Russia’s military lost two jets, 13 tanks and a helicopter over the last 24 hours, Ukraine’s military claimed Friday, despite Putin claiming the annexation of four Ukrainian regions a few hours later.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine detailed Russia’s combat losses between the beginning of the war on February 24 and September 30, as well as those from the last day.

It estimated that 59,080 Russian troops and military personnel had died in the fighting since the war started in february 2022, including 500 over on Friday.

They also said Russia had lost 13 tanks in the last day, and more than 2,300 since the beginning of the fighting. Russia lost two jets last friday, contributing to the 264 it has lost in total since the start of the conflict.

On Friday, Russia lost one helicopter to Ukrainian forces; it has lost 225 overall since February 24.

Incredibly, in the last 24 hours before the announcement, Russia lost 23 armored combat machines (APVs), six artillery systems, an anti-aircraft warfare system and eight UAVs.

Russia cannot replace the tanks and planes lost and has started pulling outdated models out of retirement to replace their losses.

This chaotic situation led to the civilian taking over of Presidential House and the Presidential Secretariat in an unprecedented wave of civilian demonstrations ever seen in post-independent Sri Lanka. 

The 8th Executive President of Sri Lanka was taken to a safe house in Male, Maldives by a Sri Lanka Air Force carrier which even brought the wrath of people on SLAF Commander Air Marshal Sudharshana Pathirana. During his short stay in Maldives, the opposition party of Maldives raised concerns with their government for accommodating ousted president of Sri Lanka in Maldives. The country hopping GR’s next stop was Singapore.  In Singapore too, the reception was not healthy for him and his spouse.

Meanwhile, back in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan government was accused of funding the ousted President’s overseas hotel accommodation and other expenses. However, GR’s stay in Singapore was a little more than one month. He and his spouse were granted an extension of Visa by the Singaporean government at the request of the Sri Lankan government. It was an unequivocal fact that the Sri Lankan government was still backing for GR’s safety. This has in fact dismayed the people of Sri Lanka but now they have limited options. 

GR then proceeded to Thailand for safety. Thailand government however assured that he would be allowed to stay in the country as long as he would be safe to return to Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, GR and spouse opted to return to Sri Lanka after over one month of self-imposed exile obviously with the blessings of the Sri Lankan government. It is not clear as of now whether he would be planning for a comeback to domestic politics. But, he has very remote chances of doing it given the situation in the country today. He still stands out in favor of the people.   

The IMF offered the first indication of a path out of insolvency for the nation,  which has run out of cash and suffered insuperable shortages of fuel and essentials this year. 

However, the multilateral lender said the staff-level agreement was subject to approval by its management and executive board and contingent on Sri Lanka securing debt relief from creditors and financing from multilateral lenders, as well as undertaking steps to reform its economy and improve governance.

 “Because Sri Lanka’s debt is assessed to be unsustainable, debt relief from Sri Lanka’s creditors will be required to assure debt sustainability,” said Peter Breuer, the IMF’s senior mission chief for the country. 

“Having a path to restore debt sustainability — so-called financing assurances — is necessary for approval by the IMF executive board, and additional financing from multilateral partners will be needed to close financing gaps.” Sri Lanka this year became the first Asian nation in decades to default on its external debt of $51bn, about half of which is held by private bondholders.

The source said his jet landed at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport and his whereabouts in Thailand will be treated confidentially.

Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Tanee Sangrat said in a social media post Wednesday that Thailand had received a request from Rajapaksa to enter the country,

and as a holder of a Sri Lankan diplomatic passport, he can enter Thailand without a visa for up to 90 days, emphasizing the ousted leader’s stay is temporary and he is not seeking political asylum.

Who paid for the private jet is unknown.

Sri Lanka tri forces raided protest sites occupying government grounds in the main city of Colombo early on Friday and cleared it, a sign that the country’s new president was cracking down a day after his appointment. Chameera Dedduwage, Protest organiser, told namo magazine that they had planned to hand over the presidential secretariat to government authorities on Friday afternoon. Disputed police said they had no information on that.

