By Patrick Mendis –
China will soon inaugurate the 350-metre-high Lotus Tower in Sri Lanka, the tallest and most sophisticated telecommunication-skyscraper in South Asia. The tower, emanating from the Lotus Sutra in Buddhism, is a narrative for Beijing to formulate a sustainable and peaceful “soft power” strategy that would appeal globally. Because religion has a mutually beneficial “causal impact” on the lives of people and state, especially in civilizational polities like China and Sri Lanka.
For China, will the emerging culture of religiosity be then more successful in governance and diplomacy?
Supporting his “New Era,” the perennial President Xi Jinping has embraced religious faith as part of his “China Dream” and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The nominally atheist Communist Party of China (CPC) has now recognized that religion in Chinese history had served as a powerful tool in domestic governance and international diplomacy. For President Xi’s “rejuvenation” of Chinese nation and national culture after the Century of Humiliation, the New York Times documents that this mix of faith and politics constitutes a “reimagining of the political-religious state that once ruled China.”
The Freedom of Religious Pursuits
When the president’s father Xi Zhongxun was the head of the CPC’s religious work in 1980, the famous Document 19 warned the party members from banning religious pursuits because it would isolate the Chinese people. Ever since, China has been restoring the places of religious worship—temples, mosques, and churches—once destroyed by Chairman Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution.
After years of material development through the liberalized trade policies and the opening-up policies of Deng Xiaoping, President Xi said, “if the people have faith, the nation has hope, and the country has strength” to realize a “virtuous and harmonious society” at home and to create a global “community of shared destiny.”
Some Chinese strategists are convinced that the ancient Chinese philosophy rooted in the belief of tianxia (“all under Heaven” as brothers and sisters) had been long-lasting in the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC). Therefore, it could still be instrumental in governance and diplomacy, where China is the “new” Middle Kingdom with a Mandate of Heaven bestowed upon the emperor, the Son of Heaven.
Referring to the Chinese rejuvenation by highlighting their teachings on obedience and order, President Xi often quotes Confucius, Mencius, and other ancient sages and promotes “the idea that the party is the custodian of a 5,000-year-old civilization.” For others, China envisions a more harmonious world with Beijing’s definition of a “community of common destiny” through Confucianism.
The Hole in the China Model
In all this, China has been trying to project its “soft power” through the promotion of Confucius Institutes as a cultural “export.” Beijing has, for example, set up over 500 institutes in more than 140 countries while almost half-million students from over 200 countries are studying in Chinese universities. Although the study of Chinese culture and language has become more popular for financial reasons, the China model is weak. It lacks a universally accepted value system compared to the ideology of freedom and democracy in the West that is widely shared by the world—and even the Chinese people, particularly the 60-million strong Chinese diaspora.
The pervasive efforts to popularize the China model has recently been criticized in the United States. Senator Marco Rubio, chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, accuses Beijing for “exporting authoritarianism with Chinese characteristics.” The Canadian Security Intelligence Service expressed concerns that “some politicians” are under the influence of China, especially concerning the Canadian policies toward Beijing. The Chinese-Canadians also feel the fear of China’s rising power as they exercise their “Canadian values” of freedom, democracy, and human rights.
In a multi-country report of the US National Endowment for Democracy, the authors contrasted the soft power of China’s charm offensive of “information warfare” with that of “sharp power,” which “pierces, penetrates, or perforates the political and information environments in the targeted countries.” Speaking before the US Senate Intelligence Committee alongside with the chiefs of other American intelligence agencies, FBI Director Christopher Wray said that “the whole of Chinese society is a threat to the US” and China undermines America’s “military, economic, cultural, and informational power across the globe.” Other democratic countries like Australia and New Zealand have also documented the infiltration of China’s authoritarian influence on their political, economic, and educational systems.
The negative global public opinion has increased as Confucianism and authoritarian governance have reinforced each other beyond the Chinese borders. Beijing needs an alternative soft power of attraction for China’s history and culture. Buddhism would most likely serve as a “soul power” of China as Beijing has tried to expand it through China’s BRI and its new globalized Buddhist network. This is because that Buddhism has had a historical appeal as a spiritual “import” to China and then successfully “export” to East Asia and the world.
The Spiritual Footprints of Soul Power
As a re-emerging global power after the Century of Humiliation, China has indeed recognized that the civilizational-state evolved with the influence of Confucian ethics and its hierarchical philosophy—and the integrated Marxist ideas—needs to be recalibrated. Essentially, China needs a new brand of universal appeal to win over the hearts and minds of global citizenry.
