{"id":193808,"date":"2018-09-25T17:05:07","date_gmt":"2018-09-25T11:35:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=193808"},"modified":"2018-09-30T11:35:55","modified_gmt":"2018-09-30T06:05:55","slug":"rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/","title":{"rendered":"Rupee Crisis: Mahinda Cries, &#8220;Ehi Passiko&#8221;\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Shyamon+Jayasinghe\">Shyamon Jayasinghe<\/a> &#8211;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_146092\" style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Shyamon-Jayasinghe.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-146092\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-146092\" src=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Shyamon-Jayasinghe-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Shyamon-Jayasinghe-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Shyamon-Jayasinghe-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-146092\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shyamon Jayasinghe<\/p><\/div>\n<p><i>\u201cStamp your foot and tell Mr Rupee: \u201cNo. You shall not go down!\u201d Or, Like Jesus Christ addressing Lazarus, the dead man: \u2018Rise and come forth.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Ehi Passiko<\/b><\/p>\n<p>\u201cEhi Passiko,\u201d is a methodological statement in expressed in Pali and attributed to the Buddha. The sage asserted that his Dhamma must be experienced to to be proven. \u201cCome and experience\u201d(ehi passiko)!<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>Former Sri Lankan President, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Mahinda+Rajapaksa\">Mahinda Rajapaksa<\/a> has said the same about his solution to the currency crisis. Hand over back to me and you will experience the solution like seeing something currently unseeable, in broad daylight.<\/p>\n<p><b>Seen the Video?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I am thoroughly amused watching a video doing the rounds on Facebook. It is issued with a caption in small lettering: \u201cSinha Lokaye Sinhaya\u201d (The Lion in the World of Lions). The lion is none other than former tough man Mahinda Rajapaksa. He is fortified by a ring of advisors that includes the former Central Bank Chief, Nivard Cabraal. It is a media<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>conference in Colombo over the subject of the falling rupee. This is where MR, with his customary bluster, announced: \u201cGive the government to us and you will see the solution.\u201dThe video doesn\u2019t give the speech but it does show a hilariously classic cameo of the proceedings where<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>a media guy asks him if he could specify a broad<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>time- frame for solving the crisis as promised.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none; overflow: hidden;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F1804654542891239%2Fvideos%2F942697795936389%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=476\" width=\"476\" height=\"476\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The oral response and the body language of our dear old leader, Mahinda, shows up his vacuous mind when it comes to even basic economics and finance. When the question was posed, Mahinda\u2019s face went into a pale blank. He showed he was clearly out of depth. Turning his back to his former loyal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Nivard+Cabraal\">Nivard Cabraal<\/a>, Mahinda didn\u2019t even seem to have grasped Cabral\u2019s laboured prompt. A long delay for comprehension would have left the audience gasping for breadth, laughing. Hence, Mahinda blurted out an irrelevant response: \u201cAll this rise is due to the present situation,\u201d said he.<\/p>\n<p>Mind you, I am not exaggerating, this is a performance of the former President who, embarrassingly, also held the portfolio of finance over his ten year rule as supremo of Sri Lanka. If Mahinda didn\u2019t know the answer to the question raised he obviously wasn\u2019t serious when he said he would fix the problem if only he was returned his power. Did Mahinda think that this is like fixing a leaking tap or, at higher lever, fixing the indiscipline in our universities. Give a firm decision!<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><b>Stamp your foot and tell Mr Rupee: \u201cNo. You shall not go down!\u201d Or, like Jesus Christ addressing Lazarus, the dead man,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>\u201cRise!\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Not Like Winning the War<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Mahinda Rajapaksa never ever demonstrated any intellectual<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>prowess or studied policy analysis. To be fair by him, he didn\u2019t think such skills as<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>matters for recognition. Mahinda rose to political power while he was basically a Chandiya in politics. He did have amazing luck twice: one, to be the Prime Minister under CBK. Two, to have the war with the LTTE finished during his time. Mahinda and brother Gota claim to have won that war single-handed from their seats in Colombo. However, the moot point is that that had been a ground battle requiring moment to moment lightening decision- making with regard to micro strategy. It was physical and dangerous.\u00a0<b>This being the reality in fighting ground, water, and air battle,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>the line of command can never come all the way from Colombo. That isn\u2019t practical.<\/b> The line of command is short and swift -shooting down from the commanders and majors-starting there and ending in a short line. Besides, the time had been internationally ripe to enable a victory.