Sri Lanka is under a state of emergency since Monday

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa tweeted, A cowardly assault against PEACEFUL protestors, who agreed to vacate the sites today; A useless display of ego and brute force putting innocent lives at risk & endangers Sri Lanka’s international image, at a critical juncture.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka said the crackdown could destabilise the country, which is in need of foreign aid and a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.

More than 50 protesters were injured, the organisers said, including some men, women and journalists who were beaten by tri forces.

U.S. British and Canada diplomats already expressed concern.

He had been in hiding after crowds stormed his residence on Saturday. He was due to resign as president on Wednesday to make way for a unity government, after thousands of protesters stormed his and the prime minister’s official residences, on Saturday demanding their resignation.

Rajapaksa, his wife and two bodyguards escaped by a Sri Lankan Air Force plane bound for the city of Male, the capital of the Maldives, the report added, citing the official.

The 73-year-old narcissist arrived in the capital of the Maldives, Male, at around 03:00 local time (22:00 GMT), the namo understands. His next destination is not known.

Mr Rajapaksa’s departure ends a family dynasty that has ruled Sri Lanka for decades.

Arun Siddharthan (AS) is always at the centre of controversy although he advocates non-violence to achieve the objectives for marginalized people in Jaffna peninsula. Hailing from a family of toddy tappers considered to be a low caste in Tamil feudal system, he was robust in his assumptions and critical of the Jaffna elite for step-motherly treatment meted out to them in the society. Today, he is the convener of Jaffna Civil Society and manages its office on the ground floor of his apartment at Chunnakam. He radiates youth and vigour in his character and is extremely friendly too.  He is the representative of neo young generation in Jaffna after the war. He talks about life in Jaffna after 30-year war from his own perception.  The following are the excerpts from the exclusive interview he had given to the Namomagazine (NM) in Jaffna. 

NM-  It has been more than 12 years since the war or ethnic conflict ended. How do feel about the life of people in Jaffna in the aftermath? What changes of life have you witnessed in them?

AS- First of all, I want to mention that there was no ethnic conflict as such.  Ethnic conflict denotes a different meaning. It is a problem within different ethnicities but such issue never prevailed here. I believe that this problem was created by outside forces like India to achieve their petty political agendas. As you know, Sri Lanka is situated at a strategic point on the maritime route and therefore, many countries were eyeing Sri Lanka to wrest control of.  The war was orchestrated by those interested countries.  They wanted to control us and interfere in our affairs.  They not only supported LTTE but other armed groups too. There was no ethnic issue in Sri Lanka. But, these countries not only funded extremist elements but trained, armed and equipped them. Thank God. It was over now.  In terms of development, nothing tangible happened so far. Nothing improved.  Nothing addressed. There are much more to be done for this region, even at grass root level. In fact, Jaffna based politicians have failed in this. They are not genuinely interested in taking the development to the next level. 

NM- So, in terms of infrastructure development, are you satisfied about the development initiatives? Can you elaborate on this aspect? 

AS- As far as infrastructure development is concerned, it is under the scope of Central Government.  They did well.  I have travelled much in south even to rural villages so I have come across some broken roads in that region. But here, all the roads have been carpeted and well maintained. I think that Central Government did their part well. Even the restoration of railway line was a commendable act. The Central Government has built up many facilities and amenities. 

NM- Going back to the original subject of war, you would have been a youngster when the war ended in 2009.  If you happen to revisit your memories, can you explain the last phase of war and your perception about LTTE? 

AS- From the very beginning, we were not with LTTE.  We were not convinced about their ideology either. We never thought that a separate country could be created in a small country like this. It was a figment of an unrealistic imagination.  War was a business for those who had migrated to other countries. They needed the war to achieve their sinister motives. Yes, we had some issues like administrative and language problems but a separate country was not the answer.  It was a dirty game of politics and of those politicians whose sustainability depends on it. Personally, we had bad and unforgettable experiences with the war. Our family lost all maternal uncles. We lost 16 of our family members due to the war. My father in law was abducted by LTTE when my wife was just 5 years old. He never returned home and is presumed dead today. Even today if you see around in our household, you see only females. It is just like Russia after WW II. The same fate befell us during the time of war. We lost so many things in life. There is no fair war in the world. 

