This is our old Parliament, in a high security zone. We’re not allowed to take pictures of it (Himadhu)
For all our international visitors, welcome. We probably won’t see you outside of the Green Zone. The government – in its infinite idiocy – not only volunteered to host the South Asian regional cooperation whatever (the Maldives having passed), it also decided to shut down the heart of our economy and turn our capital into a NO SRI LANKANS ALLOWED zone for a week, Cause you know, fuck it. There are two levels to this being stupid. One is that we are at war and probably not the best place for an international political conference. Such is the situ that many countries are literally bringing their own occupying armies. Two is that our economy is so bad that many people live (or not) by their daily wages. This summit is shutting down Colombo almost entirely (they’re making the 1st a holiday), meaning that – in addition to the general economic hit – tens of thousands of Sri Lankans will not get the daily wage they need to buy food and send their kids to school. But have a good party y’all. I’m getting the hells out of CL.
This government can’t really secure Colombo. The sensible thing would be to secure the airport and the main road and send everyone to Habarana or Nuwara Eliya. Instead, the government has decided to cordon off downtown Colombo (from Kollupitiya to Fort) and BMICH (including the main artery into Colombo from the West) and Mount Lavinia (including the main artery from the South). So basically, people living in Colombo can’t go the the working district, and they can’t really get out. And if you commute into Colombo? Double poops to you. The rail system too, is effectively shut down. Fort Railway Station is shut down from July 30th to August 3rd. Instead people have to get off in Bamba or Maradana and burn petrol and money getting into town, if they can. And most schools are closed. There’s more details on Naz’s blog. Basically, the people of Sri Lanka are told to disappear for a week while Mahinda can show the world that everything is fine.
But it’s not. These are not normal security precautions for a SAARC summit. Sri Lanka is at war and Japan is poised to issue a travel advisory to that effect. Colombo is not secure in that journalists are getting beaten in the street, abductions continue – and that’s only the threats from our government, not to. More to the point, the economy and inflation is so badly mismanaged that many Sri Lankans live on the knife’s edge of poverty. If they don’t get their daily wage (say Rs 500 or less even) then they don’t buy food or have enough petrol or cash to get their kids to school. So during SAARC we will not only pay billions to host the event (on credit, effectively, and printed money) we will also lose those precious hundreds in thousands of pockets. That is the money that put food on the tables and futures in the minds of our children, and we’re sacrificing them – by choice – to host this summit.
And we don’t have to. It was the Maldives turn and they passed. We too could pass, save the money for fighting the war and give the working people of this country their working days. Or we could move the summit out of Colombo. But we didn’t. For the folly and vanity of this government, the people of Sri Lanka must suffer.
This is exactly why the timing of the Hikka Beach Fest is soo brilliant!! Mahinda has thought of all of us, working our asses off in the Sri Lankan rat race, and wants us to enjoy a well deserved break. Why do you criticize such a thoughtful leader?
Also, why give up such an opportunity to prove to the world how stable Sri Lanka is? To prove what an Economic Paradise we are? How much in tune we are with Human rights and the Free Media Movement. I say Indy.. shame on you for criticizing old Mahinda mama. All he’s trying to do is Good to this country.
PS : You forgot to mention how he gave a second chance to those guys who were jumping into wed lock, during this Wedding.. oops I meant SAARC season. Now they have time to rethink whether they are truly ready for such a big decision in their lives.. and more time to plan the finer details of their weddings, besides re-planning the entire event. :-)
Hail Sri Lanka.. the South Asian Banana Republic!!
I am seriously speechless…. for once….
I did forget to mention all the weddings that were canceled. Including people coming from abroad. With these auspicious times sometimes a couple has to get married right then or wait a year or something.
They’re also trying to empty the shanty towns, evicting the poor people in Slave Island and abouts.
And we’re paying something like Rs 2.8 billion for the privilege.
Congratulations Indi, you seem to be in a good vein of puns of late, keep them coming.
The only sensible decision now is to close shop on the 25th and get back on the 5th of August. Trying to do anything else is pure folly.
If the UNP has any sense they should call for a strike during the SAARC summit – at least it has a fair chance of success.
And as for the SAARC summit itself, it says a lot about the hosts:
1. What has SAARC achieved to date? Is there any prospect of something positive for ANY member state to look forward to? SL has decided to lavish funds on a white elephant, characteristic no.1 of the regime.
2. The inconvenience it will cause to the public, the damage it will cause to business and business confidence – thats irrelevant. Businesses are there to cough up taxes, the public are there to cough up votes, after that nothing matters but the ruling family; characteristic no.2.
3. Needless to say the funds spent go through the back door, with baksheesh all the way, we all know it so its barely worth mentioning anyway but thats No.3.
4. There are inconvenient people who get in the way of the planned celebrations like the unfortunates living down Glennie Street; throw them out asap.
Add the lot up and what do you get?
Now if Mr. Lal Kantha or for that matter the leader of the opposition want to create a true statement this is the time to defy the cordon/no entry zones. Mobilise a march for freedom!
Hey media people, this might be a good time to organise a march for media freedom and rights? I am sure the international media will be present to record the summit?
Would the armed forces in UNIFORM attack it’s own people?
If Ranil goes to speak against it, he’ll be branded a traitor as usual. The people in the villages will think this chap doesn’t want the glory and prestige of hosting the saarc conf.. the stupid f#@$’s.. Not that Ranil needs any help by the Govt, with his Bubble Gum speeches and his “horny” protests..
Lal kantha too lost his reputation by the not soo successful token strike. Although the Govt put in a larger effort to exaggerate the failures and brand those who don’t support the Govt as Traitors and LTTE supporters.. the usual..
I hate bloody politics. (I have never voted so far, but who know what will happen in the future) But got very sad to see the parliament building all fenced up. We have a photo taken on the steps of it. May be all you guys and Gals will get mad with me for not seeing the big picture. But if I were there I will hit those nice beaches. I like to take the biggest wave when I go surfing but I am sure I will pass on the tsunami’s. But I will always salute strong people who do.
You left out one thing, Indi. The summit’s almost slap bang on the 25th anniversary of Black July, and so far the Tigers haven’t celebrated the event. They maybe waiting for the summit. An even more stupid time to have the summit here.
Everyone does realise that this is also a shot at flushing out Praba right? Desperate perhaps, but none-the-less…
I had forgotten about Black July, but if they do decide to celebrate it with violence they are being extremely stupid. They might do an attention grabbing stunt like flying their planes over, though.
I tend to think they will not do anything in Colombo, if at all it will be somewhere in the outstations.
Saw shanties along the railway line in Slave Island being cleared this morning. A report in the Island on Saturday said some houses in Welikada had been bulldozed as well.
A short clip of the evictions at Slave Island: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxSTaARCqB0