The Contrary Asians: The
Japanese and the Sinhalese
Is Sri Lanka a part of Asia or the OAU?By C.
A. Chandraprema
Today, everybody is talking about the rise of Asia as a powerful new economic
block. Samuel Huntington, in his widely read book "The Clash of Civilisations and the
Remaking of the World Order" has categorised the rise of Asia as the most significant
change in the world order in the second half of the twentieth century. According to him,
the rise of Asia has led to a corresponding diminution of the influence of the West.
Within the next one or two decades, the undisputed hegemony of the West will be ended and
Asia, along with the West, will be sharing economic predominance in the world. A host of
authors like John Naisbitt and Jim Rohwer have examined the rise of the new Asia and this
point needs no further elaboration. Japan already is the world’s second largest
economy and within the next two decades, China is tipped to become the world’s
largest economy outstripping even the economic might of the United States. India, the
sleeping giant has woken up at last and is developing at a rapid pace. For almost two
decades now the Indian economy has grown at a rate significantly higher than that of Sri
Lanka and is still growing. Then of course, we have the countries of South East Asia which
have enjoyed high growth for decades, the financial crisis of October 1998 being a very
temporary setback.
When the Sunday Times belatedly reviewed my 1997 book ‘Kolapata Samajaya’ it
crowed that events had proved me wrong and that the capitalist development in the East and
South East Asian countries had collapsed with the crisis of October 1998. But those
economies have since rebounded and the carnival continues... In any event, the whole of
Asia, including even formerly ‘sick giants’ like India and ‘write
offs’ like Bangladesh are getting somewhere. According to Samuel Huntington, even as
late as around 1750, China was responsible for fully one third of the World’s
product, and the Indian sub-continent for another one quarter of the world’s product.
In those days, China and India were the world’s largest economies. Now the cycle
seems to be coming around full circle and China and India along with a whole host of
smaller Asian states are poised to regain their former position.
This begs the question, where does Sri Lanka stand in all this? Sri Lanka too is an
Asian country and if the whole of Asia is rising once again to its former glory, it
follows that we too should be getting somewhere... Yet, nobody in today’s Sri Lanka
seems to be thinking in such terms. In Sri Lanka today, people think only of survival -
economic and physical - and the so called rise of a new Asia might as well be taking place
on another planet. It would have been noticed that the American Centre library in Colombo
has virtually ceased operations and that the British Council library is now apparently
concentrating on English language education. After the end of the cold war, the Western
powers seem to have lost interest in educating and ‘indoctrinating’ the
‘free world’. Indeed it would appear that the main interest of the Western
powers now is to be free of the burden of having to feed and maintain the "free
world". Coupled to this sort of post cold war blues is also the feeling among Western
countries that Asia is becoming more and more prosperous and that therefore, there was no
longer any need to either indoctrinate or feed Asia. Indeed nothing underscores the fact
that Asia is on the ascendant more than the fact that Asian countries have replaced
Western powers as donors and investors in Sri Lanka. Japan is the largest donor country
and South Korea is the largest foreign investor in Sri Lanka. Virtually everybody in Asia
appears to be getting somewhere these days except Sri Lanka. Given Sri Lanka’s dismal
record, today, we are more akin to one of those dead beat nations in Africa rather than an
Asian country in the so called "Asian Century".
This country has been in a politically induced economic slump since the SLFP (of bitter
economic memory) came back into power in August 1994. Furthermore, mismanagement in the
national security sphere has brought things to a crisis point in this country. Surviving
economically in the face of a stagnant economy and keeping life and limb safe in the face
of uncontrolled countrywide terrorist activity has led to a situation where asking where
Sri Lanka stands in the new Asia would seem very abstract and academic. Even as I embark
on this series of articles, I am painfully aware of this rather inhospitable ground
situation. However, the present situation itself posits a good opportunity to ask
ourselves why we happen to find ourselves in this position. There has to be some reason
for this. It is in that context that I present this comparative study of the Japanese and
the Sinhalese. The Japanese on the one hand are the most successful Asians. They were the
first country outside the Western block to rival or surpass the West. Sri Lanka in
contrast, from the time the guiding hand of the British was removed, has slid back
steadily to the position where mere physical survival is considered an achievement.
