninhabitable for years and 2.46 p.m. local time to mark the 10th anniversary of the of them claimed by the towering waves triggered displacing tens of thousands of residents Biden signs huge stimulus bill worst natural disaster in the country's living memory: by one of the strongest quakes ever recorded. The Read more on page 5 WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 tril- lion economic relief package on Thursday (11) afternoon, ush- ering in an aggressive infusion of federal aid in a far-reaching effort to address the toll of the coronavirus pandemic. UN Chief warns of famine risk for millions “This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country,” Biden said, “and giving the people of this nation, working people, the middle class folks, people who built the country a fighting chance.” around the world Biden had originally been scheduled to sign the bill on Fri- day (12), after it had been reviewed again and printed. But the UNITED NATIONS - Millions of "Climate shocks and the COV- include the Sahel, the Horn of Af- - they are being starved." She added: president and his advisers, aware that low- and middle-income people around the world risk dy- ID-19 pandemic are adding fuel to rica, South Sudan, Yemen and Af- "It makes little difference to the hun- Americans are desperate for the round of direct payments that ing of hunger and the COVID-19 the flames. I have one simple mes- ghanistan. The US ambassador to gry whether they are being starved the bill includes, moved up the timeline to Thursday afternoon. pandemic and climate change are sage: if you don't feed people, you the United Nations, Linda Thomas- by deliberate action or the callous Ron Klain, Biden’s chief of staff, wrote on Twitter earlier on increasing the threat, UN Secre- feed conflict," he said. Greenfield, told how she saw a two- negligence of conflict parties or the Thursday that the enrolled bill arrived at the White House on tary-General Antonio Guterres said "Famine and hunger are no long- year-old girl die of hunger in Uganda international community." Wednesday (10) night and that the president would sign it a Thursday (11). er about lack of food. They are now in 1993. Guterres said that in order to save day earlier than planned because they wanted “to move as fast "Without immediate action, mil- largely man-made - and I use the "There's no reason we can't get re- 34 million people in the high risk as possible.” lions of people will reach the brink term deliberately There is no place sources to people in acute need," the zones, the United Nations and its But he added, “We will hold our celebration of the signing on of extreme hunger and death," Gu- for famine and starvation in the 21st ambassador said. agencies have appealed for emer- Friday, as planned, with Congressional leaders!” terres told the Security Council dur- century." "In today's world, famine is hu- gency mobilization of $5.5 billion. The president signed the measure in the Oval Office hours ing a meeting on the links between At the end of 2020, more than 88 man-made. And if it is caused by us, Guterres announced he was before he was set to deliver a prime-time televised address on food and security. million people were suffering from that means it must be stopped by us launching a task force "to avert ca- Thursday night, kicking off an aggressive campaign to inform Guterres said over 30 million peo- acute hunger due to conflict and too," Thomas-Greenfield added. tastrophe," with representation from voters of the benefits that are coming to them through the re- ple in more than three dozen coun- instability - a 20% increase in one Oxfam International executive the World Food Program and the UN lief package. tries are "just one step away" from a year, he said, pointing to a worsen- director Gabriela Bucher said peo- Food and Agriculture Organization. -NYT declaration of famine. ing trend in 2021. High-risk zones ple in these areas "are not starving -AFP

China plans to control Hong Kong’s Lebanon heads for blackout as At least 20 dead in Egypt elections and elevate ‘patriots’ electricity funds dry up clothing factory fire BEIJING — China approved on ty in 1997. Until now, Hong Kong’s BEIRUT - Lebanon's caretaker en- President Michel Aoun, warned of CAIRO - At least 20 peo- with me and a young man Thursday (11) a drastic overhaul of chief executive has been selected by ergy minister (11) warned the coun- repercussions on all sectors if the ple were killed and 24 oth- who I pushed so they election rules for Hong Kong that a 1,200-member Election Commit- try would plunge into "total dark- power went out. ers injured Thursday (11) could avoid the blaze," would most likely bar many pro-de- tee dominated by Beijing’s allies. This ness" at the end of the month if no "Imagine your life without elec- in a clothing factory fire Mahmoud Mohamed said, mocracy politicians from competing has allowed China to pick leaders it money was secured to buy fuel for tricity, internet, phones, hospitals on the eastern outskirts of quoted by Al Youm al-Sa- in elections, cementing Beijing’s grip trusts. power stations. or vaccines... It's surreal to live in the Egyptian capital, med- bea newspaper. over the territory. But a groundswell of support for Power cuts have been common in the 21st century without electricity," ical and security sources "I led them outside, run- The National People’s Congress, the territory’s democracy movement Lebanon ever since the end of the he said. told AFP. ning as the fire burned my China’s Communist Party-controlled during enormous protests in 2019 1975-1990 civil war, forcing Leba- Ghajar has called for emergency Twelve fire trucks were body," said the young man legislature, voted almost unani- raised the possibility that the opposi- nese to pay a second power bill to funding for the state power com- dispatched to extinguish who had been working at mously to give pro-Beijing loyalists tion could amass a majority of votes private generators for three to 12 pany to continue providing power, the huge blaze as smoke the factory for a year. more power to choose Hong Kong’s to stymie Beijing’s choice. hours each day during the outages. until a larger loan is approved by billowed over the indus- Egypt's textile union local leader, as well as members of Beijing plans to add 300 more Now the country is facing its worst parliament. trial area called Al-Obour, paid tribute to the factory its legislature. The decision builds on spots on the committee, which could economic crisis in decades, and fast Until now the electricity company with the cause not imme- workers who were killed a sweeping national security law for allow more seats to go to its allies. running out of hard currency to had been functioning on the re- diately clear. and injured during the Hong Kong, imposed last year after The congress also imposed a new rule back imports. mains of a loan allocated under the The State prosecutor blaze, in a statement is- months of protests, that the authori- that would most likely prevent the Caretaker energy minister Ray- 2020 budget, but the 2021 budget has tasked a team with in- sued later. ties have used to quash opposition in opposition Democratic Party from mond Ghajar warned the state elec- has not yet been passed as the coun- vestigating the fire in the The Arab world's most the former British colony. getting on the Election Committee’s tricity company, Electricite du Li- try struggles with twin economic four-storey factory, the populous country has had Premier Li Keqiang said at his an- ballot. To be nominated, a candidate ban, was strapped for cash. and political crises. sources added. a string of fires in recent nual news conference that the new will now require at least some support "Lebanon could head towards to- Lebanon has been importing fuel A survivor who suf- years, as shoddy buildings legislation was needed to ensure that from each of the five main groups on tal darkness at the end of the month on a shipment by shipment basis fered burns to about have been constructed “patriots” run the territory. Critics the committee. Beijing will now have if Electricite du Liban is not pro- since the start of the year, after a 25% of his body said he without safety standards contend that the new election sys- the chance to form one group entirely vided with financial aid to buy fuel," contract with a subsidiary of Alge- was nearly overcome by amid a security vacuum tem will wipe out the already limited from its loyalists, which would block he said, the official National News rian state company Sonatrach ran smoke inhalation when following its 2011 revolu- democracy that Hong Kong enjoyed pro-democracy nominees. Agency reported. Ghajar, who was out and was not renewed. he escaped the inferno. tion. after its return to Chinese sovereign- -NYT speaking after meeting Lebanese -AFP "I had two young women -Agencies

Trending News Quote for Today USA: The judge overseeing Johnson coronavirus vaccine, offshore blast had encountered whom it normalised ties last One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be the trial of Derek Chauvin, the the fourth jab to get the green an explosive-laden Israeli drone year. deceived. former Minneapolis police of- light for the 27-nation bloc. that had fallen into the sea and Sri Lanka: The country’s crick- -Niccolo Machiavelli ficer charged with killing George UNICEF: The world body blew up in their nets, et board says all-rounder Angelo Word for Today Floyd, allows prosecutors to add warns closed schools, surging Brazil: The country’s former Mathews has pulled out of the a charge of third-degree murder, poverty, forced marriages and leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva West Indies tour and will miss Waesucks [wey-suhks] -interjection –alas in addition to the serious count of depression - after a year of the makes his return to politics at- the two remaining one-day inter- second-degree murder. pandemic, indicators measur- tacking President Jair Bolsonaro nationals and two Test matches. Today in History -The House approves a pair of bills ing child and adolescent de- and his "imbecile" COVID-19 pol- Sweded: The Royal Court says aimed at expanding and strength- velopment have all regressed, icies, but declines to say whether 1930 - Mahatma Gandhi begins the Salt March, a 200-mile march Crown Princess Victoria and to the sea to protest the British monopoly on salt in India ening background checks for gun a setback that heralds lasting he would run against him next her husband Prince Daniel have purchasers, as Democrats push stigma for an entire genera- year. both test positive for coronavi- Today is... past Republican opposition to ad- tion. UAE: The United Arab Emirates rus, and have gone into into self- vance major gun safety measures. Palestine: The Hamas-run announces it is setting up a $10 isolation together with their two Plant a Flower Day EU: The European Union ap- interior ministry in Gaza says billion investment fund aimed at children -- Princess Estelle and A day to sow some seeds or plant some bulbs and celebrate natures proves the single-shot Johnson & three fishermen who died in an strategic sectors in Israel, with Prince Oscar. beautiful bounty 2 MARCH 12 - 14, 2021 WEEKEND EXPRESS BUSINESS

To close the gender gap in the IMF says US stimulus offers ‘significant' boost to global economy corporate world WASHINGTON - US President Joe consumers, IMF spokesman Gerry Rice COVID-19 vaccine rollouts offer hope of a and other major central banks should Biden's massive stimulus program is ex- told reporters. "We see potentially sig- rapid recovery, but also fears that growth continue to communicate "clearly, as they pected to boost US economic growth and nificant positive spill overs in terms of could ignite an inflationary spiral that have been doing, about their assessment Sri Lanka’s boardrooms also help to spur the global recovery, an global growth," he said. "Most countries would force the Federal Reserve to raise of the economy and their evolving views IMF spokesman said Thursday (11). should benefit from stronger US demand interest rates sooner than expected. on asset purchases and interest rate poli- need 500 more women US GDP will expand 5 6o 6% over three ... so this will help global growth and Those fears have sent stock markets cy to avoid any unwarranted tightening of COLOMBO – Sri Lanka will need 500 more women direc- years with the injection of $1.9 trillion recovery." However, he cautioned that reeling, especially tech shares more likely financial market conditions." tors in boardrooms of listed companies to reach gender parity in aid, according to the International policymakers should be on the alert for to be hindered by rising lending rates, de- The IMF will update its forecasts on although the number of women joining leadership roles have Monetary Fund's preliminary estimates, a sudden shift in borrowing rates. That spite the Fed's repeated assurances that it the US and global economy early next steeply increased amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Washing- and higher demand will help other coun- has been a growing concern in financial will keep its foot on the gas to speed the month at the start of its spring meeting. ton-based International Finance Corporation said. tries sell more products to American markets in recent weeks as accelerating recovery. Rice said the Federal Reserve -AFP “We would need about 500 more directors to reach parity with men on boards of listed companies and the reason for this Sri Lanka push is beyond a social and moral imperative. There is a busi- UK extends light-touch checks on EU imports until 2022 ness case behind it,” Lopa Rahman, Corporate Governance Of- LONDON - The British government announced will come into force in some areas, such as for ani- ficer of IFC, addressing the ‘Ring the Bell for Gender Equality’ Sovereign bond yields plunge Thursday (11) it will continue light-touch post-Brexit mal origin products, from October. at the Colombo Stock Exchange on Monday (8) said. Research checks on goods from the European Union for an ex- Meanwhile safety and security declarations and conducted by IFC in collaboration with Colombo Stock Ex- on China swap news tra six months, to help businesses recover from the various other controls will now begin to be needed change has found that since 2018 over 25 qualified women have COLOMBO – Sovereign the dollar from a previous 72. pandemic. from January, 2022. joined Sri Lanka’s corporate boards. bond yields plunged and Sri Lanka has insisted that it The country had planned a staged approach to In the final stage, checks on live animals, low- Currently, the number of women on board stands at 221 from prices rose as investors would not default and would border enforcement of freight over the first six risk plants and plant products will start from March 144 in 2018. “Despite the unprecedented challenges of COV- gained more confidence that keep its unblemished record months of 2021, after leaving the EU's single market next year. The EU opted against a phased rollout of ID-19 our research indicates a positive trend in the number of the bonds would be repaid, of repaying debt. Minister and customs union at the start of the year. post-Brexit border rules and has been enforcing its female directors on boards in Sri Lanka,” Rahman pointed out, after Sri Lanka’s State Min- Cabraal had said Sri Lanka But the government said it had "listened to busi- new regulations on British exports to the bloc since noting that in 2018, only 8.2% of the listed company board di- ister for Capital Markets Ni- will keep efforts to boost dol- nesses" facing unprecedented challenges during the January. Britain has experienced a rocky start to life rectors were women, lower than the neighbouring countries and vard Cabraal said China had lar inflows to US$ 32 billion coronavirus crisis, and would now not introduce the outside its trading regimes, with some UK exporters below global average of 17%. However, she said the latest 2021 confirmed a US$ 1.5 billion in 2021 and generate US$ 4.4 full border control processes until 2022. complaining of huge hurdles to previously seamless data suggest that now women comprise 9.5% of the board which equivalent swapline. billion to repay debt and be "We will now introduce border controls broadly continental trade, with volumes down significantly is equivalent to an almost 30% increase over the last 3-years. The yield on Sri Lanka’s solvent. six months later than planned to give traders time in January. “What is interesting to note here is that there is a sharp in- 6.25% coupon 2021 bond, Sri Lanka’s central bank to focus on getting back on their feet as the economy The government has insisted the dip was expected crease from 2018 to 2020 and some may say this increase is fell to around 18% from 28%, has been buying up rupee opens up after a difficult year," Brexit minister Da- and due to several factors including stockpiling late driven by the regulatory push followed by the finance ministry after the news, according to government securities and vid Frost said. last year, and that overall freight levels have since to have progressive quotas for women on board,” Rahman said. Bloomberg Newswires data. injected liquidity failing to "We are confident that this new timetable will al- returned to normal. However in Northern Ireland, “Promisingly these numbers have not declined since the on- The bid price rose from 92 maintain domestic solvency, low import businesses to re-establish their trading special arrangements agreed as part of Britain's set of the pandemic and shows that companies themselves are to 95. triggering forex shortages. arrangements after a difficult period due to corona- Brexit divorce deal are continuing to cause political stepping up and internalizing this objective.” The bid yield on a sover- Sri Lanka’s domestic bond virus, in the most straightforward and lightest touch and practical problems. Rahman said the research also indicated that the 30 largest eign bond due in January yields also fell on the news way possible." Brussels is threatening legal action after Lon- companies in the country with the highest gender diversity in 2022, where bond holders and also a domestic bond sale The move extends the government's so-called "de- don announced unilateral changes to the so-called leader boards experienced better financial returns on both eq- most expect a default, fell to where Rs 54 billion out of Rs ferred declaration scheme", which lets UK import- Northern Irish protocol, including an extension to uity and total assets. “Even before the pandemic hit, developing around 42% from 48%, while 60 billion offered was sold. ers of standard goods from the EU delay submitting a grace period on checks on food going to the UK countries were losing nearly 48 trillion in wealth because of the the price rose to 75 cents to -economynext.com newly-needed customs paperwork. Under the ad- province. differences in lifetime earning in women and men” she pointed justed timetable, new pre-notification requirements -AFP out. She also reiterated that the COVID-pandemic has created an opportunity for companies to intentionally push for gender equality to better utilize their resources. Sri Lanka “This pervasive inequality could further widen due to the im- pact of the current crisis. There has never been a better time Finlays Tea Estates nurturing female planters to work intentionally on economic gender parity. The COVID pandemic has created an opportunity to focus more focused COLOMBO – Finlays Tea Estates Sri Women played a key part in plucking in Agricultural Technology from the and female workers. Navoda Vijayanga- value creation strategy such as gender market investing to help Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, which runs privatized tea and other tasks but not usually in University of Peradeniya, she had re- ni, from Dehiattakandiya is a graduate private sector companies sustain economies and protect jobs.” tea plantations, is nurturing female management. Junior managers or As- sponded to a recruitment advertisement from Uwa-Wellassa University where Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson, CEO of Hemas Holdings PLC ad- managers in a bid to fill 30% of manage- sistant Superintends and estate manag- posted by Finlays which encouraged she studied tea technology and value dressing the audience said that women to succeed bias at work- ment positions by 2025, an industry as- ers (Superintendents and factory man- women to apply. addition. place and home should be eradicated. sociation said. agers) were usually men. “While I was in University I became She was training in tea research when “Let’s encourage women to be their own unique self, let’s take Tea growing or ‘planting’ has tradi- Finlays and gone on a conscious drive fascinated with the potential of agricul- she heard about Finlays looking for fe- out the bias.” She pointed out the need to overcome three main tionally been a male-dominant activity to recruit female managers. ture as a business given the most tech- male management trainees. biases women face – to see women only as feminine house mak- where foreign direct investors (usually The firm has a target of filling 30% of nological advancements we had seen in “A big part of why I was so interested er, to encourage women to create and be their own self while British) turned mountain forests in to management positions with women by recent years, but in practice it definitely in tea is because I love the upcountry making a corporate culture that supports employees to balance coffee and later tea plantations using 2025, the Planters’ Association made up took me some time to adjust to the cul- environment and the climate,” she was their family life too. “It has been a male-dominant corporate their own funds, equity from Colombo of managers said. Among two females ture, processes, and the kind of work quoted as saying. culture and they see women as feminine homemakers and its Brokers Association and borrowed who had now made it to Assistant Super- that is required at a management level “I also always found the science be- uncomfortable for them to see a woman a bit strong at work so money. intendents are Piriyanthi Makeswaran- on a tea estate,” she was quoted saying. hind commercial tea cultivation to be let’s take that unconscious bias out and on the other side let’s Armies of expatriate labour poured than and Navoda Vijayagani. After receiving six months of training fascinating. I also knew that it was a not call a man emotional,” Wilson said. into the growth industry from South- Makeswaranthan had grown up in at Newburgh Estate under the guidance field in which women traditionally do “Secondly, let’s encourage women to be their own unique self ern India, at a time when Sri Lanka had Jaffna had trained in Taekwondo and of Finlays Estate Superintendent Rich- not enter, and I felt like I could be one in leadership, that’s the only way you can become a leader and monetary stability under the note issu- had won a bronze medal at Inter-Uni- ard Ohlmus, Piriyanthi was appointed of the first to challenge that perception.” finally be a culture of families in organizations.” She also high- ing bank Oriental Bank Corporation and versity championships and had also as Assistant Superintendent at Walde- She now manages a team of 130 per- lighted the need for organizations to encourage co-parenting so a series of free banks and then a silver won medal in boxing, a sport which she mar Estate. Riding a motorbike to work sons. that both men and women take responsibilities for their kids. backed currency board. taught herself. Graduating with a degree every day, she leads a team of 306 male -economynext.com -economynext.com WEEKEND EXPRESS MARCH 12 - 14, 2021 3 GLOCAL