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Gut Won\u2019t Help<\/b><\/p>\n<p>That is, however, a different story. I gave a brief reference to that in order to explain that the falling rupee cannot depend luck, on sheer bravado or on Chandi guts. It requires day to day study of the overall dimensions and dynamics of a crisis that is global in origins. It requires adjustments of domestic policy. It does demand hard domestic decisions, too, that would cause<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>pain to the people and that places the government\u2019s own popularity at stake in an electorate which would never be able to access this knotty issue. What makes it all worse is that elections are not far away. Probably, Mahinda\u2019s bluster is tuned to the nearness of elections. He is a great populist and he knows how to to duck<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>and to evade when things don\u2019t turn out as promised.<\/p>\n<p><b>Lankan Economy\u2019s Structural Weakness<\/b><\/p>\n<p>A complete difference is observed within the government ranks and particularly with its leader, Prime Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s=Ranil+Wickremesinghe\">Ranil Wickremesinghe<\/a>.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><b>The contrast reflects something vitally different<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>about the quality<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>of these two key leaders of Sri Lanka.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Two days ago, Ranil Wickremesinghe at a public meet in Nattandiya clarified the whole genesis of the currency turmoil in simple language for the Nattanadiya people.<\/p>\n<p>The Prime Minister recognised<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>one fundamental cause as being the <b>weak structure of the Sri Lankan economy. <\/b>This is has been the defining feature over many decades since independence.Sri Lankan economy is an <b>import dependent <\/b>one and a <b>debt economy<\/b> consequent to that.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The result is that the balance of payment has been on deficit, occasionally relieved by foreign remittances. This adverse balance impacts on the rupee. The balance of payment is in deficit<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>due to repeated deficits on the Trade balance. Our trade balance is negative because of our severe import dependence. Nimal Sanderatne, commenting in his column on economics in the <em>Sunday Times<\/em>, states that over the last three years there has been \u201cimpressive growth in exports,\u201d but that that increase has not been sufficient to swallow up the huge import bill that is growing.<\/p>\n<p>The PM did point out how the government has been focussing intently in order to change that structure and build strong foundations.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Developments in US<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>On the other hand, said the PM, what Sri Lanka now faces is the outcome of Donald Trump\u2019s<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>new trade tariff polices with China<\/b>. It is an all out trade war that is going on these days. Trump has imposed tariffs on imports from China after so many years when that great continent piggybacked on the US leniency in order to access US markets at cheap prices. China benefitted more by this and US industry suffered. Now, America is witnessing a kind of resurgence in its economy where domestic investment is on the rise and dollars are flowing in. The Americana dollar has gained in<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>strength.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>This means that other currencies, world over, have to compete with a rising dollar. The US economy being lucrative, <b>capital funds are pulled out by investors from other countries and shifted to the US<\/b>. This means a flow out from Stock Exchanges of small countries like Sri Lanka. Central Bank Governor in a special report gave <b>the statistics of currency depreciation of comparable economies.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Sri Lanka down 8.5 %; India down almost double that to 15.2%; Indonesia to 18%; even China down to 5%. <b>This clearly reflects a trend due to global reason<\/b>s and that reason is the Trump trade policy thus dismissing the claims of government critics that it was all due to financial mismanagement by the yahapalanaya government.<\/p>\n<p>The PM pointed out that one solution was to raise interest rates in order to keep the island economy attractive for foreign investment. But that, he admits, would have other serious consequences within the domestic economy. The Prime Minister has discussed this whole issue studiedly with his<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>own team and before the peoples\u2019 forums. <b>\u201cTrust me,\u201d the PM assures.\u201d I will navigate this problem successfully.\u201d The crisis demands a navigation all right and that demands economic planning. <\/b>Steps have already been taken to curb non-essential imports.<\/p>\n<p>I would rather trust the Prime Minister\u2019s assurance than wait for Mahinda Rajapaksa\u2019s ehi passiko. <b>Economics is Sri Lanka\u2019s central problem and of all our leaders only the UNP and Ranil Wickremesinghe seems to be talking economics. Most other poltical leaders are more concerned with tribal issues.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>How will Ehi Passiko Work?