Banking Lawyer, Human Rights Activist, Adventurer. Tweets are personal.
London, Colombo and the World
Joined November 2008
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Aritha W retweeted
Lazard bankers are paid over 100x our Public Debt Management officers.
Getting advice from the likes of Lazard is good, it helps bring down our borrowing costs and generally more than pays for itself.
But what’s better is also hiring high quality staff to the Public Debt Management Office.
Aritha W retweeted
The revelation that a large number of Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka are accused of abusing children was made in response to a freedom of information request by OCCRP. It comes as the country grapples with child sex allegations against one of its most senior Buddhist clergymen.
occrp.org/en/news/child-abus…
Aritha W retweeted
Rs 10bn = USD 30mn
Here's just a small sample of things you could buy with that money (based on a quick Google search):
👉🏾 10 high-end MRI machines
👉🏾 2 specialized pediatric cardiac wings similar to Little Hearts
👉🏾 10 regional hospitals
👉🏾 75,000 - 100,000 laptops for low-income students
Every rupee wasted on perpetually loss-making SriLankan Airlines comes at the cost of the health and education of Sri Lankan citizens!
SriLankan seeks Rs. 10 bn as Govt moves to PPP model ift.tt/PqVNYQz
Aritha W retweeted
The JMO’s report concluded that the child had been raped over a long period of time. The NCPA told the court that even as recently as April 27th the police had failed to name any suspects.
examiner.media/police-delaye…
Aritha W retweeted
The price of slow progress is rising. Sri Lanka’s trade, exports, and FDI agenda needs an urgent refresh and acceleration. Read our sharp Media Release published in today’s @FTSriLanka. Private and public sector stakeholders must work together proactively ft.lk/top-story/Sri-Lanka-s-…
Aritha W retweeted
Will #SaffronCrimes against children in #lka receive due criminal investigation & judicial action? Or will #SaffronImpunity prevail? Watch this space...
Aritha W retweeted
Points well taken. Things are going well currently. But we need a major push to enhance our relationship even more! @santoshm
"Indians are investing close to $30 billion every year around the world, but only about $1 billion has come into Sri Lanka. So, we need to be critical. Around 30 million Indian tourists travel across the world every year, yet only 452,000 have visited Sri Lanka. For me, all of this represents huge opportunities. We need to ask why this is happening and what is preventing trade and investment from benefiting both countries," says Santosh Menon (@santoshm), President of the Lanka India Business Association
Aritha W retweeted
Meanwhile in a parallel universe 32 kms away…
Air India just received its 100th aircraft since Tata takeover. In 3 years, Tata has taken an airline with a fleet average age of 14 years and injected 100 new planes into it. That is one new aircraft every 11 days.
The order book is staggering. 470 aircraft from Airbus. 220 from Boeing. Total: 690 planes on order — the largest fleet order in aviation history. Not by an American airline. Not by Emirates. By an Indian airline that was bankrupt 4 years ago.
Air India's domestic market share has climbed from 8 percent to 15 percent. International routes from 10 Indian cities that had no direct long-haul service now have Air India nonstops. Revenue per seat-kilometre improved 34 percent. On-time performance crossed 85 percent from 60 percent.
The Tata playbook is becoming a case study. Take a destroyed PSU brand. Inject capital. Fix operations. Order at massive scale to get aircraft pricing leverage. Then use the brand's international route rights — which took decades to accumulate — as the moat.
The skeptics said Tata overpaid at 18,000 crore. Air India is now booking 15,000 crore in revenue per quarter. The entire acquisition cost is recovered in 5 quarters of revenue.
Aritha W retweeted
When national interest rises above party politics,
When integrity and ethics outweigh individual ambition,
That is where you find @EranWick Eran Wickramaratne.
When his own party failed to recognise his true worth,
The ruling party made the smarter call.
Credit to President AKD for choosing meritocracy over party politics, for placing the right person in the right role, rather than siding to party loyalty.
Looking at the interim committee, what stands out is balance. The industry specialists, financial minds, legal expertise, strong female representation and the leadership. I’m sure it was Eran who recommended the names.
Many would agree that some of the finest minds in our political landscape presently have spent years on the opposition benches, without the opportunity to truly govern.
So, appointments like this- at least aimed at restoring a game we all cherish is a refreshing signal, that real progress requires looking outside ones own camp and President AKD has acknowledged it with this appointment.
Wishing the interim committee led by Eran Wickramaratne the very best!
