Employing thugs as Presidential advisors
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Sri Lankan hospital staff carry an injured person following a shootout on the outskirts of Colombo on Saturday – AP, via Deccan Chronicle
An advisor to the President is dead and a Member of Parliament is critically injured. Also amongst the dead and injured are supporters of the Presidential advisor and the parliamentarian.
This incident, where the politicians and their henchmen openly resorted to a shoot-out in broad day light, only proves a common known fact; that Sri Lanka’s politics has, for the past several decades been taken over by thugs, criminals and drug dealers.
What is interesting though, is that in this incident the two opponents belong to the governing alliance. Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra a long time UPFA member and former Member of Parliament was the Presidential Advisor for Trade Unions while relative newcomer to the UPFA, Duminda Silva, is the monitoring MP for the Defense Ministry.
It also is evidence that some of the closest advisors to the President and those holding high office are after all men such as these. For far too long have many politicians and leading businessman acted as godfathers to underworld criminals and treated the electorate as their personal fiefdoms. Are members of the government security forces so incompetent that these individuals deem it essential to surround themselves with gangsters and drug dealers for protection?
The number of civilian killings, assaults and abductions has been quite high under this regime.
Yet, there has been no genuine endevour by the regime to arrest this trend. Each incident has resulted in the launch of sham investigations by the police and the appointment of presidential commissions with no tangible results. We are still awaiting the outcome of investigations into the Lasantha Wickramatunga murder and the assault on Poddala Jayantha to name just two. Mervyn Silva who has been captured on camera on numerous occasions, intimidating journalists and even tying up a Samurdhi employee, continues to roam free and carry out his thuggery. Alleged suspects held in police custody have died and there is also the death of Roshen Chanaka who was protesting the government’s pension plan, as well as the mysterious serial killing of beggars as reported by Asian Human Rights Watch. All these incidents continue to be met with indifference or lack luster investigations which have resulted in a frustrated people.
It would appear that in these incidents of violence perpetrated against the perceived opponents of the government the Police did not seek to prosecute the perpetrators.
This latest clash was between two men who have used their powers to eliminate each other and gain the upper hand in the same electorate. It seems that Premachandra was close to President Rajapaksa while de Silva also known as “kudu Duminda” has the ear of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. Both factions would no doubt seek answers and justice.
In the past several weeks there have been many incidents where an erosion of confidence in law enforcement has resulted in the people taking matters into their hands to seek justice. Non-mainstream media has reported that even as the two factions fought and fell victim to the shooting, members of the police force simply looked on. As has been in previous cases where the law enforcement authorities have been slow to act, this time too, public property came under attack by an angry crowd.
While media quoted police spokesperson Maxi Proctor as saying initially that they were unaware of the background for the incident, he now claims that 37 statements have been recorded. A search operation has resulted in the arrest of one individual, and the discovery of 12 pistols, 2 revolvers and 2 T-56 weapons. Will the government tell us how, in country where until August this year Emergency Rule prevailed and the Prevention of Terrorism Act is still in force, such weapons are in circulation amongst civilians?
Non mainstream media also reports that the old guard of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party is disgruntled with the Rajapaksa’s obvious favoritism of relative newcomers or UNP deserters.
So how would the Rajapaksa’s extricate themselves this time? They thump their noses at any one who calls for accountability on human rights abuses, and whip up the “conspiracy against sovereignty” bogey amongst the public each time their repressive actions are questioned.
The Rajapaksa’s have watched askance while innocent civilians have been murdered and those who raise a voice against injustice have been assaulted and termed traitors. They have taken no action to allay the fears of villagers over the “grease yaka’s”. Rather, the country has been witness to the steady decay of law and order, an impotent police force and an equally ineffective judiciary.
But this time around they will not be able to hide behind a presidential commission, the report of which may never see the light of day, as those before, to inquire into the matter. The police cannot remain inactive. After all, the leader of one faction as well as several of those involved in the bloody incident are hospitalized. They would not be going anywhere for a long while. The police would not be able to tout their usual excuse that the investigations are continuing or that they cannot locate the culprits. Witness statements would not be all that difficult to obtain in this instance.
