The Covid-19 pandemic war is in its peak and there is no option but to win it sooner or later depending on the world situation.
The President and the Government has taken all possible endeavours using the political and personal goodwill with world leaders to find vaccines which is the need of the hour and the response from the world leaders have been satisfactory such as from Japan China, and the USA.
Difficulties
Japan has sent positive signs of assistance which is the main need of the hour. Things are changing fast and the countries won against the Covid-19 pandemic are facing difficulties again and the good news is that Sri Lanka is now doing comparatively well.
China has delivered to Sri Lanka 3.1 million doses to be followed by another 10.9 million in addition to pledges from many friendly nations.
We won the first wave comfortably but there are lessons to be learnt from the second and third.
Today the death toll according to media is dwindling gradually with hopes that it will be reduced further helped with the prevailing restrictions and health guidelines.
The world is bound to go through Covid-19 agony more than expected while in the UK the partial lock down has been extended till July with further restrictions as is the case in Sri Lanka out of necessity.
The good news is that steps are being taken to centralise the system soon and also the number of cases is gradually decreasing.
Sri Lanka that won the first wave though not satisfactory and it is our duty to look be more careful until a solution is found.
But the fact remains that the solution is within our scope and it is our duty to go back to basics being careful not to permit the unseen, dangerous, uncontrollable virus to visit us and live free in the system due to our carelessness.
The second and third waves of the covid-19 is getting worse day after day with near 300,000 suspected cases and considerable amount of deaths.
We do not produce vaccines in Sri Lanka and must depend on friendly countries for stocks based on good will along with international relations.
It is noted that it is time for us to make orders with proper procedures based on expert advice by scientist’s not administrative officers, however, senior they may be.
To combat the enemy we must have a vision while giving due credit to the Army commander and the forces on their excellent performances although it is outside their ordinary mandate.
In Sri Lanka the vaccine is provided free to the people when Pakistan has initiated to sell it to those who could afford it.
This is a good move since those who could afford it can purchase the vaccine and thereby reduce the burden on the Government that is going through an economic hardship at the moment.
It is said that there is a vaccine shortage in the world due to the fast spread of the pandemic, and it is a good move that we have placed early orders and the Lankan Embassies has been directed to work on this task.
Signs
The entire world is going through the hardships with no signs of end in the near future against this un controllable, unseen, virus that is freely moving worldwide with no border restrictions causing misery and death which is sad and worrying and unbearable to the mankind.
No permanent solution has been found yet despite the miraculous advancement of science that produced vaccines in the shortest possible of time.
Some developed countries have found a temporary measure inventing a vaccine to be administers in two stages which is not a permanent cure.
Some countries such as the UK, Israel and Seashells, have administered the vaccine to a majority of the population that has retarded the fast spread of the virus which again is a temporary measure.
Sri Lanka’s giant neighbour India is in a pathetic situation with a high number of cases and deaths owing to the shortages of beds and medicine countrywide forcing patients on to the payments near hospitals.
There is news of the development of new variants. Do not worry – we are winning the battle and in the near future we must learn to live with it and be ready for a success story.
Therefore, while finding permanent solutions we should plan out our future in short and long term developments in the country with full details given below.
Hardships
This a war that has to be won at any cost through all the hardships like the rest of the world, and it is the duty of a visionary leader with a vision to be ready for the future challenges and emerge victorious as a unique nation.
Working online has become handy and village teachers conduct webinars learning the technical details from their children. It is unfortunate that we are going through more and more disasters.
But we are a nation that went through a 30-year battle against terrorism war which the West claimed was unwinnable.
We are a nation that missed the bus and misdirected by foreign hands transformed our agro based society living with nature with 70 percent forest cover now reduced to 18 percent or 29 percent.
We must resolve ourselves to transform ourselves to be a unique nation with a new vision with a visionary surrounded by a proper dedicated and vibrant, leadership with a genuine group around helping the transformation of the entire system and compel the leaders to create and acquire a vision to be self-sufficient and all respects learning from our own mistakes.
Contributions by the Sri Lankan Lawyers in UK (ASLLUK), Ambassadors Forum in Sri Lanka and UK and international and local groups ASLLUK made an official request to the Prime Minister of United Kingdom for vaccines and to send substantial funds to be given to the poorest of the poor Sri Lankans via Bar Association.
Powerful
UK has agreed to donate 100 million surplus jabs to poor countries according to a statement by the Prime Minister and we hope other countries will follow suit provide our embassies and powerful Sri Lankan Groups worldwide work hard. Ambassadors’ Forum in Sri Lanka and abroad is in the forefront and it is the duty of the Foreign Ministry to follow suit as there are ample remaining unused vaccines available in many countries.
Currently the remedy is vaccine as proved by the UK by bringing down to zero from figures of ten thousand deaths.
