Friday Forum Urges Govt. To Destroy Millions Of Dollars Worth “Blood Ivory”

Blood ivory seized by the Customs

July 4, 2014 

The Friday Forum has today urged the government to return the millions of dollars worth “Blood Ivory” seized by the Sri Lanka Customs to Kenya or publicly destroy them. “Refusal to take such action will inevitably cast doubts on Sri Lanka’s commitments to biodiversity conservation and its age-old legacy of wildlife protection.” the Friday Forum said.

Issuing a statement the Friday Forum said; “In the last few years confiscated stockpiles of “blood ivory” have been publicly destroyed in several countries including the United States, China, France and Hong Kong to demonstrate their opposition to the illegal trade in ivory and the poaching of elephants.  The Friday Forum calls upon the government to follow these best practices and take similar action to fulfil its legal and ethical obligations under CITES.”                                       Read More

Populism Without Planning

By Rajiva Wijesinha -July 4, 2014 

Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha MP

A Presidency Under Threat – Part 3

Amongst the many complaints against government made by its own Ministers and Members of Parliament who attended the Consultative Committee on Resettlement was one relating to something that has been a constant theme of the opposition. This is that the armed forces are engaging in business at the expense of civilians.

The specific case cited related to entry into joint partnership with a foreign national for the generation of bio-fuels. This seems to me in itself a good idea, and I can understand why the forces have got involved. Over a year ago I urged the Minister of Environment and Renewable Energy to start such activity on a large scale, and he agreed that this was essential. Having served previously as Minister of Petroleum, he was scathing about what he described as the oil mafia, which inhibits such activities. Certainly in COPE we have found ample evidence of what would be culpable carelessness, if not dishonesty, with regard to the import of oil. And the rapid turnover of Chairmen of the Petroleum Corporation, including most recently one of the most able and honest of Civil Servants, Tilak Collure, suggests the enormous power of this mafia.Read More