NM-Do you think that LTTE ideology still remains in the underlying of Jaffna society? 

AS- No. I don’t think. Irrespective of any ideology, war is a need only for those who benefit out of it. Here, it is the same case. Some people made good money out of war. Since I closely work with a cross section of people in Jaffna, I know for sure that they don’t want another war or conflict. They just want to lead a peaceful life.  People know that a separate land is not a solution. I know some elements are trying to create troubles here especially the Tamil diaspora. They are doing this from their comfort zones. Diaspora still tries to promote LTTE ideology to gain petty advantages because their survival depends on it only. I have always been outspoken against Tamil diaspora. Most of the days in the wee hours, I was woken up by outrageous calls received from overseas. I know that diaspora is gunning for me.  

NM- You have formed an organization called ‘Jaffna Civil Society. What are your objectives in forming such an organization? What is your target group in this organization?

AS- The objective behind forming this organization is a straight forward one. During the war and after the war, we being marginalized people of the society never had a proper communication channel to voice our grievances. I felt that the high class elite society continued to suppress us even after the war. And we were denied of the right to speak. We needed an organization to raise our voice too. Here, there is another facet that should be disclosed. Now for example, there is an organization to safeguard the interests of those who had gone missing. But, you need to bear in mind that LTTE and other armed groups abducted our own people. These incidents have been submerged now. Our organization aims to be outspoken on these issues. So, Jaffna Civil Society stands against social injustices. 

NM- Is your organization a political party or aligned to any political party or backed by any political movement for that matter? Can you elaborate on your current membership too? 

AS- Clearly, we are not a political party but we have a political stand. We need help from central government to achieve our set objectives for the people of Jaffna. So, it can be any government and that is immaterial to us. We are prepared to work with anybody and any political party. We have never received any funds from the central government or any other organization but we were assisted in solving administrative issues in the peninsula. At the moment, we have about 3000 youth members in our organization. We have a women’s front as well which is headed by my wife. Altogether, we have a total membership of 6000. 

NM- So, your organization is committed to promoting peace and harmony? How do you plan to do it?

AS- We always stand for a united Sri Lanka. True, I speak Tamil but we are Sri Lankans after all.  My personal view is that we received free education and free health in this country. We also love our country.  Tamils should also love this country.  This is our country too. We should not be influenced by extremist elements which maintain a stance that this country does not belong to us. Even during LTTE rule, I openly criticized LTTE and decried caste system.  I was a journalist working for a national newspaper. I used my capacity to raise voice against social injustices. But, some elements in Jaffna society felt threatened by my actions.  They felt that I was harming their political base. In actually speaking, people in north and east know the negative side of LTTE and their wrong doings. Prabhakaran was wrong. He didn’t have a political education. Do you think that India will ever allow another Tamil nation to be created alongside of Tamil Nadu which has a population of 800 million whereas we have only 2,000000 – 3,000000 Tamils in Sri Lanka. I have read a great deal about world revolutions such as Cuban and French revolutions and revolutionary leaders like Che Guvera. So, I have a fair understanding about the subject. Prabhakaran misconstrued the concept of Ealam due to lack of political education. 

NM- Our last question is why is your organization called ‘Ava’ Group’? If so, what is your mission connected with it?

AS- There is no such organization by that name. You know we grew up in a violent society. Even killing was encouraged and justified. Our society had been traumatized and war syndrome persisted or remained in the Jaffna society. In the aftermath of the war, the parents used to come to us for solutions in the event of acts of misbehaviour by their children.  In such cases, we responded quickly. In one such occasion, we called over at a police station to resolve an issue. Somebody in the police quipped ‘Ava…ava meaning they have come in Sinhala. One Tamil journalist who was present at the police picked up this word and branded us as Ava Group. We are not for violence by any means. We stand for non-violence. 

We condemn all violence and call on the authorities to independently, thoroughly and transparently investigate all attacks that have occurred. It is crucial to ensure that those found responsible, including those inciting or organising violence, are held to account.