With the inauguration of the Colombo Lotus Tower, which reflects the over two-millennia-old Buddhist intercourse between Sri Lanka and China, Beijing could launch the concept of “soul power” embedded in Buddhism as a philosophy of equality and universality. Encapsulated in the Lotus Sutra, the Buddhist doctrine is a spiritual commodity that China could easily export overseas while promoting spiritual development locally to enrich the lives of its own people of faith.
After all, Buddhism had always been an invisible attraction as Imperial China effectively integrated the Buddha’s Dharmic teachings as its own with those of indigenous Daoist traditions and Confucian ethics. The universal teachings and ideas of equality (especially among men and women) rooted in the Lotus Sutra must continue to serve as the forerunner of China’s peaceful identity and national unity that exemplifies a better world order.
Harvard Sinologist John Fairbank writes that “Confucianism was largely left in eclipse and the Buddhist teachings as well as Buddhist art had a profound effect upon Chinese culture, both north and south,” despite the dominant societal values of Confucian hierarchy of Imperial China. Professor Fairbank further states that the teachings of Buddhist Dharma “offered an explanation and solace, intellectually sophisticated and aesthetically satisfying, for the collapse of their old society. Emperors and commoners alike sought religious salvation in an age of social disruption.”
During the Sui (581–618) and Tang (618–907) Dynasties, for example, Buddhism served as a potent force for unifying the Middle Kingdom and expanded diplomatic and trade relations with foreign nations on the ancient Silk Road networks. Even foreign invaders—like the Mongol and the Manchu—used Buddhism to earn respect from the Chinese people as well as to solidify their state-power during the Yuan (1279-1368) and Qing (1644-1912) Dynasties.
Under President Xi, China has once again returned to a somewhat familiar pattern of social and political upheaval. The president, who replaced Deng Xiaoping’s earlier motto of China’s “Peaceful Rise,” must resort to China’s invocation of its “peaceful identity” in the midst of intensified regional tensions in the South and East China Seas, the Korean peninsula’s denuclearization efforts, the controversial opening of China’s first military base in Djibouti in Africa, the boiling Indian-China border issue with Bhutan, and elsewhere.
The Answer from the Lotus Sutra?
The forces of opposition are also appearing from every other corner of the world. The foremost is the new National Security Strategy, in which the Trump White House identified China as a “revisionist” power and a “strategic competitor.” Furthermore, Washington has now taken the lead in the new “Quad” coalition of Australia, Japan, and India against Beijing’s imperial overreach. Even the democratic Sri Lanka has raised the question of China’s intentions as if the Lotus Tower were a new form of Trojan Horse.
Yet China moves ahead with its BRI plan as the Colombo Lotus Tower was originally designed to signify the symbol of Buddhist peace. Thus, Beijing needs to promote its “soul power” deep-rooted in Chinese Buddhism and culture where the notion of their Buddhist “pure land” is a sacred nation of religiosity with a blend of Confucian and Daoist origins. Such an integrated narrative that equates the government with Chinese national heritage would serve Beijing better and in more sustainable ways to transform the BRI and the worldview that goes with it.
In fact, President Xi described the island—the Buddhist “Kingdom of the Lion” as the visiting Chinese scholar-monk Faxian (337-422) called Sri Lanka—as a “splendid pearl” during his historic visit to Sri Lanka in 2014. While signing over 20 cooperative agreements, the two countries further recognized the importance of significant Buddhist affinity over the two millennia. The Lotus Tower, which invokes the “universal virtues” of harmony, may revive the coveted noble concepts of equality and freedom inherent in the sutras of China’s Mahayana Buddhism if Beijing truly wants to pursuit a new model of peaceful identity for a pacific new world order.
*Professor Patrick Mendis, a Harvard Kennedy School’s former Rajawali Senior Fellow, is an Associate-in-Research of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University and a Commissioner to the United States National Commission for UNESCO at the State Department. Professor Mendis is the author of, Peaceful War: How the Chinese Dream and American Destiny Create a Pacific New World Order. A former American diplomat and a military professor in the Indo-Pacific Command, he is a Senior Fellow of the Pangoal Institution in Beijing and a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Asian-Pacific Affairs at Shandong University in Jinan, China. The views are those of the author and do not represent the institutions he has affiliated with in the past or present.
