Indicating Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa‘s growing hold over the government, the defence spending of Sri Lanka has been increased to record levels for the second consecutive year despite the defeat of the LTTE five years ago.
Gota
According to the Appropriation Bill that was tabled in Parliament on Friday, the Government has allocated Rs. 285 billion for the Ministry of Defence for 2015, which is a hike of 12.25% in comparison to this year.
The announced spending amounts to 16.6 % of the government’s projected revenue for 2015.
Quoting official sources, Yahoo News in a report states the Defence Ministry is to undergo every more increases in expenditure According to Yahoo news, official sources had stated that at three-year spending plan of the government has been envisaged even more increases in national security spending to over 370 billion by 2017.
While exorbitant amounts of public funds are channeled into the Defence Ministry that has now branched out their operations into various business ventures as well as urban planning as evidenced by the beautification projects in Colombo, the funds allocated to services such as Health and Education have been experiencing a rapid decline over the past few years.
K.A Sumanasekera / September 27, 2014
Obama is spending USD One Billion to fight the ISIL per month at present, without any boots on the ground,
That is 12 Billion a year.
Just imagine how much more when the 15,000 combat troops land soon.
Our total budget for 21 Million inhabitants is only USD 10 Billion which has already give even a new express Yarl Devi , besides a new Airport , new Harbour. new Expressways and 22 % Economic growth to the Vellalas in the North .
This is amidst increasing threats from the mighty Diaspora and its backers to wreck the Economy, by imposing sanctions and freezing overseas assets of the Elite.
( the latter must be a mistake because most of our Sinhala Budhists would not know what colour a USD note or a Stirling Pound is, let alone having FC and F Real Estate investment).
Then there is the constant threats of sathyagrahas if the Resolution number 1 is not implemented by the end of of December.
And there are 14 more in the TNA list.
So the USD 2 Billion which is allocated to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development is really pea nuts, when half of that has to be used to make the Elites’ real estate more valuable and the Vellala properties in Yarlpanam more comfortable and more investor friendly to help the Diaspora investors.
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eusense / September 27, 2014
KAS,
I agree with your remarks. The only word combination I disagree and I refrain using is “Sinhalese Buddhist”. I know you are smart to figure out why I say this.
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Native Vedda / September 27, 2014
Nuisance
Why do you agree with his comment?
“I know you are smart to figure out why I say this.”
You are not kidding, are you?
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Tamil from the north / September 29, 2014
@eusense is a bloody nuisance. One idiot of our times will always agree with another idiot of our times. Good job pest, you are like a tail following the head of a dog, which is KAS.
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Native Vedda / September 27, 2014
K.A Sumanasekera
“Obama is spending USD One Billion to fight the ISIL per month at present, without any boots on the ground,”
Are you racing against USA to get to the bottom?
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Amarasiri / September 28, 2014
K.A Sumanasekera
US Federal Court Issues Summons Against Narendra Modi
The court summons relates to Modi’s alleged complicity in enabling the deadly 2002 Godhra riots in Gujarat.
When will it be for Rajapaksas Turn?
http://thediplomat.com/2014/09/us-federal-court-issues-summons-against-narendra-modi/
Some 24 hours before he arrives in the United States on his first visit to the country as prime minster, the U.S. Federal Court of the Southern District of New York issued a summons against Narendra Modi regarding his alleged involvement in the 2002 Godhra riots, in his home state of Gujarat. The summons requires Modi to respond within 21 days of receipt, barring which the court will decide in default against Modi for the damages sought by the plaintiffs. According to The Hindu, the summons “charges PM Modi with committing crimes against humanity, extra-judicial killings, torture and inflicting mental and physical trauma on the victims, mostly from the Muslim community.”
The summons was issued in connection with a lawsuit filed by the American Justice Center (AJC), a non-profit human rights organization representing the plaintiffs in the case who have been described as “two survivors of the horrific and organised violence of Gujarat 2002.” The riots in question took place under Modi’s tenure as chief minister of Gujarat. While the Supreme Court of India found no evidence of Modi’s complicity in enabling the riots, many of the prime minister’s critics allege that his inaction allowed several hundred Muinlims to perish at the hands of Hindu rioters. The Indian government’s official death toll of the riots counts 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus among the victims. Another 2500 were injured and 223 were reported missing.