Despite the dismal ground situation, we must understand that neither SLFP style rule
nor LTTE style terrorism are permanent conditions of our existence. The LTTE is rapidly
getting outmoded in the modern world. In a situation where political borders are being
dismantled or rendered irrelevant, the LTTE is fighting tooth and nail to construct new
political borders. Moreover their methods, which might have been considered
‘politically expedient’ in the 1970’s is now being found increasingly
intolerable by a world which has moved away from politics to economics. If the LTTE is not
felled first by failure, then they will be felled by their success as neither India nor
the Western powers appear to want an unpredictable terrorist state in South Asia. And as
for the SLFP, despite their considerable political skills, they will have to reap the
consequences of gross mismanagement if not sooner then at least later! Hence we must not
allow the currently applicable ground situation to cloud the long term view. The fact is
that when the dust finally clears on the present situation, we will still be left holding
on to the question whether Sri Lanka is going to become a part of the new Asia or whether
we are going to apply to join the Organisation of African States!
Japan and Sri Lanka represent the two extremes in Asia. One unbelievably successful and
the other unbelievably unsuccessful. Outsiders look at both countries and ask "How
did they manage to do it?" In Sri Lanka’s case, it was one of the most promising
countries in Asia with a relatively high standard of living at the time the British left.
But in little more than a decade of independence, we were reduced to begging from the
international community and since that time, Sri Lanka has become one of the liabilities
in Asia. Asia may be rising, but Sri Lanka is not. Why? Why is Sri Lanka different? This
is the point I wish to examine in this series of articles. Some may consider it ridiculous
to compare Sri Lanka and Japan. The difference between these two countries would appear to
be too great. They might ask me why I did not try to compare India and Sri Lanka for
instance. But India and Sri Lanka are too much alike to compare. Nothing much can be
learnt from such a comparison.
Japan and Sri Lanka are ideal for comparison precisely because they are so different.
In terms of economic achievement, Japan and Sri Lanka are completely different, but in
certain fundamentals, they are remarkably alike. Japan and Sri Lanka are both island
states located at the two extremities of Asia. Both obtained their civilising elements
from the neighbouring continental super-states. Thus Sri Lanka has a culture derived from
India and Japan has a civilisation derived from China. Both have some form of Buddhism as
the religion of the majority of their people. Japan is about six times the size of Sri
Lanka and has roughly about six times the population. Above all, both countries are very
poor in natural resources and Japan, like Sri Lanka, has only soil, water and people. Both
Japan and Sri Lanka do not have resources of fossil fuels and minerals. In fact in terms
of natural resources endowment, Japan and Sri Lanka are almost identical. Japan’s
wealth is not based on any availability of natural resources. Many of the poorest African
states would be much richer than Japan in terms of natural resources. This is why a
comparative study of the Japanese and the Sinhalese will be so illuminating. (Please refer
to the end of this article) A comparative study of say, Sri Lanka and Malaysia will be
skewed because Malaysia is infinitely better endowed with natural resources than Sri
Lanka. On the question of economic development, the availability or otherwise of natural
resources is a factor that has to be taken into account as a matter of priority. In
comparing Japan and Sri Lanka, this crucial factor does not tilt or distort the balance.
Thus this comparison between the Japanese and the Sinhalese will be a completely
unencumbered comparison of the HUMAN MATERIAL of these two nations.
The very similarity of Japan and Sri Lanka in terms of natural resource endowment,
levels the ground for a comparative study. Japan is today, Sri Lanka’s premier donor
country. Yet Japan has nothing that Sri Lanka does not have. Japan became a donor country
not only to Sri Lanka but to the entire world with nothing more than what Sri Lanka had to
start with. If that is so, how are they at the top and we at the bottom? In this series of
articles I wish to do a historical and social analysis of exactly why this anomaly has
taken place. The idea that Sri Lanka’s present plight is due to the war and that once
the war ends, Sri Lanka will automatically zoom ahead is fallacious. During the first
thirty years of independence, from 1948 to 1977, there was no war at all, but the country
deteriorated nevertheless. Even when there was peace this country made no progress, and
the most drastic economic decline was experienced precisely during this period of peace!