Uganda, a landlocked country in East Africa has suddenly become the cynosure of Sri Lanka, an island nation a thousand miles away. ‘Bring back our stolen money from Uganda’ has similarly become a slogan echoed in the mass uprising staged by Sri Lankans at Galle Face and other major cities. The protesters alleged that the Rajapakse family has invested a staggering US$ 19 Billion in Uganda in spite of the acute dearth of dollar reserves in Sri Lanka. The placards displayed at the masses’ struggle accuse Rajapakse family of looting public money to invest in Uganda. This news item was first triggered by Sudanthaka, a blogger who is bitterly critical of Rajapakses. He effectively articulated his narration in such a convincing manner that people began to believe it unreservedly. He revealed that a massive shipment classified as ‘printed material’ was dispatched in three cargo airlines to Uganda in February 2021 that belonged to Srilankan Airlines. This cargo shipment was said to have a payload of 102 tons on three aircraft. Srilankan Airlines authorities who had been tight lipped since this revelation, finally had to issue a statement which admitted having sent a shipment of this nature to Uganda and suggested they were Ugandan currencies printed for general circulation in Uganda. But what the authorities didn’t disclose was that this shipment was done so secretly and it was not subjected to a usual custom check even. Meanwhile, the blogger asserted that by calculating weight comparisons, it could have been US$ 10.2 Billion in US$ 100 denominations. 

Why Uganda

Republic of Uganda is somewhat a bandit country on the international map. The country has an impoverished population of 44 million. Although it is a republic by its constitution, the country is currently ruled by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in a dictatorial rule. He has been implicated in crimes against humanity but he has been hanging on to the power since 1986. Further, he has been accused of scam and rigging polls. On the other hand, Uganda is a country which was ruled by notorious military tyrant Idi Amin in the latter part of the last century. He was known for cannibalism, sexual crimes, oppression and corruption until he fled to the country to an exile. Uganda is also known as a country which resorts to money laundering in a big way. Money laundering is the process where black money is converted to white money. Black money is the money earned through illegitimate and corrupt means by people or segments of people. The black money cannot be transacted through a bank because black money is amassed evading taxes. Therefore, the black money should be transferred via unconventional methods such as mid sea transitions or charter planes maneuvers. Usually, those who are in possession of black money solicit secret government support to transform it to white money. So, cash starved Uganda is in the forefront of this illegal operation which is a well-known factor by the international community. Uganda is not a country with a proper governance system and therefore, has a tendency to go in for alternative methods to rake in black money. 

Currency Printing Operation in Sri Lanka

De La Rue is a 200-year old company which is engaged in printing currencies for many of its client countries. This UK based company has a factory in the Biyagama Export Processing Zone. This facility has been in existence for decades with no or a little knowledge of the public. The company prints currency notes on a highly secure printing paper which is exclusive for the purpose. In the wake of this revelation, the company too issued a statement which is more ambiguous than being straightforward. The company declared that they print and supply currency notes for many client countries but refrained from divulging information about their client countries rather than identifying only by regions of such countries. Printing currencies which is known as Quantitative Easing (QE) is done by almost all the countries in the world. The amount or volume of printing currencies depends on each country according to their specific requirements. As such, there is no fixed yardstick as it is a part and parcel of economic management of each country. But, it is accepted that the countries print currencies to the ratio of 2-3 % of their GDPs. The countries are usually careful not to print excessive amounts of currency as it will lead to inflation. But, in recessionary periods, they exceed the accepted level to ensure that there is sufficient money to transfer good and services smoothly. Nevertheless, the consignment of currency which was supposed to have gone to Uganda, was obviously far in excess of its requirement. Therefore, a fair suspicion surfaces as to what type of currency that was exported out. On the top of everything, the Ugandan dollar reserves have shot up in 2021 with no explanation as to the sudden rise. 