Express Newspapers (Cey) Pvt. Ltd., 185, Grandpass Road, Colombo 14, Sri Lanka Easter attacks Telephone: 0117 322 705 (Editorial) 0117 322 736 (Advertising) 0117 322 789 (Circulation) SJB says Govt. cannot Email – [email protected]/[email protected] Epaper - http://epaper.newsexpress.lk arrest Sirisena for terror Facebook –News Express Sri Lanka strike as it will lose majority EU human rights ambassadors concerned over COLOMBO - Opposition Parliamentarian Kavinda Jayawardena says he does not see the current government implementing the recom- mendations of the Presidential Commission of Hizbullah incarceration Inquiry into the Easter Sunday attack as they COLOMBO - Human rights ambassadors They pointed out that Hizbullah is a mandate holders, in urging the Govern- lawyers in Sri Lanka had raised concerns will be unhelpful to their staying in power. in Europe have called on the Government leading advocate of the rights of people ment of Sri Lanka to respect human rights over Hizbullah’s detention under the PTA Jayawardena told Parliament on Wednesday of Sri Lanka to respect human rights de- from minority communities, including defenders, such as Hejaaz Hizbullah, who without sufficient evidence. (10) “the current government came to power fenders, expressing their deep concerns Muslims in Sri Lanka, and a vocal critic of has been held at the Criminal Investiga- In February, Attorney General (AG) saying they will deliver justice to victims of the over the continued incarceration of Attor- discriminatory policies. tion Department headquarters in Colombo Dappula de Livera directed Inspector Gen- Easter Sunday attack, but today the investiga- ney-at-Law Hejaaz Hizbullah since April The ambassadors emphasized the role since his arrest on April 14, 2020, with eral of Police (IGP) C.D Wickremeratne to tions done into the attacks have fallen apart 2020. of human rights defenders as being crucial restricted access to his lawyers, wife and report facts on the case linked to Hizbul- as the officers who did the investigations were Issuing a joint statement on the unlawful to the protection and promotion of human family. lah. arrested.” Jayawardena said the government detention of Hizbullah, eight European hu- rights in a country and said governments Hizbullah was arrested on charges of On March 3, Hizbullah and the principal was not giving strength to the investigations man rights ambassadors said, “We regret have a special responsibility to protect allegedly “aiding and abetting” one of the of a Madrasa School, identified as Moham- because if they do, former President Maithri- to note that after ten months of detention, them and prevent their persecution. bombers involved in the 2019 Easter Sun- med Shakeel, were ordered by the Fort pala Sirisena who looked away until the attack Hizbullah is now being accused of speech- The ambassadors said they were joining day terror attacks. Magistrates Court to be further remanded happened would be found guilty, the govern- related offences under the Prevention of the United Nations High Commissioner Many, including the European Union, till March 18. ment would lose its two-thirds majority in Par- Terrorism Act (PTA) and other laws.” for Human Rights, and special procedures Amnesty International, and nearly 150 -CG/ENCL liament as the Sri Lanka Freedom Party under former President would leave the governing coalition. Moreover, he said that since it come to pow- UN resolution will keep Sri Lanka ‘firmly er, government has not been able to file charges against anyone related to the Easter Sunday at- on agenda’ says UK tack. “Who did they file charges against, who LONDON - A United Nations Human ter went on to note that the UK would not was brought before the law? The 10 workers Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution on refer the situation in Sri Lanka to the ICC, in the copper factory of Ibrahim was released. accountability in Sri Lanka, will ensure claiming that the move would not have How can we expect justice and fairness in this the country is kept “firmly on the UNHRC “sufficient support among [UN] Security country?” he asked. agenda” said British Minister of State for Council members”. “It would not help ac- Charging the government played politics South Asia Lord Ahmad, in a letter this countability in Sri Lanka for an ICC refer- with the Muslims by not allowing burial for the week, as the UK continued to decline re- ral to fail to win Security Council support Covid-dead, he said, “We are not scared of the ferring Sri Lanka to the International or be vetoed,” he continued. government, until justice is delivered to our in- Criminal Court (ICC). “In regards to establishing an Interna- nocent Catholic people we will fight.” In response to a letter from Christy tional Independent Investigative Mecha- He also noted that Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith Nilani Kandeeban, a spokesperson from nism, we agree on the importance of had declared Black Sunday for the first time in the International Centre for the Preven- preserving information and evidence gath- the history of the world demanding justice for tion of Genocide (ICPPG) and British Ta- ered so far,” the minister added. “Our draft the Catholics and said, as Catholics, they would mil hunger striker Ambihai Selvakumar, resolution therefore requests OHCHR to want to know who was actually behind the at- Lord Ahmad stated that “achieving justice, consolidate, analyze and preserve this in- tack, who funded Zaharan, who supported and - Dineth Chamalka/ENCL peace and accountability… is a long stand- formation so it can be used in future ac- protected him through these investigations into Sri Lanka's nationalist Buddhist monks stage a demonstrating in Colombo on Thursday (11) ing priority for the UK”. countability processes. This will build on the Easter Sunday attack. denouncing the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the Easter “We have highlighted our concerns the work of previous resolutions, includ- “That is not happening from this govern- Sunday attacks of 2019 that killed 279 people at three churches and hotels about the lack of progress towards ac- ing the 2014 resolution which mandated a ment, we as the Catholic community and MPs countability and the wider human rights comprehensive OHCHR Investigation on know that,” he said, adding that in order to situation,” he continued. “We will continue Sri Lanka (OISL).” prevent such extremist terrorism in the future Invitation for Myanmar to press for a strong role for the UNHRC to The minister also claimed that the ap- the country should have reconciliation, which help deliver accountability and reconcilia- pointment of a UN Special Rapporteur for the members of the governing party Sri Lanka tion and ensure the protection of human Sri Lanka would not be needed, as “the Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) don’t want to do. All BIMSTEC members have to be invited says rights in Sri Lanka.” High Commissioner for Human Rights is “They do politics and gain power based on The minister went on to state that a new herself at the forefront of the UN’s efforts”. racialism and religiosity,” he said. Colambage resolution at the UNHRC “will stress the Ahmad went on to state that “we do not Noting that the members in the governing importance of a comprehensive account- think it is realistic to include a reference to party had said it was Zaharan who had mas- COLOMBO - Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minis- all Member States (Bangladesh, Bhutan, terminded the attack and all the problems had ter Dinesh Gunawardena has become the India, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand) to ability process for all violations… keep a referendum on Tamil self-determination Sri Lanka firmly on the UNHRC agenda in the draft UNHRC resolution,” claiming ended with Zahran, Jayawardena alleged there newest villain for Myanmarese fighting for participate in the discussions in order to fi- problems had ended for the government when democracy in their country against the mili- nalize documents of the 5th BIMSTEC Sum- and will request continued and enhanced that “we continue to urge the Government OHCHR reporting on the human rights of Sri Lanka to deliver on reconciliation Zahran died because it was they who came to tary junta which seized power expelling the mit expected to be held later this year in Sri power through the blood of the terrorists and elected government on February 1. Lanka. situation and on accountability”. and political inclusion for all Sri Lankans”. “Importantly, it will also strengthen “Please be assured that justice, account- the innocent Catholic people.” Last week the Foreign Minister Guna- Speaking to The Hindu yesterday, Secre- -economynext.com wardena in a letter invited Myanmar’s tary to the Foreign Ministry Admiral (Rtd) the capacity of OHCHR to consolidate, ability and human rights in Sri Lanka will Foreign Minister under the military junta, Jayanath Colombage said Sri Lanka has preserve and analyze information and remain a priority for the UK government,” Wunna Maung Lwin, to attend the ministe- invited the incumbent Foreign Ministers of evidence to support future accountability the letter concluded. rial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative all the fellow BIMSTEC members — Bangla- processes,” he added. However, the minis- -TG for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic desh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Myanmar, and SF says the government Cooperation (BIMSTEC) that would be Thailand. “Our invitation to the incumbent hosted virtually on April 1, in Colombo. Foreign Minister of Myanmar is only within Covid death toll reaches 520 has failed the Catholic “The 17th ministerial meeting will greatly the ambit of BIMSTEC. Unless BIMSTEC COLOMBO – Sri Lanka COVID-19 fa- ity count to 520 Five hundred and seven benefit from your Excellency’s valued par- expels Myanmar, Sri Lanka has no mandate tality count neared reach 520, with five deaths have now been officially recorded ticipation, and I look forward to our close to exclude them,” he was quoted as saying. deaths reported on Thursday (11). Contin- since October 24, 2020, several on admis- community engagement over the course of the meeting,” Colombage had said that the government uing with the stead drop in new cases, 292 sion to hospitals, since the emergence of a COLOMBO – Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka the letter by Foreign Minister Gunawardena was yet to decide on its position on the junta individuals were confirmed as COVID-19 new and more virulent strain of the virus has promised a future government that will be said. Issuing a statement to clarify the mat- takeover in Myanmar as Sri Lanka is busy taking the virus toll to 86,989. in a new cluster in Minuwangoda, with the formed by his party will ensure the Catholics in ter, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said Sri battling with the UN Human Rights Council The Department of Government Infor- apparel factory in the area as the epicentre the country get justice for the Easter Sunday at- Lanka as the Chair of the BIMSTEC and the session. mation in a statement announcing the earlier in the month. Since then the clus- tacks. host of the Ministerial Meeting has invited -economynext.com deaths identified the deceased as three fe- ter has seen sub-clusters in several parts Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday (10), males, aged 56, 63 and 80, from Nawalap- of the country, including a prison cluster, the Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) tiya in the Central Province, Angulana and with the largest case load reported from MP said the current government promised to US advances goal of mine-free Sri Lanka with Maththegoda, both in the Western Prov- the Peliyagoda fish market. bring the masterminds behind the Easter At- ince; and two males aged 67 and 68 from The cluster now accounts for 83,644 of tacks before the law within two months of gain- Rs 1 billion donation Bibila in the Uva Province and Dehiwala in the 86,989 confirmed so far. Of the total ing power, but had not done so. Deeming it a the Western province. number of cases confirmed since March false political promise, the former Army Com- VAVUNIYA – The United States is provid- The statement said said Director Gen- 2020, 83,561 have been deemed recov- mander told Parliament, “We should take a look ing more than Rs 1 billion (US$ 5.5 million) eral of Health Services, Dr. Asela Guna- ered and discharged under the new health at how the events played out before the April 21st for demining activities this fiscal year, with wardena, had confirmed the deaths to be ministry guidelines. attacks.” the aim of advancing the goal of a mine-free COVID-19 related, taking the COVID fatal- -ENCL He said the Indian Intelligence Bureau had Sri Lanka, ensuring safety and security of lo- on April 4, informed the State Intelligence Ser- cal resident. vice (SIS) through the High Commission of In- Martin Kelly, Deputy Chief of Mission Sri Lanka may get first batch of Sputnik V dia in Colombo, of possible attacks on Catholic (DCM) of the US Embassy in Sri Lanka, Churches and Hotels on April 21. This informa- visited a Mines Advisory Group (MAG) vaccine as a gift tion, he said, was conveyed to Deputy Inspector demining site on Monday (8) to observe the COLOMBO - Sri Lanka may get the first Sri Lanka after the Oxford/AstraZeneca General of Police, Nilanga Jayawardene, along painstaking measures undertaken to clear tive meeting with the National Mine Action with the intelligence that it was to be perpetrated explosive hazards in the area and speak with batch of the Sputnik V vaccine from Rus- COVID-19 vaccine. Weeratunga said that Centre at the Regional Mine Action Office in sia as a gift, Senior Advisor to the Presi- countries like India, Russia and China are by Muslim extremists. a team of female deminers. The site is one Kilinochchi. “The DIG took this information lightly and in- of the demining projects carried out with US dent, Lalith Weeratunga said on Thursday close friends of Sri Lanka. As a result, he Since 1995, the United States has been (11), adding that the Russia’s Ambassador said that like India even Russia wants to formed the Defence Secretary only on April 8,” funding. the largest donor to humanitarian demin- Fonseka pointed out. Fonseka, who was a mem- “Clearing these deadly devices takes skill, to Sri Lanka had spoken to him and dis- try and gift the first batch of Covid vac- ing in Sri Lanka, providing over $78 million cussed the possibility of obtaining the first cines. He said that President Gotabaya ber of the Parliamentary Committee that exam- patience, and bravery,” Kelly said, noting for operations and equipment. US support ined the Easter attacks said it cannot be true that that the women deminers defy stereotypes batch of the Sputnik V vaccine as a gift. Rajapaksa had written to Russian Presi- has helped advance clearance efforts in the Weeratunga said since Sputnik V has dent Vladimir Putin seeking assistance to Jayawardene, who used to speak with President of appropriate gender roles while at the nine districts affected by landmine contami- Maithripala Sirisena several times a day, had not same time performing a courageous service been approved by the National Medicinal obtain vaccines from Russia. nation and helped efforts that enabled Bat- National Medicines Regulatory Authority Weeratunga said that vaccines are also informed the Head of State of this threat. in the rebuilding of their communities. ticaloa District to be declared mine-impact “The Presidential Commission also says it “We're grateful for their contributions to (NMRA) the first batch is expected to be expected from China but it needs to first free in 2017. US funding has also supported secured soon. be approved by the NMRA. cannot believe this statement,” he said. Fonseka helping Sri Lanka become mine-free,” said mine detection training for and has pro- pointed out that the National Security Council Kelly who met with representatives of lo- The vaccine, manufactured by Russia’s He said the Government is not prepared vided demining equipment to the Sri Lanka Gamaleya Research Institute of Epide- to take any risk with the vaccines as it is (NSC) had not been convened for two months, cal and international clearance partners, Army. and a threat such as this should have been dis- including the Delvon Association for Social miology and Microbiology, is the second used on humans. -ENCL vaccine approved for emergency use in -CG cussed and suitable instructions issued to Police Harmony (DASH), Skavita Humanitar- and Armed Forces to respond to it at the NSC ian Assistance and Relief Project (SHARP), By Shubhangi Misra level. HALO Trust, and MAG, who carry out “Although the government is seeking to say demining operations with the support of U. that Zaharan Hashim was the mastermind be- funding. He also had a positive and produc- ‘Am I under surveillance?’ hind the Easter attacks so that they can close the chapter, we all know that he cannot be the Canadian envoy asks Sri Lanka as details of closed meeting surface person who played that role,” Fonseka said, re- minding that shortly after the attacks, he had in NEW DELHI - Canadian High Commis- government. The report tweeted by McKin- leasing the report, UN High Commissioner a speech in Parliament, said that Zaharan was sioner to Sri Lanka David Mckinnon re- non reads: “The Sri Lanka Core group mem- for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet had not the mastermind and that he had played a role cently asked if he was under surveillance bers, Canada and the UK, are campaigning said the war devastated millions of lives and in building up the organization that carried out after details of his meeting with Bangladesh hard to muster support for their resolution “despite commitments made in 2015, the the attacks. The current government, including High Commissioner Tareq Ariful Islam were against Sri Lanka at the Geneva-based Unit- current government, like its predecessor, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Spokesman leaked in media reports. ed Nations Human Rights Council.” has failed to pursue genuine truth-seeking Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, has acknowl- In a tweet last week, McKinnon linked a It added that UK High Commissioner Sa- or accountability processes”. The draft reso- edged that Zaharan was on the government pay- report from an English daily and asked — rah Hulton had also met South Korean Am- lution or “zero draft” — which was presented roll, the former Army Commander said, noting “Am I under surveillance?” bassador Woonjin Jeong around the same by the Core Group on Sri Lanka that includes that before the war ended there was no record While it is unclear when the high commis- time. The report also notes that a meeting the UK, Germany and Canada on February of Zaharan being involved in any type of Intel- sioner met Islam, there was reportedly no between these high commissioners is “rare”, 24 — draws on elements of the report, in- ligence activity. He said the commission has re- media present during the meeting. And yet, and is a bid by the core group to muster sup- cluding strengthening UNHCR’s capacity to ported that Zaharan and his supporters had vis- details of the meet surfaced in several media port for the resolution at the 47-member preserve evidence of the war and strategies ited Syria to meet Islamic State leaders between reports. However, Sri Lankan police spokes- UNHRC. for future accountability. 2013 and 2014. person DIG Ajith Rohana reportedly denied The current UNHRC session is set to con- It also asks the High Commissioner’s of- “Without convening the NSC, President Siri- these allegations of surveillance. clude on March 23 but it’s yet to decide if a fice to monitor the progress on national rec- sena was lazy and did nothing to provide direc- This also comes in the backdrop of a Unit- vote on the resolution will happen or not. onciliation and accountability mechanisms, tion to the security apparatus,” Fonseka charged. ed Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) The draft UNHRC resolution against Sri according to a report in The Indian Express. He also said that Sirisena had falsely said he session, where an impending resolution Lanka is based on a report by the Office of However, when the resolution was tabled, could not get seats on an aircraft to return to Co- against Sri Lanka’s alleged human rights the High Commissioner for Human Rights Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Dinesh Guna- lombo from Singapor, where he had gone on a violations during its 26-year-long civil war Council released on January 27, that alleged wardena asked the council to reject it, call- private visit when the blasts occurred. could be put to vote. Canada and the UK have Sri Lanka had failed to address human rights ing it unsubstantiated and a “pure political Fonseka also pointed out several flaws in the been vociferous supporters of the resolution, violations or war crimes of its civil war and move” against the country. system that contributed to the security breach. which has been rejected by the Sri Lankan is set on the same trajectory again. While re- -The Print -economynext.com 4 MARCH 12 - 14, 2021 WEEKEND EXPRESS INTERVIEW

Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay - Handout

By Leo Darshan ‘We will continue to engage appropriately at the UNHRC’ Indian High Commissioner to Sri suitably engaged in the relevant processes Q: What is India’s development plan tries and handicrafts, security and safety faiths, beliefs, customs, culture and lan- Lanka, Gopal Baglay, in a wide rang- in accordance with Sri Lankan law. for the up country? equipment, traditional medicine and guages while the contemporary edifice ing interview with our sister paper herbal products. Indian investors will be draws strength from common interests in A: The most extensive Development Part- Virakesari, re-emphasizes the close Q: Will India return oil tanks of encouraged by a conducive policy envi- our age-old fraternal people-to-people ties nership project by India in Sri Lanka is the ties between Sri Lanka and India, LIOC to Sri Lanka? Why or why not? ronment for investment. We also wish to are further strengthened today through co- construction of 50,000 houses under the calling the two countries ‘civiliza- promote mutually beneficial economic and operation for prosperity and peace, films, A: I would like to draw your attention to a Indian Housing Project. Successive Sri tional twins’, but remains noncom- commercial ties between India’s regions music, cricket, technology and close affin- recent media briefing by the Energy Min- Lankan governments have reposed their mittal about the India’s stance on a and States and Sri Lanka’s North and East. ity among our peoples. Given this back- ister of Sri Lanka in which he has drawn faith in undertaking this project of such a UNHRC resolution against Sri Lan- ground, there is also strong convergence a detailed outline to jointly develop and large socio-politico magnitude. We are in ka. He also reminds Sri Lanka of Q: Will India help Sri Lankan between the strategic, security and devel- operate the Upper Tank Farm in Trinco- the final stages of completing the 4000 the need to adhere to international refugees return their homeland opment interests as well as aspirations of malee as a joint venture in accordance with houses allocated specifically for the plan- commitment on ECT, India’s com- both India and Sri Lanka. This is further mutual understanding. It will enhance Sri tation region. We are also closely working safely? What is India’s plan? mitment to unity, stability and ter- evidenced in the recent articulation by Sri Lanka’s energy security. with Sri Lankan authorities for construc- A: There are existing understandings in ritorial integrity of Sri Lanka in the Lanka of the ‘India-first’ policy, particular- tion of additional 10,000 houses in the this regard and we are happy to facilitate context of the 13th Amendment to Q: What is India’s plan to sort out ly in the realm of security. In the economic upcountry region, announced by Prime their voluntary return. We are in touch the Constitution, and of being mind- the Palk Strait Fishermen issue? with Government of Sri Lanka. A liveli- domain too, India was Sri Lanka’s largest Minister Modi. trading partner, and the largest source of ful of giving space to voices that seek A: Palk Strait is our common maritime hood package for resettlement will help India also assisted through the con- tourists, apart from being among the top to undermine sovereignty, territo- and cultural resource. For centuries, fisher when such individuals return. struction of 150-bed Dickoya Base hospi- investors. Given our long-standing, deep- rial integrity, security and develop- folks from both sides have benefited from tal. This, along with India-assisted 1990 rooted and multifaceted civilizational ties, mental interests of the two coun- fishing in the Bay. We have existing bi- Q: We have seen PM Modi issued ambulance service, provide much needed India would not like to view its relations tries. lateral understandings between the two statements on Sri Lankan Tamil health care in the region mired with acces- with Sri Lanka through the prism of Sri Excerpts of the interview: governments in that regard and we are for sibility issues. I'm told the presence of the issues when he visited Chennai Lanka’s relationship with any other coun- their strict observance. India has always hospital has also improved medical skill recently. Will India play a larger try. At the same time, we are equally con- Question: How would you emphasized the need to deal with issues development of the region's youth. We role in the issue? fident of the wisdom of Sri Lankan lead- pertaining to fishermen in a humanitarian characterize India-Sri Lanka recently completed upgradation of Saras- ership to make the choices that are right manner. Utmost effort should be made to A: India’s consistent position on the Tamil relations? wathy College in Pusselawa, Kandy and are for the overall peace and well being of the ensure that there is no recurrence of loss of in the process of upgrading the Thonda- issue is well-known. There is no change Answer: India and Sri Lanka are civiliza- region. valuable fisher folk lives at sea. We await man Vocational Training Centre in Hat- in that. Prime Minister Modi had spo- tional twins. We both celebrate diversity the results of inquiry into the death of four ton. India is also extending cooperation for ken about it in the Virtual Bilateral Sum- of religions, languages and cultures, and Q: PM Modi has spoken with and/or Indian fishermen at sea earlier this year. upgrading nine plantation schools with a mit on September 26, 2020 and the Joint share democratic vision, economic envi- met PM Mahinda Rajapaksa three or India is also ready to work with Sri Lanka grant of Rs 300 million and 240 annual lo- Statement issued by the two sides after ronment and geostrategic space. Coupled in development of fisheries infrastructure cal school/undergraduate scholarships are the summit captures clearly the relevant four times in the last year. Has there with strong people-to-people ties, these for the benefit of fishing communities. being provided to the community by India. aspect. Bilateral interactions with Sri been any contact between PM Modi commonalities provide a solid foundation As part of India-Lanka Buddhist Cultural Lanka at various levels have also dwelt on and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for our close and friendly relations. India’s Q: There are reports about the Heritage Project, India is also setting up the subject. Sri Lanka has, time and again leadership is committed to taking them to since his visit to New Delhi in 2019? launch of a ferry service between the Kandyan Dancing School at Pallekele expressed confidence that it will work to- new heights, and Sri Lanka occupies a piv- A: After assuming office in 2019, both KKS and Karaikal. When is this in Kandy. wards realizing the expectations of all eth- otal place in India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ nic groups, including Tamils, by achieving President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime policy. In doing so, we would like this po- happening? Is there any other Q: India has always been the first reconciliation and implementation of the Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa undertook litically excellent relationship to have more connectivity plan such as responder to Sri Lanka in times of Constitutional provisions. their first state visits to India. Despite the economic content. That will surely benefit challenges posed by COVID-19, the leaders resumption of the Palaly airport emergency like the tsunmai, and both our countries and peoples. We dem- flight services? Q: Recently Indian Air Force war have been in constant touch throughout onstrated benefits of close cooperation more recently the fire at MT New planes participated in the 70th this period. The highlight of the relation- A: We are keen on enhancing connectivity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fu- Diamond and Covid vaccine. Why Anniversary of Sri Lanka Air Force. ship was in September 2020 when Prime ture is promising. With commitment and between India and Sri Lanka. Resumption Minister Modi and Prime Minister Ra- of the centuries old ferry services is the is India not giving currency swap Can you tell us more about it. right efforts, sky is the limit. to Sri Lanka at a time of economic japaksa held a Virtual Bilateral Summit. surest way to facilitate tourism and small- A: As a gesture of solidarity, Sri Lanka Air Prime Minister Modi and President Gota- Q: How do you view Pakistan Prime scale trade both ways and also help foster distress? Force SLAF had invited Aerobatic Display baya Rajapaksa have held telephone con- Minister Imran Khan’s visit to people-to-people connections. It will also A: India provided a currency swap of US$ teams from Indian Air Force to join the Air versations and have also written to each Colombo? help regulate illegal trading. A Memoran- 400 million to Sri Lanka last year and the Show at the Galle Face, held to commemo- other on important matters. Frequent dum of Understanding for setting up a request for an additional swap of US$ 1 bil- rate the 70th Anniversary of Sri Lanka Air A: Bilateral relations between Sri Lanka interaction between our leaders has been ferry service connecting Kankesanthurai lion is currently under consideration. Force. The contingent sent by the Indian a source of invaluable guidance and vital- and any other nation is a matter for their Port (KKS) in Jaffna with Karaikal near Air Force to Sri Lanka was the largest ever own consideration. As good friends and ity for the rapid growth of India-Sri Lan- Puducherry in India was finalised recently. Q: Is it true that bilateral trade is sent abroad for such a display. It had 23 ka relations and cooperation, even in the neighbours, India and Sri Lanka should Similarly, there is scope for connectivity declining? What is your plan to aircraft belonging to five categories (Ad- remain mindful that none of our steps give COVID times. between Colombo and Tuticorin in South improve India-Sri Lanka trade? vanced Light Helicopter, indigenously space to voices that seek to undermine sov- India. Sri Lanka is currently upgrading Q: What was achieved in the recent A:India and Sri Lanka have comprehen- developed light combat aircraft Tejas, ereignty, territorial integrity, security and the KKS harbour with Indian assistance of Suryakiran Trainer, Dornier from Indian visit of Foreign Minister developmental interests of either of us. It US$ 45.27 million, through an agreement sive ties in the domain of trade and com- merce which is reflected by the fact that Navy and transport aircraft). Over 240 Dr. S. Jaishankar to Sri Lanka? is in our mutual interest that our partner- signed with the Export-Import Bank of In- personnel of the Indian Air Force were de- ships in the region and beyond strengthen dia. We also look forward to the resump- India has been among the largest trading A: External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jais- partners of Sri Lanka over the years and ployed for the event. the democratic values of our societies es- tion of flights between Jaffna and India, The participation of the Indian contin- hankar made his first visit abroad to Sri pecially in view of our joint fight against when Sri Lanka reopens its airspace for Sri Lanka has been one of India’s largest Lanka in early January 2021, despite the trading partners in South Asia. In fact, In- gent was very well received by the people terrorism, extremism and radicalization. scheduled flights with India. of Colombo, and stressed the strong rela- disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pan- dia was Sri Lanka’s largest trading partner demic. It was also the first such visit to Sri Q: Has Sri Lanka explained why it in 2019. However, the decline in economic tions between the two countries and ties of Q: Why did the Indian High camaraderie between their armed forces. Lanka this year. This reflects the priorities cancelled the East Container Commission officials meet with activity in 2020 along with the various the two countries attach at the highest lev- restrictions on imports introduced by Sri The visit of India’s Chief of the Air Staff Terminal deal? How will this Karuna Amman and Pillayan? to Sri Lanka on the occasion, despite his els to their bilateral ties. His interactions impact other Indian projects Lanka has contributed to a decline in the here saw useful discussions on the entire A: As part of its routine activities, the High trade between the two sides. Data provided other engagements, was indicative of the growing ties between the two nations and gamut of bilateral relations and on re- ongoing or proposed in Sri Lanka? Commission remains in touch with various by Sri Lanka Customs for 2020, indicates gional and international issues of mutual A: We had conveyed to the Government stake holders in Sri Lanka. The meeting that bilateral merchandise trade for 2020 their Air Forces, with Sri Lanka accorded the status of ‘Priority One’ partner by In- interest. The visit helped prepare a strong of Sri Lanka at the highest level, the need was sought by the parties concerned. stood at US$ 3.6 billion which is almost foundation for long-term growth of India- to adhere to the international commit- US$ 1 billion less than the bilateral mer- dia. Q: How does implementation of 13th Sri Lanka relations in all spheres. It also ment on ECT on which the Governments chandise trade for 2019. Q: What is India’s stand on UNHRC set the tone for cooperation between the of India, Sri Lanka and Japan had signed Amendment help Sri Lanka? We have noted a recent statement by the report on Human Rights situation in two countries this year, including in the a Memorandum of Cooperation in 2019. A: India stands for peace and well-being in Minister of Trade of Sri Lanka regarding areas of health and economy - two of the We have noted statements, including from the region, and Sri Lanka is our close friend Sri Lanka’s intention to resume negotia- Sri Lanka? most impacted spheres – due to COVID-19 Sri Lanka’s leadership, to the effect that and neighbour. India has been strongly tions for the Economic and Technological A: As we know, the developments mostly pandemic. It is important to note that Sri India is Sri Lanka’s closest friend and any committed to the unity, stability and ter- Cooperation Agreement (ETCA). There concern the 46th Session of the Human Lanka received the first consignment of issue between the two countries could be ritorial integrity of Sri Lanka. We support have been eleven rounds of discussions so Rights Council in Geneva. Currently, dis- made in India COVID-19 vaccines in the resolved through discussions. We will Sri Lankan reconciliation process based on far. cussions on a resolution concerning Sri same month, a few days after Dr. Jais- continue to remain engaged with Sri Lan- inclusive political outlook that encourages We hope the resumption of economic Lanka are underway in Geneva. Our del- hankar’s visit and was able to begin vac- ka for early implementation of mutually ethnic harmony. Achievement of aspira- activity, travel and the easing of import egation is closely observing the situation. cination of the Sri Lankan people within beneficial projects in sectors such as port, tions for equality, justice, peace and dig- restrictions will enable bilateral trade to Stakeholders from Sri Lanka have shared days of India itself launching the world’s energy, etc. There is also the fact that an nity by all sections of Sri Lanka’s society once again rebound to pre-pandemic levels their assessment with us. We will contin- largest ever vaccination drive in India. overwhelmingly large part of transhipment including Tamils, would lend strength to and grow further. We have been working ue to engage appropriately at the UNHRC. from Colombo takes place with India. Sri Lanka. with all stakeholders to promote bilateral -Leo Darshan is Therefore, implementation of commit- economic ties including through enhanced Q: China - Sri Lanka relations are Q: Sri Lanka is reported to have an Assistant News ments, especially constitutional commit- engagement between the business and in- on the rise. Is India confident that Editor at Virakesari offered the Western Container ments made by successive Sri Lankan dustry on both sides. China would not replace India in newspaper Terminal to India for development. government for meaningful and nego- We have also identified certain areas Sri Lanka? published by ENCL. Would India consider this offer? tiated devolution, including under the where there is significant potential for His passion is 13th Amendment to the Constitution, further enhancing mutually beneficial co- A: Let me make it clear. India - Sri Lan- A: The Government of Sri Lanka had ex- defence, will aid reconciliation, peace and stabil- operation such as energy, transport and ka ties are rooted in millennia old shared pressed preference for private investment diplomacy and ity in Sri Lanka and make the country connectivity, infrastructure, dairy, phar- cultural heritage. The foundation of our for developing, and I understand they are foreign affairs stronger. maceuticals, IT, agriculture, rural indus- relationship rests on commonalities of WEEKEND EXPRESS MARCH 12 - 14, 2021 5 HOT TOPICS