According to the plaintiffs, the case carries legal weight in the United States under the Alien Tort Statute, a 1789 federal law that grants U.S. federal courts the power to “hear lawsuits filed by U.S. residents for acts committed in violation of international law outside the U.S.” The summons is required of the court in order to impose its jurisdiction.
The summons is already making headlines in India and could negatively color Modi’s trip to the United States. Modi was famously denied a U.S. visa in 2005 when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, leading many to question how the United States would respond should he win the election for India’s top political office. The U.S. government and legislators have been nothing but positive about Modi’s leadership since his election, but the summons will bring to the surface issues that the Indian government would rather avoid during Modi’s inaugural visit to the United States as prime minister. The United States denied Modi a visa in 2005 under a little-invoked U.S. law on religious freedom. As of today, Modi remains the only person to have ever been denied a visa to the United States under that law.
In addition to the summons, other human rights groups are expected to protest Modi’s visit to the United States on similar grounds. Representatives of the Coalition Against Genocide will protest Modi’s highly anticipated speech in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, where he will address a crowd of 20,000–mostly Indian Americans.
The Indian government has yet to react to the summons. It is possible that the summons could lead to an extremely negative reaction in India. Modi and his party, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, came to power with the strongest democratic mandate in India in decades. The incident could emerge as a major symbolic inhibitor to closer U.S.-India ties, much in the same way that the arrest of an Indian diplomat in New York late last year spiraled into a major diplomatic crisis.
It should be noted that Modi isn’t the first Indian leader to receive a court summons from the United States. Last year, the federal court of the Eastern District of New York served Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the Indian National Congress (INC), with a summons in connection with her alleged “leading role in shielding the members, office bearers, leaders and supporters of her party that played an active role in the Genocide.” That lawsuit was filed by Sikhs for Justice, a U.S.-based non-profit representing Sikh interests. Sonia Gandhi’s mother-in-law Indira Gandhi, an Indian prime minister, was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards following Operation Bluestar, a controversial Indian military operation against separatist Sikhs. In retaliation for her assassination, over 3,000 Sikhs were targeted in riots across the country. The plaintiffs in that lawsuit allege that Gandhi is complicit in shielding members of the INC who were involved in the riots. That lawsuit was also filed under the Alien Tort Statute.
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AVB / September 28, 2014
Sumanasekara,
Do you know if ISIS or other international terrorists plant a bomb in U.S. city, that could wipeout couple of billion dollars from US economy in hours and another tens of billions from world economy in an hours too? Do you know that ONLY 30~35% of Air ticket money goes to airlines, rest is Airport taxes. Do you remember before 9/11, we used to pay $50 as airport Tax, or Rs/1000 cash at Colombo airport? Can you think why US senate agrees to allocate $12b US tax payers money for ISIS issue?
Then what is the impact to World economy or SL economy if Lanka’s own citizens (Tamils, Muslims or Sinhalese) put a bomb to kill Rajapakse family member? $2billion a year? Probably.. But remember threat is from its own citizens…..
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Tamil from the north / September 29, 2014
@K.A Sumanasekera, you thick skinned mutt. How do you compare a first world country to Sri Lanka. After the LTTE Terrorism was wiped out and people don’t even have the basic necessities to survive how do you justify that with defence spending in the billions in a country which has no relevance to the outside world. The more I read the crap you write, I wonder whether God ever put a bloody brain in that thick skull of yours. Oh my, what a dumb goof you are.
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justice / September 27, 2014
Sri Lanka may have the largest active army in the world – though more than 50,000 deserted over the past decade, and are now, mostly, members of the underworld.
Lt. Colonel Gotabaya Rajapakse commands it, though a general is supposed to, only in name.
The dead LTTE is the only excuse to maintain this great ‘white elephant’ which is actually used to keep all citizens under subjugation.
