indica

@indica

Indi Samarajiva is a writer from Sri Lanka who's currently up in the air. indi.ca.

Colombo, Sri Lankaindi.caJoined March 2008

1,199 Following

18K Followers

indica’s Tweets

👏🏾 We should have purchased Russian oil at a huge discount months ago, like most other Asian nations. That discount is now less. Our foreign policy really needs to be more competent and based on our own national interest, not others.

Quote Tweet

Kanchana Wijesekera

@kanchana_wij

· Aug 13

A 100,000 MT Crude Oil cargo will arrive in Colombo later tonight & will undergo quality sampling tomorrow. A 2nd Crude Oil Cargo of 120,000 MT is scheduled to arrive 23rd-29th of August. Both cargos are Russian Urals Crude Oil. Refinery to commence operations by mid next week.

People really give zero fucks about the poor. Only maybe 10% of the vehicle population is cars, and these people are fine if everyone else fucks off and dies as long as they're not inconvienced.

Quote Tweet

Jamila Husain

@Jamz5251

· Aug 8

Simple pleasures in life - having sufficient petrol in car - having a filled gas cylinder - finding tuks who don't rip u off - seeing roads alive again - queues are shorter Good to see real work & change happening fast yet some 'activists' want this govt to go home too?

Sasindu Tharaka, a member of the #GotaGoGama library group, was arrested by the police today. Where are those book & library lovers who shed crocodile tears about

@RW_UNP

's library? #lka #SriLanka #SriLankaProtests #StopOppressionLK #GoHomeRanil

158

537

Trade Union activist, Joseph Stalin's case was taken up by motion today. Counsel moved for bail and raised legal objections. The Magistrate fixed the case to consider Bail for next Monday (8). Mahanama Thero was given bail today. JOIN the protest tmrw at 3pm in Nugegoda✊🏾

This constantly repeated mantra that we #lka spend a too much on welfare reminds me of Goebbels and Hitler: "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."

@SarahKabir89

@indica

@knr21_cam

We are in fact a low spender👇🏾

The Economist is the ruling class producing propaganda instead of a ruling party.

indica.medium.com

How The Economist Is The Worst Propaganda

As illustrated with 25 Economist covers

Diesel quota for buses must be increased. Even if at the expense of private use vehicles. Restoring public transport to a functioning state again should be a top priority.

114

If you urgently need a meal, there's no emergency number to call. But if you steal food, there's a 24 hour response so you can be punished for it (it's not a crime prevented by force, just by food). How we design our emergency responses reflects our values but also inertia.

5,484

23.6K

It's crazy how the western reaction to COVID-19 has been to just normalize pandemics because 'the economy'

Quote Tweet

@internetuserf12

· Aug 3

SARS-Cov-2 is usually contagious for up to 2 weeks. MPX is contagious for 4-10 weeks. I don't think anyone has come close to grasping the magnitude of what is about to happen.

Show this thread

called this "the first sanctions-induced global recession in world history" and with interest rate hikes and more war-starting, America is making this even worse. I don't know why they're doing this, but they're doing it.

Quote Tweet

Stephanie Kelton

@StephanieKelton

· Aug 4

Deliberate. Coordinated. Global recession.

indica

@indica

Aug 5

I've written more about this in the past, but it's honestly gotten so much worse under Ranil. All this 'law and order' and 'stability' is just class war of the worst degree. 7/7

indica.medium.com

How The Rich Are Doing In Sri Lanka’s Collapse

108

Ahilan Kadirgamar called it when he said the rich that caused this crisis won't be the ones to 'sacrifice'. Indeed, they're on here cheering for arrests, calling for IMF austerity, complaining about govt workers and 'entitlements', and being obscene. 6/7 thehindu.com/opinion/lead/s

This is what 'stability' means. It's stability for the rich and starvation for the poor. It is the brutal enforcement of class power, with an unelected President now rounding up and caging protestors. 5/7

115

I have a diesel jeep which now gets 20L of fuel through a smartphone QR code. And I do not need to drive to survive. Meanwhile a tuk driver using their vehicle to earn a living gets 5L and tractors get zero. 4/7

