Discussion with Australian Greens - Brief - 2021 July 21

 

My name is Lionel Bopage. Mr Antony Gratian, Ms Nabeela Raji and I represent the Australian Advocacy for Good Governance in Sri Lanka (AAGGSL) and  the diversity of our community.

First of all, we would like to thank you for raising in the Senate several issues related to Sri Lanka, particularly the issues regarding:

1.      the drilling activities on Mannar Island for mining limonite sands

2.      the forced cremation of all COVID-19 victims including those of Islamic faith, and

3.      the demolition of memorials and other structures erected for memorialising the Tamils killed during the war.

As Australians of Sri Lankan heritage, we are obviously concerned about the developing situation in Sri Lanka. We are thankful, raising the related human rights and environmental issues. I would like to raise an issue vitally important to us, as Australians, that relates to employment and renewable energy.

We cannot forget that government policies led to the decimation of the Australian manufacturing industry led by the motor vehicle industry, particularly in SA and VIC.

The policy calculus helped propping up fossil fuels, mainly because of the kickbacks some political parties received. Their real concern was not about jobs.

The large, high fuel consumptive motor vehicles were popular, but with the oil prices going up during the first oil shock in 1973, both domestic and overseas demand for large cars dropped. This led to a rise in importing smaller vehicles, particularly from Japan and that displaced locally made large cars. The Japanese production efficiency rose, and the oil crisis of the seventies eroded our cost efficiencies.

Australia disregarded these international trends. In the 1980s, the automotive industry took the wrong turn by ceasing production of smaller to medium vehicles and paying more attention to large cars.

At least now, we need to replace the jobs in fossil fuels with those in renewables. If we do not switch, we will be facing a situation similar to that we encountered with the car industry. Other countries will take over as leaders of renewable energy, and we will become net technology importers.

If we act now, we can still become a clean energy superpower. Such projects could deliver billions in investment, produce more than tens of thousands MW of power and new jobs. It will definitely drive down energy prices and deliver economic growth with less pollution.

Fundamental Rights Violations

About the fundamental rights violations In Sri Lanka. The regime holds power with a near two-thirds majority in Parliament and unprecedented executive presidential powers. The family runs the state according to its whims and fancies.

The rights violations relate to freedom of expression, organisation and peaceful legitimate protest. The health guidelines issued for prevention of the spread of Covid are being used to suppress legitimate protests.

For example, the opposition to the controversial National Defence University Bill to establish an independent University would cause militarisation and the deterioration of the entire higher education system. Those who protest against such moves are arrested and then sent to COVID quarantine camps by force, even when the courts have released them on bail.

Recently I received from diplomatic circles a video about the atrocities committed by the LTTE in the past and named: Truth Behind Dare. Obviously, the security forces, the  paramilitaries and the LTTE committed crimes. But why do they want to resurrect the LTTE now?

The intent of distributing this video and requesting us to circulate and screen is of grave concern to us. Firstly, the intent is to counter the UNHRC Resolution that Australia also supported, regarding the atrocities committed during the war by all parties to the conflict.

Secondly, it is to arouse racist and religious extremism to divert the attention of the expatriates and the citizens of Sri Lanka away from the current burning socio-economic and political issues.

Anti-Tamil and anti-Muslim sentiments will be aroused, and those who are against will be branded as extremists and traitors to Sri Lanka. This has happened before.

Such moves will erode whatever the harmonious relations we have been trying to build to bring the diverse expatriate communities of Sri Lankan heritage together.

We wish to bring this to your attention.

Thank you.