By Isabella Kwai By Hannah Beech Royals ‘not a Drumbeat of death racist family’ across Myanmar Says Prince William after A small town has become Meghan and Harry interview synonymous with the LONDON — Prince William on Thursday brutality of the military that (11) denied that Britain’s royal family was racist, in his first public comments after his seized power last month brother, Prince Harry, and Harry’s wife, Meghan, alleged in a bombshell interview YANGON - Until Thursday (11), Mya- that a family member had raised concerns ing, a small town in central Myanmar, was about their child’s skin tone and shared reve- best known for its production of thanaka, lations about a rift in the usually tight-lipped a bark that is ground for use as a cooling institution. cosmetic. Asked by a reporter whether the royal But in the late morning Thursday, the family was racist, Prince William said it was town, which can be traversed in 10 min- “very much not a racist family,” in remarks utes, became synonymous with the brutal- that were recorded and posted on social me- ity of the military that seized power last dia by Richard Palmer, a royal correspondent month. Myaing’s rain-slicked streets were for the Daily Express in London. mottled with blood as police officers shot William also said he had not spoken with into a cluster of unarmed civilians, kill- Harry since the interview, which aired Sun- ing at least eight people and injuring more day (7) in the United States and Monday (8) than 20, according to witnesses and hospi- evening in Britain. - EPA tal officials. “But I will do,” he added. Denmark's health authority says the hold on the rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is temporary Myint Zaw Win was among the crowd In the interview with Oprah Winfrey, Har- that scattered with the bursts of live am- ry called the British press racist and Meghan munition in the late morning, outside said that royal life was so emotionally isolat- By Danny Kemp, with AFP bureaus Myaing’s police station. When he looked ing that it had left her contemplating suicide. back, he saw a body with half its head The accusations have set off a national dis- blown apart, on a street that he has walked cussion around entrenched racism within the all his life. He did not know whose body it monarchy, with observers saying it may have AstraZeneca jab faces suspensions as was, but he said a mason and a bus driver damaging and long-term consequences for were among the dead. its reputation. “They were shooting people like shooting The British news media has also been birds,” Myint Zaw Win said of the police swept into the reckoning. An influential pro- officers, some of whom he said he knows world marks pandemic anniversary personally because Myaing is a small town fessional society denied that coverage of the couple was racist, prompting an outcry from THE HAGUE - Several countries sus- the race to immunise. Any further Astra- would take place at an unprecedented, where almost everyone knows each other. more than 160 journalists who pointed out pended the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine Zeneca suspensions could hamper already breakneck pace. “How can they change from nonviolent examples of prejudice in news coverage, as on Thursday (11) over blood clot fears, slow progress, with the EU under pressure Today, more than 300 million vaccine police to monsters?” he added. “The world well as diversity issues in British newsrooms. prompting Europe's medical agency to to catch up and populations eager to re- doses have been administered in 140 is upside down.” One of Meghan’s sharpest critics, Piers Mor- quickly reassure the public there were no turn to a pre-pandemic reality. countries, according to an AFP count. Myint Zaw Win’s account of the carnage gan, a co-host of the ITV news show ‘Good known health risks linked to the jab. On Thursday, the EMA approved the Governments have started to cautiously was corroborated by two other witnesses. Morning Britain’, resigned after his on-air at- The melee over the vaccine came as the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, roll back measures put in place over what More than 70 people in Myanmar have tack against her prompted over 40,000 com- world marked one year since the pandemic which is stored at warmer temperatures turned out to be a deadly winter in many been killed by security forces since the plaints to Britain’s broadcasting regulator. was officially declared, and threatened to than its competitors and is easier to dis- spots. army staged its Feb. 1 coup, ousting a civil- Meghan and Harry did not reveal who was dim hopes that inoculations are the ticket tribute. France said it would ease travel restric- ian leadership and returning the country behind the racist comment about the cou- to returning to normal life. "Authorities across the European Union tions from seven countries - including the to the nightmare of full military rule. ple’s son, but Winfrey indicated after the The virus has now killed more than 2.6 will have another option to combat the UK - while Portugal was set to lift some of While the bulk of the deaths have been interview that Harry had asked her to reveal million people, subjected billions to anti- pandemic and protect the lives and health its anti-virus measures later Thursday. in big cities like Yangon and Mandalay, se- that it was neither Queen Elizabeth II nor her COVID restrictions, and left the global of their citizens," EMA chief Emer Cooke And the sports world - after a year of curity forces have shot and killed people in husband, Prince Philip. economy in tatters - an outcome unimagi- said in a statement. cancelled or spectator-less matches - also at least 17 different towns across the coun- Regarding his brother, “the relationship is nable at the outset of the crisis. Adding to the optimism on Thursday, looked to a return to normal thanks to try: Taungdwingyi, Myingyan, Salin, Ka- ‘space’ at the moment,” Harry said, but add- A year in, several countries are looking a real-world study in Israel showed the more jabs. lay, Htee Lin and Pyapon, among others. ed: “Time heals all things, hopefully.” to peel back restrictions put in place after Pfizer/BioNTech jabs to be 97 percent ef- The International Olympic Committee After analyzing more than 50 videos of He said that ties with Prince Charles, his second - or even third - waves and looking fective against symptomatic COVID cases, said athletes at the Tokyo Games and the such killings, Amnesty International con- father, were strained and that he felt let down to ramp up vaccine rollouts as a way out of higher than originally thought. 2022 Beijing Winter Games would be of- cluded in a report published Thursday that by him. Charles had stopped taking his calls, the crisis. Since first emerging in China at the end fered vaccines bought from China. the security forces were using battlefield he said. But that momentum hit a snag Thursday of 2019, the coronavirus has infected near- The announcement offered optimism weaponry on protesters. In some cases, “I will always love him, but there’s a lot of as Denmark, Norway and Iceland all sus- ly 118 million people, with few parts of the the much-delayed Tokyo Olympics may commanders ordered extrajudicial kill- hurt that’s happened,” Harry said, referring pended the use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca globe left untouched. actually move ahead safely this summer. ings, Amnesty International said, while in to his father. The monarchy, he said, could be jab over fears it could be linked to blood The World Health Organization offi- Meanwhile, in the United States, con- other instances bullets were sprayed indis- a prison: “My father and my brother, they are clots. cially declared COVID-19 a pandemic on gress passed one of its biggest stimu- criminately. trapped. They don’t get to leave.” The European Medicines Agency (EMA) March 11 last year as infection numbers lus efforts ever - a $1.9 trillion package The Tatmadaw, as the Myanmar military The royal family offered an official re- quickly issued a statement seeking to as- were beginning to explode across Asia and that President Joe Biden said would give is known, has killed and persecuted the sponse to the interview Tuesday (9), saying suage fears. Europe. struggling American families a "fighting country’s citizens for decades. The worst that “the whole royal family is saddened.” "The information available so far indi- The only defences to the contagious vi- chance". attacks have been reserved for ethnic mi- Though they said “some recollections may cates that the number of thromboembolic rus then appeared to be face masks and Vaccination efforts there have gained norities, such as Rohingya Muslims whose vary,” they did not deny the accusations and events in vaccinated people is no higher stopping people from interacting. momentum in recent weeks, with Biden persecution is being tried as genocide in said they were particularly concerned about than that seen in the general population," Global aviation came to a near-standstill vowing to have enough doses in place international courts. the issue of racism that the couple raised, the EMA told AFP by email. and governments imposed deeply unpop- within months for the entire population “These are not the actions of over- which would be dealt with privately. Wil- The UK also spoke out, saying the jab ular restrictions, forcing billions of fearful in a country that has already clocked some whelmed, individual officers making poor liam’s remarks were the first on the issue by was "safe and effective". people into some form of lockdown. 529,000 deaths, the highest in the world. decisions,” said Joanne Mariner, director a family member during a public appearance. "When people are asked to come for- "We are on a war footing," Corinne Biden was set to deliver a prime-time of crisis response at Amnesty Internation- The comments came as he and his wife, ward and take it, they should do so in Krencker, the head of a hospital network address on Thursday in which he will offer al, in a statement. “These are unrepentant Kate — also known as the Duke and Duchess confidence," British Prime Minister Boris in eastern France told AFP on March 11 an optimistic vision for his nation. commanders already implicated in crimes of Cambridge — visited a school in London Johnson's spokesman said. last year, as patient and death numbers "There is real reason for hope, folks, I against humanity, deploying their troops after the reopening of schools in England European Union countries are eager to began to surge. promise you," Biden said in a preview of and murderous methods in the open.” this week. It was their first public appearance speed up vaccine drives after a slow start At the same time, governments and his remarks. The drumbeat of death across Myanmar since Harry and Meghan’s interview aired. left the bloc behind the United States, Is- scientists launched the race to create vac- "There is light at the end of the tunnel." in recent weeks has shocked a populace ac- Their visit, which focused on mental rael and the United Kingdom - leaders in cines - research and development that - Agence France-Presse customed to massacres by the military. On health, was timed to mark the start of an ini- Thursday, three people were shot dead in tiative for mental health resources in schools. the cities of Yangon, Mandalay and Bago. -New York Times Another person who had been shot March Japan falls silent to mark decade since tsunami disaster 3 in the town of Myinchan succumbed to his injuries Thursday as well. TOKYO - Japan observed a moment’s si- Events to mark the anniversary of the mediate evacuation of 160,000 people. Before the gunfire turned downtown Netanyahu shelves UAE lence to mark the 10th anniversary of an March 2011 triple disaster have been While the plant’s operator, Tokyo Elec- Myaing into a battlefield Thursday, resi- earthquake and tsunami that killed more scaled down due to the coronavirus epi- tric Power [Tepco], stabilized the dam- dents had gathered daily, in hard hats and trip following spat than 18,000 people and triggered a nu- demic, with many people choosing to hold aged reactors at the end of 2011, work has motorcycle helmets, to march against the clear meltdown in Fukushima. small gatherings to remember friends, barely begun to locate and remove melted military’s seizure of power last month. Its with Jordan At 2:46 pm, the moment Japan’s north- colleagues and family members who died. nuclear fuel – a complex decommission- residents were just as determined as those JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ben- east coast was struck by a magnitude 9.0 In Iwaki, a city 50 km (31 miles) from ing operation that is expected to take at in larger metropolises to speak out against jamin Netanyahu cancelled a historic visit earthquake on March 11, 2011, people at- the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power least 40 years and cost of billions of dol- the coup, during which dozens of elected to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday tending private and public service across plant, Atsushi Niizuma prayed for his lars. politicians, including the civilian leader (11), citing a disagreement with Jordan over the affected region bowed and fell silent, mother, who was killed by the tsunami. Tepco and the Japanese government Aung San Suu Kyi, were detained. crossing its airspace. some clasping their hands in prayer. “I want to tell my mother that my chil- must also decide what to do with a mil- On Thursday, a military spokesman ac- The prime minister "was expected to visit In Tokyo, the prime minister, Yoshi- dren, who were all close to her, are doing lion tonnes of contaminated water being cused Suu Kyi of having illicitly received the United Arab Emirates today," Netanya- hideSuga, and the emperor, Naruhito, of- well. I came here to thank her that our stored in more than 1,000 tanks on the 25 pounds of gold and about $600,000. hu's office said in a statement. "However, his fered their condolences at a socially dis- family is living safely,” said Niizuma, a site. Tepco says the tanks’ 1.37 million Suu Kyi heads the National League for De- visit was postponed due to difficulties in co- tanced ceremony at the national theatre. restaurateur. tonne storage capacity will be full by the mocracy, which won the last two elections ordinating his flight in Jordanian airspace." Naruhito said the “unforgettable mem- Much of the coastal towns and villages autumn of 2022. by landslides. She has been charged with The statement said that the overflight row ory of the tragedy” persisted a decade on, swept away by the tsunami have been re- The most likely option – slowly releas- various other crimes that could see her im- stemmed from the cancellation by Israel of adding: “Many of those afflicted, in spite built at an estimated cost of ¥30 trillion ing it into the Pacific Ocean – is opposed prisoned for years, including the obscure a planned visit on Wednesday (10) by Jor- of their having suffered from unimagina- ($280bn). by neighbouring countries and local fish- infraction of possessing foreign walkie- dan's Crown Prince Hussein to the Al-Aqsa bly enormous damage, have overcome Roads, train lines, housing – and miles ers, who say the move would ruin efforts talkies without proper import licences. mosque, in annexed east Jerusalem. numerous hardships by helping one an- of protective seawalls have mostly been to rebuild their industry and livelihoods. Two days after the putsch, Myaing’s resi- The prince's visit was called off following other.” completed, but large swathes of land re- The anniversary came just two weeks dents began marching down its half-paved "a dispute over security and safety arrange- Suga said the challenges faced by sur- main empty, with many communities before Fukushima hosts the start of the streets, demanding that Suu Kyi and other ments at the site," the Israeli statement said. vivors had been compounded by the pan- struggling to restore their populations to torch relay for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, elected officials be returned to office. They Netanyahu later told reporters that his demic and natural disasters, including a pre-disaster levels. billed by Games organisers as a showcase have carried on every day since. On Thurs- UAE trip "was not possible due a misunder- recent strong quake in the region, classi- Ten years on, more than 40,000 peo- for recovery efforts there and in the pre- day, at least two youths from a local mon- standing with Jordan." fied as an aftershock of the 2011 tremor. ple are unable to return home, most of fectures of Miyagi and Iwate, where most astery were arrested and a crowd gathered "I can travel over Jordan and the trip (to But he said Japan had always “overcome them from areas near Fukushima Daiichi, of tsunami deaths occurred. at the police station to find out why. They the UAE) will take place soon," he said. every crisis with courage and hope”. where the triple meltdown forced the im- -The Guardian/Agencies sat in quiet protest. There was no warning Jordan has subsequently cleared Net- that live ammunition was to come, wit- anyahu's plane for travel, according to the nesses said. Police refused to comment. premier's office. Commenting on the fracas Around the same time, in Yangon, the surrounding the Al-Aqsa visit at a press con- By Asad Hashim nation’s largest city, security forces fired ference in Paris, Jordanian Foreign Minister on a crowd in North Dagon township, Ayman Safadi said: "We had agreed with Is- Pakistani court orders TikTok banned over ‘obscene content’ striking Chit Min Thu, a 25-year-old col- rael on the arrangements for the visit. lector of recycled materials, in the head. "But we were surprised at the last moment ISLAMABAD – A Pakistani court has tive expression, with strong safeguards of 220 million people, and has more than He died almost immediately, his relatives that Israel wanted to impose new arrange- ordered a ban on the TikTok social media in place to keep inappropriate content 20 million active monthly users, accord- and other protesters said. ments." The new arrangements Israel sought platform over alleged “obscene content”, off the platform,” the company said in a ing to analytics firm Sensor Tower. Worried that security forces would seize were "rejected," Safadi told reporters, with- the second time the app has been banned statement. Popular Pakistani users on the platform the body — as has happened in recent days out commenting on the air space issue. in the South Asian country in less than six “In Pakistan we have grown our local- have follower counts in the hundreds of and in Mandalay on Thursday — other Israel and the UAE established ties last months. language moderation team, and have thousands of users. protesters carried Chit Min Thu away from year in a diplomatic coup for Netanyahu bro- The Peshawar High Court’s Chief Jus- mechanisms to report and remove con- Use of the internet is heavily regulated the shooting zone. By early afternoon, his kered by his staunch ally, the then US presi- tice Qaiser Rashid Khan made the ruling tent in violation of our community guide- in Pakistan with the PTA empowered un- body was back at home with mourners dent Donald Trump. during a hearing into a petition against lines. We look forward to continuing to der the Prevention of Electronic Crimes gathered around. A bandage obscured his The deal made UAE only the third Arab the platform on Thursday (11). serve the millions of TikTok users and Act (PECA) to block content on a broad fatal head wound. His widow, Aye Chan state to establish relations with Israel, fol- Khan described some videos uploaded creators in Pakistan who have found a range of criteria, including for being Myint, keened, their 2-year-old son by her lowing Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. on the popular platform as being “unac- home for creativity and fun.” against “the glory of Islam or the integrity, side. She is pregnant, in her first trimester. Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan subsequently ceptable for Pakistani society”, and or- In October, the PTA banned TikTok security or defence of Pakistan or … public “Why didn’t they just shoot at the legs, reached similar US-brokered agreements dered the country’s internet regulator to over similar allegations, saying the plat- order, decency or morality”. why did they shoot at the head?” she asked. with Israel. Netanyahu, in power since 2009, ban the service until it put in place con- form had failed to filter out “immoral and Rights groups say the process and cri- There was no answer. has sought to burnish his credentials as Is- tent controls deemed acceptable by the indecent” content. teria of blocking content has long been Aye Chan Myint reached out to touch the rael's leading statesman as part of his re- court. Ten days later, it lifted the ban, saying opaque and often violates citizens’ rights feet and face of her husband, who went to election pitch ahead of March 23 polls, and a The Pakistan Telecommunications Au- Pakistani authorities had been assured to freedom of expression. protest each day with hopes that a surge of UAE visit could have aided that effort. thority (PTA) “will comply with court or- by TikTok’s management that “they will The country scored 26 out of 100 on the civilian strength could somehow dislodge Israeli media had earlier reported that Ne- ders”, the regulator’s spokesperson Khur- block all accounts repeatedly involved in US-based Freedom House’s 2020 Free- the military from power. tanyahu's Abu Dhabi trip faced delays due to ram Mehran told Al Jazeera. spreading obscenity and immorality”. dom of the Net index, which said, “The “You said I should be proud,” she told his wife Sarah being hospitalized with appen- TikTok challenged the ruling saying it The platform, which allows users to online environment in Pakistan is tightly her husband’s body. “I’m proud of you, my dicitis. has guidelines to monitor content. “Tik- share short videos with each other, is controlled by the government.” love.” -Agencies Tok is built upon the foundation of crea- hugely popular in the South Asian nation -Al Jazeera -New York Times 6 MARCH 12 - 14, 2021 WEEKEND EXPRESS REALITY CHECK

