Having Resolved The Greatest Problem Of Terrorism The Administration Cannot Afford Losing Its Merits Through Military And Ruling Party Excesses Which Cannot Be Shoved Under The Carpet.
Posted on January 2nd, 2012
LankaWeb Weekly Editorial
January 2nd 2012
The Victory Party of the LTTE defeat is long over, The UPFA rules supreme with a two third majority in parliament but the world most unfortunately seems to be seeing a picture not ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ complete magnanimity, peace, harmonyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and graciousness by the ruling party but mere shades of it as a few opportunist ruling party goondas, some army deserters as well as certain high profile incumbents seem to rule the roostƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ with thuggery, murder, mayhem and traces of the old ‘Apey Anduwa” syndrome which was prevalent during theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ SWRD/Sirimavo EraƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and seems to have come back to haunt the Island ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Nation where there seems to be a reign of terror indeed in certain quarters which could easily bring disreputeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and a huge loss of tourist influx and carve a huge hole in the foreign exchange coffersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ if not confronted and resolved by theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ high authority and pragmatism for which the Nation’s LeaderƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is reputed for. Based on what goes on in this respect Sri Lanka could easily be ostracised by the rest of the world with just cause to moot as some analysts seem to believe overkill notwithstanding!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is indeed a challenge for President Rajapaksha to take the bull by the horns and clean up the fallout left behind by LTTE terrorism not propagate through neglect even inadvertentlyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a paradoxical alternative initiated by unscrupulous insiders who seem to think that being part of the hierarchy they have Carte Blanche to strong arm tactics and thuggery which is at times picked up in copycat fashion evenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by student unions in universities as well as UrbanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Local Authorities ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ some armed to the teeth, linked to underworld gangs with little hesitance to disregard the value of human life in an almost Yakko perspective ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ whichƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ has to be a total shame and many allegations point to thus. An alarming testimony to this has been highlightedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by recent reports some of which will be cited here with due courtesies.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There has also been anƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ alarmingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ increase in vendettas between internescine rivals within the ruling party at local elections as well as in public places and gatherings where perhaps the global trend of unrest and disobedience is creeping inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ from a copycat perspective which is realistically irrelevant to the political climate in Sri Lanka, presumablyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a healthy oneƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ where one dare not think of the implications of mass unrest should things get out of hand and the reason why there should be no provisions for public unrest on a widespread basis where the ramifications could be disatrous not forgetting the volume of population in excess of 20 million and what the world is experiencing today in mass protests!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ A burning issue that is already picking up momentum for the Administration to note is the manner in which dissidents, critics of the ruling party as well as activists from minority parties continue to be harrassed, some abducted and later found murdered as well as many other attrocities, victims of which have finger pointed to the police, military and politicians yet gone virtually unquelled and uninvestigated towards closure and punitive action and there is a degree pf unrest and dark clouds seemingly looming over the horizon. There has even been reports albeit unconfirmed that there is another attempt byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ supportives to recussitate the deposed and annihilated Tamil Tigers who may well try to take advantage ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the defiance, authoritative behaviourƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ linked to the excess of self styled roughnecks who overstep their statutes of limitations and encroach on civil liberties at timesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ where the White Van theory and dissapearing individuals have sprung up again perhaps not without reason.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Apart from the recent vendetta between two rival contestants at a local election where one was shot and killed and the other seriously injured,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ one of many perhaps where the circumstances were less extreme, there is the shocking incident of the murder of an innocent tourist over the resistance shown by the male consort (the murder victim ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ British originƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ evoking strong protestations from the British Authorities over the attrocity)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in defending the lady of a couple,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ fromƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the amorous advances of a local council member perhaps a gramasevaka type and the lady subjected to sexual harrassment ~one of many incidents being reported albeit sporadically about the lascivious interests of some people of clout,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ towardsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ exploitingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ foreign tourists whom they attempt to prey on vicariouslyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Predators who probably need to be severely punished, incarcerated and immobilised !!!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The following is an excerptƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ from a Sunday Times report which attests to this very same burning albeit disgusting issue.
Quoting:-
“ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ TheƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ New Year dawns with some dim forebodings for Sri Lankans in many spheres of activity.
Two years and seven months after the defeat of terrorist violence, one of the sectors which revived by leaps and bounds was tourism. Arrivals rose and resorts are continuing to mushroom countrywide. Some of the world’s leading journals showered plaudits on Sri Lanka, ‘the resplendent isle,’ as one of the best destinations in the world. It was value for money and a tourist got more than his money’s worth, they boasted.