The army will be mobilised to run the pending parliamentary, and most importantly, the presidential election – to prevent what happened in the UVA PC elections.
We are under a military regime, though no politician actually says so – the consequences for him would be political and personal oblivion.
While the pampered army enjoys life – with all perks and luxuries – many citizens have only one square meal a day.
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Thiru / September 27, 2014
Jayalalitha goes to jail in India for corruption, Modi is served with summons from a US court on a pogrom and genocide of Muslims under his rule in Gujarat by some victims.
When will Gota go to jail for war crimes and genocide of Tamils, and more: Amassing of great wealth via corruption, inciting violence against Muslims and Christians, drug running and illegal arms running, illegal land grabbing, and evicting people from their lawful properties?
Surely judgement day must come for the Mara junta, especially Gota the Satan and mass murderer of both Sinhalese and Tamils.
If left in power this dangerous junta will engineer mass murder of Muslims too.
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Amarasiri / September 28, 2014
Thiru
Question: Can the Raja-Pakas can be sent to jail as well ?
Jayalalithaa sentenced to 4 years jail in corruption case; clashes in Tamil Nadu
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/jayalalithaa-convicted-in-wealth-case-sentencing-expected-later-in-the-day/article1-1268979.aspx
Special judge John Michael D’Cunha’s verdict earned Jayalalithaa the dubious distinction of becoming the first sitting CM to be held guilty under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
After the sentencing, Jayalalithaa — ‘Amma’ to her supporters — was sent to Parappana Agrahara jail in the city but was shifted to a hospital inside the prison premises after complaining of chest pain.
She will spend the night in a special cell in the women’s wing with special guards posted round the clock, an IANS report said. Supper was “ragi (malt) ball, plain rice, sambar and curd rice with pickle as per the jail manual”, it quoted a prison official as saying.
Jayalalithaa now has to approach Karnataka high court for bail and appeal against the conviction as the prospect of political survival — also of the AIADMK — arises in the run-up to the Tamil Nadu assembly elections due in 2016.
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Lasantha / September 28, 2014
Amarasiri,
Yes Jayalalitha went to Jail. Modi was summoned to US courts. Gen.Sarath Fonseka had to eat Jail Rice for over One and a half years on Fraudulent charges. JR Jayawardena got Indian “Parippu” Dhal drop.
Surely there are more in line. Increasing Defense Budget to 285 Billion rupees don’t help anybody as Madam Chandrika Bandaranayake says that most of the Army are currently used for road sweeping, park cleaning and construction work. These are called Buffalo Solja in Africa.
I wonder what is left in the Army after Gen.Sarath Fonsek left, other than to safe guard and protect the fear monger Rajapakse Junta.
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Ram / September 27, 2014
Almost as much as the fine imposed on Jeyalalitha, the ‘revered’ TN leader. by the courts
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Ranjan / September 27, 2014
War is a lucrative business. Look at the role model the US. So many wars, and the defense contractors and weapons manufacturers in the US are making billions.
Sri Lanka’s Goat who has been given this prestigious position by his brother, knows this. He can also take a lesson from Israel, who keeps pretending they are victims of unarmed civilians who are under THEIR occupation, make the world believe that one of the top military in the world is threatened by stray rockets, and must be defended. The world is suppose to believe that they, one of the world’s biggest arms manufacturers are threatened by unarmed civilians. It is a load of bull. Who can be naive enough to think that an occupied and blockaded people, who live in poverty and in the world’s biggest open prisons are a threat to a violent IDF?
Gota must keep fanning the flames of fear, so that he can continue to increase the defense budget from bogey men only fools will believe in. Sri Lankans are being duped by the rajapaksas.
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Jim softy / September 28, 2014
Obama is planning to attack Russia within the next few years. Russia found out it and increased their military budgets by unbelievable numbers.
Sinhale does not have a military budget for weapons research or deployment of troops around the world.Sri lankan military expenditure is for salaries.