For many big companies, profits are the highest they've ever been. Higher prices just show up as higher revenue to them. They ARE the inflation. Meanwhile SMEs and small traders go out of business. 3/7

I personally earn dollars and I've gotten a 'raise' from about 300k/month to over 500k. Currency depreciation that destroys rupee earners is great for me. 2/7

I don't think people understand how well the rich are doing under Sri Lanka's 'stability'. I'm rich and this is my experience, which is obscene 🧵

139

333

BREAKING: Ex-Black Panther Albert Woodfox has died at age 75 from complications related to COVID-19. He survived 43 years in solitary confinement, believed to be the longest such punishment for any prisoner in U.S. history.

democracynow.org

Ex-Black Panther Albert Woodfox Dies at 75; Survived 43 Years in Solitary Confinement

Albert Woodfox, who was held in solitary confinement longer than any prisoner in U.S. history, has died at the age of 75.

199

6,246

11.2K

The world which Ranil is currently busily building is a world where—not all that many years from now—Sri Lankan politics is the "contest" between Namal Rajapaksa and Ruwan Wijewardena as they take turns being the corruptfascist one that the other has to rescue us from

"The American people need to understand something that no one has bothered to tell them..."

2:19

264.9K views

295

4,256

8,995

indica Retweeted

Shifana #FreePalestine

@shif_knows

Aug 4

A renowned union leader who has stood uncompromisingly with people through thick and thin not only get arrested but refused bail and further remanded till 12th for practicing his right to peacefully protest. Cant expect better from an unelected man appointed as the head of state

Quote Tweet

JDS

@JDSLanka

· Aug 4

BREAKING: Joseph Stalin, veteran trade unionist and General Secretary of Ceylon Teachers Union arrested on Wednesday (3) has been remanded until August 12, after being produced before #Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage, a short while ago. |

Shehan Gunasekara

Biden STILL testing positive yet the

@CDCgov

think it’s somehow perfectly fine for everyone else to return to work after 5 days AND without testing first?! What a double standard and further reinforcing how the economy comes first before science and the lives of the people.

121

1,010

3,452

#FascistRanil’s stability 2.0. Slow fn clap 👏🏾 👏🏾 CTU, Gen Sec, Joseph Stalin remanded till Aug 12. Mahanama Thero remanded till Aug 5th. CBEU, TUists, Dananjaya Siriwardena & Palitha Atampitiya given bail. Pic by

If nobody has noticed every country the United States 'helps' winds up destroyed and our Oligarchs wind up richer

566

2,248

This is a powerful expose on how climate change is contributing to economic instability in places like Barbados. It also shows how the IMF & World Bank keep former colonies open to predatory European and North American companies and banks.

nytimes.com

The Barbados Rebellion: An Island Nation’s Fight for Climate Justice

The Caribbean is trapped between crushing debt and a climate disaster caused by rich nations. Prime Minister Mia Mottley is battling for a fairer system.

231

Nancy's trip to Taiwan cost $90 million. That could have housed over 70,000 homeless families and individuals for one year.

247

1,569

5,156

He’s restoring and reinforcing the ruling class. A status quo, a consolidation of power and a social order that’s been his birthright over generations. He wants this restored for others like him and also for those who enable, resource and support them, even those without lineage.

Mannar fishermen have no way to survive life. Lot of them living no food. Children going to school without food, some of them dropout. Minister not responding for get Kerosene to go fishing. So we are planning to protest - Secretary of the Mannar Fishermen's Coop Society N.M.Alam

BBC News Tamil and 5 others

What we are seeing right now is not rule of law. It is a chilling effect of course but beyond that, this crackdown is a patriarchal and feudalistic ruling class teaching ordinary people a lesson they should never forget. It’s as simple, cruel, immature, ugly and petty as that.

They're coming for the trade unionists. As Niemoller said, as Lasantha said, they will come for you. Ranil's oligarchy is doing nothing to relieve the suffering of the people and is just heaping on more.