Renewed diplomatic ties between SL and Uganda

Usually, Sri Lanka doesn’t maintain close economic ties with African countries. Although Sri Lanka established diplomatic ties with Uganda in 1972, it had not been very active. In 2012, then President MR made an official visit to Uganda which was reciprocated by the Ugandan President in the following year. According to the records, both Presidents made more than two visits to either country in the past. Judging by the official posts in SL Foreign Ministry official web, some undue prominence has been given to the visits made by two heads of states. Some independent analysts point out that it suggests it to be more than just a friendship. Irony was that Sri Lanka even invested US$ 1.5 Million in Uganda to establish Sri Lanka- Uganda Vocational & Technical Training Center (SLUF-VTTC) in Kampala. Meanwhile, the placards showcased at the mass uprising at Galle Face throw accusations at Rajapakses for smuggling billions of dollars out of the country to Uganda. While all these financial irregularities are subject to verification, the people linger their suspicion on Ugandan connection due to another incident. A private jet flown in from Uganda had taken the Rajapakse family on a pilgrimage to Tirupati recently. Namal Rajapakse, the son of MR claimed that it was sent by a family friend. This so-called family friend has now been identified as an ex-LTTE operative who is domiciled in Uganda. There is another news item going viral in the social media that Rajapakses have invested in 6 companies in Uganda which is also subject to verification. In analysis of the facts and the nexus of the connections, a foul play cannot be completely ruled out too. However, it is still a ‘wait and see’ situation in Sri Lanka. 

Sri Lanka’s woes gathered gradually since 2019. It originated with the infamous Easter Sunday attack in April 2019 which had a far reaching impact on the tourism sector, a main source of foreign exchange earner.  In December 2019, the outbreak of Covid-19 raised its ugly head compelling the government to declare long-drawn lock-downs and travel restrictions intermittently. This situation persisted through 2020 and 2021, causing a negative effect on nation’s fragile economy.  Still, people had trust in the presidency of GR and the government.  Then, the government blundered by imposing a ban on imports of chemical fertiliser which threatened a possible food shortage.  Former premier forewarned the government of the looming economic downturn but the government adamantly professed that it could manage it.  The government was all confident that Sri Lanka’s economy would survive unscathed in spite of brewing troubles in the economic front. Meanwhile, the government had to bear some unnecessary expenses due to their own blunders such as paying compensation for cancellation of the Light Train project and cancellation of shipment of Chinese fertiliser for instance.  Then, some mass scale corruption took place in terms of sugar tax scam and Garlic scandal at CWE (Cooperative Wholesale Establishment) which were craftily put under the carpet by the government as if the government had some connivance. The government lost money to the tune of billions as a result.  In this context, it is obvious that the government didn’t have a forthright policy to manage an ailing economy in face of a crisis. So, it became a chain reaction as the state coffers were getting depleted day by day.  In this wake, the dollar reserves dwindling rapidly impacting all performing industries in the country.  Then, shortages of essential commodities became commonplace throughout the country. First, a leading LP Gas distributor went out of business. Sri Lankan households being heavily dependent on LP gas for cooking got affected badly as other distributors failed to meet the demand. A dearth of milk powder in the market added salt to the economic wounds of the country. Then the worst started to unravel. The government was suddenly in a situation where it had no dollars to clear Petrol and Diesel shipments out of the port. With fuel being in short supply, long queues of vehicles formed in front of filling stations around the country. This fuel shortage triggered the power cuts of long hours that came to stay impeding the peaceful life style of fellow Sri Lankans. People from every social stratum began to feel the economic burden in no uncertain terms. So, agitation among people was inevitable and it is rolling now.  