By Thomas Gibbons Neff, Taimoor Shah By Hikari Hida and Mike Ives and Fahim Abed ‘There’s no town left’ In one Afghan district Fukushima’s eerie landscapes Peace from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. FUKUSHIMA — After an earthquake and tsunami pummelled a nuclear plant about 12 PANJWA — For a brief moment in a small miles from their home, Tomoko Kobayashi patch of southern Afghanistan, the war has and her husband joined the evacuation and stopped. left their Dalmatian behind, expecting they After weeks of negotiations, the mayor of would return home in a few days. Panjwai, a sizable district in the strategically It ended up being five years. Even now — important Kandahar province, said a 10-day a decade after those deadly natural disasters cease-fire would begin Sunday (7) morning. on March 11, 2011, set off a catastrophic nu- There was no formal announcement or ma- clear meltdown — the Japanese government jor decree, nor was there any involvement has not fully reopened villages and towns from the international community. Instead, within the original 12-mile evacuation zone the cease-fire in Panjwai was the culmination around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. of a grassroots movement led by farmers and And even if it did, many former residents townspeople exhausted after more than 40 have no plans to return. years of war and the recent escalation of fight- Some of those who did return figured that ing in their district. coming home was worth the residual ra- -Uma Bista/The New York Times Their success in brokering the cease-fire of- Mayawati, 17, near her home in Rapti Sonari, Nepal, on Feb. 28, 2021. Child marriage is increasing at alarming levels in many diation risk. Others, like Kobayashi, 68, had fered a clear example of how local communi- places, the United Nations says, and the coronavirus pandemic is reversing years of hard-earned progress toward keeping businesses to restart. ties, driven by despair, have engineered their young women in school “We had reasons to come back and the own ways to stop the fighting — even if it is means to do so,” said Kobayashi, who man- just for a few hours — as Afghan and Taliban ages a guesthouse. “It made sense — to an negotiators continue to struggle to find a way By Bhadra Sharma and Jeffrey Gettleman extent.” forward during peace talks in Qatar. Yet the Fukushima they returned to often By Sunday morning, signs of the cease-fire feels more eerie than welcoming. were clearly visible in Panjwai. Barbed wire A hulking new sea wall, for instance, built that usually blocked the road from nearby Marrying early and dying young to prevent future tsunamis hurtling into the Kandahar city had been moved aside. Cars no plant, stands sentry on the nearby Pacific longer had to cross hundreds of yards of sand coastline. It is a jarring feature in a pastoral and gravel before rejoining the pavement. Al- In a world where child marriage is rising region once known for its peaches and a thick most every stall in the district’s bazaar was type of ramen noodle. open. Nasir Ahmad, 25, said he heard insur- RAPTI SONARI, Nepal — Sapana nancies in some areas have tripled. In marriages in her village. It did not make In nearby towns, such as Futaba, weeds gents talking on their radios as he crossed into dreamed of becoming a government Nepal, where the legal age for marriage her popular. Many families in Nepal are push through the asphalt and climb across Taliban-controlled territory for his construc- official. Each night, in her hut along is 20, the situation seems especially eager to marry off their young daugh- the facades of deserted apartment blocks. tion job Sunday morning. The fighting would a bumpy dirt road, the 17-year-old lit acute. Interlocking problems particular ters. Some villagers threatened to kill A bicycle that may have once carried its stop for now, he recalled hearing. a single solar-powered bulb dangling to the country and this moment make it her, Khatri said, and they threw used owner to school, or the grocery store, lies “There is hope,” Ahmad said. from the ceiling and hit the books, plot- difficult for many young women to avoid condoms outside her house to humiliate abandoned in the undergrowth. The cease-fire was arranged by local nego- ting out a future much different than her early marriage. her. For many returnees, moving back is a pro- tiators, the local police chief and Taliban lead- mother’s. One of Asia’s poorest nations, Nepal The police have not been much help. cess of rediscovering places that feel familiar ers. But some soldiers and police officers said But as the coronavirus crept across relies on remittances and tourism. The The officers based in villages have been and hostile at once. they had not been informed of its existence, Nepal, closing the schools, Sapana lost pandemic has devastated both. Usually, much more focused on enforcing quar- “I’m always asked, ‘Why did you return? part of a pattern of denial from Afghan forces focus. Stuck in her village with little to at this time of year, foreign tourists head antine rules and keeping an eye on virus How many people returned?’” Kobayashi who have grown dismayed by faltering peace do, she struck up a friendship with an for the mountains to begin expensive cases. Some police officials expressed a said. “But my question is: What does that talks. out-of-work labourer. treks into the Annapurna Range and up reluctance to get involved. even mean? That place no longer exists.” A local Taliban commander in Panjwai con- They fell in love. Soon they married. the slopes of Mount Everest. This year, “These are serious criminal charges,” The disaster that ripped through northern firmed to The New York Times that the insur- Now, Sapana has given up her profes- the money that flows from them into so said Om Bahadur Rana, a police official Japan in March 2011 killed more than 19,000 gent group had agreed to participate in the sional dreams, with no plans to return many layers of Nepal’s economy has all in Nepalgunj. “If we file a case because people and prompted a global reckoning with cease-fire and to abide by the hours laid out by to school. but dried up. of a child marriage, it could hurt the the dangers of nuclear power. It also gave the Haji Mahmood Noor, the mayor of Panjwai. “Things might have been different if Millions of labourers from Nepal young people’s chance of ever getting a name Fukushima an international notoriety No fighting was to take place between 8 a.m. I hadn’t discontinued my studies,” Sa- work abroad, often as cooks, cleaners, government job.” on par with Chernobyl’s. and 5 p.m., primarily so farmers could return pana said recently, as she sat breastfeed- maids, guards and nannies in India or Across central Nepal, many families Within Japan, the disaster’s legacy still to their fields. ing her 2-month-old son on the floor of the Middle East. In 2019, Nepal earned shared stories of watching their daugh- feels painfully immediate. A government The Taliban’s current leader, MawlawiHai- her simple home. Her family name was $8.25 billion from foreign remittances. ters disappear into early marriages. proposal to release about 1 million tons of batullahAkhundzada, was born in Panjwai, a withheld to protect her privacy. But with most of the world’s economies Mayawati, 17, who also lives in Rapti- contaminated water into the sea has riled district of upward of 80,000 people. Its valley What happened to Sapana in a small hurting, that remittance stream has also Sonari, dreamed of studying agriculture. local fishermen, and cases against the gov- is where the Taliban essentially took root. The town in Nepal is happening to girls dwindled. Legions of young Nepali men, But her family’s struggles during the ernment and the plant operator are winding cease-fire will undoubtedly help the group across the developing world. Child mar- many of them single, have recently re- pandemic made her feel guilty about be- through the country’s highest courts. The is- continue to hold the territory, which it seized riage is increasing at alarming levels in turned home. ing a burden to her parents. She dropped sue of nuclear power remains highly fraught. in November, and to win over the population many places, the United Nations says, Many others have lost their jobs in out of school, then married a man who And for miles around the plant, there are after its fall offensive destroyed the season’s and the coronavirus pandemic is re- Nepal’s cities. A great number of young worked as a menial laborer. Her dreams, physical reminders of an accident that forced harvest in parts of the province. versing years of hard-earned progress men now roam around their mountain- too, have quietly slipped away. the exodus of about 164,000 people. Small, unofficial cease-fires in Afghanistan toward keeping young women in school. side villages, bored and broke. That was “We have no money,” said Mayawati, In Katsurao, about 20 miles inland from are nothing new. Individual Afghan police In a report released Monday (8), the how Sapana met her husband, Hardas. whose last name was also withheld. Kobayashi’s home, radioactive soil sits in outposts frequently cut agreements with the UN Children’s Fund predicted that an Hardas, who said he was around 20, “How was I supposed to continue my temporary waste sites. From a distance the Taliban, and in the past some NATO forces additional 10 million girls this decade used to work as a travelling mason, often studies?” green mounds look like children’s toys ar- have been known to do so as well. But they are will be at risk of child marriage, defined in cities such as Kathmandu and Nepal- Mayawati said that most of her friends ranged on a beige carpet. rarely on the scale of the one in Panjwai. as a union before the age of 18. Henrietta gunj. But after he was laid off in April, at who had married during the lockdown In Futaba, the grounds of a Buddhist tem- In recent weeks in the neighbouring district Fore, UNICEF’s executive director, said the beginning of the pandemic, he came were now pregnant. ple are still littered with debris from the of Zhari, the local government and the Taliban that “COVID-19 has made an already back to his native RaptiSonari, a small Some people in Nepal feel strongly earthquake. had already agreed to stop fighting so farmers difficult situation for millions of girls town of about 10,000 people, 300 miles about what they see as the benefits of And in some Fukushima forests, scientists could return to their fields and vineyards in a even worse”. west of Kathmandu. child marriage. Several elders in the have found evidence of lingering radiation. shaky truce that held for several days, local of- What especially concerns advocates The houses are spread out in a maze Madhesi community, based on the Whenever new storms strike Japan’s Pa- ficials said. The cease-fire in Zhari helped lay for children is the clear link between of dirt roads beneath the hills. Most are southern plains near the border of In- cific coastline, some people in Fukushima the groundwork for the one secured by Noor marrying early and dying young. Preg- made from mud and stone. Sapana’s dia, said they had falsified their daugh- prefecture shudder from memories of the and the negotiators in Panjwai. nancy complications and childbirth are father, Ram Dayal, bought an auto rick- ters’ birth certificates to avoid getting in 10-year-old trauma. That the cease-fire in Zhari and Panjwai the leading cause of death in girl’s ages shaw right before the lockdown hit. Now trouble. “I think there is a possibility that this will had to be arranged on a local level spoke to 15 to 19 in developing countries, accord- he has monthly payments of 30,000 ru- “Marrying daughters in their young be a place where not many people can live a growing desire for peace in the absence of ing to the World Health Organization, pees (around $250) and almost no cus- age has made me happier. It’s our prac- anymore,” one resident, Hiroyoshi Yagi- government oversight. and the children of child brides are at a tomers. tice,” said Mina Kondu, who said she re- numa, said two years ago after a typhoon There are now fewer than 10,000 foreign much higher risk of infant mortality. Dayal was not happy that his daugh- cently doctored her 16-year-old daugh- crashed ashore, flooding his auto body shop troops deployed across Afghanistan. This Experts say the pandemic has inten- ter married so young, but he conceded ter’s birth certificate, making her appear in the industrial city of Koriyama. It can feel means that Afghan forces, with fewer efforts sified the factors that drive child mar- that her leaving the house helped ease to be 19, which was still below the legal that way in the town of Namie, where bags of to advise them, are frequently separated into riage, such as a lack of education, eco- his financial burden. He has five other age but close enough, the family be- radioactive waste have piled up. distinct tribes — army, police and special op- nomic hardship, parental death and teen mouths to feed. lieved. Or in the Tsushima district in Namie, erations — that often fail to communicate with pregnancy, which has been amplified by “She would have had a better life if she “The police cannot stop us,” she said. where so many homes were demolished be- one another. Under these circumstances, local disruptions in getting contraception. completed 10th grade,” Dayal said. Kondu, who lives in a village about cause of the radiation that some streets are cease-fires can be used more effectively, and “COVID-19 has definitely taken us Ghumni, his wife and Sapana’s moth- three hours’ drive from Sapana’s, said now just roads flanked by empty founda- broken just as quickly. backward,” said NankaliMaksud, a sen- er, agreed. She, too, was a child bride that if the families didn’t arrange for tions. Or in fields that once produced pump- With the war increasingly being guided at ior adviser at UNICEF. and ended up with four children and their daughters to marry young, the kins, radishes and spring onions, and which the local level, people like Noor and other dis- In some cases, young girls are forced zero education. daughters would do it anyway, without now lie fallow. trict officials have gotten more involved after by parents or other authority figures Activists who fight child marriage say permission, and dishonour the family. Young families that left the evacuation zone being pushed by local residents desperate to into marriage with older men. But child they are working in the most difficult Sapana’s family has accepted her re- have built new lives elsewhere. Yet across save orchards and vineyards hit by the recent advocates also worry about the young conditions they have ever faced, even cent marriage. In the span of a couple Fukushima, local governments, sometimes offensives and in danger of being lost for dec- women who, because of the pandemic’s as the problem worsens. Nepal has im- months, Sapana has shifted from study- with funding from the nuclear plant’s opera- ades if they are not cultivated. effect, are drifting away from school and posed harsh restrictions on vehicular ing for school to taking care of her baby tor, have been building new schools, roads, “In these 10 days of cease-fire, I will wa- see early marriage as their only option, movement. When infections surged, and her new husband. public housing and other infrastructure in an ter my farms. I will cut the extra branches of abandoning ambitions for an education activists were confined indoors like eve- She collects grass to feed the family’s effort to lure former residents back. grapes, as we haven’t watered them for the and a better life. rybody else. Several said that the num- four buffaloes. Some residents in their 60s and beyond last four months because of the fighting,” said Many child marriages are never regis- ber of child marriages in their areas had She washes clothes. see the appeal. It can be hard for them to im- Mohammad Hashim, 58, a tribal elder from tered. UNICEF estimates that 650 mil- doubled or nearly doubled during the She cooks rice and flat bread. agine living anywhere else. Panjwai and one of the 12 negotiators who lion girls and women alive today were pandemic. “I couldn’t complete my studies, that’s “They want to be in their hometown,” said helped implement the cease-fire. married in childhood. Child advocates “We are at back to square one,” said true,” she said. “My son will do that.” Tsunao Kato, 71, who reopened his third- Hashim sighed and looked at his watch. say they are seeing an upsurge in places Hira Khatri, an anti-child-marriage ac- And then she added, after a moment, generation barbershop even before its run- “This 10-day cease-fire is like 10 years to where it has long been a problem, such tivist in the district that includes Rap- “Hopefully, he will marry when he’s fully ning water had been restored. “They want to me,” he said. “We don’t have a minute to lose.” as India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya, tiSonari. Two years ago, Khatri said, grown.” die here.” -New York Times Ethiopia and Malawi, where teen preg- she intervened and stopped seven child -New York Times One upside is that the threat of lingering radiation feels less immediate than that of the coronavirus, said Kato, whose shop is in the city of Minami Soma. In that sense, By Hannah Beech living amid the reminders of nuclear disas- ter — in towns where streetlights illuminate empty intersections — is a welcome sort of ‘She is a hero’ social distancing. At a Futaba nursery school, umbrellas have sat untouched for a decade, In Myanmar’s protests, women are on the front lines protecting no one from the rain. Nearby, a collapsed house is still waiting Ma Kyal Sin loved taekwondo, spicy front of Myanmar’s protest movement, taking part in the protests. “Our women’s that is crippling the functioning of the for a demolition crew. food and a good red lipstick. She adopted sending a powerful rebuke to the generals blood is red.” state. And they have flouted gender stere- Kato said that while he was happy to be the English name Angel, and her father who ousted a female civilian leader and The violence last Wednesday, which otypes in a country where tradition holds back, he struggled to balance a desire to stay hugged her goodbye when she went out re-imposed a patriarchal order that has brought the death toll since the coup to at that garments covering the lower half of with the knowledge that living somewhere on the streets of Mandalay, in central My- suppressed women for half a century. least 54, reflected the brutality of a mili- the bodies of the two sexes should not be else would probably be safer. anmar, to join the crowds peacefully pro- By the hundreds of thousands, they tary accustomed to killing its most inno- washed together, lest the female spirit act “Logic and emotion can’t mesh,” he said, testing the recent seizure of power by the have gathered for daily marches, repre- cent people. At least three children have as a contaminant. “like oil and water.” military. senting striking unions of teachers, gar- been gunned down over the past month, With defiant creativity, people have Like Kato, Kobayashi had been running The black T-shirt that Kyal Sin wore to ment workers and medical workers — all and the first death of the military’s post- strung up clotheslines of women’s sa- a family business, in her case a guesthouse, the protest last Wednesday (3) carried a sectors dominated by women. The young- coup crackdown was a 20-year-old wom- rongs, called htamein, to protect protest when the magnitude-9 earthquake struck. simple message: “Everything will be OK.” est are often on the front lines, where the an shot in the head on Feb. 9. zones, knowing that some men are loath The guesthouse in Minami Soma has been In the afternoon, Kyal Sin, 18, was shot security forces appear to have singled The killings have appalled and outraged to walk under them. Others have affixed in her family for generations, and she took it in the head by the security forces, who them out. rights advocates around the world. images of Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, over in 2001 when her mother retired. killed at least 30 people nationwide in the Two young women were shot in the “Myanmar’s military must stop mur- the army chief who orchestrated the coup, The guesthouse sustained significant single bloodiest day since the Feb. 1 coup, head Wednesday and another near the dering and jailing protesters,” Michelle to the hanging htamein, an affront to his water damage from the tsunami. But Kob- according to the United Nations. heart, three bullets ending their lives. Bachelet, the top human rights official at virility. ayashi’s family restored and reopened it. “She is a hero for our country,” said Earlier this week, military television the UN, last Thursday (4). “It is utterly ab- “Young women are now leading the (Their Dalmatian, who survived the nuclear Ma Cho NweOo, one of Kyal Sin’s close networks announced that the security horrent that security forces are firing live protests because we have a maternal na- accident, died just before the renovation was friends, who has also taken part in the forces were instructed not to use live am- ammunition against peaceful protesters ture and we can’t let the next generation completed.) daily rallies that have electrified hundreds munition, and that in self-defence they across the country.” be destroyed,” said Dr. Yin YinHnoung, They did not expect a surge of tourists, she of cities across Myanmar. would only shoot at the lower body. In the weeks since the protests began, a 28-year-old medical doctor who has said, but hoped to serve people who wanted “By participating in the revolution, our “We might lose some heroes in this groups of female medical volunteers dodged bullets in Mandalay. “We don’t to return to the area and had nowhere to stay. generation of young women shows that revolution,” said Ma Sandar, an assistant have patrolled the streets, tending to the care about our lives. We care about our “There’s no town left,” she said. “If you we are no less brave than men.” Despite general secretary of the Confederation of wounded and dying. Women have added future generations.” come back, you have to rebuild.” the risks, women have stood at the fore- Trade Unions Myanmar, who has been spine to a civil disobedience movement -New York Times -New York Times WEEKEND EXPRESS MARCH 12 - 14, 2021 7 RETHINKING AMERICA