Jim softy / June 13, 2018
The common notion that there was only one Lord buddha lived on this is wrong. India has evidence to show that there was a buddha before the last buddha. The Pali cannon which is written in five Asian languages say that there were numerous (the truth is infinity) buddha’s lived. so, the modern humanistic religious thoughts, even the almighty concept and the worshippin Dead spirits should have come the buddhism and HInduism which is related to each other. christianity and religions came from the middle east had been really oppresive and the west activities are related to the christian thought. IF china is to build a new world order that is the way to go. Mahayana, Tibetan or Chinese Chen buddisam or Japanese Zen are off shoots of theravada. OBama Laos tired that by planting a BO tree in India. Unfortunatley that tree died. One symbolic nature is USA and the west think of hegemony trying to oprress and subjugate the weaker while buddhist philosophy is LIVE AND LET LIVE. China doe snot have a history of subjugation. but china had been subjugated by other countries. China looks following a different path now probably because of western countries trying to destroy independently growing China. confucious, TAO, Chen are all related.
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Niro / June 13, 2018
Ceylon: Sir James Emerson Tennent – 1859
The Chinese authors, like the Greeks and Arabians, are warm in their praises of the patriotism of the Singhalese sovereigns, and their active exertions for the improvement of the country, and the prosperity of the people. On state occasions, the king, “carried on an elephant, and accompanied by banners, streamers, and tom-toms, rode under a canopy attended by a military guard.”
Throughout all the Chinese accounts, from the very earliest period, there are notices of the manners of the Singhalese, and even minute particulars of their domestic habits, which attest a continued intercourse and an intimate familiarity between the people of the two countries. In this important feature the narratives of the Arabs, who, with the exception of the pilgrimage made with difficulty to Adam’s Peak, appear to have known only the sea-coast and the mercantile communities established there, exhibit a marked difference when compared with those of the Chinese; as the latter, in addition to their trading operations in the south of the island, made their way into the interior, and penetrated to the cities in the northern districts. The explanation is to be found in the identity of the national worship, attracting as it did the people of China to the sacred island, which had become the great metropolis of their common faith, and to the sympathy and hospitality with which the Singhalese welcomed the frequent visits of their distant co-religionists.
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Native Vedda / June 14, 2018
Niro
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Did Sir James Emerson Tennent mention about Admiral Zheng He dragging Vira Alakeshvara and his family all the way to China as captives in 1411 A. D?
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Niro / June 14, 2018
Tennent and other British writers mention the clash between the Ming Admiral Zheng He ( or Ho ) and the Kotte Kingdom. Alakeshvara was released by the Emperor of China. Where he advised him to appoint a more suitable King. When he returned after three years his Minister( Mudalaiyer ) and acing King killed him on the first night of his arrival.
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Lankan one / June 13, 2018
But I disagree with this writer..
Look how Chinese Muslims are persecuted in China now …
All this is about politics..
China does not care about people culture; religions; language; or ethnicity.
China is a new imperialist today.
Competing western material green.
China does business with Sri Lanka with higher level of interest…
It make countries poor and it gives more and more loans with high interest rate…as and when countires can not pay back, it will dictate its own policies to loot the national wealth of nations..
Can you believe Sri Lanka has already given 10 acres of land for 99 years..
By law; China could.dump all its chemical waste in Sri Lanka..
Poor Sri Lanka is trapped in.dirty trick of China.
MR and co did not care about Sri Lanka but they care about their power and their own wealth.
No politicians damage Sri Lanka ecology as MR did it ..
All Chinese mega projects are utter failure..
You will see more floods; more.drouht and more natural disasters soon.
I cannot predict the future but it is true .
I work with Chinese and they are good people but Chinese government is greedy witb imperialistic motives..
Look how much money MR made..
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Jim softy / June 13, 2018
LANKAN ONE: All MR, CBK, RANil and MANGALA SAMARAWEERA are in the same boat. Recently, Tamara Kunanayakam said that Sri lanka has lost it’s economic sovereinity. JVP is saying Sri lanka is being destroyed both culturally, economically and financially. CT did not let my second comment be published YEt. How ever, Only Remnents of the Roman kingdom exist today. IT vanished. so will the other similar empires. See one day, David Cameron came to India and said, IF we retuen back all your stolen artifacts we would go bankrupt. That is the truth.