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>How will Mahinda Rajapakse\u2019s Ehi Passiko work? He wouldn\u2019t tell us how he is going to sort this out if people go back to him<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>with the enthusiasm for experiencing the magic at work. The media interview, however, showed only too baldly that Mahinda was bluffing to return to power. Okay let\u2019s try giving it over to him again. The outcome: we won\u2019t get it back again in the foreseeable future. Hung Sen, the dictator in neighbouring Cambodia is there for three decades<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>but there aren\u2019t any signs<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>he is going to relieve his people off his burden. Hung Sen\u2019s<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>brothers and sisters and everybody close are in a tight ruling regime that would require God\u2019s intervention to dislodge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":146092,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,46,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-193808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-constitutional-reforms","category-editorial"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Rupee Crisis: Mahinda Cries, &quot;Ehi Passiko&quot;\u00a0 - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rupee Crisis: Mahinda Cries, &quot;Ehi Passiko&quot;\u00a0 - Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-09-25T11:35:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-09-30T06:05:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Shyamon-Jayasinghe.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"336\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"427\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Shyamon Jayasinghe\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Shyamon Jayasinghe\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/\",\"name\":\"Rupee Crisis: Mahinda Cries, \\\"Ehi Passiko\\\"\u00a0 - Colombo Telegraph\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Shyamon-Jayasinghe.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-09-25T11:35:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-09-30T06:05:55+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3f5730b5b23829cc3a9b4dd778d2ad3a\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Shyamon-Jayasinghe.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Shyamon-Jayasinghe.jpg\",\"width\":336,\"height\":427,\"caption\":\"Shyamon Jayasinghe\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Rupee Crisis: Mahinda Cries, &#8220;Ehi Passiko&#8221;\u00a0\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/\",\"name\":\"Colombo Telegraph\",\"description\":\"In journalism truth is a process\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3f5730b5b23829cc3a9b4dd778d2ad3a\",\"name\":\"Shyamon Jayasinghe\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/528a9f1e72de2de2e850838978ad5299240b64ee194cc76d41bd144b94e322c2?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/528a9f1e72de2de2e850838978ad5299240b64ee194cc76d41bd144b94e322c2?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Shyamon Jayasinghe\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/shyamon\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Rupee Crisis: Mahinda Cries, \"Ehi Passiko\"\u00a0 - Colombo Telegraph","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Rupee Crisis: Mahinda Cries, \"Ehi Passiko\"\u00a0 - Colombo Telegraph","og_description":"[&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/","og_site_name":"Colombo Telegraph","article_published_time":"2018-09-25T11:35:07+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-09-30T06:05:55+00:00","og_image":[{"width":336,"height":427,"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Shyamon-Jayasinghe.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Shyamon Jayasinghe","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Shyamon Jayasinghe","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/","name":"Rupee Crisis: Mahinda Cries, \"Ehi Passiko\"\u00a0 - Colombo Telegraph","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Shyamon-Jayasinghe.jpg","datePublished":"2018-09-25T11:35:07+00:00","dateModified":"2018-09-30T06:05:55+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3f5730b5b23829cc3a9b4dd778d2ad3a"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Shyamon-Jayasinghe.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Shyamon-Jayasinghe.jpg","width":336,"height":427,"caption":"Shyamon Jayasinghe"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/rupee-crisis-mahinda-cries-ehi-passiko\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Rupee Crisis: Mahinda Cries, &#8220;Ehi Passiko&#8221;\u00a0"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/","name":"Colombo Telegraph","description":"In journalism truth is a process","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3f5730b5b23829cc3a9b4dd778d2ad3a","name":"Shyamon Jayasinghe","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/528a9f1e72de2de2e850838978ad5299240b64ee194cc76d41bd144b94e322c2?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/528a9f1e72de2de2e850838978ad5299240b64ee194cc76d41bd144b94e322c2?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Shyamon Jayasinghe"},"url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/author\/shyamon\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Shyamon-Jayasinghe.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=193808"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":193905,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193808\/revisions\/193905"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/146092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=193808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=193808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=193808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}