By Annie Karni and Maggie Haberman By Gail Collins Trump, hungry for The Senate’s f-bomb Wow, stuff is ... happening. power, tries to wrestle Joe Biden’s big virus relief plan is about to become law. And the Senate has con- away GOP fundraising firmed Merrick Garland as attorney gen- eral. WASHINGTON — It was a familiar play “The president and his team must be by Donald Trump: lashing out at his en- thrilled that Senate Republicans are prov- emies and trying to raise money from it. ing to be fairer and more principled on The former president this week escalat- ed a standoff over the Republican Party’s personnel matters than the Democratic financial future, blasting party leaders and minority’s behaviour just four years ago,” urging his backers to send donations to his said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McCo- new political action committee — not to the nnell just before the Garland vote. institutional groups that traditionally con- We will stop here for one second to recall trol the GOP’s coffers. that Garland would probably be on the Su- “No more money for RINOS,” he said preme Court now if McConnell had not re- in a statement released Monday (8) by his fused to bring his nomination up for a vote bare-bones post-presidential office, refer- when he was Senate majority leader. Along ring to Republicans In Name Only. He di- with blocking Barack Obama from filling rected donors to his own website instead. 105 other judicial vacancies. The aggressive move against his own But hey, who’s bitter? party is the latest sign that Trump is try- Not Biden, who’s ready to move on to the ing to wrest control of the low-dollar online rest of his agenda: immigration, climate fundraising juggernaut he helped create, change, education, infrastructure... diverting it from Republican fundraising Think about it, people. Spring is just groups toward his own committee, which around the corner. Soon you’ll be vacci- has virtually no restrictions on how the nated, going out for dinner or the theatre, money can be spent. Last week, Trump sent cease-and-desist or having a drink with friends. You can talk letters — which appear to have little legal -Al Drago/The New York Times about the issues of the day, down to high- standing — to the Republican National President Joe Biden takes notes during a meeting at the White House on Friday (5), with Americans who would benefit from way construction policy. Or the Biden Ger- Committee, the National Republican Con- the pandemic relief measure that is nearing passage man shepherds. When you want to keep gressional Committee and the National things moving, just try bringing up pets, Republican Senatorial Committee, warn- even the biters. ing them not to appeal to donors using his Or you can worry about filibusters. The name and image. By Michael D. Shear, Carl Hulse and Jonathan Martin only thing standing between Biden and The jockeying comes as the party strug- real White House happiness is Republi- gles to chart its path forward after los- cans’ ability to demand 60 votes for pas- ing the House, the Senate and the White sage of important legislation in a body that House during Trump’s tenure, with mod- has 50 Democrats. erate party leaders pushing the party to From ‘Scranton Joe’ for the The coronavirus bill made it through be- move beyond the divisive former president cause of something called budget reconcili- while much of the GOP base remains firm- ation. ly behind him. Who controls a majority of We will say only that it just requires a donors’ cash is set to be a fiercely contested middle class to president majority, it doesn’t work for most bills and point of dispute as Republicans try to re- it’s not necessary for you to think about it group and take back power in the 2022 midterm elections. anymore right now. Really, contemplating What’s more, Trump’s advisers believe filibusters is enough. the future of party fundraising is in low- for the poor When it comes to something like the dollar contributions, not the class of major rules of the Senate, filibustering is a super- donors who have mostly signalled that they WASHINGTON — Days before his in- “Millions of people out of work on Russia for the poisoning and jailing star. In our mind’s eye, we have a vision of want distance from him after his months- auguration, President-elect Joe Biden through no fault of their own,” the presi- of Alexei Navalny, the opposition leader an exhausting marathon in which a brave long push falsely claiming that the Nov. 3 was eyeing a $1.3 trillion rescue plan dent said moments after the relief act there. senator has the gumption to stand up and election had been stolen, which led to the aimed squarely at the middle class he passed the Senate over the weekend. “I Biden’s former Senate colleagues also keep orating until his or her colleagues see Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. has always championed, but pared down want to emphasize that: through no fault acknowledge that historically he was the point. Trump’s manoeuvring is born partly out to attract some Republican support. of their own. Food bank lines stretch- never a driver of liberal economic policy. That was a version that worked better of his anger toward Republican leaders In a private conversation, Sen. Chuck ing for miles. Did any of you ever think Once a 29-year-old Senate candidate in movies than in real life. In the hands of who he feels were disloyal when they edged Schumer, D-NY, who is now the major- you’d see that in America, in cities all who pushed for civil rights and opposed Southern racists, filibusters were a prime away from him after Jan. 6. The former ity leader, echoed others in the party and across this country?” the Vietnam War, Biden later drifted tool to stop change. And even now in the president is also being encouraged by peo- urged Biden to think bigger. True, the The president’s closest advisers insist toward the middle, adapting to the po- Senate, they’re mainly a threat to legisla- ple like Dick Morris, the notorious political coronavirus pandemic had disrupted the that the far-reaching antipoverty effort litical moment in 1996 by backing a bi- tion aimed at helping minorities or the consultant known for flipping between the lives of those in the middle, but it had — a core tenet of the progressive wing of partisan welfare overhaul supported by poor. parties, who has been meeting with him in also plunged millions of people into pov- the Democratic Party — is less of an ide- President Bill Clinton but opposed by Alexander Hamilton certainly wasn’t a many liberals who saw it as punitive and New York and encouraging him to take on erty. With Democrats in control, the new ological shift from Biden’s middle-class fan. He wrote that the point of demanding the party he once led. president should push for something roots than it is a response to the mo- politically driven. Biden is now embrac- a supermajority to pass a bill is to “destroy Republican fundraising groups have closer to $2 trillion, Schumer told Biden. ment he finds himself in: presiding over ing a sweeping expansion of the welfare pushed back against the former presi- On Friday (12), ‘Scranton Joe’ Biden, a historic health crisis that has vastly in- state with a price tag that is just under the energy of government and to substitute dent. In a letter Monday responding to the whose five-decade political identity has creased the number of poor Americans. half of what the entire federal govern- the pleasure, caprice or artifices of an in- cease-and-desist request by Trump’s com- been largely shaped by his appeal to un- They are quick to note that the presi- ment spent in 2019. significant, turbulent or corrupt junto to mittee, Justin Riemer, the chief counsel ion workers and blue-collar tradesmen dent’s American Rescue Plan also di- “He has gotten in front of it and put the regular deliberations and decisions of for the RNC, stated, “The RNC, of course, like those from his Pennsylvania home- rects enormous sums of money to mid- his stamp on it,” said Rahm Emanuel, a respectable majority.” has every right to refer to public figures as town, will sign into law a $1.9 trillion dle-income people who have jobs but the former Chicago mayor and former When all else fails, it always helps to it engages in core, First Amendment-pro- spending plan that includes the biggest are struggling. Working families making White House chief of staff. quote Alexander Hamilton. And if you’re tected political speech, and it will continue antipoverty effort in a generation. up to $150,000 will receive direct pay- Tom Daschle, the former Senate Dem- trying to imagine a corrupt junto, picture to do so in pursuit of those common goals.” The new role as a crusader for the poor ments, help for child care and expanded ocratic leader and a long-time colleague McConnell hanging out with Ted Cruz and But in a sign of the delicate dance be- represents an evolution for Biden, who child tax credits that will bolster their of Biden’s, acknowledged that the presi- Rand Paul, with Lindsey Graham for a tween Trump and a Republican Party fear- spent much of his 36 years in Congress annual incomes during the pandemic. dent — who was chairman of the Senate mascot. ful of alienating its most popular figure, concentrating on foreign policy, judicial Biden is planning a public relations Judiciary Committee from 1987 to 1995 We also tend to think of a filibusterer Riemer also said that the RNC had not and fights, gun control and criminal justice blitz across the country during the next and chairman of the Senate Foreign Re- as somebody who has a way with words. would not make fundraising appeals using issues by virtue of his committee chair- several weeks to promote the benefits of lations Committee from 2001 to 2003 But in the real world, oration is to filibus- Trump’s name or likeness without his ap- manships in the Senate. For the most the relief package and his role in push- — was not a leader in those years on eco- ter as essay writing is to texting. Imagine proval. part, he ceded domestic economic policy ing it through Congress. His campaign nomic policy. But he said it was natural somebody who waits to be recognized, says And on Tuesday (9) night, Trump re- to others. began Thursday (11) with a prime-time that Biden would aggressively tackle it “pretend I’m talking,” and closes down the But aides say he has embraced his new address from the Oval Office for the now, given conditions in the country. leased a second statement walking back his process for everybody else. earlier attacks on the Republican commit- role. Biden has done so in part by follow- one-year anniversary of the COVID re- “Times have changed,” Daschle said, tees. ing progressives in his party to the left strictions imposed by former President noting that “economic and racial dispar- “It’s way too easy,” says Sen. Jeff Merk- “I fully support the Republican Party and accepting the encouragement of his Donald Trump. ities have become more acute, more un- ley, D-Ore., who’s been a long-running op- and important GOP Committees, but I do inner circle to use Democratic power to After that, aides say Biden will travel derstood and more important in recent ponent of the filibuster as it stands today. not support RINOs and fools, and it is not make sweeping rather than incremental to communities that benefit from the years.” He pointed to the new $3,000 His solution, which makes perfect sense, is their right to use my likeness or image to change. He has also been moved by the provisions of the new law, in part to child tax credit, a temporary benefit in- that anybody who wants to stall the Senate raise funds,” he said. But even as he tried to inequities in pain and suffering that the build the case for making some of the cluded in the package, and compared its by staging a filibuster should actually have clarify that he supported his party, he gave pandemic has inflicted on the poorest temporary measures a permanent part transformational potential to the Medi- to keep talking. another plug for his own group. “If you do- Americans, aides say. of the social safety net. care program enacted under President Maybe they could also require everybody nate to our Save America PAC at Donald- “We all grow,” said Rep. James E. Cly- Congressional Democrats are also de- Lyndon B. Johnson should it become to listen to the debate. That’d certainly be JTrump.com, you are helping the America burn of South Carolina, the No. 3 House termined to make sure the public under- permanent. the end of the game. First movement and doing it right,” he said. Democrat, whose endorsement in the stands what is in the new bill. In a letter “If or when it does,” Daschle said, “Joe The bottom line on the filibuster is that For now, aides said, Trump’s plan is to primaries was crucial to Biden winning sent Tuesday to his colleagues, Schumer Biden will be seen as the LBJ for low-in- it’s really, really hard to get anything am- stockpile money so he can remain a force the presidency. “During the campaign, said that “we cannot be shy in telling the come families in dramatically improving bitious through the US. Senate. There are in politics and help candidates challenging he recognized what was happening in American people how this historic legis- their economic circumstances.” exceptions — like nominations. And, as we dissident Republicans like Rep. Liz Cheney this country, this pandemic. It is not like lation directly helps them.” During the presidential campaign, just saw, some money bills. And, the Re- of Wyoming, who supported impeaching anything we have had in 100 years. If Among the lessons Democrats say Biden spoke about “rebuilding the back- publicans insist, tax cuts. But once we get him this year. you are going to address COVID-19’s im- they have learned from the political bone of the nation,” a phrase that some- past celebrating Biden’s big coronavirus pact, you have to address the economic backlash in 2010 to their handling of the times appeared to include a promise to Trump, along with the national party, victory, all those proposals on immigra- raised roughly $250 million between Elec- disparities that exist in this country.” economic crisis in 2009 is that they were provide significant help for people at the tion Day and President Joe Biden’s inau- A vast share of the money approved by not aggressive enough in selling the ben- bottom of the economic ladder. tion, voting rights, the environment and guration. More than $60 million of that Congress will benefit the lowest-income efits of their stimulus package to voters “Ending poverty won’t be just an aspi- protecting union organizers are going to went to a new political action committee. Americans, including tax credits and a decade ago. It is not a mistake they in- ration, but a way to build a new econo- run into a Republican demand that the 50 That committee and the former president’s direct checks, of which nearly half will tend to make again. my,” he said in 2019, as he campaigned Democrats produce a 60-vote majority or campaign committee were both convert- be delivered to people who are unem- Even as Biden’s stimulus victory lap for the Democratic nomination. Once throw in the towel. ed to linked political action committees. ployed, below the poverty line or barely will be embraced by the left, he remains in the Oval Office, Biden hung a picture It’s getting so irritating that even Sen. Trump’s aides said this week that they had making enough to feed and shelter their in the cautious middle so far on foreign of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has expressed not yet started to send fundraising solicita- families. Billions of dollars will be used policy, easing off on punishing the crown invoked the Depression-era president in openness to reform. However, he’s not tions since he left office, but planned to do to extend benefits for the unemployed. prince of Saudi Arabia for ordering the his private conversations with lawmak- willing to get rid of this stupid practice en- so in the coming days. Child tax credits will largely benefit the killing of a Washington Post journal- ers. tirely. (“Never! Jesus Christ. What don’t -New York Times poorest Americans. ist and imposing only modest sanctions -New York Times you understand about never?”) Lately even Manchin seems to occasionally be getting tired of his being a swing vote on the entire Senate agenda. Brian Fallon of Demand Justice, an ad- By Zolan Kanno Youngs vocacy group supporting judicial reform, is a long-time Senate-watcher who thinks it’s just a matter of time before the filibuster Facing pressure, Biden administration scrambles to shelter migrant children gets reined in. The Democrats have been waiting a long ous journey north. That program and a minors in February more than doubled WASHINGTON — The Biden admin- day (8), the number of children stuck in while to get through an agenda more excit- istration took steps Wednesday (10) to $4 billion investment in Central America compared with the same period in 2020. border detention facilities had tripled to ing than not-going-bankrupt. One after an- address surging migration to the border, have been framed by the administration Officials apprehended a migrant more than 3,250, according to federal im- restoring a program allowing some Cen- as tools to addressing the poverty, perse- along the border or at its entry ports migration agency documents. other, Fallon predicted, legislation like the tral American children to apply from their cution and corruption that have pushed more than 100,400 times in February, More than 1,300 of those children were John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement home country for admission to the United vulnerable families to seek sanctuary in a roughly 28% increase from the prior held longer than the three days allowed by Act will make it through the House and States and searching for additional hous- the United States. month. Most of those migrants — more law before they are required to be moved then turn the Senate into a kind of “Kabuki ing for the increasing number of young But the long-term strategy to deter il- than 70,000 — were single adults rapid- to shelters. theatre,” where, thanks to the filibuster, migrants who have been detained after legal migration is running up against the ly turned back south under a pandemic “We continue to struggle with the num- “they bring up one bill after another and crossing from Mexico. immediate challenge of how to process emergency rule. ber of individuals in our custody,” said have them fail.” Facing intensifying pressure over the thousands of migrant children at the bor- The Biden administration has broken Miller. Finally, Democrats will be so exhausted prolonged detention of migrant children, der. from the Trump administration in letting Republicans are framing the situation they’ll demand some action. “If they can Roberta S. Jacobson, a special assistant Troy Miller, the acting commissioner children into the United States to make as a crisis of Biden’s making. Rep. James summon their nerve to do it before August to President Joe Biden overseeing border of Customs and Border Protection, said good on the president’s promise to be R. Comer, R-Ky., on Wednesday called recess. ...” he mused hopefully. issues, announced the restart of an Oba- on Wednesday that 9,457 children were more humane at the border. the increase in migration a signal “to the It does look as if we’ll have to wait at ma-era program that allowed children in detained at the border without a parent But Biden now faces the challenge of world that our immigration laws can be least until summer. Think of it as the sea- Central America to apply for protection in in February, up from more than 5,800 in processing migrant children quickly out violated with little, if any, consequence.” son when the filibuster goes up in smoke. the region and avoid making the danger- January. Detentions of unaccompanied of border jails and into shelters. By Mon- -New York Times -New York Times 8 MARCH 12 - 14, 2021 WEEKEND EXPRESS COMMENTARY

By Savitri Hensman Sri Lanka and UN: Courting Controversy The Sri Lankan government, faced with grave international concerns about human rights, has made little effort to soften its con- frontational approach at home or abroad. As a result, it faces a highly critical resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) which, despite its efforts, may well be passed. The effects of this hard-line stance will shortly be clearer. Any defeat for the Raja- paksa government may well be shrugged off, indeed boasted about to gain popularity with the majority community. A victory, however narrow, would lead to deeper despondency among survivors of historical and recent abuses and, almost certainly, further viola- tions. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and those he favours may claim his position is about protecting national sovereignty. But his- tory has shown that this is weakened and all communities harmed when human rights are disregarded (and the government’s at- tempts to pander to the Chinese and Indian regimes hardly signal independence). And the agreement of the resolution would be a major diplomatic defeat at a time when in- ternational cooperation is vital in dealing with the effects of the pandemic, as well as having been entirely avoidable. A report in January by the UN High Com- - AFP missioner for Human Rights underlined the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa addresses the nation after his swearing in ceremony held at the 140 B.C.Ruwanweli Seya Buddhist temple in ancient regime’s refusal to address war crimes com- kingdom of Anuradhapura in north-central Sri Lanka, on November 18, 2019. A vote in favour of a resolution would mean the Sword of Damocles will be mitted by both the armed forces and Tigers during the civil war and worsening situation hanging over Sri Lanka’s head constantly diverting his attention from other tasks like economic development for human rights and democracy. A Core Group of other states had approached the Sri Lankan government to try to draw up a consensus resolution in an attempt to find By P. K. Balachandran a way forward but had been rebuffed. This tack of worsening repression in the country and defiance abroad continued, along with attempts to persuade powerful allies to use their influence on the regime’s behalf to pro- Grim reality and foolish posturing tect it from being held accountable for its treatment of those in its power. By early March, although the Core Group had kept trying, the government refused to The price Sri Lanka may have to pay for its nonchalance over a UNHRC resolution make any major concessions on improving the lot of ordinary Sri Lankans; however the With the date for voting on a resolution a bilateral project. Since there is no firm the accelerating militarization of civilian on reconciliation and accountability, and cruel ban on letting Muslim families bury on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights commitment yet from Colombo about government functions, erosion of the in- to present a written update to the Human COVID-19 victims was removed. The In- Council (UNHRC) nearing, the scenario implementing the 13th Amendment and dependence of the judiciary and key in- Rights Council at its forty-ninth session, dian government, perhaps predictably, has is grim. Diplomatic sources say that giv- there is still talk of a dilution of devolu- stitutions responsible for the promotion and a comprehensive report including shown reluctance to throw its whole weight en the reality of international politics, tion, India does not have the required in- and protection of human rights, ongoing further options for advancing account- behind that of Sri Lanka, given the risk of the vote is most likely to go against Sri centive to vote for Sri Lanka. impunity and political obstruction of ac- ability at its fifty-first session, both to be offending many of its own citizens, while Lanka. However, since India has a great and countability for crimes and human rights discussed in interactive dialogues.” the Chinese leadership is supportive of the But Sri Lanka is unfazed by this pros- enduring stake in Sri Lanka being its only violations in “emblematic cases”, policies Therefore, the UNHRC’s attempt will Rajapaksa regime. One newspaper account pect as it has taken a clear and resolute neighbour, New Delhi will not oppose Sri that adversely affect the right to freedom be to force Sri Lanka to proceed along claimed that, in negotiations, Sri Lanka’s stand that the resolution is unacceptably Lanka outright but play it safe by remain- of religion or belief, surveillance and in- the lines suggested by the Core Group ambassador to the UN went out of his way intrusive, biased, selective in its choice of ing neutral. Japan has asked the Council timidation of civil society and shrinking even at the cost of its sovereignty and to antagonize officials and representatives of data, unethically equating a democrati- to be more understanding and accommo- democratic space, arbitrary detentions, independence. Colombo will have to ac- other countries. If true, this might indicate cally elected government with a ruthless dative towards Sri Lanka, but the country allegations of torture and other cruel, in- cept UN investigators again, as if the ear- a government preference for confrontation terrorist group, and is driven by ulterior too has issues as in the case of the ECT human degrading treatment or punish- lier reports of the Rapporteurs were not rather than consensus. motives. in which it was to be a stakeholder. Thus, ment and sexual and gender based vio- damaging enough. The Sword of Damo- The wording of the resolution became On other hand, the Core Group led by Tokyo could follow India and be neutral lence, and that these trends threaten to cles will be hanging over Sri Lanka’s head slightly stronger but some human rights the UK and backed by the US, is equally at voting time. reverse the limited but important gains constantly diverting its attention from its campaigners and diaspora groups felt it was convinced that Sri Lanka has brazenly The Core Group’s revised draft (it is still made in recent years and risk the recur- other tasks like economic development. still too weak. violated human rights and deserved to be being revised with inputs from the mem- rence of policies and practices that gave President Gotabaya Rajapaksa be- There is a strong possibility that later in investigated, admonished and proceeded bers of the Council) has made significant rise to the grave violations of the past.” lieves real ethnic reconciliation will be March, the HRC will pass a resolution highly against under universal jurisdiction. concessions to Sri Lanka. For example it The Core Group calls upon the Govern- achieved only through equitable social, critical of the Sri Lankan government. Myths Diplomatic sources believe that given does not directly demand the setting up ment of Sri Lanka “to ensure the prompt, educational and economic development and misinformation about the process are the most likely line up at the time of vot- of an international judicial mechanism thorough and impartial investigation and not through judicial mechanisms widespread in Sri Lanka and the leadership ing, defeat stares in Sri Lanka’s face. In- to try war crimes allegations and other and, if warranted, prosecution of all alle- and other accountability measures urged may be able to persuade many of its citizens dia and Japan have not taken a decision allegations of Human Rights during and gations of gross human rights violations by the UNHRC. President Rajapaksa be- that the criticisms are unfair. Yet, if more and are watching the proceedings care- after the war. But it prepares the ground and serious violations of international lieves these will only foment ethnic ani- Sinhalese Buddhists who are not rich or fully to gauge the mood of the Council for such a mechanism when it says that humanitarian law including for long- mosities by raking up old issues without well-connected lose faith in the Rajapaksas it appears. As of date, the dice is loaded it: “Recognizes the importance of pre- standing emblematic cases.” seeing the past in a correct and unbiased over the next few months, this could be a against Sri Lanka, and the most likely de- serving and analyzing evidence relating It calls upon the Government of Sri perspective. risky strategy. So far, human rights cam- cision by New Delhi and Tokyo would be to violations and abuses of human rights Lanka “to ensure the effective and inde- Sri Lanka also believes that the Core paigners have often failed to make connec- abstain. in Sri Lanka with a view to advancing ac- pendent functioning of the National Hu- Group is not motivated by a genuine tions among the many ways in which erosion India has certain issues with Sri Lan- countability and decides to strengthen man Rights Commission, the Office on concern for ethnic reconciliation in Sri of social, economic, political and cultural ka, which had arisen in the recent past the capacity of the Office of the High Missing Persons and the Office for Repa- Lanka but by a desire to use the issue to rights are affecting diverse people. If those such as the one relating to the Colombo Commissioner for Human Rights to rations; to protect civil society actors, to browbeat and dominate Sri Lanka and links are more widely understood, the grip Port’s East Container Terminal (ECT). consolidate, analyze and preserve infor- investigate any attacks and ensure a safe also use it in its fight against its rivals for of the current leadership may be loosened, Sri Lanka had reneged from a bilateral mation and evidence and develop pos- and enabling environment in which civil geo-political domination. however violent its defence of its own power. agreement on it, without so much as a sible strategies for future accountability society can operate free from hindrance, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Alienating other governments and large prior warning, leave alone prior consul- processes for gross violations of human insecurity and reprisals.” Gunawardena has more than once reject- sections of the public internationally may tation. However India did not raise any rights or serious violations of interna- It requests the Government of Sri Lan- ed the Core Group’s resolution, amend- prove awkward for the government amidst bilateral issue at the Council but spoke tional humanitarian law, to advocate for ka to “review the Prevention of Terrorism ed or otherwise, and has urged Council economic and social pressures, while the about the importance of implementing victims and survivors, and to support Act, and ensure that any legislation to members to vote against it. The stage is price for support by China and other allies the 13th Amendment of the Sri Lankan relevant judicial proceedings in Member combat terrorism complies with its inter- set for voting. And as far as Sri Lanka is may be high. A more conciliatory approach, Constitution, which is meant to devolve States with competent jurisdiction.” national human rights and humanitarian unconcerned, it cares little for the conse- as well as easing the suffering of those be- power to the provinces, especially to the More broadly it says: it has “serious law obligations.” quences backed as it is by China and Rus- reaved, displaced or intimidated, might have Tamil speaking provinces in the North concern over emerging trends over the Finally, it requests “the Office of the sia, both with a veto in the UN Security healed divisions as well as gaining a broader and East. This issue is about the larger past year, which represent clear early High Commissioner to enhance its moni- Council. support base worldwide. question of democracy and ethnic recon- warning signs of a deteriorating human toring and reporting on the human rights This article was originally featured -This article was originally featured on ciliation and not a narrow one relating to rights situation in Sri Lanka, including situation in Sri Lanka, including progress on counterpoint.lk groundviews.org