And it can be shown conclusively that it was the economic decline during this first thirty
years of peace which led to civil war and terrorism... Ironically Sri Lanka’s period
of progress from 1977 onwards, coincided with the onset of the war but it was a case of
too little, coming too late. Extraneous reasons have little to do with Sri Lanka’s
fall in the post independence period. The factors which militate against the development
of this country have to do with the people’s attitude towards matters relating to
economic development. Which is why I think this study of the Japanese vis-a-vis the
Sinhalese will be of interest to the reader.
I dare say that just as it would be very informative for the Sinhalese to study the
Japanese, it would be equally useful for the Japanese to study the Sinhalese. We should
study the Japanese in order to find out what we should aspire to be. The Japanese should
study the Sinhalese to see what they should NOT become. What any visitor to Japan will
notice is that there appears to be a vast gap in the way of thinking between the older
generation of Japanese who are above fifty and the younger generation of Japanese below
forty. Japan rose in the world under the generation that is now 50 or more. The forties
and under, enjoyed the prosperity thus created. The biggest danger Japan faces today is
the change in the way of thinking of its pampered and cynical younger generation. It will
be noticed that in the United States, the way of thinking that made the USA great is still
very much alive, and is what is fuelling America’s continued leadership role in the
world. In Japan too, the way of thinking that fuelled Japan’s meteoric rise in the
world continued more or less unchanged for over a hundred years from the mid nineteenth
century when Japan was opened up to the outside world after two centuries of feudal
isolation and the decade of the 1970, when Japan joined the ranks of the world’s
economic powers. The same attitude towards life drove successive generations of Japanese
for about a hundred and twenty years to make Japan what it is today. But since the
eighties and nineties, there has been a visible change in the way of thinking of the
younger generation. Of course, once a country has reached the top, some kind of change in
the attitudes of the people has to be expected. As such, Japan is now in a phase of
transition.
Since Japan has entered that phase of transition, I can recommend that Japanese social
thinkers, journalists and politicians and other opinion leaders in Japanese society should
interest themselves in "Sinhalese Studies". (As of now, few Japanese know
anything about Sri Lanka other than that we produce tea!) If the Japanese younger
generation i.e., high school students and university students are given seminars on
Sinhalese history, and are given guided tours of Sri Lanka, many of them will undoubtedly
go away with a much improved view of what they are, who they are; and the value of the
Japanese way of thinking. In the 1970’s (or a little earlier) when Japan was on top
of the world, there arose in Japan a body of literature called the "Nihonjinron"
which was in effect a narcissistic and triumphalistic examination of why the Japanese were
so great. But since the great crash of 1990 and the subsequent ten years of economic
stagnation, one does not hear of this "Nihonjinron" literature anymore. Thus
narcissism has given way to the depths of despair... The economic stagnation of the past
ten years is also probably a contributory factor for the change in attitudes of the
younger generation. Because of the economic stagnation, the younger generation is
sceptical about their parent’s way of thinking and its efficacy. Be that as it may,
the main challenge facing the Japanese people today is to find their ideological bearings
in their new situation.
If it is a question of making the Japanese younger generation aware of what their
country has achieved, and the merits and demerits of the way of thinking that drove Japan
onward from the mid nineteenth century to the 1970’s, then I can recommend nothing
better than "Sinhalese Studies". One of the contributory factors for the current
despondency in Japan is that they tend to compare themselves to the USA and find that
however fast they run, they do not seem to be able to make it to American levels... Given
the present situation of economic stagnation, to compare themselves to the USA will only
lead to more stress and despondency. Even comparing themselves with China will cause
despondency as China is tipped to become the world’s largest economy within the next
two decades thus overtaking Japan as an economic power. Upto now, the Japanese have always
compared themselves against various Western powers. I do not know of a single instance of
a Japanese scholar trying to look at Japan as against a completely different type of
country. While comparing like with like, can be useful to propel a country forward, once a
country has reached the top it might be more useful to look at that achievement against a
completely different background. Thus "Sinhalese Studies" will be most
appropriate because fifty or more years ago, Sri Lanka was not so far behind Japan in
terms of living standards and was one of the more prosperous countries in Asia. Today that
same Sri Lanka is Asia’s most spectacular failure... Thus for the Japanese,
"Sinhalese Studies" will be a study of its opposite number in Asia...