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Dude / June 13, 2018
This Mendis dude is a SL diaspora CIA operator! Here unleashing his US “soft power” on China, which is doing what the US did all these past decades with the USAid MCC game.
Pot calling Kettle black – the ongiong Washington IMF/ MCC attack on Chinese “aid” and OBOR spin!
What about the over priced white elephant General electric train engines from MCC and its fake aid, advice and Xperts from Washington DC advising Bondscam Ranil how to scam CB and writing Vision 2020?!
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Dodo / June 13, 2018
US-SL Diaspora is over active these days. What is a Sri Lankan?
If Gota formally gives up US citizenship, he will be still American under the skin and handled by CIA/ US Deep State which has his War crimes covered in 500 page document, and his children and family in LA!
Bottom line is US wants their war criminal, US citizen Gotabaya of SL Diaspora as Prez. of Lanka to fight China in IO.
Gota is American under the skin!
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K.Pillai / June 13, 2018
Dodo ~ “Gota is American under the skin!”.
Gota is ‘selfish Gota’ all the way down to his Trojan horse……..
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oldcodger / June 13, 2018
The headline about Trojan Horses is misleading. I was forced to read through the entire article looking for one.
Be that as it may, this “Lotus Tower” looks more like a Muslim minaret than any Buddhist edfice I have seen. The author seems keen to present US views as “global opinion”: “FBI Director Christopher Wray said that “the whole of Chinese society is a threat to the US” and China undermines America’s “military, economic, cultural, and informational power across the globe.”
Is there some law against other countries not being wholeheartedly in favour of “America’s military, economic, cultural, and informational power across the globe.” ?
“Washington has now taken the lead in the new “Quad” coalition of Australia, Japan, and India against Beijing’s imperial overreach.” Really???? Isn’t this like saying that the British Empire is against imperialism?
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sbarrkum / June 13, 2018
Good one old codger.
Patrick Mendis singing for his supper.
This article is to get “points” with his funding agencies, i.e. brown nosing.
Not really for the locals.
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nimal fernando / June 14, 2018
oldcodger,
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I didn’t get a word of what he is trying to say ……….. let alone the purpose of the whole darn piece.
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You make so much sense ……… you come across sounding like the professor ……….. and this gent the student.
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“Self-promotion” is a part of the American “academic-life” ………. especially when you don’t have a stand-out achievement a la E=MC*2
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Mediocrity is a form of slow death by stages ………… if one does not realise it and come to terms with it from early on……….
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oldcodger / June 14, 2018
““Self-promotion” is a part of the American “academic-life” …
Otherwise known as “singing for your supper”.
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Uthungan / June 13, 2018
“In fact, President Xi described the island_the “Buddhist kingdom” of the Lion” as the visiting Chinese scholar monk Faxian( 337-442) called SL as a splendid pearl
during his 2014 visit to SL in 20014. While signing over 20 cooperative documents,the two countries further recognised the importance of significant Buddhist affinity over two millennia.”.
OK, but how does the Lotus Sutra and the Lotus Tower reconcile with SL’s Hinayana Theravada Mahavamsa Anagarika Dharmapala Sinhala Only Buddhism in SL in this 21st. Century with the Dalia Lama of Tibet living in exile in India which also has a ECTA with SL.”
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Isharath / June 13, 2018
Don’t worry, Ranil is a talented salesman experience in selling white-elephants from China. Trojan Horses are not big deal
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Lanka Nitizen / June 13, 2018
White lotus ,coming true .
Every poor nation unknowingly will become slaves of ????
until a time comes when she finally captures the White Lotus and become supreme rulers of the World .
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chiv / June 13, 2018
The populace including readers have this uncanny ability to divide any thing and every thing into pretty much party/race /language lines.Whether it is domestic vs international related issues or economy vs developmental related issues it dosent matter. This kind of concrete thinking and tunnel vision will lead all discussions to the same conclusion ( same results), Before it was the west and now it is the turn of Russia,China and India to flex their muscles and indulge in the same game plan with some variations in taking advantage of the religion/culture.China is as interested in religion as Russia?????. When countries are unable to identify this basic fact they end up as one of their priced possession/collection.