A reflection on what the Sri Lanka State can be Sri Lanka is currently being discussed at slowly and the sun was bright overhead. local authority of Ottamavadi. The offer by coast. This small island has traditionally due to prejudice against one community the level of the UN Human Rights Coun- However, the queue system was generally the local authority and its acceptance by been inhabited totally by Tamil Catholics from within the general population, which cil along with notorious countries such as respected, though the inevitable SUV with the national health authorities averted a and is currently shared with a navy camp is also borne out by the way in which Sin- North Korea, South Sudan and now My- dark tinted glasses periodically made their potential cause for future conflict that had set up during the war. During most of the halese, Tamils and Muslims, Buddhists, anmar after its military coup. There is no appearance and swift departure. After been brewing due to the government’s in- period of the war, the Tamil inhabitants of Hindus and Christian, and the 19 or more question that it is unfair by the Sri Lan- three hours those of us still standing in line sistence on a cremation-only policy, which Iranaitivu had been displaced from their other ethnic and religious minorities coex- kan people and the Sri Lankan State to be were told that the vaccine was only being had also put Sri Lankan in an unfavour- homes and could only return two years ist peacefully with one another, until some bracketed with such countries. This has given to those resident from that specific able international light as possibly the only ago. nationalist politicians find it opportune to happened due to the failure of successive area and the rest should leave. There was country in the world to enforce the crema- The selection of an islet for COVID buri- divide them. governments to deliver on pledges made subsequent argument and rethinking and tion of COVID victims. als to be performed so far from the main In considering constitutional reform at to address the longstanding ethnic conflict finally those from other areas were per- The sense of grievance within the Mus- places of inhabitation by the Muslim com- the present time, it may be relevant to con- and to repair the psychological and de- mitted to stay, although in a lower priority lim community in Sri Lanka was palpable munity who were the primary affected sider the spirit of Section 29 of the Soul- velopmental damage caused by the three line. There was no discrimination on the and unified the community as no other population made no sense. It made even bury Constitution under which Sri Lanka decades of terrorism and war. The pre- basis of race, religion or gender. issue would as it concerned their religion less sense when the place selected to place obtained independence to protect the sent UNHRC resolution refers back to the There are other accounts of COVID vac- and their loved ones. This had the poten- a graveyard was one totally inhabited by country from the politics of narrow nation- pledges made by President Mahinda Raja- cine queues and their travails. My experi- tial to become a festering sore in the body Catholics. alism. paksa in 2009 when UN Secretary General ence was a positive one and reflective of politic with the seeds of religious hatred There seemed to be a perverse desire The Soulbury Constitution prohibited Ban ki-Moon visited Sri Lanka at the end what the Sri Lankan State can and must ready to be planted and exploited by those to set one minority community against the making of laws “that make persons of of the war. be to its people. Once those in line got who might have wished to set community another, in a replay of the Easter 2018 any community or religion liable to dis- Sri Lanka is today a different country to through the gates, and there was no pres- against community for their own political bombing where Muslim suicide bombers abilities or restrictions to which persons what it was a decade or more ago when the sure to be a gatekeeper, the government benefit. The vested interests in keeping specifically targeted Catholic and Christian of other communities or religions are not war was raging. A most significant feature staff was helpful to all. The soldiers in- the issue alive was so strong that even rul- churches and killed 250 of them. In fact made liable; or confer on persons of any of this change is the way in which people of side were pleased to help the less literate ing party parliamentarians were willing to last week was significant also for the un- community or religion any privilege or ad- different ethnicities and religions move to- citizens to fill in their forms. It is therefore openly contradict Prime Minister Mahinda precedented Black Sunday protest by the vantage which is not conferred on persons gether freely and without harassment in all understandable that the state officials who Rajapaksa’s reassurance that burial would Catholic Church against the inadequate in- of other communities or religions.” This parts of the country. There are exceptions, are dealing with the UNHRC in Geneva are be permitted. This seemed to suggest that vestigation report on the Easter bombings spirit of non-discrimination and equality is as there would be in any part of the world, getting irate with those from the interna- powerful forces wished to continue with which targets those who did not do enough present in the religious values that under- but these are few and far between. There tional community they see as portraying the cremation-only policy notwithstanding to prevent it while saying nothing about pin our civilization. is visible unity in diversity, which the Sri the country to be on par with North Ko- its lack of support in science, religion and those who masterminded the attack. They need to be affirmed by our national Lankan State’s social welfare delivery sys- rea. Unfortunately, there is also another humaneness. Fortunately, better sense has prevailed leaders. This may be same where other tem epitomizes. It reaches all sections of side to the Sri Lankan State that is also in The impression that there are forces within the government and it has agreed national issues are concerned when poli- the people with some exceptions (Sathosa evidence, and which needs to become more within the government opposed to any re- that COVID burials may take place in Ot- cies favouring one community or denying and Osu Sala are not in Batticaloa, for in- fair-minded in its approach to dealing with lenting on the cremation-only policy was tamavadi in the East. It is noteworthy another are promoted by politicians who stance) and again, largely without any dis- controversial issues. strengthened when the government took that the government decision to permit espouse narrow nationalism thereby un- crimination based on ethnicity or religion. Last week a cause of extreme grievance more than two weeks to operationalize the the burial of COVID victims has been ac- dermining the pluralistic values shared in Last week I stood in line for several among the Muslim population of the coun- Prime Minister’s declaration that COVID cepted by the general public and there has the community and country at large. hours for a COVID vaccination and so had try was finally mitigated when the first burials would be permitted. been no public agitation against it. A con- -Dr. Jehan Perera is the executive a good opportunity to observe the ethos COVID burials in nearly a year took place This was followed by the announcement clusion that can be drawn is that the op- director of the National Peace Council of people when placed under consider- in a cemetery in the East. This was on land that such burials would only be permitted position to COVID burial was an artificial and this article was originally featured able strain. The line was long and moved specially provided for that purpose by the on the islet of Iranaitivu off the Northern one with a political motivation. It was not on peace-srilanka.org WEEKEND EXPRESS MARCH 12 - 14, 2021 9 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

By Mahir Ali By Michael Jennings Crippled inside Vaccine diplomacy, I recall staying up late more than a quar- ter-century ago to watch Diana’s BBC in- self-interest, and terview with Martin Bashir. I couldn’t be bothered to repeat the experience with her hypocrisy son Harry and his wife Meghan Markle’s ‘tell-all’ chat with Oprah Winfrey. A new term has been added to the COVID-19 Bashir has been accused of deception dictionary: vaccine diplomacy. in obtaining the interview. It was none- Russia, China and, to a lesser extent, India theless fascinating, as the first instance and Israel have established bilateral deals to provide supplies of vaccines to countries across of a senior member of Britain’s most elite Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia institution laying bare the royal family’s and the Middle East as part of efforts to secure dysfunction. “There were three of us in influence and soft power. However, those ef- this marriage,” Diana complained about forts are likely only to have marginal success. her husband’s relentless infatuation with On the other hand, where they will succeed is in the woman his family didn’t allow him to helping expose a seam of hypocrisy on the part marry. of a wide swath of Western nations. At least not until the Princess of Wales The criticism of this vaccine diplomacy – succumbed to her injuries in a car crash which comes largely from countries and com- - AP/Richard Drew two years later. Diana’s status as an ‘out- Naledi Pandor, Minister for International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, addresses the 74th session of the United mentators in the West – sees such efforts to use sider’ has been compared with that of Nations General Assembly on September 28, 2019 access to vaccines to strengthen international Meghan. The parallels are limited. The ill- standing and influence as cynical and unhelp- fated Diana-Charles match was in effect ful. But it is worth remembering that we have an arranged marriage between a nubile By Andreas Bummel seen diplomacy and power politics play out teenager and a considerably older heir ap- over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic parent, a decorative decision rather than from all sides. the culmination of a fairy-tale romance. Whether efforts by the former Donald Trump Diana may not have been blue-blooded, Time for global democracy promotion administration in the US to “blame” China for but she was the daughter of a trusted vis- the pandemic, or China’s efforts to demon- count and former royal equerry. Meghan strate a globally responsible power status by is a biracial actress from the other side shipping PPE (personal protective equipment) of the Atlantic with a divorce behind her. to be ramped up around the world or the recent spat between Both of them, one might say, left one dys- Democracy is under pressure across his first year in office, the US will host a Germany and France, all “D10” countries the European Union and Britain over vaccines, functional family to enter another, but the world. According to the latest an- global “Summit for Democracy” to “re- are already among the CoD’s 29 member the virus and the response to it have been a beyond that, the commonalities mostly nual report by Freedom House, a United new the spirit and shared purpose of the states. space for power diplomacy. reside in media hype. States-based non-partisan think-tank, nations of the free world”. An interim In any case, an honest assessment of The question is whether the latest engage- Hundreds of millions of women, young the balance is shifting further “in favour national security strategic guidance, pub- how to reinvigorate and defend democ- ment in virus global-politics will succeed in or otherwise, experience trials and tribu- of tyranny”. In the report’s assessment, lished March 3, says that reversing the racy cannot be made by diplomats and generating influence, support and soft power. lations with their in-laws. The unfortunate 2020 was the 15th consecutive year of anti-democratic trend in the world was political leaders alone. Biden said that The role of international aid as a soft-power experiences of Diana and Meghan don’t declining global freedom. essential to US national security. civil society representatives standing on tool has long been acknowledged. even come close to the frequently fatal This dire picture is confirmed by other In a similar vein, the European Un- the front lines in defence of democracy Generally, soft power is the ability to achieve ordeals of targeted brides in the subconti- studies. In the 2020 edition of its Democ- ion’s representative on foreign affairs, will be invited to the US-hosted summit. national goals and interests through attraction nent. And there’s no good reason why an- racy Index, The Economist Intelligence JosepBorrell, has said that the EU should In this spirit, a network of civil society and co-option, rather than through command yone family’s experience or ordeal should Unit recorded the worst state of global deepen its cooperation “with fellow de- organisations should be connected to the or transaction. As a result, soft power rests in be elevated above others. democracy since the index was first pub- mocracies to counter the rise of authori- club. creating a narrative about political values, for- On the other hand, not every fam- lished in 2006. tarianism”. A new action plan adopted in In addition, it is of vital importance to eign-policy ambitions and the moral author- ily doubles as a political institution. The November puts a high priority on democ- involve elected representatives. The club ity of a national government that makes other V-Dem, another leading research pro- countries want to support it. Windsors are by no means globally unique ject, reported on Wednesday (10) that racy promotion. should host a permanent global network in this respect, except insofar as at least In other words, soft power emerges not from in 2020, autocratization accelerated and The United Kingdom has been pursu- of parliamentarians from pro-democratic a simple transaction and exchange of goods the senior-most members of the fam- “turned viral” across the world. V-Dem’s ing the idea of expanding the member- parties. This could tie in with existing ily interfere in political affairs. Just last (we will give you access to the vaccine in return, study points out that “the level of democ- ship in the Group of Seven (G7) bloc of pro-democracy efforts at the inter-parlia- or as a reward, for a specific end), but from the month, a series of investigative reports racy enjoyed by the average global citi- states to Australia, India and South Ko- mentary level and the UN. in The Guardian pointed to a history of creation of a narrative about the government zen” is down “to the levels around 1990”. rea, in order to form a so-called D10 ‘club The club should also consider conven- that generates an impression of global respon- royal involvement in framing legislation, Last year, its researchers concluded that of democracies’. This club, in the UK’s ing a transnational citizens’ assembly to which shows the Windsors to be particu- sibility and power that is attractive to other for the first time since 2001, a majority view, should help lessen reliance on Chi- produce recommendations on how to powers, and who may therefore be more will- larly wary of revealing the extent of their of states are no longer under democratic nese technology. Reportedly, the UK as strengthen democracy. At the national ing to offer their support when required. Under wealth. The British royal family is symbol- rule. host of this year’s G7 summit plans to give level, there are good examples of this for- this definition, Israel is perhaps using vaccines ic of the feudalism that persists in a nation The COVID-19 crisis has been used by full access to these three new partners. mat to draw upon. The club and its mem- in a much more transactional way – allegedly that purports to be a model democracy, authoritarian governments to strengthen As Biden has noted, renewing democracy ber governments should commit to fund financing the cost of vaccines for Syria in ex- boasting “the mother of parliaments”. In their grip on power and to stigmatise de- at home is a precondition for regaining these activities and implement proposals change for the release of one of its citizens, for several other countries there are debates mocracy as feeble. They not only attempt credibility as a promoter of democracy that find broad agreement. example. From a soft-power perspective, Israel about how the upper house of parliament to crush opposition at home, but increas- abroad. This applies to all countries that The club should not operate in a silo might arguably achieve far more by focusing on is elected, and whether the process is ingly interfere beyond borders consider themselves democratic, requir- that is detached from foreign relations providing vaccines to Palestine. democratic. In Britain the upper house is At the United Nations, representatives ing a reckoning with their shortcomings and multilateral action. Turning out- For Russia and China, their engagement in selected. of authoritarian regimes sit on the Com- on both fronts. wards, it should be a platform not only vaccine diplomacy is much more focused on The proportion of hereditary peers has mittee on Non-Governmental Organiza- Surveys indicate that large majorities for coordinating democracy promotion enhancing their reputations as responsible diminished in recent decades, but even tions to undermine civil society participa- of people in all world regions continue but also for establishing and coordinat- global superpowers. In the case of Russia, it is life peers are appointed by the monarch, tion, and on the Human Rights Council to to believe in democracy. However, there ing common value-based policies, in- part of a concerted effort to counter narratives albeit usually on the advice of the govern- prevent criticism of human rights abuses. is strong dissatisfaction with how it op- cluding joint smart sanctions against that have focused on democracy, human rights ment of the day. Mind you, the chamber On the Security Council, China and Rus- erates in practice. Governments are per- gross human rights abusers. and kleptocracy within Russia, and alleged — the only upper house in any bicameral sia are misusing their veto power to stop ceived to be failing to address major is- The China-EU Comprehensive Agree- foreign-policy misadventures such as the Salis- parliament in the world to be larger than action against governments for their sues such as corruption, inequality and ment on Investment shows that this is bury and Alexei Navalny poisonings. the lower house — includes the bishops gross human rights violations, Syria be- the needs of ordinary people or the threat a major challenge. It was concluded last For China, it forms part of a much longer- and archbishops of the Church of England. ing the most infamous example. of global warming. December, despite the fact that China is standing strategy for establishing itself through As for the separation of church and state, Sidestepping the dysfunctional Securi- The attack on the US Capitol prompted brutally crushing dissent, waging a geno- international aid and investment, commit- suffice it to say that the head of state — the ty Council, Liechtenstein and Qatar suc- German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas to cidal campaign against Muslim Uighurs ments to addressing climate change, and monarch — is also the supreme governor cessfully led an initiative in the General call for a “joint Marshall Plan for democ- in Xinjiang, and stepping up its military through engagement in global health issues, of the Church of England. That’s hardly a Assembly to establish a UN investigation racy”. He commented that it was neces- intimidation of Taiwan. Observers com- to reinforce its status as an outward-looking, barrier, though, to un-Christian ideas and that has already collected massive evi- sary to look into “the roots of the social plain that the agreement does not include globally engaged superpower that can rival the practices among the royal family. dence for war crimes and mass atrocities divisions in our countries”. any human rights obligations and sends US in its moral legitimacy on the world stage. Perhaps the most publicized ‘takeaway’ committed in Syria. Likewise, UN inves- Indeed, a club of democracies could the wrong signal. But is it likely to work? The example of the from Meghan and Harry’s conversation tigations of crimes committed in Vene- help identify common challenges and The club cannot replace or compete Scandinavian donors, especially Norway, gives with Oprah relates to racism. There was zuela and against the Rohingya Muslims solutions. As many issues have a cross- with existing mechanisms of global gov- us some clues. hostile speculation among one or more in Myanmar were pushed through by border dimension, a transnational per- ernance. Working with governments rat- Norway’s role as a global power belies its po- members of the royal family, apparently, groups of states. spective would be vital. The criteria for ed unfree is necessary to address major litical and economic size. It is respected and lis- about the skin colour of the couple’s off- Nonetheless, democracy has not been membership in such a club is a crucial global issues. For the time being, it will tened to because it has successfully established spring. The duke and duchess refused to a prominent item on the international question. It is not obvious why a club of remain an ongoing challenge to find a its reputation for responsible, impartial and reveal the identity of the culprit/s, but agenda for many years. The global trend democracies should be limited to the G7 balance between promoting democracy morally legitimate action across the world. Its made clear that it was neither the queen of democratic backsliding and rising au- countries – Canada, France, Germany, and human rights and an urgent need aid budget is among the worlds most generous. nor her husband — whose racist observa- thoritarian influence makes it clear that Italy, Japan, the UK and the US – plus to collaborate. A primary purpose of the Its aid is seen as impartial – focusing on pov- tions over the decades are infamous. a counter-strategy is urgent. In theory, Australia, India and South Korea. club should be to pursue common poli- erty rather than self-interest. It may also be worth recalling that the democratic countries working together In the new Freedom House assess- cies in intergovernmental organisations, Above all, Norway’s actions are seen as con- present monarch is only a generation re- ment, India has slipped into the category in particular the UN. The investigations sistent. This suggests that transactional models could muster substantial economic and of vaccine diplomacy are less likely to be suc- moved from an uncle who taught her to political leverage. Yet when in 2020, in of a ‘partly free’ country. France, Italy mentioned earlier show that a lot can be flash the Nazi salute. But neither the ideo- cessful – friends will remain friends, others will response to China’s increasing influence and the US are rated as ‘flawed democ- done if the political will exists. The group remain cynical about motives. logical inclinations nor the racial prefer- across the world, then-United States Sec- racies’ in the index published by The should coordinate a UN democracy cau- ences of the royal family are the biggest is- For Russia and China in particular, there retary of State Mike Pompeo entertained Economist Intelligence Unit. From the cus to push back against authoritarian may well be significant soft-power gains to be sue. It’s the feudal institution itself that’s the idea of “a new alliance of democra- perspective of democratic performance, influence and help the UN step up its de- an absurd anomaly in the 21st century, as made. But not necessarily ones that will bring cies”, it received little attention. The the club should be open to many dozens mocracy assistance. immediate returns, or see significant realign- its subjects — not just in Britain, but in credibility of the Trump administration of countries rated similarly or better. A Finally, as globalisation increases the Canada, Australia and New Zealand — will ment of global power politics in regions like the had already reached a low point. red line should be drawn with regard to need for global coordination and deci- Middle East or sub-Saharan Africa (which have sooner or later realize, collectively or one The presidency of Donald Trump in countries that are clearly authoritarian sion-making, democracy needs to be ex- long been subject to the competing overtures by one. the US was one of the worst expressions and not free. panded to global institutions. Leading of Russia, China, the US and EU and newer en- Perhaps the most apposite precursor to of anti-democratic and nationalist pop- It should not be forgotten that the G7 proposals include a UN Parliamentary tries to the soft-power dance of international the Harry-Meghan saga is that of another ulism across the world. Trump’s ‘America has drawn massive criticism in the past, Assembly, the instrument of a UN World aid, such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia). celebrity couple hounded out of Britain by First’ ideology, his disregard of democ- not least because of a perceived lack of Citizens’ Initiative and the creation of a Such gains as may come their way could still racists 50 years ago. The same year, one racy, his attraction to autocratic rulers legitimacy and transparency. The G7 UN Civil Society Envoy. Ultimately, a serve to enhance their reputation and global of them put on record a bunch of time- and his effort to overturn the results of format is not the right starting point. It club of democracies will only be credible image in important ways. less thoughts, including the verses: “You the presidential election caused massive lacks a permanent secretariat and a for- if it helps to promote democracy at this But vaccine diplomacy will not affect the can go to church and sing a hymn/ You damage. The attack on the US Capitol on mal structure. For a club of democracies, level, too. world global order, nor threaten the role of can judge me by the colour of my skin/ January 6 made the US system look weak a different approach should be taken. - Andreas Bummel is co-author of the US or European donors in regions like the You can live a lie until you die/ One thing and in considerable demise. Instead, what may be considered is the book ‘A World Parliament: Middle East or sub-Saharan Africa. Not least you can’t hide/ Is when you’re crippled in- Now a window of opportunity seems ramping up the existing Community Governance andDemocracy in the because the amounts of vaccine supplied are side.” to be opening. In his election campaign, of Democracies (CoD), which has been 21st Century’and this article was relatively small, and once the multilateral CO- -dawn.com President Joe Biden pledged that during around since 2000. Except for Australia, originally featured on aljazeera.com VAX (COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access) facil- ity is up and running, it will be from there that global access to vaccines will be secured. In Africa and the Middle East, Chinese aid (development, health and others) has not sup- Editorial of the Asian Age planted other donors, but added to them. And in reality, many governments have often been wary of Chinese aid and investment, the strings Uncertainty deepens after US move on Afghanistan attached perhaps less visible but no less con- The first concrete move from the US side shrift. This underlines the complexity of which, unlike India, have a border with an UN-sponsored conference in Turkey trolling than aid from Western donors. What under the new Joseph Biden adminis- the Afghanistan dynamics, which is all at Afghanistan- even if on paper India has in the coming weeks to ensure the emer- has created the space for China and Russia to tration would appear to have deepened once imbued with military action, diplo- not enjoyed a place of such primacy be- gence of a peace deal that will embrace all pursue their vaccine diplomacy is the failure of uncertainties in respect of the unfolding matic moves, and the nursing of ambition fore. parties and make for the entry of the Tali- Western governments to live up to their com- situation in Afghanistan in the context of by domestic political entities. The new American ideas have been ban into Afghanistan’s government struc- mitments in supplying vaccines to COVAX. the withdrawal of all US troops by May Besides, regional powers such as Pa- placed in peremptory fashion in a letter ture as a 50% partner through the device More important than boosting their own 1 this year, the date set under the Doha kistan, Iran and Russia — and in its own sent last week by the secretary of state of an interim government. credentials, perhaps, China and Russia’s offer accord that the previous Trump admin- way China, which may be expected to be Antony Blinken to Afghanistan President In effect, such a plan proclaims that of vaccines also tells global citizens something istration had reached with the Taliban in on the same page as Islamabad in lining Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, the Taliban will enter government with about the priority of Western governments. But February last year. up four-square behind the Taliban — see Afghanistan’s principal peace negotia- American blessing without contesting an it is mostly these governments, through their Ostensibly, India has been brought a post-US role for themselves that could tor with the Taliban. The Taliban as well election, although the Taliban appears to inaction, that have shown the truth of some upfront — along with Pakistan, Russia, make life difficult for Afghanistan. It is as the leading political actors inside Af- have orchestrated unprecedented levels of these narratives of self-interest and putting China, Iran (the key regional powers) and with Iran that India may enjoy an appre- ghanistan were made aware of the details of violence for one whole year. President themselves first, as well as having squandered the US — in fleshing out the roadmap un- ciable measure of tactical congruence and by ZalmaiKhalilzad, the US envoy for Af- Ghani declared last Saturday, “Transfer an opportunity to generate their own soft pow- er. der this approach. For now, however, this will have to seek to enlarge this space. ghanistan peace who hammered out the of power through elections is a non-ne- Countries in the Global South will take their seems more notional than real, given the In the circumstances, it may be in New Doha accord last year and has been kept gotiable principle for us.” It is to be seen vaccines where they can get them. But as with evident conceptual fragility of the idea. Delhi’s interest to carefully weigh the sit- on by President Biden as his point-man what a stalwart such as former President all aid, promises of friendship may be less firm In addition, without putting too fine uation rather than be in the self-congrat- to oversee the end-game in Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai — and others — make of the and long-lasting than those proffering gifts a point on it, it needs to be underscored ulation mode through media projections The Blinken plan, which places New Blinken approach in contrast with that of may wish for. that Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani for being placed in the same bracket by Delhi in a privileged category along with President Ghani. For all concerned, this -This is a Syndication Bureau article has given the latest US proposal short the US as the other key regional powers the other key regional players, envisages is like walking on shards of glass. originally featured on asiatimes.com 10 MARCH 12 - 14, 2021 WEEKEND EXPRESS HER STORY

