When European countries including the US refused to sell weapons to Sri Lanka during the civil war, Russia was one of the main countries that sold weapons to Sri Lanka. Russia never stood for the LTTE or the LTTE diaspora. When the United Nations Human Rights Organization passed resolutions against Sri Lanka for violating human rights during the civil war in the North, Russia was one of the countries that joined forces in support of Sri Lanka.
When the resolution against Sri Lanka was brought by European countries including the US, Russia did a great job in defeating the resolution. But it was not possible to defeat it. At that time, the JVP was of the opinion that the resolution against Sri Lanka should be defeated. In 2013, the current JVP Minister Lalkantha said the following about the human rights resolution.
“The Sri Lankan government does not need lessons on democracy and human rights. We as a party reject this. We urge the Sri Lankan people to reject these proposals of the imperialists…”
These are Lalkantha’s words. Russia also helped this policy of Lalkantha’s JVP.
Nevertheless, During the Covid pandemic, when Sri Lanka’s tourism industry was on the verge of collapse, tourists came from Russia. Sri Lanka’s tourism industry was saved by Russian tourists. When Sri Lanka went bankrupt, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry collapsed. At that time, tourists also came from Russia. Today, the government is making up figures to show that so many tourists came because Russia sent tourists when no tourists came.
Flights carrying Russian tourists landed at the deserted Mattala Airport in Hambantota. An Indian and Russian company submitted a proposal during Ranil’s government to control this airport. Ranil’s government approved the proposal. Then the US ambassador to Sri Lanka pressured to withdraw the proposal because the US had imposed sanctions on this Russian company. Then the Minister of Aviation Nimal Siripala said that a foreign country had no right to influence the decisions we make. Ranil was defeated and Anura came to power. Anura’s government stopped giving control of Mattala to the Russian-Indian company under US pressure.
As soon as Anura became President, the Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka met Anura with a special invitation from Russian President Putin asking him to attend the BRICS summit in Russia. Anura did not attend the summit. Recently, at a roundtable discussion held at the Bandaranaike Center for International Relations, the Russian Ambassador sarcastically said that he did not know whether it was the translator’s fault that caused Anura to not attend the summit.
Recently, Russia stopped all flights to Sri Lanka. Now Mattala is deserted. No flights carrying Russian tourists are coming.
Iran is a country that provided weapons to Sri Lanka during the war like Russia. According to Dr. Dayan Jayatilleke, Iran provided modern weapons to Sri Lanka when Sri Lanka was helpless, considering Sri Lanka a close friend. When America clashed with Iran, Ranil, who is known as a staunch Americanist, invited the Iranian President to Sri Lanka and gave him a warm welcome. However, when America attacked Iran recently, the JVP government did not issue a statement condemning the attack. In the statement issued, government was careful not to say a single word against America.
When the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out, the JVP is the first to besiege Colombo. That is, expressing support for Palestine. But the current JVP government has been careful not to say a word about the attacks Israel is inflicting on Palestine. When Ranil, a staunch American and Israelite, was president, he said at an international conference that Palestine needs a state. Today, Palestine is a taboo word for the JVP.
The JVP government went on this pilgrimage to America hoping to get foreign investment from Trump. When Trump imposed taxes, the JVP government became even more afraid and fell on its knees before America. When Trump announced taxes against countries including Sri Lanka, President Anura called an all-party meeting and thought that as a nation we should face it. It was a good decision. But when Trump postponed the imposition of taxes, he thought that the all-party meeting could be scrapped and the government could negotiate with the Trump government alone and reduce taxes.
JVP deputy ministers boasted in Parliament that they were the only government in the world to negotiate with Trump on taxes. Last week, a deputy minister said that the negotiations were successful and that they expected a positive response. Another deputy minister said that the secret to success could not be revealed right now.
The secret was out on Wednesday. Sri Lanka has been taxed at 30%. Now government ministers say they have managed to reduce the tax that Trump previously imposed at 44% to 30%. In addition to Sri Lanka, Trump has also imposed 30% taxes on Algeria, Iraq and Libya. Letters were written to the presidents of these countries, including Sri Lanka, imposing a 30% tax. Below is how the international media in the region reported on the tax imposed on these countries.
‘Trump slaps Iraq with 30% tariffs…’
– Global News
‘Trump slaps Iraq, Libya, Algeria with 30% tariffs…’
– Arabia News
‘Despite talks of increasing friendship, Trump slaps Algeria with 30% tariffs…’
This is how the regional and international media in those countries reported Trump’s 30% tax. The JVP government says that Trump has given relief to Sri Lanka.
Going to America one day is a dream that youth around the world dreaming for some time. It is called the American Dream. They dream of going to America and becoming rich. The anti-American JVP in history began to realize this dream as soon as it assumed power. That angered anti-American countries like Russia and Iran, which the JVP had been friends with, while in opposition. Now that dream has crashed on the JVP’s head.