In making this analysis, I wish to restrict myself to analysing only the Sinhalese from
the Sri Lanka side. Even though Japan is made up only of Japanese, Sri Lanka is a polyglot
country with significant Tamil and Muslim minorities in addition to the majority
Sinhalese. However, the attitudinal difference between say a Sinhalese and a Sri Lankan
Muslim would be almost as great as that between a Filipino and a Chinese and therefore, an
overarching analyses of "Sri Lanka" vs. Japan is not possible. In any event, the
Sinhalse are the majority community in this country and there will be no progress unless
the Sinhalese are prepared for it. Finally, there is also the practical consideration that
the Tamil and Muslim communities are not my turf. I leave the Tamils to my good friend
D.P.Sivaram and the Muslims to Quadri Ismail. I had originally planned to publish articles
on the Japanese and the Sinhalese alternately each week so that the reader could note the
contrasts. But it turned out that this is not possible because of the way the material
happens to be organised. Hence I am compelled to publish this series in two distinctive
parts, the first dealing with Japan exclusively and the second part dealing with the
Sinhalese.
(To be continued on Wednesday)
Between the lines
Musharraf sitting pretty
By Kuldip Nayar
Dictators, almost by definition, are afraid to allow free play of press opinion.
It is, however, strange that General Pervez Musharraf, who took over Pakistan in a
military coup, has not muzzled the press. Even a short visit to the country shows that
newspapers and journals are savage in their criticism of the regime.
"We are not pressurised even through advertisements which the earlier rulers used
as a reward or punishment," said an editor of a leading daily of Lahore. "The
import duty on the newsprint has been reduced, although the government is suffering
economic hardship."
One reason for the press freedom can be that it serves as a catharsis for the pent-up
emotions of the people. There is no other medium of expression like a public meeting. The
opinion ventilated by the press is not followed up. Political parties are there. But they
have no room to activise their workers to take up an issue.
A political commentator at Islamabad has another explanation.: "The army has
realised that we are only paper tigers. It matters little what we say so long as we are
not inciting people to come on the streets." He is probably right but relentless
criticism can begin to build up an atmosphere of defiance.
There is, however, no such evidence even after nine months of Musharrafs’ rule.
Officials support cite the reports by the monitoring units established throughout Pakistan
at the city and district levels. They have reported that the press criticism has not
fomented discontentment. "They can shout to their heart’s content. It will not
make any difference," says a Pakistani insider.
How long this claim will hold good is difficult to say. But there is no doubt that the
Musharraf regime does not face any challenge, either from within the army or from
politicians. The top brass which rules the country is a well-knit unit, conscious of the
fact that another coup would only spread the impession that they were hungry for power,
not determined to "clean up the government," as was the declaration art the time
of take-over.
As for politicians, Musharraf has himself started talking to them to find "a
consensus on reforms" to effect better governance. But there is no compulsion for him
to do so. Leaders of the National Assembly and the Senate, comprising Pakistan’s
parliament, readily admit it.
Musharraf’s advantage is that the faces of politicians are so smeared with
corruption and non-performance that the public has come to feel that the armed forces are
their only saviours. And, as one finds after talking to people from different walks of
life, the public generally wants to give them ample time to clean up "the mess
created by the politicians."
The resentment against the politicians must be deep because the non-performance by the
Musharraf government is what stares you in the face. I was in Pakistan four months ago.
Even at that time the promise to improve the lot of the people was as loud as I found a
few days ago. But when you come to concretise the achievements, there are hardly any.
Compared to India, the price of essential commodities is high. Wheat is selling at Rs. 12
a kilo rice at Rs. 28 and bananas at Rs. 30 a dozen.
