By
Upul Joseph Fernando
Subsequent to his defeat his first trip abroad was to Thailand. However, Mahinda had thought he could make his first overseas trip subsequent to his defeat to China. He had even set aside the dates for that trip, but he did not receive an invitation to tour China. From the day Mahinda was defeated, he showed the country that Sri Lanka cannot be developed without the help of China and that he was the only one who could get Chinese assistance.
Mahinda pointed out that, the present Maithri-Ranil Government cannot win over China and that development projects being implemented in Sri Lanka will not move forward without the assistance from China. However, during Ranil’s visit to China, the Chinese President told the Sri Lankan delegation including Ranil that China provides assistance to foreign countries not based on individuals, but on policies. We do not know whether this statement of the Chinese President targeted Mahinda or not.
However, some people say that this was a blow to Mahinda’s ear who said that China is still in his pocket. It is possible that the President of China would have wanted to convey the message that he is providing assistance to the people of Sri Lanka and to clear the doubt within the Maithri-Ranil Government that China has close ties only with the Rajapaksas.
Although it has been publicized that the ties between the Maithri-Ranil Government and China were brought about by a PR Company in Hong Kong, the person who is behind this endeavour, it has been revealed is an Economic Expert in Singapore. Ranil decided to obtain advice from Economic Experts in Singapore during the initial stages when he came into power. He would have followed his Uncle JR’s policies.
As soon as JR came to power in 1977, he sought the advice of Singapore’s then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. He mentions this attempt thus in his book From Third World to First. “He then discusses the period of President J.R. Jayewardene from 1977. He says, like some of his predecessors, Jayewardene was born a Christian, converted to Buddhism and embraced nativism to identify himself with the people. Jayewardene wanted to move away from Sri Lanka’s socialist policies that had bankrupted it. Lee, impressed by Jayewardene’s practical approach was persuaded to once again visit Sri Lanka in April 1978.
Lee however had not seen the urgent need for an airline project which Jayewardene believed was a symbol of progress. Lee had advised that an airline should not be a priority because it required too many talented and good administrators to get it off the ground when they were more needed for irrigation, agriculture, housing, industrial promotion and development and so many other projects.
A glamour project
An airline was a glamour project, not of great value for a developing Sri Lanka. But due to President Jayewardene’s insistence, Singapore had helped to launch it in six months. Lee, states that it was the decision of the former Singapore Airline’s employed Sri Lankan Pilot who was at the time the Chairman of the new airline to buy two second-hand aircraft against their advice that led them to withdraw their assistance and support. Lee states, faced with a five-fold expansion of capacity, negative cash flow, lack of trained staff, unreliable services and insufficient passengers, it was bound to fail. And it did”.
Ranil made Arjuna Mahendran who was an expert in the field of banking in Singapore his economic adviser and Governor of the Central Bank. At the same time, honouring Lee Kuan Yew in Parliament when his death was reported, Ranil said that China changed subsequent to then Chinese Leader Deng Hsiao Ping’s visit to Singapore. He said further that Deng Hsiao Ping followed Lee Kuan Yew and that JR followed Lee Kuan Yew in establishing a free market economy.
There is an opinion that Ranil’s Government, which viewed China with suspicion during the first year after they came into power, it is possible, required China based on the advice received from economic experts of Singapore. Paskaralingam who is an economic adviser of Ranil’s Government, similar to Arjuna Mahendran is an official who received training in Singapore when he was under Premadasa. When Premadasa was Prime Minister and President he was in the habit of sending officials to Singapore for training. During the time Premadasa was Minister of Housing, Paskaralingam was Secretary to that Ministry and at the time Premadasa became President he was appointed as Secretary to the Ministry of Finance.
Ranil obtained advice from Singapore not only to build up the economy, but to establish the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He was friends with Singapore from the time he was a Minister in the JR Government. Professor Rohan Gunaratne who is at a university in Singapore, has said that, Lee Kuan Yew personally knew Ranil and appreciated his talents. Rohan has also said that when he met Lee Kuan Yew, he had spoken to him about Ranil.
Lee Kuan Yew was not too fond of Mahinda. He had criticized the style of administration of Mahinda during a media discussion. However, Lee Kuan Yew’s son had close ties with Mahinda’s Government. When Mahinda declared a sudden presidential election, many discussions of the Opposition regarding a Common Opposition Candidate were held in Singapore. Mahinda’s colleagues said in public that those who left the government and joined Maithri to assist him went to Singapore and returned after obtaining money. The Government of Singapore was not aware of the discussions of the Sri Lankan Opposition, regarding a common candidate, which were held there. However, it is no secret that America uses Singapore for their operations in Asia.
Courtesy:Ceylon Today