This is why the idyllic Tangalle area, long ignored though endowed with blue waters and sandy beaches, attracts many tourists nowadays. The resorts there were full. The 32-year-old Khuram Zaman Shaikh, a physiotherapist with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at the Gaza Strip and his girlfriend Victoria Alexandrovna (also with the ICRC) felt Sri Lanka was a safer place for their holiday. They should have known better.
The Gaza Strip, 40 kilometres long and ten kilometres wide, is home for 1.5 million Palestinians. Under Egyptian control for 19 years, it was seized by Israel during the 1967 war. The couple has seen deadly clashes between two militant factions ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬‚ Hamas and Fatah. They have also seen frequent Israeli air strikes targeting militants. They were convinced that with the separatist war in Sri Lanka now over, they would not see violence, ghastly scenes of wounded victims or corpses. They were also convinced that there would be no sporadic bomb explosions or suicide attacks.
Last Saturday night, Khuram and Victoria were enjoying themselves at Nature’s Resort, one approved by the Tourist Board. Khuram, who was of Israeli origin, is a British Passport holder while Victoria held a Russian passport. Christmas had dawned and there was much revelry. Suddenly, a local UPFA politician and his gang struck a discordant note. First they fired rapid bursts from a T-56 assault rifle into the air. That was to welcome the dawn of Christmas. Why pay for crackers when 7.62 calibre ammunition is available free?
In the ghastly incident that followed, Khuram’s bullet riddled body lay on the beach outside. Victoria was badly injured and was first admitted to the Matara Base Hospital. From there she was transferred to a private hospital in Colombo. The Sunday Times learnt from authoritative sources that Victoria had been sexually abused if not even raped though embarrassed officials in Colombo denied it. The full details of the shameful incident appear on Pages 14 and 15 in the Sunday Times.
More questions than answers
Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman Nalaka Godahewa played down the incident, one of the darkest episodes in recent tourism history. He claimed such incidents ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬‚ tourists being robbed, mugged and murdered ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬‚ took place even in developed countries. He predicted it would not have a negative impact on Sri Lankan tourism. He said the culprits had been apprehended. On the one hand, Dr. Godahewa’s remarks raise more questions than answers. It is not damage control but a feeble attempt at public relations. The question is whether his remarks would be taken as a credible statement that would dispel fears in the minds of tourists. This was proved on Christmas day when tourists in resorts in Tangalle vacated them rapidly. Fear of harm had gripped them. They were also angry with the way ‘local thugs’ with seeming political patronage were harassing tourists. Some even cut short their holidays and flew back to their homes.”ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ End of Quote and aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ shocking revelation which testifies to what transpires in more than a single incident and something for the Administration to ponder over with great deliberation towards resolution and focus with greater attention. It will be aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ means to maintain a clean national image where thuggery and political attrocities commited by ruling party thugs needs to be confronted and eliminated for good as all the good acheived by the putting down of the TamilƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tiger Terrorists would surely go to waste if there is inbreeding to the issue in similar perspective by unscrupulous and perhaps uneducated, conscienceless individuals who have gained access to public office and decided to misuse the authority that they presume comes with it!
The Administration simply cannot affort to squander all the merits earned by the elimination of the LTTE terrorists if forcesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and individuals loyal to itƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ undo all the good accomplished through unscrupulous and mendacious means which seems to be what is happening in some quarters of Sri Lanka today and simply cannot be shoved under the carpet!
Sri Lanka needs to be made completely safe for people from all walks of life and human life respected beyond the disregard the deposed terrorists showed towards it not by mere lip service but through the maintenance of proper law and order in just perspective.
Perhaps the most important NewƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Year resolution for the Rajapaksha Administration as Lanka Web
Wishes all its readers A Bright, Prosperous and Happy New Year 2012 .
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:22 am
This is very timely and a good eye oppener for those in authority at all levels. No doubt my country has suffered immensely politically, socially and economically for thirty (30) long years, all actioned by a ruthless, blood thirsty outfit supported by the fopreign fund inflow and various outside governing authorities who acted to maintain good relations with the vote bank in winning seates in their own Legislatures. However with the mandate of the people of Sri Lanka, the present Government headed by HE Rajapaksa, crushed this outfit and brought to us the long awaited “peace” and the country was resurrected from this world’s number one “Terrorist” organization – the LTTE.