More burdens have been heaped on the common Pakistani. There are fresh imposts on the
land. Holdings up to 10 acres were free of any revenue but the dragnet has been spread to
include anything above five now. The happy news in the countryside is that there has been
a bumper crop of wheat, rice and cotton. So, hardships on the other counts may get
lessened. But the new imposts are creating murmurs.
The most articulate critics of Musharraf interpret whatever little murmur there is in
the country as the beginning of protest. But even they have to concede: "The regime
will go on and there is nothing to dislodge it." It appears to be true. Even if one
were to take into account of the Supreme Court’s pronouncement of the three-year
limit for fresh elections, Musharraf has still a little more than two years to go.
"I shall definitely quit then (by 2003) and not seek any post," he said at
the last session of a South-Asia media conference. But he added that he might not be able
to finish doing all that he had in mind. His Information Minister Javid Jaffar confirms
the deadline, although he says that they may cross it by a few more weeks.
People in Pakistan seem to have generally accepted the time limit. They probably
realise that what Musharraf’s critics cal "the nightmare" may not be over
before that. Politicians too are reconciled to that. But some industrialists and
businessmen say that "things cannot go on like this because the economic crisis is
gradually building up."
Their warning may have some weight. But the country does not look like caving in.
Stores are as crowded as before. The US dollar has not appreciated after the army
take-over, the exchange rate is still around Rs. 55 to the dollar. Inflation is more or
less the same, less than five per cent.
There seems to be a belief in every quarter that America will not allow Pakistan to go
down. "We shall be kept on a drip," says a Pakistan economist, "but we
would not be allowed to die." The International Monetary Fund is expected to give
money after its meeting with Islamabad later in the month.
"If there could be trade with New Delhi" is one remark which you hear at
every party or discussion. There is also an element of envy that India has gone ahead so
well. But there is also realisation that the access to Indian markets is a long cry.
But from wherever you begin a discussion, it ends with Kashmir. Over the years, even
those who were sitting on the sideline have been sucked in. It is an obsession but it is
there, something which cannot be diluted or washed away. No solution is being offered
except at times a suggestion that it should be left to the people of Kashmir. And even the
third option, independence, is not ruled out.
Musharraf was asked pointblank by an Indian journalist whether he would support the
demand for independence. He said he had left the choice to the people of Kashmir. He did
not reject the concept of independence, as Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, the two former
Prime Ministers of Pakistan, had done.
But, even while sticking to his position on Kashmir, he sounded like a person who very
much wanted to have talks with India. He seemed keen to reach New Delhi through Indian
journalists. Musharraf comes out as a blunt person who wears heart on his sleeves. For a
head of state, he is too forthcoming. Discretion or cautious use of words would make him
more acceptable. But, as he puts it, that the confidential reports during his army career
have one thing in common: too articulate.
Musharraf too refers to Kashmir whenever he addresses any meeting. He is willing to
discuss other peripheral issues, he says. But Kashmir is a must. It is as if he is trying
to convey that Kashmir is giving Pakistan its ethos. His single-minded focus on Kashmir
may also be one reason why he has no challenge. When it comes to Kashmir, the Pakistanis
have no ranks, no differences, no separate voices.
Popular wild
jumbo showcase at Giritale-Minneriya
By Derrick Schokman
Along the Habarana-Polonnaruwa road is the Minneriya-Giritale sanctuary around
the two ancient irrigation reservoirs or so called "tanks" of the same name.
The two "tanks" are separated by a patch of forest. Large open grasslands
border the "tanks", specially during the dry season from June to September when
the water recedes.
Birds of all kinds are seen there preening themselves, or more importantly engaged in
fishing.
There appears to be an abundant supply of fish in the "tanks". So much so
that farmers too, deprived of their main occupation for a lack of water, turn to fishing
during the dry season.
They put up temporary shelters or wadiyas from which they operate.
They smoke some of the fish they catch for their own use. The bulk of the catch is
bought by middlemen and marketed in western coastal towns.
Stars
The stars of this very scenic spot in an otherwise bleak dry zone during the drought
are the wild elephants.
Attracted by the grasslands they come down from the tree line and spend many hours on
the banks of the "tanks".
Small herds often join up to form large clans varying in number from 30 to over 100,
comprised of calves, sub adults, adult males and females and a sprinkling of tuskers.
