Has Sri Lanka learned from past mistakes?

The Government assured that there wouldn’t be any hiccups when they assume power. They mocked former governments during times of crisis but today, they are facing the brutal reality.  

It seems like Sri Lanka has a habit of repeating past mistakes, either intentionally or otherwise. Perhaps the Government wasn’t ready for a global conflict to affect its fuel supplies. Perhaps the Government thought they could negotiate obtaining fuel from other countries. But the rapid progression of the conflict has now thrown Sri Lanka towards another pandemic-like period. This is why it is important to prepare ahead of times, now that we depend on other countries for many of our domestic supplies.

On the other hand, speculation is rife about prolonged power cuts due to the alleged procurement of substandard coal. While the Government has denied these claims and have said that the shortage of diesel may not result in power cuts, one can only hope that it may not so happen. But the reality is different. It took only a matter of days after President Dissanayake assured that there’s fuel sufficient for two months for people to queue up to obtain their quota of fuel. People are already frustrated as they have to languish in queues once again. From receiving frequent error messages when registering for the fuel pass to fuel stations not issuing fuel as expected, there’s so much that the common man has to go through during a sudden crisis of this nature. 

The Government can no longer blame a global conflict for this crisis even though it is one reason. The Government assured that there wouldn’t be any hiccups when they assume power. They mocked former governments during times of crisis but today, they are facing the brutal reality. So rather than talking, it’s important to walk the talk. 

The first citizen appearing on television to request people not to panic are old strategies that could no longer earn people’s trust. They very well know the routine flow of reasoning that ends up with ‘the situation is being controlled.’ Now, fuel will be issued based on the last digit of the chassis number on odd and even days. 

Apart from the crisis unfolding on land, the Government needs to take a closer look at the sinking of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena. Days after the attack, an oil patch appeared off the coast of Hikkaduwa, raising concerns about possible environmental damage from the ship. However, the Marine Environmental Protection Agency (MEPA), Sri Lanka Coast Guard and other stakeholders deployed their teams to clean the oil spill immediately after it was reported. The authorities claimed that it was lubricant and not bunker oil from the Iranian warship while drawing links to debris including oil barrels that had washed ashore. According to MEPA, over 400 ships travel through the East-West trade route, passing Sri Lanka daily. Therefore it is important that our high seas and shoreline are being protected. 

Sri Lanka needs to learn from past experiences. It took many years for lawyers litigating against the MV X-press Pearl case to obtain compensation. While the amount has been subject to debate, the Supreme Court declared that the polluters are obliged to pay compensation under the ‘Polluter Pays Principle’. Sri Lanka needs to stand firm in its commitment to protect its waters. Already there’s geopolitical pressure but our Exclusive Economic Zone and territorial waters need to be protected. There’s shouldn’t be room for any super power to bring a war to our backyard and getaway with it. Some might think that its impossible to hold a super power accountable for polluting our shores but that is perhaps the right way of doing things if we really care about our environment. 

Sri Lanka is home to blue whales, dolphins and other marine species that roam around in its waters. They also attract the much needed tourism revenue. The corals off Hikkaduwa, seashores dominated by turtles for nesting, pristine beaches frequented by tourists for surfing, snorkeling and other leisure activities are assets that simply cannot be compromised because of a global conflict. Therefore, the Government’s topmost priority should be to protect its people, the land and its waters.

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