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chiv / June 13, 2018
The populace including readers have this uncanny ability to divide any thing and every thing into pretty much party/race /language lines.Whether it is domestic vs international related issues or economy vs developmental related issues it dosent matter. This kind of concrete thinking and tunnel vision will lead all discussions to the same conclusion ( same results), Before it was the west and now it is the turn of Russia,China and India to flex their muscles and indulge in the same game plan with some variations in taking advantage of the religion/culture.China is as interested in religion as Russia?????. When countries are unable to identify this basic fact they will end up as one of their priced possession/collection.
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chiv / June 13, 2018
The only difference is the sophistication .With the modern tec available now the game is aided by social/fake media, using media and other means to alter elections,outcome,hacking and illegal money transferring, offshore/shell payments, buying govt debts, stock market manipulation have changed the rules of the game.The Chinese and Russians have the advantage over others because of their experience.It is clear that that they have been at it over decades. Before it was just piracy and trying to steal tec infor. Now it is using the knowledge to get into your central bank, vote counting, electrical grid and so on.How many of us invite thieves into our houses to do renovations just because the bank you got loan told you to so???
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Lanka Nitizen / June 13, 2018
So all Internet providers will have their transmissions via the Lotus in future ?
Does this mean ,everyone’s privacy may be compromised?
A easy access to spy on. India ?
Which I hope not ,,
We don’t want what happened to Malaysian Airlines to happen to us !? P
Well when you can’t solve the problems with your own house within and let outsiders to in , this is what happens .
We may become the proxies of war grounds for Indochina and Pakistan conflict.
Trade and borrowing should be in a well balanced spread out for developing Countries .
It all depends who will be our nrxt driver on the steering.
Rajapakshe or Ranil ,both will. Have to oblige ,India ,China &of cause Pakistan.
,why should we bow to anyone of them borrowing and trade are mutual benefits .
We need someone who is not obligated to any of these powers .
Someone who can command a new deal to refinance our debts with a more Transparent set of nations on strong business ethics .
We don’t want to be under obligations to any nations for winning the war ,its our Soldiers ,and civilians blood that was paid to end it.
Whoever loaned us knew well our pay back capacity ,being a nation with 30 years of war and limited resources .
A refinancing with a completely new regional trade allies is utmost important and do all we can to stop beconing ground testing for countries in cold conflicts .
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Dias / June 13, 2018
Trojan or not adds to the skyline
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Lanka Nitizen / June 13, 2018
Can the present government give black on white the full debts in figures ,to which Country ,to which organization we owe and who are responsible for securing these loans .?
Further can the government please provide the people their action plan to pay back in detail with real sources which can be varied by the people and can the 2020 Candidates and political parties also clarify the above debts and provide the people with their action plan to repay it and the period
.further can both parties advice the people how much of deficit is our budget for real ? And also provide guidance as per our debts and treasury , each citizen must plan their budgets along with The new Taxes imposed?
Will. people go full online and demand these information before they vote ?
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justice / June 13, 2018
The very first gift from China was the BMICH, in memory of SWRDBandaranaike, after his wife Sirimavo became prime minister.
She was so pleased that she sanctioned purchase of Mig 17 fighter jets from China for the air force when the JVP insurrection commenced in February 1971 – though these aircraft were useless in that situation.
Is the Lotus Tower another ‘white elephant’ from China – already another ‘white elephant’ – the Hambantota Airport was recently reported to have hosted the last flight.
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K.Pillai / June 13, 2018
Prof. Patrick Mendis ~ “China will soon inaugurate the 350-metre-high Lotus Tower in Sri Lanka, the tallest and most sophisticated telecommunication-skyscraper in South Asia………..”.
Patrick: What is the difference between ‘the most sophisticated skyscraper’ and a skyscraper?
Tall towers are ‘lingam’ fantasies of the impotent.
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Lanka Nitizen / June 14, 2018
People were accusing the government. For fly Dubai stopping operations at our new Airport .the truth is they hardly had passengers to pick or drop ,max is about three or two at a time ,we may run our Airline to the ground to bankruptcy ,but Arabs will never ,remember no matter how much the Arabs &Jews hate each other, they both have the same blood ,,when it comes to money ,they want that pound of flesh. We are lucky ,the entire west ,India ,China and Russia is doing the dirty job of keeping them apart by taking care of their proxies. Because they know if the Jews and Arabs unite in peace they will make all of us slaves .
I am not for the government or opposition right now ,because they are both two sides of the same coin , they both did not prevent racial attacks ,I know this time it was triggered by A Muslim issue ,but no one should be allowed to take the law to their hands ,whatever the case , they both waited till the max damage to take action ,in fact the current government did almost the same as what happened to Tamils in 83 , Muslims were just lucky they stopped it with Kandy district ,but Shane ,it took them almost five days to stop .and only two vocal condemnation. One Tamil and Other Is JVP Sinhalese .