After winning the war and bringing in peace, the next step of the Govt. was the task of “Takeoff”. This too was done and continued with huge investments in the infrastucture of all sorts, the regining of agrcultural and industrial growth, social and cultural rehabilitation etc. ect. This “takeoff” cannot be sudden and smooth as that of a Air Plane taking off from a runaway of an international airport. The takeoff of a nation and a country that sufferred for 30 long years is not that smooth. So unmistakenly, there is a time when the nation is strggling on the ground and that ground too is not a smooth one. As a result the “takeoff” action is not that smooth too. That is what we are experiencing today.
But that rough and tough “takeoff” is no cause to anyone to take advantage of and run-a-mock in the country as perceived by some authoritative figures in the country. This is the most critical time that the Highest Authorities including the Legislature and Judiciary have to be most vigilant and take action to “nip in the bud” any disruptive elements in the society to be brouhgt to book without any favours and delays. Then only this takeoff could be made smooth and beneficial to all the citizens of the country. Along with this takeoff there is a price tag attaced and that too has to be evaluated and ultimately the results have to to achieved to gain our “independence” of self generating the servicing and maintenance costs of the projects, without outside help.
View it from the above perspectives, do we see it “going to be smooth”? Doubtful. The above Editorial gives a glimpse into what it is going to be if the present trends are allowed to continue. In addition to what was stated above, the most disruptive and dangerous situation, I see, is the inteference with the Judiary. We saw how a authoritative figure in the Local Government who was successfully prosecuted by the Bribary Commission and convicted of bribary and corruption and whose appeal against a lower court decision was upheld by another higher court was pardoned by enacted powers of the HE was allowed to go free. So where do we stand as regrads law and order? What is the position of the independence of the Bribary Commission and the Judiciary? And where is the cry of the Official Opposition against such situations? Are they accomplices to such decisions and actions? This is one glaring instance of injustice to Law and Order and the general public.
As the above editorial points out these inustices cannot be shoved under the carpet.
So it is in best interest of the Government and the last but not the least of the Public to resolve in the New Year 2012 to put the house in order and make the “takeoff” smooth and confortable to all of us.
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:21 am
True Douglas Wickramaratne, it is worrying me too.
January 2nd, 2012 at 1:52 pm
Well said, Lankaweb. Thank you.
However, there are NO military excesses. Political excesses, yes. Plenty. These MUST stop FORTHWITH!
But military excesses. NO. NOT a single incident.
What will happen is if this political thuggery continues, people will start hating the military too for not doing anything. This nonsense by UPFA and UNP criminals should stop now. Just a week before there was violence at sirikotha. Now this. NO EXCUSES.
To be balanced, Gaza strip and “activist” titles should not earn any more sympathy for the deceased. Gaza activists many times clashed with the Israeli army with deadly consequences.
January 2nd, 2012 at 2:01 pm
6th amendment, PTA and ER should ALSO be implemented to the letter. Then TNA, Mano Gonason, etc. will all be in jail for life.
They are laws too. And those who violate these are criminals too. Sending them to prison is a very good starting point to teach other political criminals a lesson.
January 2nd, 2012 at 3:02 pm
Dear Lorenzo – Normally I don’t responsd to this type of comments., but your comment “Gaza strip activist titles should not earn any more sympathy” smack of arrogance, ignorance and unbecoming of we Sri Lankans who even mourn the loss of life of a street dog. For your information the man who was killed in Tangalle (a British National) was not a Gaza strip activist. He was a worker attached to the IRC who valued human lives and human beings who even tried to settle things in a peaceful manner in Sri Lanka. Please don’t disgrace the human values of we Sri Lankans. He was an invitee of the hotel owner who had established friendship while he was in England. A good eye witness account has been given by a family from Canada who were in the hotel at the time and they spoke how this person was trying his best to settle matters in a peaceful manner. This is a web site, I value so much and it should not be used to publilisize ignorance, un-called for remaks of rebuke to Sri Lankan values that would bring disgrace to my mother country.Please note that to disseminate this type of remarks is not at all welcome by us in Sri Lanka and we doubt your very intentions of getting involved in this matter by passisng remarks of the type expressed by you. So my adivce to you is to keep off making these types of remarks for the sake of good name of my country, because, we as a nation mourn the death of this person and apologize to his family and his native country England.
I appeal to my fellow countrymen to be cautious of this type of self acclamed patriots whom we find in abudance now a days.
January 2nd, 2012 at 3:27 pm
Dear Douglas,
Please read what I wrote and understand before jumping the gun.
