What a Joke, in Economic Terms

by Jayantha Gnanakone, April 3, 2008

"We should also not unwittingly assist the Sri Lankan Government to become economically strong to wage war against the Tamils. Recently there was a meeting, held in London, calling upon the Tamil people to boycott Sri Lankan Airlines travel. I do not see any follow-up action. Just imagine a situation of a considerable section of the Tamil Diaspora boycotting Sri Lankan Airlines!!

N.Wijasingham - Global Peace Conference" --- Tamil Nation

On the travel boycott, what needs to be done is request the Tamil travel agents to stop selling airline tickets on Sri Lankan Airlines, and also stop selling holiday packages to Sri Lanka to Tamils and non-Tamils. Tamil newspapers and media must stop accepting advertizing for anyone promoting airline tickets and holiday packages to Sri Lanka.

Otherwise, the whole exercise is futile. Most of the reduced travel is not due to the promotion of the boycott but due to the white vans, kidnapping, abductions and payment of ransom. There are also instances of arbitrary arrest.

Sri Lankan Airlines is virtually on its last legs due to their own battle with Emirates, which owns 45% of the airline even after the breakup on the 1st of April, 2008. 

We should stop calling for only the boycott of the Sri Lankan airlines if we do not have the moral courage, or the courage of our conviction to call for the boycott of all goods and services from Sri Lanka, especially groceries, tea and garments.

Other items are:

• Investment in the stock market.
• Investment in real estate.
• Using Sri Lankan banks to make inward remittances, instead of other
  avenues via Singapore and India.
• Utilizing all Sri Lankan rupees.

Groceries, tea and garments alone sustain the entire defense budget and more of the genocidal war against the Tamils, and the foreign exchange component.
 
There is food, fuel, medicine, salaries, and other administrative expenses and maintainance which does not require foreign exchange for the GOSL, although one can argue fuel is all foreign exchange. (For the armed forces). So are spares.

Nevertheless, the GOSL utilizes more printed money for the armed forces, and there are plenty of dollars left which the Tamils send to buy planes, ships, tanks, APC, Jeeps, equipment, Bombs, Mines, Missiles, Guns, Bullets, Grenades and other imports.

Just give it some thought and remember:

• Import of groceries means continuation of the war and NO Eelam.
• It means sacrifice on our part and the part of some merchants .
• Others lose lives, limbs and blood and endure pain and suffering.

The GOSL budget is $25-26 billion dollars.