All these are to divert the peoples attention ,they both have no truth to tell the people , there is no escape root out of bankruptcy at the moment and that us the truth .
Even after the one billion ,plus the couple of millions from IMF ,nothing is happening ,it seems they are just holding on till The election, what do they care who wins or loose .
Except for Sajith ,I doubt the leaders of any party has any sincerity .
If you are changing the face at least pick the young and sincere .
We may go into starving soon.
Even the Nature hates us .look at the floods
To eat simple vegetables grown here is luxury.
Halal ,halal ,now can’t even seat halal if given its so super expensive.
Soon pork the cheapest meat will also go up to about 1000.00 (Farm fed)
Time for the young smart asses to vanish .
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Lanka Nitizen / June 14, 2018
I seen a lot of noise about the previous government financial issues ,bit to date not a single case was proved ,what s shame of lies it has boomerang and then the bond case .
But to date I never seen one single question of what happened to the money that came from .the IMF and the aid from World bank and what just came in too.
How come this had not entered our brilliant journalists minds ?
Or are they too waiting for 2020 ,as usual to saddle the horse after it runs away ?
Waiting for the next government to sing so they can play the back back Music ?
Even our tourism has been completely and continuously killed by goons from. previous regime to present . Murder , ,racial unrest ,what not .
Both government past and present and their members ,families and friends are set for life ,but the people.
Wonder if the people deserve it ,for they always fall for it.
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oldcodger / June 14, 2018
Lanka Nitizen,
Yes there IS proof on public record in the CSE records. Read this:
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/rajapaksa-sons-among-top-15-shareholders-of-ascot-holdings/
How did two schoolboys buy so many shares?
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Rajash / June 14, 2018
Trojan Horse Lotus Tower and White Elephant Harbor, White Elephant Airport, and the biggest beasts of them all the Port City. There is a hidden agenda behind all of these.
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Douglas / June 14, 2018
Prof. Patrick Mendis: I urge you to visit Laos and spend a vacation to “See”, “Know” and “Experience” what this “Trojan Horse” “GIFTED” by China is all about. As you know that country too suffered a long drawn war just like Sri Lanka. That war was twenty three years while our one was thirty years. So Laos is an ideal comparison and a comparable case study to “See”, “Know” and “Experience” the Chinese “Investment Strategies” in the Asian region. The “Sugar Coating” of China with “Buddhism”, “Confusiasm” is no doubt a “Trojan Horse” ; but the REAL FACE of China is yet another form of “Imperialism” that SUBDUE and DOMINATE the “Third World” countries through a NET WORK of “Financial and Commercial” establishments working hand in hand with local political authorities. You will not only see this “Lotus Tower” but many other “Projects” that have been FREELY dished out on a platter to such “Financial and Commercial” establishments “Directly and Indirectly” operated by the Chinese Government. That is China’s gain and Sri Lanka’s loss.
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Lanka Nitizen / June 14, 2018
I believe ,China ,India &Pakistan ,will never allow Sri Lanka to progress ,they will use our politicians as their local proxies ,divide the people by inciting hatred filled with lies and keeps use us as beggars eternally .
Only late Premadasa had the gutts to stand up against all of them ,no wonder someone eliminated him.
A man we needed so badly
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chiv / June 14, 2018
Bro Douglas spot on
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chiv / June 14, 2018
It took some time for me to figure out “what is called lobbying in U.S is nothing but glorified term for bribe and graft. In Asian countries including in Lanka it is daylight bribe and corruption.We just dont believe in sugar coating.I respect that people have rights to voice their opinion. But still I feel strange to see a sudden revival in promoting Chinese dynasty and (Gupta and Prof. Mendis) enthusiasm in selling it to readers close to our general elections. I do feel a rotten smell from distance.
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Lanka Nitizen / June 14, 2018
I do not condone all Trump’s vocal comments ,his racial and bigoted ones especially or his immigration policies and other unwarranted decisions.
But it is a saying from the ancient, even to the devil his share must be given ,for God himself have given the devil his share on earth though it is for a limited period.
He is a terrible diplomat, however Uncle SAM never needed diplomacy to get what he always wanted .
