Take on corruption boldly

IN A MOVE that is bound to win the warm approval of the people, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) has been rendered fully operational by President Kumaratunga by her appointing the relevant three members to this vital institution. We are glad that the impasse over appointments to the Commission has finally been overcome and that efforts would be resumed towards stemming bribery and corruption in this country.

The resuscitation of the Commission only established President Kumaratunga's eagerness to go ahead with the task of taking on the scourge of corruption. By doing so she is responding positively to the popular consensus that public life must be thoroughly cleansed of the blight of corruption through the adoption of even the toughest remedial measures.

While on the subject of President Kumaratunga's foresight, it needs to be mentioned that the temporary panic exodus of residents from our coastal areas in the wake of fears that another tsunami was upon us, on Monday night, really vindicates President Kumaratunga's wisdom in planning for a 100 meter buffer zone, for rebuilding and rehabilitation purposes on our coastal belt. The evidence is now at hand that it is advisable to maintain the 100 meter buffer zone, just in case nature's furies are unleashed once again.

While the President is thus vindicated, the opposition stands exposed as a pack of gullibles for their efforts at scuttling Government moves to establish the 100 meter buffer zone. Tragically, even the Leader of the Opposition failed to see sense on the buffer zone proposal.

Coming back to corruption, all decks have now been cleared for sustained, rigorous action against bribe-takers as well as bribe-givers. We hope the Commission would be sufficiently empowered to carry out its mandate. It should have at its disposal in particular, a team of dynamic and competent police officials who would be untiringly discharging their duties without fear or favour. The Commission should be also granted a substantial budget to avail itself of the most needed resources and facilities.

A great concern of the people is the seeming lack of progress by the Commission in netting who are described as the "big fish" among the corrupt.

While it is our wish that concrete progress would be made towards bringing these high-profile offenders to justice, the point needs to be also considered that the complaining public must cooperate fully with the Commission to make this endeavour a success. For instance, once formal complaints are made, the complainants should appear before the Commission - if necessary - in support of their cases.

In other words, the formal installation of the Commission would in itself not produce any worthwhile results. It is successful cooperation between the Commission and the people which would yield substantial results.

Expo 2005

WHEN the world comes together every few years to showcase Mankind's achievements, it is a spectacle like no other. The latest round in the World Exposition (Expo for short) series has just begun in Japan and according to reports, it is one of the best ever.

Expo 2005 tells everything about the world and ourselves, with exhibits ranging from ancient relics to cutting edge technology. Tens of thousands of people flocked Friday to the 21st century's first World Expo on its opening day itself. Both Governments and private companies are participating.

There is a literally nothing else like it on Earth. The Expo is held in a vast forest park near the central Japanese industrial city of Nagoya and is expected to draw 15 million people over six months. The Expo is different - there are no endless speeches or lengthy resolutions. Instead, 121 countries are highlighting cultural and scientific achievements that point towards a brighter future. Virtual reality shows, cultural displays and performances by humanoid robots are among the attractions.

One of the biggest queues is for a glance at a frozen mammoth dug up in Siberia. It is believed to have lived 18,000 years ago.

The mammoth is preserved in a giant refrigerator as part of a multimillion-dollar project by Japanese and Russian scientists who also hope to clone the extinct animal. This raises the tantalising possibility of seeing a live mammoth after nearly 20,000 years.

Indeed, the exhibit blends in neatly with the theme of this year's Expo - "Nature's Wisdom". The accent is reported to be on the emerging links between nature and environment.

The Expo goes back to 1851, when the Great Exhibition was held in London. Since then, it has been held in many countries around the world. Sri Lanka has been a regular participant of the Expos. However, the Expos have generally been held in the developed world, which have the financial resources to present large-scale events of this nature. The developing world too should be given a chance to host an Expo, perhaps as a collective effort of several countries.

Some may question the relevance of holding such mega exhibitions when the world needs to tackle countless problems such as military conflicts, diseases, poverty and malnutrition. But what shines through the Expo is the spirit of human enterprise and unity among nations. There is nothing wrong in giving them a chance.