‘Pillage of Plantations’ in Sri Lanka, under the IMF, World Bank and ADB privatization agenda, incisively analyses, appallingly dubious privatizations of valuable plantations in Sri Lanka, causing the people colossal losses, exposing shocking indifference of international developmental agencies, completely eroding public confidence, which is crucial to foster a free and open economy, with transparency.
Plantations historically base of the national economy, leading tea exporter in the world, were nationalized by Prime Minister Sirima Dias Bandaranaike. Her daughter, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who decried previous privatizations, as ‘brazen pillage and plunder of people’s wealth by cronies’, publicly avowed privatization would be transparent, free of corruption, and those in public life held accountable.
Plantations privatizations were carried out by hand-picked confidantes, presided by Senior Partner, KPMG Ford Rhodes Thornton & Co., Rajan Asirwatham, under the purview of Deputy Minister Finance G.L. Peiris, also then Minister, Justice & Constitutional Affairs (now Minister, External Affairs), directly under President Kumaratunga. Though President Kumaratunga, Minister G.L. Peiris and then Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, two Oxford educated, publicly decried as dubious and fraudulent plantations privatizations, assuring legal action, no action was taken thereon, arraigning the confidantes and cronies.
What is demonstrated is that pontification by political leaders, espousing enforcement of the rule of law is mere rhetoric, and in reality, socio-politically influential are above the rule of law. It discloses the unashamed tolerance of fraud and corruption by confidantes of those at the helm in a country; with governments and society uninhibitedly bestowing upon corrupt miscreants, even more recognition and position, rather than arraigning them, as warranted, before the law; whilst some duplicitously articulate transparency and good governance.
This book is an invaluable and indispensable research book on real case studies for those who are interested in privatization and advocating good governance; and to comprehend socio-political realities.