Where Trump is Concerned he is an ideal American President ,he is a good businessman, a super hardcore negotiator ,he has suppressed all the power blocks around the world , got His proxies to deliver hard Cash investment even at the cost of their lives, if it has to be.
We may not find him useful or beneficial ,but he serves The American dream ,let the world rot ,we are going to party .
In our case our leaders open the doors wide for a miserable self benefit and let the whole world and their cronies party ,while we the people rot even at the cost of killing each other on false pretext of my race ,my religion and my nation .
We need someone who us willing to do just that right now ,some one tough enough to re negotiate every single investment and borrowings of past and future and not give into bullying Sri Lanka ,go ahead and tell me if you can find anyone for the Job better than Sajith ?
Young blood with Ranasinghe’s genes is needed here .
Look how The Two young leaders of Canada and France handled Trump .
That is what us needed
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Lanka Nitizen / June 14, 2018
How come there is news stating that US Envoy who has completed his term had told MR on a curtsey call to bid goodbye , that USA & other western nations will not permit Gota to run for President .
How is this possible at all ? He can just renounce His US citizenship and go ahead right ?
That was a very confusing message .
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chiv / June 14, 2018
Lanka Nitizen, HE WILL NOT. Do not worry. Nothing confusing. The government/power is temporary. Today the great business tycoon??? like Mallaya and Nirav mody are breathing fresh air due their dual citizenship.
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Lanka Nitizen / June 14, 2018
The Ascot case is the previous ,what about the last three years cash in flow from external borrowings ?
What hell this Country has been through ,at least the Arab’s rob from the free flow of Oil from the earth ,just imagine our fellows from top ,in between ,their family members and even the guy who wash the toilets probably robs from borrowed funds on interest .
While they live in luxury ,we common folks can’t even afford a simple life ,not even simple food and our future generations to generations have to pay for it .
It is disgusting. to think how can people stomach this and knowing so well the truth they keep recycling the same lot .
When on earth will Sri Lankans put above all their personal preferences ,their childhood fed prejudice filled with myths and for once unite as One people , unite for the sake of saving this Country
This coming 2020 ,may be the final opportunity for the people ,now the entire politicians have openly displayed their true nature from past regime to present .
Make the right decision choose the right man .
And please remember ,the Executive Presidency must go before year end , a new Constitution with power to people also should be in place ,before you use your franchise.
You make the wrong decision and we the simple and common people are going to suffer forever
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oldcodger / June 14, 2018
Lanka nitizen,
“While they live in luxury ,we common folks can’t even afford a simple life ,not even simple food and our future generations to generations have to pay for it .”
I share your pain. But who is to blame? Certainly not the politicians, because if WE didn’t vote for them, they wouldn’t be politicians. What did WE do while they were voting themselves fat salaries and fancy cars? There are plenty of people who think that the last set of thieves should be brought back. There is no cure for stupidity. We will only progress when either the Chinese or the Indians own everything here by default.
“a new Constitution with power to people ” . God forbid!
Sri Lankans are only good at being slaves.
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K.Pillai / June 14, 2018
The cost of construction of the Lotus Tower is funded by EXIM Bank of the Peoples’ Republic of China. The Bank sets out the terms and the client has got to agree. The crunch come when repayments are due.
Prof Patrick Mendis claims ~ “……..China has been restoring the places of religious worship—temples, mosques, and churches—once destroyed by Chairman Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution……..”.
Not true at all. Tibetan culture and identity is being destroyed. China used its prosperity to tell Australia not to let Dalai Lama in and they………wait for it…. complied.
Uighurs are being forced to give up ancestral lands to Chinese colonies. Uighurs are forced to drop Muslim names etc etc. Except for gas chambers all other tools of genocide are used.
So Patrick “.restoring religious…..”?
The promotion ~ “……….the idea that the party is the custodian of a 5,000-year-old civilization.” is ominous.
This is fertile ground for bigotry.
Turkey’s Erdogan used fundamentalism to grab power. Time will tell as to whether he will take out the hard earned secularity.
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Is the China’s plan to create an unstable India? The Hindu bigots may kindle Hindu bigotry leading to Hindu-Muslim war? China can control bigotry but India cannot.
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dath dosthara / June 15, 2018
There is nothing in this article about Nelum Pokuna
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dath dosthara / June 15, 2018
Sorry Nelum Tower. there is nothing about it in this article though the title suggests it is about Nelum Tower
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