“To be balanced, Gaza strip and “activist” titles should not earn any more sympathy for the deceased.”
ANY human being deserves respect, sympathy, etc. NOT because of their associations/job BUT because they are humans. Fullstop. An “activist”, “journalist”, “politician”, “priest”, “bishop” or an “NGO” is NOT special than any other human being.
Now can you understand?
But your anger is really because of these two FACTS I said.
1. However, there are NO military excesses. Political excesses, yes. Plenty. These MUST stop FORTHWITH!
But military excesses. NO. NOT a single incident.
2. 6th amendment, PTA and ER (new emergency regulations) should ALSO be implemented to the letter. Then TNA, Mano Gonason, etc. will all be in jail for life.
They are laws too. And those who violate these are criminals too. Sending them to prison is a very good starting point to teach other political criminals a lesson.
Am I right? These are facts. Law should NOT be implemented selectively. ALL laws should be implemented to ALL. And all humans irrespective of their titles/job MUST have equal rights/considerations/respect/sympathy.
January 3rd, 2012 at 4:01 am
A response to the “No military Excesses” perception by the commentators here ~ regret the length albeit necessary to convey full implication ~ Are these actions justifiable in Post Conflict Sri Lanka and are they contributory towards reconciliation one asks?
News Iten from September 2011~ Translated from the Tamil News Media in Norhtern Sri Lanka
“A bus going to Jaffna from the South was attacked by the public after two persons, suspected to be ‘grease devils’, got on to it. Army personnel who arrived on the scene rounded up the men from surrounding houses and severely beat them up suggest reports coming from Kokuvil. This incident occurred around 7.30pm on 31st August. Two of the most seriously injured were left behind and 26 were arrested and handed over to the Police.
The area around the Kalvari Kovil, adjacent to the Kokuvil main road that extends to the Kokuvil Train Station, was in turmoil after women had raised concern over two individuals (‘grease devils’) after whom the residents of the area had given chase. The two suspect ‘grease devils’ had got on to a stationary bus parked on the Kokuvil Road. Seeing them get in, the crowd giving chase had attacked the driver asking him to take the bus away from the location. The bus summarily left towards Jaffna and the residents went back to their homes.
Around three hours after this incident, the Army who arrived with the Police broke down the doors of houses and dragged out the men. They had then taken the men to the Kalvari Kovil main road and beaten them up severely with wooden poles, questioning them at the same time on who damaged the windows of the bus.
Two men, selected from the group who were beaten up, were taken away, their t-shirts removed and Army helmets put on them. They were then laid on the road. Four army personnel per man held them down. Their faces were then kicked. Their knees and their legs were attacked by baton poles. Worried that they had killed the two men, the Army abandoned them near a thicket close by and left.
The 26 taken to the Police had been beaten up again without clothes. Only afterwards had statements been taken from them. They had been beaten up from around 11pm, the time they were taken, to around 3am the day after. After keeping two behind to ostensibly produce in front of the Courts, the rest were released around 8am. Ganapathi Pillay Subashkaran (24) one of whom were beaten up by the Police can no longer walk on account of the trauma suffered at the hands of the Police. He had only recently returned to Sri Lanka. Subashkaran had been taken to the Jaffna hospital for further treatment in chains and with Police guard. The Police had pressed him to say that his injuries had been sustained on account of a fight with a ‘grease devil’.
The two individuals who had been abandoned by the Army in the thicket near the Kalvari Kovil were admitted to the Jaffna hospital around 2am. The bones of one person’s leg were broken. Both suffer grave chest and hand injuries, hospital sources say.
As this group was being attacked, a Policeman had noted that this was done on orders given to take revenge on the incident that occurred a few days ago in Navanthurai.
In addition to this, the Thinnakkural newspaper on the 2nd noted that the Army had threatened Tamil people that if Sinhalese from the South were attacked, they would retaliate by attacking the Tamils in Colombo.”
If these postings were exaggerations why weren’t they contradicted by officialdome and proven wrong? which was not the case!!! and leaves much food for thought.
January 3rd, 2012 at 4:37 am
Sunil,
1. The story is from Virakesari, 2 September, Front page lead story! No other sources backed it up. It is not an independent newspaper. Similarly other news items are also from extremist and often Tamil-only sources with absolutely no real evidence.
2. Who used excesses here? The army or the people?
The “people” who took the matter into their own hands over an IMAGINARY grease devil (grease devil = any non-Tamil)!!
