CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

ABDUCTIONS, DISAPPEARANCES AND MEDIA FREEDOM – Part I

A.A.M.NIZAM MATARA.

There is an intensified virulent and despicable campaign by the pro-LTTE and reactionary media and the pratfallen political darkhorses to undermine the glaring successes being achieved in the Northern front, fortify the terrorists and force the government to genuflect before the international bullies. Latest to join this anti-Sri Lanka crusade is the alleged bandit queen who claimed to have quit politics following political failures and proven incapability. This reactionary clan unable to devour their rapid political and social diminution by the transition of real power to the hitherto oppressed rural masses is making every effort to demonise Sri Lana as a nation obsessed with human rights violations and lacking media freedom. These glob-trotting venomous traitors led by the symbol of jinx, the opposition leader deliberately attempt to hide the fact that the UNP regime in the 1980s was considered as the most oppressive regime in Asia.

Although the ant-brained elephantine bodied tie-coat clan born-agains in the rump-UNP, the self-appointed leader of the one-man party, and the racist politicians place undue optimism on the treacherous ever greedy leader of the rump-UNP, the late Mr. J.R.Jayawardene made right assessment of the guy’s capabilities and used him only for errand duties such collection of resignation letters from the MPs and distribution of certificates at school sports meets. Undoubtedly it is to take advantage of the frail character of this treacherous individual that the alleged bandit queen has joined the chorus.

These treacherous reactionaries allege that in Sri Lanka life is insecure, cost of living unbearable, people are being abducted, media personnel are being harassed, assaulted and prevented from reporting the truth. They are making spiteful endeavours to defame the image of the country and project it as a horrendous oppressive nation lacking freedom of expression. They urge western nations and international organizations which act as international bullies to deny project or humanitarian aid, concessionary facilities, find faults in the governance, impose restrictions and other paradigms on the government and its activites.

Despite President Rajapakse’s humble appeal to attack him personally if tey envy him and not to betray the nation and not place impediments in the welfare of the country instead, these treacherous elements continue to indulge in their unpatriotic activities, displaying chronic amnesia on what happended during the period when this master traitor was a Minister, Leader of the House, and Prime Minister during the notoroious horrendous era (beeshana yugaya) in which 60,000 to 100,000 people (mainly youth) excluding Northern and Eastern provinces lost their livees, and thousands were forced to flee the country to save their skins.

During that period the youth in the rural villages were forced to spend their nights on tree tops like wild fowls to avoid the midnight knock on the door of their houses and the resultant abduction and murder by State sponsored death squads which included, PRRA, Yellow Cats, Black Cats, Scorpions, Eagles, Green Tigers and some other private armies maintained by notorious UNP MPs and Provincial Council Members. In the Matara District there were such private armies in Dickwella and Akuressa.

Dead bodies floating in the rivers and lakes, severd heeads kept on display on the bunds of dams, roundabouts, and bridges, burning of bodies on tire pyres were rampant under that government. I saw the severed heads of two of my class-mates one on Matara Kotuwegoda roundabout and the other on the bund of the Bandattara Dam. Similarly a cousin of mine was abducted and killed for the crime of his father being a staunch SLFPer in Weligama.

Fear psychosis was rampant even among school children. People restricted their travels and ventured out of their areas only when it warranted and lacked any other alternative. In my such restricted travels between Matara and Colombo I have witnessed half burnt bodies on tire pyres at Dadella cemetery near Galle and at Balapitiya. It is well known that there were 26 such burning bodies between Devinuwara and Nonagama Junction in the Hambantota District on one instance. It was not only JVP or SLFP supporters who were victims of these killings. Even the UNPers were killed due to political infighting. A class-mate of mine, who was the UNP Vice Chairman of the Matara Urban Council and was gaining popularity among the party circles was murdered allegedly by an Ex-UNP Minister who resented his gaining popularity.

These killings were strongly encouraged by the leaders of the UNP govermemt. President Jayawardene speaking in Beliatta uttered that ‘They should be crushed like animals’. What a statement to be made by the Head of State who is constitutionally bound to protect the masses under all circumstances! Records indicate that similar such inhuman statements were also made by National Security Minister Mr. Ranjan Wijeratne and several other government leaders.

The UNP government far exceeded the foreign occupiers and the ruthless LTTE terrorists in the torturous treatment of Buddhist monks. Hundreds of monks were killed after subjecting to gruesome torture. As per the bi-weekly newspaper “Vinivida” published by Ven. Gunasiri Thero who was forced to flee to Thailand one of the method adopted to toruture Buddhist monks was called the “Dharmachakra”method under which monks were tussed up in a pole with their hands tied, while being turned around like a wheel, tortured like meat on a rotating skewer. Vinivida also reported of burnig monks on tire pyres and forced derobing and killing of young monks. Vinivida further revaled a gruesome incident in which a monk from Gangaramaya in Colombo was trussed to a tire and blown up publicly in Kegalle.

Chidren and University students were denied their right to eduction. Murder ofthree Medical students, mass murder of students in Embilipitiya, and murder of students in Tangalle were somee of the incidents well known. Despite demands made by students to keep the Universitiees functioning, the Universities did not function properly for two years. Everytime the Universities were opened lists were obtained by the death squads and many students happened to go unaccounted.

The foregoing is only some of the abductions, murders and repressions that shocked the whole world, paled the atrocities reported to be happening in the so-called banana republics in Latin America and that earned the shameful acronym for Sri Lanka as the most repressive regime in Aria. Accounts of abductions, disappearances and repression and murder of journalists will follow in part II of this article.

Part II follows:

A.A.M.NIZAM
MATARA.

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