By Bansari Kamdar Gendered Land Sri Lankan women battle unequal access to resources Only 10 countries in the world offer full legal protections to women, according to the ‘Wom- en, Business and the Law 2021’ report, pub- lished recently by the World Bank. Sri Lanka scores just 65.5 on the index falling behind its neighbours India, the Maldives, and Ne- Ashcharya Peiris pal, and other nations like Saudi Arabia and addressing an China. One area where it scores low is assets, event partly due to gender differences in land own- ership and inheritance. “There are large gender disparities in ac- cess to and control over resources (e.g. land, water and inputs), access to markets and ac- cess to skills training, all of which are critical for agricultural production and livelihoods,” writes the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Only 16% of all privately owned land in the country belongs to women, according to the FAO. Land ownership can often serve as a safety net for women and help navigate changing - Facebook social structures and traditions. Lack of land ownership often limits female farmer’s abil- ity to obtain agricultural assets, services, and benefits. For instance, irrigation organiza- tions accept registration only from farmers By Team Roar who own land for growing paddy rice. Hence, women without titles to the land have no for- mal access to government provided water. “Because women’s land rights are not pro- Navigating a visual industry without sight: tected by the law, they are inadvertently vul- nerable and unable to access formal institu- tions. They have to rely on informal credit institutions with higher interests, leading Ashcharya’s story to higher debts for women,” said Sathya- Karunarathne, research executive at Advocata “Discipline should come from within. The bank she worked for at the time Visual Industry Her unique pieces for the segment gained Institute, a policy think tank in Colombo. Sri Lankan law is a highly complex mix of They ask, ‘If we can’t do it, then how can supported her for a while, but then, even- In the years following the explosion, a lot of attention. she do it?’ I’m Ashcharya. I’m unique. tually they stopped paying her salary. The The extra effort finally paid off when legal systems made up of Roman-Dutch civil Ashcharya underwent complete profes- law, English common law, and customary laws This is my capacity and these are my bank’s union took over for a year and a sional retraining, with only her imagina- she won a national award in the ‘10 Most abilities. I have weaknesses. I keep them half, providing her with a small stipend, Remarkable Women’ category in 2017. – Kandyan, Thesawalamai, and Muslim laws. tion to aid her in achieving her dream. The lack of a uniform law to govern women’s under my seat and find strength some- but this was barely sufficient. Through meticulous planning and enor- Today, Ashcharya is also a member of how” — Ashcharya Ashcharya had enough of the bank not the National Council for Persons With land rights and contradictory and complex le- mous effort, she successfully entered a gal provisions are a further problem. Region, Ashcharya Peiris Jayakody, Sri Lanka’s accommodating her as a person with a fashion design competition in 2014. Disabilities and a motivational speaker first visually-impaired fashion designer disability, and offered her resignation. who conducts sessions to motivate wom- ethnicity, and religion all play a part in wheth- This was just a year before she would go er a woman inherits family land in Sri Lanka. and founder of fashion brand Christiana “They happily accepted it,” she said, not on to set up her brand, Christiana Glory, en to work on their dreams and to raise Glory, made great strides on the global expressing any regrets. themselves to higher places using their “Despite the Sri Lankan constitution being which provides custom-designed outfits non-discriminatory regarding land owner- stage when she was included in the BBC Upon resigning from her job at the for all body types and skin tones at an af- passions as stepping stones. 100 Women list for 2019. She was the bank, she found herself amidst strangers. ship, several aspects of the general and cus- fordable price, catering to a wide market. Changing Perceptions tomary laws allow for unequal inheritance and only Sri Lankan to be included in the list “All the people I trusted, those who I She ended up a finalist in the competi- which celebrates inspiring women from thought would protect me, abandoned Ashcharya remains an inspiration to land ownership practices to continue and limit tion and thereon started her journey from women’s access to land,” said Karunarathne. across the globe. me. Do mothers do that? Yes, mothers do a budding fashion designer to an icon in all, but in particular, she is a reminder Ashcharya is a past pupil of Devi Balika that.” that Sri Lanka is still struggling to dis- In the general law, Schedule 3 of the colo- the industry. But her journey was not free nial-era Land Development Ordinance pre- Vidyalaya. Upon completion of her sec- But even in such difficult circumstanc- of obstacles. A visually-impaired designer solve the prominent mentality that shuns ondary education, she went on to obtain es, she found comfort in her faith. people with disabilities. People with dis- scribes an order of inheritance giving prec- had previously been unheard of in Sri edence to male heirs over female heirs when a Diploma in the English Language from “I feel like I’m stronger now. I owe no Lanka until Ashcharya entered the scene, abilities are just as capable of greatness, Warwick University, Cambridge. Shortly one but God, who protected me during and by not making inclusivity a priority, the owner dies. and the show garnered a lot of attention Women can be ousted by male relatives after, she entered the banking sector, my hard times. All my tears are gone. I from curious viewers. many workplaces are barring a crucial where she would remain until a near-fatal cried to God, asking him to help me out segment within our society. even when they were cultivating the land due “The other contestants would go shop- to the bias in this statute. A man’s remarriage incident changed her life forever. when there was nobody in human form to ping for material, but would not let me “Sometimes, the National Council do so.” doesn’t have the legislative power to do would also leave the first wife with no claim The Bombing accompany them,” she recalls. Despite to the land although they might have jointly being underestimated, Ashcharya perse- the needful for the community,” Ashchar- In 2000, Ashcharya was on her way Transformational Experience ya laments. “Do government offices have cultivated it. vered, putting in many times the effort to In customary laws like the Kandyan person- home from work when a suicide bomb- Ashcharya stated during an interview get the results she wanted to succeed. accessible bathrooms for people with dis- er set off the explosion that would cost in 2019 that the incident is something abilities? What about priority entrances? al law that applies to the Kandyan Sinhalese During a particular segment of the population, women’s inheritance right is in- Ashcharya her sight. She was critically she views as transformational rather than fashion show, the organizers assigned Education, insurance and medical care? injured due to the incident, with multi- a tragedy. She said it helped her become When it comes to assistance, we’re last on fluenced by the origin of the property in ques- a handloom to her despite Ashcharya tion. While sons and daughters inherit their ple compound fractures. The prognosis stronger and more courageous, while also choosing ‘Sri Lankan drums’. They had the list.” was not positive, and Ashcharya’s mental fundamentally changing her as a person. According to UN Women, an organi- parents’ property in equal shares, a daughter declined her choice, and Ashcharya was who marries into a “deega” family arrange- health, too, began to flounder. “I must have done something deserving forced to learn handloom in a month. zation that focuses on the elimination Her family, dejected by the prognosis of merit in my past life,” she said, when of discrimination against women and ment — a patrilocal arrangement in which the But simply completing the challenge married couple reside with the husband’s fam- and the state Ashcharya was in, did not asked about the bomb blast she fell vic- was not what she was after. To win, she girls, empowerment of women, achieving have any hopes for her and abandoned tim to in 2000. It had challenged her past equality, and more, approximately one ily — must transfer any immovable property brought in a colour never seen before in she inherited from her father to her brothers, her to her own devices, not willing to take views of the world and life, and set her on Sri Lankan handloom: mauve. To do this, billion persons are living with disabilities on the responsibility of providing for her a different path, simply as if it was meant globally (15% of the total population), unmarried sisters, or sisters who have married she called numerous people, but all ex- into a matrilocal family arrangement after the or supporting her. to be. Rather than mourning her losses, cept one refused to help her accomplish based on the latest available World Bank “The issue is that parents think the she strived harder and instead pursued statistics. death of her father. For the Sinhalese who are this. not Kandyan or who opt out of the Kandyan reason they have children is so that they her lifelong dream of becoming a fashion Over the phone, Ashcharya provided One in five women has disabilities, can provide them with luxury, support designer. By describing her designs to a and the prevalence of disability is higher Act, widows inherit one half share and the the seamstress with all the instructions, other half is shared among descendants (sons and wealth in the future. I don’t think seamstress, she was able to bring her cre- blending two types of thread and a single among women than men (19.2% vs. 12%). so. Parents are caretakers, we don’t own ations to life. Despite this, people with disabilities are and daughters) under the Matrimonial Rights colour base over which other colours run, and Inheritance Ordinance. the child’s life. No matter what, it’s our She explained that sighted people often to produce the handloom piece she had disproportionately (and often inaccu- responsibility to support them,” says rely too much on technology and tools to rately) represented, whether in media, Under the Muslim law, even though women envisioned in her mind. may own property, her husband may use this Ashcharya. “My parents thought I would produce their work, but she performs all Her pieces also had unique embellish- policymaking processes, or the general achieve success in the future, marry a rich calculations, drawings, and other formu- employment arena. property to earn an income without sharing ments. The jewellery was made of coco- any part of the earnings with his spouse. Oth- man, and look after them... But after I lost lations mentally. Her process lies solely nut shells, the handloom saris had lotus -This article was originally featured on my vision, they gave up on me.” in her brain. roar.media er discriminatory practices include a daughter flowers also made from coconut shells. receiving a lesser share of inheritance than a son; a widow inheriting half the portion that a widower would inherit; and the mother of the By Devika Brendon deceased being entitled to half of the share of the father of the deceased. In the Thesawalamai law that applies to Sri Lankan Tamils in the country’s north, a wom- Taking up the challenge of women’s empowerment en’s guardianship passes from father to hus- In the past several years, we can see that are qualified, educated, witty and elo- The kinds of stories that are reported ‘Balance The Panel’, which sent a shout band. Married women require their spouse’s a remarkable change has been occurring quent. They face and take on the relentless in both the mainstream and alternative out to over 200 women across 15 spheres permission to dispose of any property — even in Sri Lanka. A society which is dispro- barrage of chauvinism and toxic masculin- media, and the ways in which stories of of professional activity to collate details of the land they may have brought into the mar- portionally dominated by male voices ity, often on a daily basis, and do not give female experience are specifically framed their industry experience, capability and riage. and perspectives, has seen and heard the ground. They are not shamed or silenced. and represented, will change under the skills on a digital platform. This informa- The applicability of this law in the post-war emergence of a vibrant group of female Some are seen as pushy and self-serving emerging influence of these women. tion is now accessible to everyone who is context of Sri Lanka is particularly troubling journalists, activists, business leaders and but the coteries they form do not just Their commitment and dedication to bal- organizing speakers, presenters and pan- as women who have become heads of the communicators. Collectively, their work mindlessly endorse and support them but anced and unbiased, holistic reporting will ellists for public discussions and sympo- household after the arrest or disappearance of is changing the status and recognition of also critique their approach, ensuring that provide the missing perspective that has sia. their husbands are unable to sell their proper- women in this country. there is alignment between the walk and made our news commentary and media Instead of being treated as optional ty without the husband’s consent. While wom- Some of the most skilled and ethical the talk. stories so one-dimensional and unrepre- accessories, invisible, outnumbered, en can apply to the District Court for an order journalists, medical and legal profession- If Sri Lankan society is to modernize sentative. marginalized and talked over, qualified to vest the relevant property in their names, als, corporate personnel and entrepre- itself in alignment with more progres- Politically and in corporate and admin- women could be respected and positioned legal barriers like loss of documentation (mar- neurs are women. Many women working sive social values, the erasure, diminish- istrative sectors, the notable absence and to express their excellence in ways that riage certificates), high cost of litigation, lim- in the field of media are also excellent on- ment and marginalization of women must minimization of women in positions of in- would openly inform and educate the pub- ited mobility, and delays in the justice system line networkers and communicators, and cease. Women who speak up against gen- fluence needs to be perceived as a loss of lic. They could be visible and audible. They act as major deterrents in their pursuit. actively use their social media platforms der-based crimes, offences and disrespect quality and competence to any governing would not only participate in the public Landlessness due to natural calamities and to convey their ideas and opinions. What are outnumbered in politics and govern- body, whether public or private. discourse and report it; they could form it war remains high in Sri Lanka. Many land title is most notable in contrast to a prevail- ment and intimidated and controlled by Women who have broken through gen- and shape it. records were also lost during the Sri Lankan ing belief that women are competing with adverse social and cultural commentary, der barriers to achieve success and recog- For this to take place, the barriers stand- civil war and significant disputes over prop- each other and don’t like to see another which punish them for their articulacy. nition in their fields are inevitably targets ing in their way need to be systematically erty ownership remain a decade after the war. woman’s success is that they are also ac- They are characterized as angry or hu- of petty jealousy. This can take the form challenged, questioned and worn down. Over two-thirds of returning refugees who fled tive supporters of other women. mourless or unattractive. The activists of undermining background noise and Society as a whole loses significant value the war are landless and nearly 30,000 people These women, in their 30s and 40s, with among them are described as perpetually erosion from both men and women who when half the society is not participating are still considered internally displaced, ac- 15 to 20 years frontline experience in the offended. Their public responses to seri- are threatened by an emerging force to fully in its processes of governance and cording to the news outlet Al Jazeera. media industry, have created a far better ous matters such as the erosion of civil be reckoned with. This is due to the per- operation. The idea of “guardianship” of the women environment for those that came after rights and the diminishment of safety for formance-based and competitive culture Many individuals have started initia- and their assets by men in these personal laws them. They have established themselves minority groups are sneered at. We have in which they have been educated and tives to prompt social change in response is a major hurdle for women’s empowerment. as independent thinkers and can voice a distance to go before gender discrimi- trained. to the frustrations women face as a gen- Sociologist Elisa Scalise also finds that the their disapproval of public decisions open- nation will disqualify a person for a role It is vitally important in this context that der. Gender based violence, generational practice of dowry in South Asia is a major im- ly and without bias. Many of these women of authority and influence, or unaccepta- women support other women through poverty, lack of universal sex education, pediment to land ownership and inheritance generously share the platforms they have ble, inappropriate and unethical conduct constructing professional and social net- psychological support, awareness of the for women. created to promote other emerging people would render ministers unelectable. works, which positively increase the pres- need for planned pregnancy, gender based Families often view their daughter’s dowry, and their projects. Several of the best female journalists ence and impact of women in both public education disparity, and economic hard- given to her husband and his family, as her Each of them has undoubtedly experi- describe the excellent mentorship, respect and private spheres. ship are all issues that have prompted inheritance. Despite being prohibited by law, enced sexism, condescension, stereotyp- and encouragement they received from es- Systemic change requires that every groups like Women In Need and the End the cultural practice remains prevalent in the ing, belittlement and attempts to threaten tablished senior male journalists and edi- girl and woman in a leadership capacity Sexual Violence Now campaign to start region. and influence or silence them, and many tors in their formative apprentice years. In in every tier of society should consciously connecting to support each other’s cam- “It is oppression that you have such laws. have received messages or decrees to in- a patriarchal society, this generous sup- use her position to advance women and paigns and recognize each other’s work It is dehumanizing,” said Karunarathne. “We centivize them to modify their views. In port and recognition of female talent from recognize and reward their excellence. and the ongoing challenges. live in 2021 and women are still made to feel the face of this, and the rise in online cy- men who are their bosses and employers is Recognizing the patterns of erosion of dig- #Choosetochallenge was the theme of vulnerable by the legal system.” ber violence targeting outspoken women, not a given. The loyalty and bonds formed nity and value that occur across the soci- International Women’s Day, this year. -Bansari Kamdar is a Boston-based they have maintained their presence and between women whose professional life ety, we can provide resources and support Let’s be the change and take the challenge. multimedia journalist and researcher and continue to have their say. The younger begins in this kind of positive and affirm- for each other. Last year, several women -This article was originally featured on this article was originally featured on women writers and activists in their 20s ing situation are often life-long. joined forces to start an initiative called groundviews.org thediplomat.com WEEKEND EXPRESS MARCH 12 - 14, 2021 11 HERITAGE AND TRAVEL