Consequently the Habarana-Polonnaruwa region has become an area of high activity with
tourists being taken to this elephant showcase.
High powered cars, vans and buses whiz along the road, hard pressed to keep to their
travel time schedules.
Difference
What a difference to 50 years ago when I was in my salad days as an officer in the
Department of Agriculture.
We had to use this road quite often on the way to the Hingurakgoda Paddy Station in
Polonnaruwa from the Pelwehera Farm (Dambulla) and the Research Station at Maha
Illuppallama.
At that time this region was wonderfully unspoiled. Vehicular traffic was at a minimum,
the atmosphere virtually clear of the pollution caused by petrol and diesel fumes. There
were no sili-sili bags, empty water bottles and other tourist debris spread around.
There were also no fishermen living in wadiyas, burning the grass and adding to the
tourist debris, because at that time tilapia and carp had not yet been introduced to the
"tanks".
There were plenty of wild elephants, but they were not so obvious. We had to go looking
for them — the majestic Somawathie herd and the vil-ali or marsh elephants of
Tamankaduwa.
Singleton bull
There was however one wild elephant, who we could rely on to make his presence felt
throughout the year, on the Polonnaruwa-Habarana road, four miles from Habarana.
He was singleton bull, a massive specimen who would come out to feed more or less at
the same place by the roadside at dusk.
"If you leave him alone he will leave you alone". That was the advice
travellers on that road were given.
I cannot remember anyone having been hurt or killed by that animal. But I still feel
cold when I think of the scare he once gave me.
Returning at dusk one day from Hingurakgoda paddy station with a brother officer riding
pillion on my motor cycle, we stopped by the roadside to stretch our limbs and enjoy a
smoke.
The heavy stillness of approaching night was only broken by the occasional screeching
of monkeys, hurling insults at one another as they retired for the night.
We had momentarily forgotten the "Habarana Bull", but were soon reminded of
his presence when we heard the sound of breaking branches, and looking up saw the monster
opposite us on the other side of the road.
He had stopped breaking branches and was now staring straight at us. He then lifted his
trunk and trumpeted.
Was this to be our fate, our destiny to be trampled on by five or more tons of grey
bulk?
Fortunately for us the last bus from Polonnaruwa came to our rescue. Rounding a corner
it sounded its horn.
The harsh sound in the still evening air had us almost jumping out of our skins. It
also startled the big bull, who turned and crashed through the forest.
The bus snorted its way past us, quite unaware of the drama it had just shattered.
It was a tin-can of a vehicle pretending to be a bus, but in our thankful eyes it took
on an ethereal look before it disappeared in the gathering gloom.
India water
policy to aim for private sector role
NEW DELHI, July 7 (Reuters) - India, facing the challenge of providing
adequate water for its one billion citizens, aims to involve the private sector in a new
water policy under formulation, government officials said on Friday.
Water Resources Minister Arjun Charan Sethi told a meeting of the National Water
Resources Council, a top policy-making body that includes state chief ministers and
federal government ministers, that the policy also aimed to boost community participation
in water management.
The council met in New Delhi to discuss a draft of the policy which would set the
ground for government action, which is considered urgent in view of environmental
challenges on the one hand and a poor spread of public water supply.
"One of the major challenges of the future will be to meet the demands of an
expanding economy and increasing population for water," Prime Minister Atal Behari
Vajpayee said in his inaugural speech.
The World Bank, which has been working closely with the Indian government, said in a
statement on Friday that more than 75 percent of India’s rural population, accounting
for some 520 million people, do not have access to public water supply.
Groundwater, which faces problems of depletion, supplies 80 percent of water for
domestic use in rural areas and perhaps 50 percent for urban and industrial uses, it said.
Vajpayee said success in solving India’s water problems would depend on building a
comprehensive information system on water resources, a mechanism for integrated
development and management of river basins and inter-state agreements on river water
sharing.
GROUNDWATER RECHARGE CRUCIAL
India’s economy has been growing at between six and seven percent on an average
since beginning an economic reform programme in 1991.