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Tamil from the north / September 29, 2014
Jim Shitty, you are another nutter. I live in beautiful Canada land locked with the United States. We do not even know such things but you living in the isolated village called Hambantota have found out such a lie, how do you come up with these creative lies? Bloody joker. It is time you started working for the Horapakse family, maybe with your intellect, you might be able to get Rs. 5/Day.
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Thalaivar / September 28, 2014
So nothing happened to Jayalalitha?
Tamils all over the world are in mourning again as their “Amma” faces 4 years in jail.
Blame it on MR.
MR’s enemies are falling one by one! Miliband, Manmohon, Pillei, Kroucher, Thalaivar, Jayalalitha.
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / September 28, 2014
Whether this is an example of rampant militarization or not depends on how much of the spending was on defense and how much on urban development. The website of the Department of Defense and Urban Development suggests that the defense department in engaged in many traditionally civilian projects. This is better, in my opinion, than spending millions on blowing things up.
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Anpu / September 28, 2014
“traditionally civilian projects” – why cant they leave it to the CIVILANS to do these projects?
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Native Vedda / September 28, 2014
Anpu
““traditionally civilian projects” – why cant they leave it to the CIVILANS to do these projects?”
You may have to split kickbacks, commissions, ….. among civilians. Please be serious who on earth seriously wants to share the spoils of such contracts with others.
The underlying idea is to create new rich as oppose to old money. This is one way to allocate resources away from the old rich and most importantly away from the poor.
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam / September 29, 2014
Anpu,
I agree that these construction projects should be taken over by civilians. Maybe the Department of Defense should be separated from Urban Development. The question is what the soldiers do while being paid their wages by the state? Should they be contributing to building infrastructure?
From what I have read, the military is engaged in such areas as tourism and agriculture in Sri Lanka. These are clear areas that the local civilian population should be employed by civilian employers. The military should have nothing to do with it. It is not where their expertise lies, and it will breed corruption and cronyism in the military and outside it.
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Anpu / September 30, 2014
Dr RSA,
” the military is engaged in such areas as tourism and agriculture in Sri Lanka”
It is much worse.
“Beaches around the island have been commandeered by the government, which is forcing people off their land and denying them access to the beaches. The Sri Lankan Tourism Development Authority has introduced 45 tourism zones, mainly in the Northern and Eastern parts of the island. There are serious concerns around how these zones will effect local residents, and the evidence thus far is not good.
Meanwhile since the end of the war, the military has taken an active role in the economy of the North and East by positioning various checkpoints to control transportation, annexing civilian land and establishing High Security Zone restrictions. Heavy restrictions have been placed on the work of fishermen.”
http://blog.srilankacampaign.org/2013/02/the-rise-of-military-run-tourism-in-sri.html
http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/asia/south-asia/sri-lanka/219-sri-lankas-north-i-the-denial-of-minority-rights.aspx
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Abhaya / September 28, 2014
I agree . This money were it given to the municipal councils and other civilian bodies will be wasted and pilfered . The UDA has one a great job so far .
Cheers
Abhaya
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Park / September 28, 2014
The regime is spending so much of money on the armed forces is for a reason. In case Rajapakse does not win the Presidential election or if UPFA does not win the next parliamentary elections, we will have a military government. This is the reason why so much of money is being spent on armed forces. For such a small country like Sri Lanka to spend so much of money on armed forces, when there is poverty to be seen in all walks of life is a CRIME.
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AVB / September 30, 2014
BBS is also a part of that Gota’s military plan. If necessary BBS Gnanasara could create or increase civil unrest… Then Gota and the goon will have enough reason for military take over if Rajapakse family defeat in election…
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Sylvia Haik / September 29, 2014
A colossal 16.6% of our revenue spent on defence is over the top for a country allegedly at peace. Our enemy the LTTE is long gone so who is this perceived enemy we are defending ourselves against. It saddens me to point out that a bulk of our revenue is from our citizens’ remittances working abroad under pitiful conditions that we are squandering on imaginary gonibillas. This enthusiasm for defence spending was once promulgated by the likes of Sarath Fonseka embezzlements and I hope it is not so now.
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