Quote Tweet

JDS

@JDSLanka

· Aug 4

Palitha Etampawala (52) of #Kadawata & Dananjaya Siriwardena (39) of #Raddolugama, two Bank of Ceylon employees & active members of Ceylon Bank Employees Union, were arrested on Thursday (4) by #SriLanka police & currently held at Slave Island police station. #EndCrackdown

“It appears to be a witch hunt..They are hunting people for minor infractions to crush dissent, while people who are responsible for war crimes, for massive corruption, for bringing the country to its knees are able to just continue business as usual.”

nytimes.com

Sri Lanka Targets Organizers of Protests That Toppled President

Activists involved in the protest movement have been arrested, but allies of the former president are back in Parliament.

137

#Galleface protesters, alongside trade unions, political parties & mass organisations, are organising a rally against state oppression. #lka #SriLanka #GoHomeRanil #SriLankanCrisis #SriLankaProtests #අරගලයටජය

166

Trade unions & activists staged a protest against the arresting of protesters, activists & trade unionists & oppression of the fascist regime of

@RW_UNP

in front of Fort railway station. #lka #SriLanka #GoHomeRanil #SriLankaProtest #HumanRights #StopOppressionLK #OppressionLK

1:48

2.7K views

139

The net that closes in is ruthless. It cares not of lifetimes spent voicing for the most vulnerable at huge personal cost; nor decades of slander as violent simply for pointing out burning injustice. But the same rotten state that detains is the one that must, & will, fall. #lka

indica Retweeted

Mary Lawlor UN Special Rapporteur HRDs

@MaryLawlorhrds

Aug 3

I'm hearing disturbing reports from 🇱🇰#SriLanka that prominent Human Rights Defender, Joseph Stalin, was arrested at 6pm this evening. The work of Human Rights Defenders like Joseph has been more important than ever in in recent weeks & must be supported, not punished

@SLUNGeneva

126

446

901

indica Retweeted

Vraîe Cally Balthazaar

@VraieB

Aug 3

Mahanama thero of the Jathika Bikshu Peramuna, who was front and centre in the #aragalaya was taken into custody while exiting a meeting a short while ago. Trade unionist Joesph Stalin was taken in custody too.

@RW_UNP

shame on you. Your witch hunt will spell out your own end.

102

indica Retweeted

sanka Chandima Abayawardena

@SankaChandima

Aug 3

This is the difference between privatizing strategic sectors like energy vs keeping it public, a lesson for #srilanka to learn in protecting public owned energy, petro & other sectors vital to control inflation. Selling CPC/CEB instead of improving productivity will destroy us

Quote Tweet

We Own It

@We_OwnIt

· Aug 3

Norway is paying 80% of energy bills above a capped price. France has limited bill rises to 4%. While in the UK ours are rising by 160%

Rising energy bills aren't inevitable - they're a political choice. Our piece for @tribunemagazine

tribunemag.co.uk/2022/08/bp-pro

indica Retweeted

Dr. Harini Amarasuriya

@Dr_HariniA

Aug 3

Today we witnessed parliament being presided over by a man who failed several times to be elected Prez; even to be nominated by his own party. A man who lost his own electorate. What perversion of democracy!

136

125

677

This document (maintained by

@Amaliniii

) is now updated with some new urgent calls to support community kitchens, four run by factory workers in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone, plus a fifth for villages in Welioya. Bank details at the top of the doc!

docs.google.com

#EconomicCrisisLK - Relief

#EconomicCrisisLK Urgent collections Ongoing relief efforts Online donation gateways for listed organisations Donating from overseas Starting your own relief effort Sri Lanka is facing food shortages...

The United States is now using industrial policy left, right, and centre — with plenty of support from 'free-market proponents' — in an attempt to regain industrial competitiveness.

nytimes.com

Senate Passes $280 Billion Industrial Policy Bill to Counter China

The bipartisan vote reflected a rare consensus in the otherwise polarized Congress in favor of investing federal resources into a broad industrial policy to counter China.