The army SUCCESSFULLY resolved the grease devil BS that once terrorised the nation TOTALLY ending the fear of the people!! That is the bottomline.
January 3rd, 2012 at 4:39 am
Best wishes to all for many many years to come.
The theory of cause and effect , then effect becomes the cause and so on; may explain these incidents and the plight of the majority in the island.
What is the cause of these two fire arm events involving politicians of similar status.
Is it the creation of “palath Sabas” under an Indian imposed amendment to the constitution?
In gaza strip like in the isalnd nation the locals are divided and similarly fire to the air in festive occasions. ( firing their firing arms at any occasion usually occurs among who have had no military dicipline).
Like in the Gaza in the island nation the majority is not united. Like in the Gaza majority is the underpriviledged lot and are subject to the wishes and whims of powerfull external forces.
In Sri Lanka it is the Indian hedgemony. This has no direct link to the incidents but it has created an enviroment since 1951 that continued the enviroment that existed since 1815-1948.
As the majority let us talk to each other and try and understand what is causing this disharmony and the violent behaviour among us.
When we defated the Tamil terrorists we wiped out puppets of our most poweful neighbour. This neighbour has not given up its will mainatin the priviledges enjoyed by its defacto citizens.
January 3rd, 2012 at 4:53 am
@Lorenzo
You are wrong. The original of what Sunil Mahattaya posted was created by Tamil Nut. Here is proof.
It is a Tamil Nut lie (as usual). Others copy from it.
Grease devils, occupying forces, intensify terror in Jaffna
[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 September 2011, 23:00 GMT]
The ‘grease devil’ terror, staged by Sri Lanka’s occupying forces in the country of Eezham Tamils in a systematic way, clearly shows signs of a master-minded genocide emboldened by international inaction, said political and civil activists in Jaffna, commenting on terror unleashed on Wednesday and Thursday in the Jaffna University locality and in the Kurunakar suburb of Jaffna city. The events followed the model of the attack on residents of the Naavaan-thu’rai suburb of Jaffna a few days ago. “You cannot protect your women form us, is the psychological challenge posed by the ‘grease devil’ terror to provoke Tamils and then to attack them like they attack dogs to establish the point that militarisation and genocide have to be submissively accepted, because the occupying forces are sure that the powers that ignore genocide are on their side,” commented a politician in Jaffna.
Three ‘grease devils’, came in a white van on Wednesday night, tried to intrude into residential quarters at Kaladdi in Thirunelveali, Jaffna, located between the medical faculty of the University of Jaffna and the Technical College of Jaffna.
When the alerted people chased the intruders they tried to escape by getting into a bus belonging to Sinhalese that was in the locality at that time. The residents attacked the bus, but it hurriedly drove away from the scene with the intruders.
An hour later, when the residents dispersed and went back to their homes, occupying Sri Lanka’s Army and police came to the locality and dragged out youth in the locality in the style of Naavaan-thu’rai attack.
The residents were brutally attacked by the occupying forces in front of a Catholic church located in the area.
January 3rd, 2012 at 6:26 am
Agreed that these reports were carried by sources with obvious bias against the Armed Forces and of Tamil origin but why were they not contested, confrionted and quashed post haste by the Government with tangible proof of why the Army had every right to confront the mobs? Something which should have been done on a scale big enough to reach the global community! It was this oversight which created many doubts in the minds of independent observers although today the Army presence is still very evident in the North and East, still very much in charge and perhaps an important tenet towards maintaining Law and Order and a preventive measure towards the resurgence of the LTTE which has the greater implication towards the well being of Sri Lanka rather than the bickering of disgruntled Tamils whose grievances are in fact well looked after by the Administration which the world today is very much aware of.
January 3rd, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Geoff,
That doesn’t make my statement WRONG. It is even better if it came from Tamilnet! Then we know it’s accuracy.
Sunil,
Agree. That is a definite weakness of the government all along. I don’t think they will ever get their act together. Just banning websites is not working as we can see from the above report. Tamilnet may have been banned at that time but the Tamilnet report was REPRODUCED in other media including print media that were not banned! An easy way out of the ban!
In this case, Veerakesari, Groundviews, Lankaenews, Lanka news web and Sri Lanka Guardian REPRODUCED the same Tamilnet report with small changes. They still reproduce Tamilnet articles to overcome the ban.
January 3rd, 2012 at 1:46 pm
But I agree that due to this type of disgusting behaviour of politicians, the good name of the military is tarnished beyond repair.