Junior Water Resources Minister Bijoya Chakravarty told the meeting that the annual
water requirement was likely to rise to 1,050 billion cubic million metres by 2025 from
the current 750 billion cubic million metres.
She said methods like ground water recharge, creation of surface water storages,
prevention of evaporation losses in reservoirs, renovation of tanks , de-salination of
saline water and rain water harvesting needed to be implemented vigorously.
She also called for a rational water pricing policy — usually a term that calls
for viable prices to check waste and encourage investments.
The World Bank said India needs to develop mechanisms to allocate scarce water
resources between competing uses like irrigation, rapidly expanding domestic and
industrial needs, hydroelectricity and environmental requirements.
State governments in India often fight for control of river water, with lower riparian
states often at loggerheads with states from which river waters enter their state.
In urban water supply, the World Bank said one of its reports recommended rational
tariffs, commercialisation or privatisation of water supply bodies and reform of financing
systems to enable direct financial market access for local authorities.
Point of View
Ports - Colombo hides the fall - Salelah Exhibits the rise
A mysterious censorship appears to have been clamped down on Colombo Port performance.
Port statistics up to April reveal a most disturbing decline in trans shipment volumes by
-8.2%. This was highlighted by Chairman, CASA at the annual meeting held on 28. 06. 2000.
Covering up the failure by the Ports Authority. even to maintain the achievements
during 1980’s is not a solution. Furthermore transparency by public sector
institutions is a must, in the interest of the Government itself. We do not believe that
the unofficial censorship has been imposed with the Parliamentary elections in view.
However like the official censorship, unofficial censorship of non military and non
security matters is regrettable. It denies the public, particularly port users, the right
to know the facts.
CASA at a meeting with S.L.P.A. management on 05.07. 2000 has protested strongly
against the censorship. Anyhow we managed to get the depressing statistics. During Jan -
May 2000 transshipment volumes have fallen to 464,382 TEU’s from 491,611 TEU’s
or -5.5%.
While Colombo Port is hiding the figures, Salalah Port authorities are proudly
publishing their success. The projected throughput for the year 2000 is one million
containers according to their Chief Executive Jack Helton. Port capacity reached 1.2
million containers during this year and wil1 reach 2 million containers by the year 2001.
Salalah Port Authority is now improving the infrastructure to handle container vessels
of 10,000 - 12,000 TEU capacity. The port already has the required depth and in April took
delivery of the 3 largest gantry cranes in the world. The port has been in operation for
just 18 months and yet it can match both Singapore and Dubai in productivity terms.
Salalah Port Authority (SPS) is also pressing ahead with the development of a free
trade zone next door to the port, with the aim of generating additional volumes of
outbound cargo.
In 1999 other Middle Eastern ports competing with Colombo, handled the following
volumes:
In India the Minister in charge of Shipping and Ports, announced a plan to attract USD
910 million of private and public sector investments in the next two years for the
development of ports. This announcement follows an amendment of the major Port Trusts Act
which allows major ports to enter into joint ventures with Indian minor ports Foreign
ports and domestic and foreign companies. The Minister said, the major port‘s primary
objective will be to form joint ventures with domestic companies, such as Indian Oil
Corporation.
He emphasized that Joint ventures with foreign ports will be the last priority and any
such tie-ups would be through government to government agreement. In any joint venture a
major Indian port is required to have a minimum of 26% equity.
Indian Ministry has asked all the major ports to give priority berthing to coastal
vessels. Port Trust have also been asked not to levy priority berthing charges on coastal
vesse1s.
Sri Lanka is one of the very few countries which has denied any concession to Sri
Lankan National Shipping Lines," providing either coastal services or main line liner
services. Owing to the present security situation owners of coastal shipping lines are
required to bear additional expenditure on war risk insurance, as well as on payment of
double wages to the crew. As is well known, LTTE terrorists attacked a merchant vessel
recently and five members of the crew including the Chief Officer are missing. Yet there
is not a word of sympathy from the authorities for those civilian sailors, or appreciation
of the other 22 who escaped by jumping in to the sea. These are the sailors who help the
Government to maintain the only life line to over 400,000 Tamils living in the North.
Hanuman |