Feeling economic insolvency at households

When people started to feel economic insolvency, they became agitated. Besides, people felt hopeless under these circumstances and didn’t know where to turn to, with no durable solution in sight. Meanwhile, some unconfirmed news items of the high level of corruption of the Rajapakse regime went viral in the social media platforms. One such item was on the YouTube channel reporting an alleged smuggling of US$ 19 Billion out of the country by Rajapakses to Uganda.  These dollars were taken out as printed material in Srilankan Airlines special charter flights.  According to unconfirmed sources, these printed material was not allowed to be checked at the Customs. Judging by the weight, it was speculated that it should have contained US$ 19 Billion in US$ 100 denominations. While the writer is not in a position to confirm this claim, it was reported that Uganda’s foreign reserves had suddenly risen up by US$ 20 Billion.  Whether this story is true or false, the people began to believe it.  In another video clip which got viral, it was reported that Rajapakse siblings own 4 private jets, again subject to official verification.  It gave rise to this story when MR chose to travel to Tirupati Temple in South India in a private jet that arrived from Uganda. In the minds of people, all these incidents seem to have a common link.  Further, Nirupama Rajapakse, once a minister and a cousin of GR and MR had been featured in Pandora papers for an unimaginable amount of money deposited in foreign banks.  In this context of affairs, economically downtrodden people tended to believe these stories of corruption by the successive Rajapakse regimes.  Meanwhile, some vociferous opposition politicians craftily articulated these corruption allegations in such a way that it addressed the minds of already suffering masses. The first salvo against the government was fired by former parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra who staged a protest in front of the president’s private residence at Mirihana.  She was accompanied by female members of the Mothers’ Front of SJB which she headed as the convener. It was reported that even the state intelligence services were not aware of this protest before being staged, pointing to a serious lapse on the part of the state intelligence mechanism.  However, it was a peaceful protest which dispersed without a violent incident. After this protest, she explained to the media of her objective of organising this protest movement and that was to allay the fear psychosis of people to rise against the corrupt regime.  Of course, this has set the trend of unceasing waves of protests all around the country.

Mass uprising gaining momentum 

In the evening of 31^st April 2022, there was a scheduled power cut in force in Nugegoda town limits. Some people gathered to shop for essentials which were in short supply. People’s frustration and anger grew impulsively. This gathering suddenly decided to stage a peaceful protest in front of the president’s private residence which is a few metres away.  When people commenced their protest campaign, they were joined by passers-by and the neighbours.  It was very clear that this protest was not instigated by any political elements. It was a peaceful protest which was attended by a decent crowd in the residential area. The protestors were encouraged by the passing vehicles sounding the horn. It soon turned out to be a massive protest when more people started pouring in. Even some mothers with toddlers were seen in this voluntary and impulsive campaign.  The squads of Police, STF and Army were rushed to the scene. While the peaceful protest was going on, a lonely man walked up to a parked Army bus in the vicinity and set it on fire in the full view of peaceful protestors. Police chose to stand in silence when this ugly incident was taking place. With the torching of the Army bus, Police and STF sprang into action to quell the peaceful protest.  The protestors were rounded up and physically beaten before being taken into police custody. In fact, the Police and STF virtually made the protest into an act of violence in an instant. Next day, over 300 lawyers gathered at the Police Station, Mirihana to secure the release of protestors. This was unprecedented in the history of the judiciary. Ultimately, all suspects were released from police custody to the applause of the lawyers who were present. This was a show of solid unity that sent shock waves through the government circles.  This event was followed by more lethal actions by the people’s movement. SJB and JVP called for a mass rally on 02^nd of April 2022 at Galle Face green.  The government had quickly taken pre-empt actions to suppress the mass rally thereby declaring a state of emergency and a full day curfew being imposed to prevent people from gathering. But, people defied the curfew to stage a protest. This movement started gaining momentum further in ensued days.  Now, it has become a mass uprising calling for the president and the parliament to resign. The protestors have been camping on the Galle Face green in front of the Presidential Secretariat over a period of almost one week by now.  The protest movement was supported by Actors, Singers, Cricketers and prominent public figures en masse.  The protest continued even during Sinhala/ Tamil New Year and drew a crowd close to one million. The protestors call for the ouster of the president and his family members in politics and demand for recovery of looted money from the national coffers. But, the president didn’t give into the peoples’ pressure and refused to step down. Last week, the entire cabinet tendered resignation to the PM against the right protocol. Next day, four ministers were sworn in to handle the most vital areas of governance. Mr. Ali Sabry who was sworn in as new Minister of Finance resigned the post on the following day citing family pressure. Now, the government is in utter chaos with a few options or no options at all. On the other hand, the executive and premier simply cannot afford to run away from the predicament either as it will seal off their political careers abruptly and especially their dream political dynasty being blown to smithereens. Therefore, the coming days would be very crucial for Sri Lanka. So, seeing is believing as no one could predict the future in the context of the status quo.  

To be continued..