By Marwaan Macan-Markar Sri Lanka's cautionary tale of pandemics and sorcery When the state buys into local superstitions and home-made potions, it makes for an unhappy ending Portugal's colonial involvement in Sri Lanka ended in 1658, but the colonists left behind a vocabulary that is still audible in the "baila" that reverberate across the South Asian island. The word, derived from ‘bailar’, the Por- tuguese for ‘dance’, refers to the catchy tunes that get Sri Lankans dancing at fes- tive occasions such as wedding parties and cricket matches. But this musical genre - also popular in the Indian coastal state of Goa, another former Portuguese colony - has also made waves through its lyrics, sometimes be- cause of their pointed social commentary. Foolish public behaviour and the arro- gance of the political class have become fair game in foot-tapping melodies that are taken in good part even by the pompous -Wikipedia and pilloried as a nod to the country's abil- Entrance of Jaffna Fort, which the Portuguese built, and which the Dutch renovated in 1680 ity to laugh at itself. A good example is ‘Wadakaha Sudiya’, which poked fun at gullible people who fell By P. K. Balachandran for a local herbal brew of that name during a solar eclipse in the 1950s. The brew was supposed to be consumed in the midst of the eclipse; its selling point: Those who sipped it would acquire a fairer Palace intrigues and forced conversions complexion. In fact, many who imbibed fell ill and were hospitalized. The baila made light When Jaffna came under Portuguese command of the episode, in the process also putting Ayurveda, an Indian alternative medical Unlike areas in South Ceylon which pet, Edirmanasingham alias Pararasa dominions in South Ceylon would be en- begun to give trouble to the Portuguese. A system that has a wide following in Sri produced commodities like cinnamon Sekaran. But Pararasa Sekaran was not a dangered. warning bell was sounded in 1656, when Lanka, on the spot. and spices of great value to the European puppet. He tied up with Vimaladharmas- the Dutch took over Colombo from the I was reminded of the enduring hold of powers of the 16th and 17th Centuries, uriya 1 (1593-1604) the ruler of Kandy Dutch Threat Portuguese. But fortunately for the Por- ‘Wadakaha Sudiya’ on the public imagina- Jaffna had little to offer other than pearls and his successor Senarat (1604-1635), Meanwhile, the Dutch had established tuguese in Jaffna, the Dutch were facing tion during a visit to Sri Lanka in the last and elephants. This explains the long and helped them get troops from South themselves in Pulicat near Madras. problems with the Kandyan King Rajas- quarter of 2020. Quips about it lit up my time taken by the Portuguese, the first India. He also put curbs on the Portu- Noronha imagined Sankili the 2nd would inha II, though they werekeener on keep- mobile phone, illuminating growing con- Europeans to establish themselves as rul- guese elephant trade. He did not keep his seek their help too. But the king actually ing up the pressure on the Portuguese in cern about the emergence of what ap- ers in Ceylon, to make inroads into Jaffna promise to allow full freedom to Catholic wanted a détente with the Portuguese Goa, Nagapatinam,Tuticorin and Cochin peared to be an impending repeat of the and absorb it as part of their possessions missionaries. and sought their help to neutralize the rather than in Jaffna. 1950s tragedy. in the East. When Pararasa Sekaran died in 1617, rebellious Christian Mudaliyars, with the However, in February 1658, a large The object of these fears was Dhammika What finally made the Portuguese eye there were three factions competing for Mannar Portuguese mediating to find a Dutch fleet attacked Mannar. Simulta- Jaffna in the middle of the 16th Century power. The first was a group of Christian settlement. Despite this, in 1619, Noron- neously, they marched to Jaffna from Bandara, a sorcerer from Kegalle, a district was its strategic importance in the context Mudaliyars (the elite of Jaffna) wanting a ha came to the firm conclusion that if the the Wanni and attacked the Jaffna Fort in central Sri Lanka, who had become an of developments in the political and secu- full Portuguese take over; the second was Portuguese were to be safe in Ceylon as where the Portuguese were holed up. overnight sensation by selling a herbal syr- rity scenario in North Ceylon and South a group wanting Sankili Kumara, a neph- a whole, they should control the whole of The Fort fell on June 24, 1658, bringing up that promised immunity from the coro- India, says Colombo University historian ew of Pararasa Sekaran’s to ascend the the island including Jaffna. the curtains down on Portuguese rule in navirus pandemic. Dr. Tikiri Abeysinghe in his work titled throne; and the third was a group want- In May-June 1619, Noronha asked Gen- Jaffna. Bandara, who once held a day job as a Jaffna Under the Portuguese. ing Pararasa Sekaran’s legitimate heir eral Phillipe de Oliveira to collect some mason, claimed in the local media that he The Portuguese had arrived in Ceylon to succeed him. Sankili Kumara won the dues from Sankili the 2nd, who dodged Gain for Portuguese, heavy loss had received the recipe from Kali, a Hindu in 1505. But it was not until 1560 that they contest and as King Sankili the 2nd (1617- and a short military clash resulted in the for locals goddess. She had come to him in a dream, turned their attention to Jaffna seriously. 1619), he wanted the Portuguese to rec- rout of his forces. The Tanjore mercenar- Both modern historian Tikiri Abeysin- he said, and given him an elixir that would Their first inroad was primarily to punish ognize him and also help him fight his ri- ies failed to fight, and local troops saw ghe and Portuguese-era chronicler Fer- save the world. the King of Jaffna Sankili the 1st (1519– vals, especially the Christian Mudaliyars. Sankili the 2nd as an illegitimate ruler. nao de Queiros felt that while Portuguese His popularity laid bare the state of 1561) for massacring 600 Christian con- When the Portuguese refused, Sankili Sankili the 2nd tried to escape to India rule brought strategic benefits to the anxiety that had gripped the island. The verts in Mannar in 1545. The expedition the 2nd approached the Nayaka (Telu- by boat with his family and jewels, but Portuguese, it was an unmitigated disas- number of COVID-19 cases, which had re- was led by Dom Constantino de Braganca gu) Kings of Tanjore in Tamil Nadu for his boat was intercepted, he was arrest- ter for the people of Jaffna, with forcible mained relatively low throughout most of and resulted in the capture of the island troops. With Tanjore troops on Jaffna ed. Sankili the 2nd and his family were large scale conversion to Catholicism be- 2020, began to climb rapidly in October, of Mannar. This gave the Portuguese the soil, the Portuguese felt threatened. In taken to Goa, converted to Catholicism, ing a main highline. By 1634, there were rising from a cumulative total of 3,380 possession of valuable pearl banks as well addition to this threat, there were Mala- and made to enter the holy orders. Jaffna 70,000 to 115,000 converts in 42 parish- with 13 deaths on Oct. 5 to 22,988 with 109 as full control over the strategically im- bar pirates from Kerala harassing Portu- was incorporated in the Portuguese do- es. Queiros even reported that Jaffna was portant Chilaw-Cape Comorin-Palk Strait guese vessels in the Gulf of Mannar up to minions. Oliveira was made the Captain- deaths by the end of November, according wholly Christian. At least no one prac- to the World Health Organization. triangle. Cape Comorin. Major of Jaffna. ticed Hinduism openly. The Mannar island was on the route In October 1618, Portuguese Viceroy But the troubles for the Portuguese Religious persecution, exactions by As pandemic fears grew, Bandara's brew taken by South Indian kings to send Azevedo, resident in Goa, wanted to take were not over. It was a Christian Mudali- the Portuguese tax collectors and parish received a shot in the arm from the govern- troops to aid the Jaffna and Kandyan advantage of the Christian Mudaliyars’ yar, Migapulle Arachchiali as Dom Luis, priests resulted in lowering of agricul- ment, which lavished state patronage on kingdoms in their fights with the Portu- revolt against Jaffna King Sankili the 2nd. who turned against the Portuguese in tural production. Trade with South India the sorcerer as if he was the answer to the guese and their local rivals. Jaffna’s thriv- The Portuguese Council at Goa author- 1620-21 and sought military help from and Bengal suffered. People migrated to country's woes. He was widely promoted ing trade in elephants passed through ized the takeover of Jaffna. Raghunath Nayak of Tanjore, which led the Wanni in large numbers, depopulat- by the pro-government media as a national the island of Urukathurai or Kayts as the Sankili the 2nd was a tyrant, who had to the Tanjore troops being welcomed by ing Jaffna. hero - offering a spoonful of local magic as Dutch named it later. captured the throne after killing the royal the locals in Jaffna. However, within a a more potent antidote than the limited The Portuguese did not take over Jaff- princess and regent Arasakesari. He had month, Portuguese reinforcements came treatment that the medical community na in 1560. However, by 1582, Jaffna be- then invited military forces from the Tan- from Nagapattinam and Colombo. With could provide. came a tributary of the Portuguese King joreNayakas and Malabari pirates to help these, Phillippe de Oliveira was able to The country was even fed images of in Lisbon. By 1591, the Portuguese had him fight the Portuguese. defeat the Tanjore forces. In 1628-29. Bandara serving his brew to government made Jaffna a ‘client’ state by conquest In May 1619, the Portuguese Captain Senarat (1604 to 1635), the King of Kandy lawmakers in parliament. Pavithra Wanni- and through the installation of a king of General in Colombo,Constantino de Sa tried to seize Jaffna from the Portuguese, their choice. Andre Furtado de Mendon- de Noronha, wrote to Goa to say that the but was defeated. arachchi, the minister of health, provided ca (1558-1611) had led an expedition to Tanjore Nayak troops were entrenched in While the people of Jaffna were docile the ultimate imprimatur: being photo- Jaffna, killed its ruler and set up a pup- Jaffna and unless ousted, the Portuguese accepting Portuguese rule, the Dutch had graphed sipping a spoon of the magic po- tion. This public embrace of sorcery over sci- By Mike MacEacheran ence by the Sri Lankan state resulted in a Pied Piper effect. Thousands of lesser mortals rushed to A voyage into Sri Lanka’s forgotten jungle lands Kegalle, ignoring the country's social dis- tancing regimen and packing the streets Off the port side on a half-submerged stars? Yes, please. where the smooth-talking Bandara was branch, the keel back snake clings for Sri Lanka has long been renowned for dispensing his brew (a mix of ingredients dear life in the dark, muddy shallows. The its hospitality, but there has been dark- such as honey and nutmeg, according to lo- serpent is wrestling with a warty frog and, ness to this lightness over the past few cal media). as dusk approaches, it needs dinner. Flat- years. In April 2019, the Easter Sunday I cannot fault these people for their tening its head to strike, it contorts to at- suicide bombings in Colombo saw nearly faith in this syrup. After all, in Sri Lankan tack its prey. 270 people killed. Tourism dried up over- It would be a spoiler to reveal what hap- night. COVID-19 saw the entire Indian homes, it is common to alternate between pens next at our anchorage, but also un- Ocean region rendered out of bounds for western medicines and Ayurvedic brews, necessary. Because the memorable nature international travellers. such as teas made with coriander seeds and of a two-day journey along the Bentara But as restrictions continue to lift, and ginger that are used to treat colds. There River lies in the ever-variegated encoun- the outlook looks more promising, it is is, moreover, a thriving market for genuine ters with Sri Lanka as it reveals itself, inch time to plan a return to the land of tea, Ayurveda products. by inch, along the riverbank. temples and jungle trails – before every- - Getty Images Other Asian societies have also suc- It is close to bedtime near Bentota on one else does. cumbed to the lure of the supernatural viding all the steamy air-con you need. afloat outrigger canoes. Here, catfish and over science. The spread of COVID-19 in the south-west coast, but our day is be- According to Leel Koralage, Yathra A little after 8 pm, the boat moors, and crabs outnumber the locals. All too soon ginning. We are cruising in the twilight Houseboat’s captain, if I want to see the the sound of the jungle takes over. There Thailand prompted tens of thousands to it is time to putter back towards the coast, travel to Wat Chedi, a Buddhist temple in on the lookout for fruit bats and owls, Sri Lanka that he grew up in, there is only is the low hum of truck and tuk-tuk traf- and I join the captain beside the stern, the southern province of Nakhon Si Tham- chugging at tugboat pace into Sri Lanka’s one place to begin: next to him at the fic from a faraway road, but also a chatter neither of us saying a word. forgotten jungle lands. helm as we embark upriver from glassy- in the treetops. A crew of lost mynas gos- We do not need to. A monitor lizard ap- marat, to seek good luck from Ai Khai (Egg The silent mangroves morph into rain- calm Dedduwa Lake. siping? A family of whistling kingfishers? pears in a climactic rush, diving into the Boy), who is believed to be the spirit of an forest proper, Tarzan vines and all, and “Look! In the shallows!” he cries, the Whatever, after copious beers on board, it river with a plunging splash, as if to fill 18th century statue in the temple's grounds. the outline of traditional fishing huts on river basking in a dusky glow. “A marsh is a mellow soundtrack for a good night’s the silence between us. It is startling, and In Indonesia, shamans - or ‘dukuns’ in the the embankment hints at some idealized crocodile, an adult male. For most of the rest on the river. for the briefest moment there is a sense local language - are a big draw in their role evocation of life deep in the jungle. There year, you would be lucky to see him.” He In the morning, anchored at an em- that it is times like this that keep him in as traditional healers. are no lights and an absence of electric passes a pair of binoculars for a closer bankment on Dedduwa Lake, I am on my the job. However, the Sri Lankan experience wires, other boats or visitors. It feels a look, just before the broad-snouted bull balcony staring out, listening to the song- Yathra, meaning “the journey”, offers with COVID-19 sorcery is not ending well. long way from the crowds of Colombo, 50 slides into deeper water. During the birds. plenty of such moments away from tried- In mid-January, Wanniarachchi tested miles to the north. Which is exactly why rains, says Koralage, the crocs stick to the The sailing today, a five-hour round- and-tested Sri Lanka. Afterwards, lying positive for the virus, joining a junior min- we have come. swamps, disappearing like ghosts into the trip, takes us to Pahuru Kanda Temple on a palm-fringed beach in Bentota, or ister who had also sipped the sorcerer's The Yathra Houseboat by Jetwing undergrowth. and a replica of the Buddha’s footprint following the crowds south to Galle Fort, brew and tested positive a few days earlier. is the star attraction. It is a two-suite If we are already at the brink of over- where, says captain Koralage, we can con- you might yearn to be back afloat explor- At that point, the total number of cases had Keralan-style barge, the first houseboat stimulation – it is hardly wildlife on de- template hope and fate. ing the serene river lands, lost amid tropi- grown to 56,076. It has since continued to in the country, with a shaded sundeck. mand, but still – we can turn to our cabin Given the wealth of religious relics, cal rainforest. rise fast, reaching 83,870 with 483 deaths Thatched with a wig of branches, it looks instead. palaces and temple highlights elsewhere As for the frog? It was swallowed, lock, like a countrified canal boat. But that im- The boat is a study in the worth of hold- by Mar. 3, according to the WHO. in Sri Lanka – the terracotta pagodas in stock and barrel, before the keel back van- That dismal outcome is likely to make pression is betrayed by the bamboo and ing on to the old ways and nightly enter- Anuradhapura, the Temple of the Sa- ished as if it had never been there at all. burnished jakwood interiors and warmth tainment is a good book or a board game. the two ministers fair game for a new baila. cred Tooth Relic in Kandy, Lion Rock in -Mike MacEacheran travelled to I shall stay tuned. of the service. Three types of hotly spiced Alcohol is a bring your own affair and the Sigiriya – it is a disappointment. More Sri Lanka before the pandemic and this fish and vegetable curry, served on deck, excursions are limited to crab fishing or -Marwaan Macan-Markar is an Asia eye-catching by far are the lone fisher- article was originally featured on regional correspondent for Nikkei Asia, with chilli and mango chutney, coconut morning and evening cruises through the men who paddle past heroically in barely Daily Telegraph sambol and a roof of moodily down lit river’s ecosystem, Mother Nature pro- where this article was originally featured 12 MARCH 12 - 14, 2021 WEEKEND EXPRESS SPORTS

By Coralie Febvre IOC to buy vaccines from China for Tokyo, Beijing Olympic competitors LAUSANNE - Competitors at this year's "The IOC will also pay for two doses claims that actions towards the Uighur and equity declaration calling on all countries "Not a single one of these events turned Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Win- more that can be made available to people other minority groups in the north western to be administering vaccines by April 7, into a virus spreader," Bach said, adding ter Games will be offered coronavirus vac- in that country," Bach said, describing it as region of Xinjiang amount to genocide. added that a significant number of Olym- they had posed no danger to host commu- cines bought from China, Olympic chief a "demonstration of solidarity" in the fight Bach said the Chinese Olympic Com- pic teams "have already been vaccinated". nities: "It's clean and obvious proof." Thomas Bach announced Thursday (11) in against the COVID-19 pandemic. mittee, in cooperation with the IOC, was "Another significant number have re- The Tokyo Games were originally sched- a significant move for the holding of the Tellingly none of the IOC members who ready to make vaccine doses available in ceived a commitment from their govern- uled for the summer of 2020, but it was COVID-delayed Tokyo Games. took the virtual floor on day two of the two ways. ments or are in very positive discussions." pushed back by one year as the coronavirus The Chinese Olympic Committee have 137th IOC Session questioned the moral "This can be via international partners Bach also tried to play down risks to Ja- pandemic raged across the globe. made "an offer to make additional vaccine minefield of athletes jumping the vaccine or in countries where partnerships are pan from hosting the Olympics, citing the They are now scheduled for July 23-Au- doses available to participants for Tokyo queue. already in place with the Chinese govern- fact that since September 2020, 270 world gust 8. Bach was at pains to reiterate that 2020 and Beijing 2022", Bach said. Also avoided was the potential political ment," he said, without giving further de- championships had been held involving the IOC remains committed to holding a "The IOC will pay for these additional hot potato of buying the Chinese vaccines tails. more than 30,000 athletes who had fol- "successful and safe" Games this year, dis- doses of vaccines for the Olympic and Par- as Beijing comes under increasing fire from Bach, who said the IOC had signed up lowed "rigorous health and safety proto- missing cancellation talk as "speculation". alympic teams," he added. rights groups and some governments amid to a World Health Organization vaccine cols". -AFP

Cricket Football COUNTER PUNCH Out or not out? Argentine fans demonstrate to demand ‘justice' for By The Line Judge Bizarre dismissal in West Indies- Diego Maradona Is Interim Committee for SLC Sri Lanka ODI sparks controversy BUENOS AIRES - Hundreds of Argentine though they had to leave as the atmosphere football fans demonstrated on Wednesday (10) turned tense. As darkness fell some in the need of the hour? NEW DELHI - Shai Hope way back in the crease and in Buenos Aires to demand justice for superstar crowd chanted death threats against Matias hit a handsome hundred in the process back-heeled player Diego Maradona, who died on Novem- Morla, Maradona's last lawyer, who would Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is in the eye of the storm liter- as West Indies defeated Sri the ball as he had his eyes set ber 25 in circumstances under investigation. have appointed the medical team that treated ally or is it an uneasy calm before the storm with just over Lanka by 8 wickets in the first on Pathum all the while. Ki- "Maradona has been left to die and it is not him at the end of his life. Maradona underwent a month to go before election of office-bearers are held. ODI in Antigua on Wednes- eron Pollard appealed to the fair, it is not fair that a person who gave us surgery on November 3, just four days after The die has been cast with an opposition group headed by day (11) but that's not the umpire after failing to grab Argentines so much ends up like that," Abel he celebrated his 60th birthday at the club he former SLC Vice-President, K. Mathivanan challenging the major talking point after the the ball while attempting a Chorolque, a 44-year-old cab driver, told AFP coached, Gimnasia y Esgrima. incumbent Shammi Silva, fielding a strong team which in- match. An incident involving run-out. The on-field umpire at the protest. However, he appeared in poor health then cludes a former SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga, while Sri Lanka opener Danush- referred it to the third-um- Maradona, who was 60, died of a heart attack and had trouble speaking. Sri Lanka’s first Test captain Bandula Warnapura has joined kaGunathilaka, West Indies pire, who found Gunathilaka just weeks after undergoing brain surgery on a Maradona had battled cocaine and alcohol the fray for the first time. captain Kieron Pollard and 'obstructing the field' and de- blood clot. addictions during his life. He was suffering The failure of the national Test team who suffered con- on-field umpire Joe Wilson clared him out. Investigators are looking into the health from liver, kidney and cardiovascular disorders secutive series losses against South Africa and England has has garnered all the attention. The cricket fraternity has treatment he received prior to his death to when he died. compounded the woes of SLC followed by their public rela- It all happened in the 22nd reacted to the dismissal determine whether or not to bring a case of A panel of experts, made up of 10 official tions disaster in the Chaminda Vaas fiasco, where the World over of the match when Gu- and passed their own set of wrongful death, a conviction for which would specialists and 10 more selected by the inter- Cup winner was labelled a traitor for seeking a pay hike on nathilaka played a length ball judgments. While, Michael result in a prison sentence of up to 15 years. ested parties, is due to deliver its findings on the eve of the West Indies tour. from Pollard and dropped it Vaughan, Tom Moody and The ‘10M’ demonstration was organized on his cause of death in two or three weeks. This has led to a call for the appointment of an interim right in front of his feet. His Daren Sammy have ques- social media by different Maradona fan groups Maradona's neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, committee to run Sri Lanka cricket though there are many batting partner PathumNis- tioned the third-umpire's under the slogan ‘Justice for Diego, he did not psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov and psycholo- pros and cons to it as well. sanka came down running decision, former Australia die, he was killed’. gist Carlos Diaz are under investigation as well The challenges facing the current SLC administration are for a single but only to be chinaman bowler Brad Hogg Two of his adult daughters, Dalma and Gia- as two nurses, a nursing coordinator and a multiple despite successfully launching the inaugural Lanka sent back by Danushka. Gu- has lauded it. ninna, as well as the youngest of his five chil- medical coordinator. Premier League during the COVID-19 pandemic last year. A nathilaka tried to make his - indiatoday.in dren - Diego Fernando, 8 -- were at the protest, -AFP group of former international cricketers of repute, former cricket administrators with unblemished records and some civil society activists moved the Court to direct the Sports Minister to restructure Sri Lanka Cricket’s governance and voting structure, which they claim is behind all ills plagu- ing the country’s national pastime. The Court issued notice to respondent Minister and the SLC to appear before it on March 15. On top of it comes the news that two leading premier clubs - Colts and Bloomfield - has filed the objections against the Shammi Silva camp candidates in the forthcom- ing SLC election. The objections have been submitted be- fore the Election Committee of SLC, Annual General Meet- ing (AGM) of which will take place on May 20. More pertinently the legality of the SLC administration has been questioned since the two-year term of the present Executive Committee headed by Shammi Silva technically ended on February 20, 2021. President of Colts Cricket Club Nishantha Ranatunga has written a letter to Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa, asking him to appoint an interim committee to run the cricket until the next election is held. “As you are aware, the last election of office bearers of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the National Association for the sport Cricket, was held on February 21, 2019. The office bearers of the Sri Lanka Cricket are elected for a term of two years. This is provided in the most categorical terms in the provision contained in section 7(2) (b), which states that: “Office Bearers shall hold office for a period not exceeding two (2) years and shall be eligible for re-election, provided he has not been removed on disciplinary grounds by the Disciplinary Committee. “Hence, it is manifestly evident that the Office Bearers of Sri Lanka Cricket are elected to hold office for a period of two years and not more. Thereby, the office of the Of- fice Bearers of Sri Lanka Cricket elected February 21, 2019, expired on February 20, 2021, and are not legally entitled to hold office, or exercise the powers of the office anymore, and the said Office Bearers continuing to hold office and exercise the powers of the office are blatantly ultra vires, wrongful, illegal, unlawful, and has no avail in law,” the letter, addressed to Sports Ministry secretary and director general, reads. Ironically the appointment of Tom Moody as SLC’s Di- rector of Cricket may become invalid, as it was taken at an Ex-Co meeting on February 24. Ranatunga has urged the minister to appoint an interim committee in the best interest of Sri Lanka cricket. “Therefore, we kindly urge you, Sir, to exercise your dis- cretion vested under section 32 of the Sports Law No. 25 of 1973 and suspend the registration of Sri Lanka Cricket up until the election is concluded in May 2021, and until then under the powers vested under section 33 of the Sports Law No. 25 of 1973, appoint an interim committee to carry out the duties and functions of Sri Lanka Cricket and there- by ensure the smooth and lawful functioning of Sri Lanka Cricket.” Legal experts say the Minister of Sports could rectify the situation immediately by granting an extension for the cur- rent committee or by placing the board under an interim administration as it has done in the past. The Ministry of Sport has sought legal advice from the Attorney General’s Department in this regard. Sports Minister Rajapaksa has been non-committal on appointing an interim committee for cricket pleading that he does not wish to politicise the sport. However, it is clear that the National Sports Council (NSC) headed by former skipper Mahela Jayawardene and also Kumar Sangakkara is running SLC by proxy from the Racecourse. The appoint- ment of a four-member technical advisory committee head- ed by Aravinda de Silva to give advice to Sports Ministry of- ficials, the Sports Minister and to the President of Sri Lanka Cricket is a case in point. The minister is also not in haste to appoint members to the National Cricket selection Committee, including the va- cant position of chairman. “Sri Lanka Cricket, the SLC Cricket Committee compris- ing former national cricketers in consultation with the NSC would appoint a selection committee with a long-term vi- sion,” said the minister who sometimes behaves as if he is the spokesman of SLC. Sri Lanka's iconic World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga is also willing to head an interim committee. “I am ready to lead the interim committee, if it happens. I will have my own team, composed of former players,” said the cricketer turned politician. Sports Minister Rajapaksa’s recent visit to Dubai where the International Cricket Council is headquartered has giv- en rise to speculation that SLC may have an interim com- mittee sooner than later. -ENCL

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