Eran Wickramaratne appointed Chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee
Read More
dailymirror.lk/breaking_news…
Aritha W retweeted
Things I utterly condemn:
– Children being forced to become monks or priests
– Celibate clergy preaching to us about sex education
As a doctor, I’ve seen enough child abuse by clergy.
Be done with the silence. These cover-ups must end now.
“The church sometimes hides these things,” said Deepa Fernando, a nun and educationist. She is hopeful that things are slowly changing — mostly through examples in countries like Ireland where priests have even been sentenced to prison.
examiner.media/after-a-littl…
Aritha W retweeted
MCC had nothing to do with SOFA. The link was concocted by our zealots. Saying no to MCC was the biggest policy blunder - we probably gave up 1 percent annual gdp growth over a decade. The focus of the MCC was evidence based - usd 480 mn, usd 300 mn was to improve connectivity including bus rapid transit. USD 60 mn was to improve land management including titling -
Aritha W retweeted
Sri Lankans defending this are absolutely stupid.
Think about it…the gov will prioritize a toilet for a foreigner before making a handicap one.
Hospitality matters, sure. But it shouldn’t come at the expense of essential needs for locals. d me
Aritha W retweeted
Since I educated (and traumatised) Twitter on testicular pain and torsion, it’s only right that I educate other social media platforms too.
New video out today!
(no photos this time 😎).
youtube.com/shorts/_ciMhQOkK…
Aritha W retweeted
Meanwhile in a parallel universe 32 kms away…
🚨🚨Chief Minister MK Stalin rolls out the first car, Range Rover Evoque, from the greenfield Tata Motors JLR manufacturing facility in Ranipet district. The CM drove the first car with Tata Sons' chairman N Chandrasekaran in the front seat... #InvestInTN #Tata
Aritha W retweeted
I highlighted this discriminatory “foreigners only” issue at the start of the year—yet these recurring incidents continue to humiliate locals and diaspora visitors in tourist hotspots ‼️
They are sparking outrage, viral posts, and bad publicity that tarnishes the country’s image and humiliates people in their own homeland.
Proper, consistent regulation—mandatory anti-discrimination rules for hospitality businesses, regular checks in hotspots, swift penalties (fines, license suspensions), easy complaint systems—would stop these practices cold.
Strong, fairly enforced rules would eliminate the negative headlines, restore dignity for all, and let Sri Lanka shine as a truly welcoming destination 🇱🇰
@sltda_srilanka
Sri Lankans, stand up—it’s OUR country ♥️✨
Tourism is crucial for our economy and we warmly welcome visitors who respect our land and people, but we will NOT be bullied or pushed aside in our own home.
In the south coast on NYE, there were many incidents (with credible reports) that locals were being discriminated and made to feel unwelcome in places that had a majority of foreigners.
That’s unacceptable.
Foreign residents and visitors are welcome to enjoy Sri Lanka, join, celebrate and be part of the community—just like any Lankan but no one gets to exclude or disrespect us on our soil 🙏🏽
Fellow Sri Lankans : Be brave. Speak up. Report discrimination. Demand equal access and respect. This is our home—let’s protect it with pride and unity. ♥️🇱🇰
Aritha W retweeted
Sri Lankans refused entry at restaurants in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankans charged cover fees while foreigners walk in free.
Sri Lankan hotel bookings cancelled. “Sorry, we’re full.” Same room available on OTAs an hour later.
In 2025. In our own country.
Is our colonial hangover really this deep?
We fought for independence. We fly our own flag. We sing the anthem with pride.
But the moment a white tourist walks in, we roll out the red carpet and tell our own people to use the back door?
This isn’t “premium positioning.” It’s self-loathing dressed up as business strategy.
It’s embarrassing.
Aritha W retweeted
When will meaningful action be taken to address the racism our own people face within our country?
If we truly want to build a united, multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation, we cannot allow institutions/businesses to operate with impunity when their policies or practices are discriminatory.
We must stop discriminating against our own citizens. Sri Lanka is known as one of the most hospitable nations - but apparently not to our own?
@anuradisanayake @Dr_HariniA @BimalRathnayake @NalindaJay @Lakmali89 take this seriously and do something. There are too many establishments like this.
Video credits: Harry Pereira
Original video link: instagram.com/reel/DUfvl3xjJ…
Aritha W retweeted
The risk of contracting Leptospirosis is high among those affected by floods and among rescue workers.
There is an incorrect AI generated guideline currently circulating online.
This is the Correct Guideline issued by the Ministry of Health.
Edit: Dr. Ashwini De Abrew