We are pleased to note that Japan, USA, China, Australia, and other friends who themselves are victims have agree to help Sri Lanka due to friendship and urge the Sri Lankan Embassies and Sri Lankans worldwide to mobilise themselves in the campaign as the main target if to find sufficient vaccines. The
Ambassadors’ Forum has published five books on international relations and foreign policy as a guideline and directions to the nation, and the two books on Geneva process and Port City will be inaugurated in UK probable at a function headed by Lord Naseby who has done a yeoman service to Sri Lanka.
Interconnected
We cannot be in isolation in this new world closely interconnected with a click of a button, and in fact we are not alone if we maintain our friendship with the rest of the world who themselves are in grave danger.
Other countries are in a worse situation does not mean we too should suffer, when we are a smart educated nation with top Sri Lankans worldwide whose full services are not utilised through the network of Ambassadors.
Because other friends are powerful strong and foresee matters before they are scientifically in battle when we follow them not even going back to basics in the combat on Covid-19 which is the easiest and a shortcut for victory-
Keep the required distance, be clean by washing hands and surfaces prune to virus, avoid public places, stay home, no public functions, always conscious on the danger and virus , follow and adhere to medical and other advice by the health workers as has been done in China that fought it following simple ways.
It is the duty of Sri Lankans in Sri Lanka and the world over to divert all efforts and attention on the war on Covid-19 before everything as the priority today is the eradication of the menace.
Regime
Sri Lanka had a proud history on foreign policy as a onetime leader of the non-align movement during the golden regime of Sirimavo Bandaranaike maintaining a non-aligned and neutral policy to date on foreign policy based on the motto ‘’friendly with all and angry with none’’ in addition to the previous and subsequent conventions and treatises entered into.
As the foreign policy is interconnected and interwoven with economy - less strong countries need lot of efforts to maintain the independence of foreign policy and conduct on economy and international affairs as independence entities.
It is agreed that the economy should be healthy despite pandemics and states endeavour to maintain economy without the minimum damages to the economic balance of a nation while maintaining the day to day life of the citisen.
Sri Lankan’s economy is not in a good shape even before the pandemic and the impact on economy has been enormous.
Partial lock downs and assistance to the common man during the temporary blockades have almost paralysed the ailing economy and the government is having second thoughts for a full lock downs as in the UK.
The Sri Lankan Lanka Investment Forum organised by business leaders for two days, with the key address speech by the Prime Minister to be a game changer on economic upheaval and as turning point in the light of Sri Lanka’s catastrophic growth at a faster momentum.
Investors
It will be an investment destination of perfect as an attractable country for investment from all around with no unnecessary hindrance to the prospective investors.
In this process foreign policy and relations play a pivot role, encouraging and gain confidence of word, not just appointing High Commissioners to India and Canada
By organising the Forum with 4000 participants, 1,500 investors, and 100 speakers across 120 sessions in the height of the corona pandemic, Sri Lanka is stepping into the modern virtual platform leapfrogging the modern jump to the powerful leader exploiting the advantages of the geographical situation by passing the Corona-19 with determination.
The main players were to be the BOI Colombo Stock Exchange Colombo /Chamber of /Commerce Ft and Private Sector companies who will be competent to know how to keep pace with the international trends out of necessity and compulsion to run with. ‘Hambantota’ Port, Colombo Port city Project with manufacturing plants, Export Processing Zones, will be set up right round the country giving a life to the citisen mainly youth.
Rampant
There are drawbacks such as the withdrawal of the GSP but it is our duty to continue undeterred expecting the Government to give due place to competent dedicate and qualified and avoid family rule, leaving friends to become billionaires, prevention of clamping down on bribery and corruption, nepotism and favouritism which are rampant today.
It is difficult time and it is time to make sacrifices bringing done the extravagance and wastage to the minimum which are expectations of the masses in return to the sacrifices they make and hardships they undergo.
‘’Dhammapada’’ this is one of the verses extracted from Dhammapada is a hand book on Buddhism on the way of life and to be independent and to be self-reliance independent in every respect.
Sri Lanka has been self-sufficient with every village individually being self-sufficient with a happy agro based society also self-sufficient in all trades.
Sri Lanka is an Island with fine climatic conditions and historically agro based with a network of rivers and manmade historical water distribution system for agriculture.
We have a balanced foreign policy on the motto friendly with all and angry with none in addition to maintain the same non alignment policy continuously, in addition to the conventions and treaties we are bound to adhere to.
It is necessary to maintain the goodwill and international relations in order to help each other as a friend in need when every country is in danger on the world crisis that is brewing worldwide.
It is time for us to be self-sufficient in all aspects as an answer to the Covid-19 crisis which is increasing rapidly.
The writer is a President’s Counsel, former Ambassador to UAE and Israel, President Ambassadors’ Forum and currently in the UK