Two members of the regime were involved. One is dead, the other injured. The dead man’s supporters are baying for blood and the government will not be able to hide behind lame excuses, unless of course it would prefer that the two factions continue with the killing spree and hasten the country into anarchy.
Unfortunately this was going on from J R Jayawardena’s time who started and nurtured Thug culture in this country.He openly let a convicted rapist out from the prison(Gonawala Sunil) and then let him ‘run the Education Ministry when Ranil was there This act was known as Sunil Samawa” at that time..Then came Soththi Upali another under world Thug leader who became a prominent member of the UNP excecutive committee.So UNP employed Thugs to beat University students in the first time of SL history and then Premadasa started using killers to eliminate JVP and then Thug culture was starting deeply rooting in SL. Even in Italy and also in Japan criminals have a Government inside the Government.Sri Lanka is becoming too due to only a few educated people in the Parliament.This is the bane of our Parliamentary system but people like Premadasa to beblamed.He used Thugs to beat Lalith Athulathmudali as well as Prof.Sarathchandra.So sad.I wish and hope our defence secretary will beat all thesetrends and make peace in this country together with Mahinda.
You blame the UNP and say MR will put a stop to this thuggery. Haven’t you seen that in fact ithas only increased in MR regime ? It now has climaxed. I too thought Gota is the person to put things right.B ut alasnow with the revealation that Duminda is his man, I have my doubts about him too. Read the article again and meke sure you understood it.
Political thuggery is a trade mark of the coalition.We have not forgotten what happened to JRJ in Attanagalla during a Satyagrahaya.
JRJ was bleeding in his head.Sirimavo unleashed her thugs to attack the protest.He was the leader of the opposition at the time.Sirimavo
also arrested JR’s son during JVP insurgency in 1971,on suspicion but
obviously to embarass JRJ.Nothing stopped JRJ and Sirimavo was handsomely at the receiving end.So Mr.Raigamaya,please reverse your
chronicle.
Perfect Example and the current condition in the country.When the war was on the enemy was there and could be identified. Today no one knows who is the enemy !!!! They are POWER Hungry !! These are the results of the cult within the cult ….
this is a nature of political leadership of the country.please see the actual situation from 1983 – how burned the jaffna library ? answer is minsters educated in oxford.who was main responsible for July riots in sri lanka ,answer is senior minister of that cabinet not JVP.
killing and drug dealer culture is part of sri lanka political culture.this animal fight and one loss life this is the question if these people just normal Donetsk no matter of law.this is a country have jungle law one for political leaders and another for normal people.which court had capacity to deliver any judgments against the political leaders in the sri lanka????
your article is clear and please note that next general /president election is just blood Barth and thousands of people will kill in sri lanka.this is a democracy of21st century.
if you have blood do not erase this comments.
Will be interesting to see how/when justice is not only done but seen to be done this time aruond?!
The recent incidents in Kolonnawa only re-iterates the often stated fact that there is no rule of law in Sri Lanka today. The argument that previous governments too condoned politicians having their own private armies of thugs in the guise of security officers. does not justify the present government continuing with that practice. Now that, as the government says, terrorists are no more and that there is peace and order in the country there is no justification for any politician to have such a band of gangsters around them. They should all be disbanded and only a minimum of persons assigned to any politician for his security.
The Defence Ministry which has taken over the task of maintaining law and order in the country needs to hang is head in shame at the happenings in the country. We now have an Inspector General of Police and an Army Commander only in name. It is the Defence Secretary who is virtually performing the functions of these once respected positions. In the circumstances the responsibility for the breakdown in the law and order situation lies squarely with the Defence Ministry.
This Ministry has no respect for the laws of the land. It has one law for incidents of violence at the hands of its minions and agents and another when they are said to be at the hands of the members of the public. The Dompe and Navanthurai incidents are examples.
When there is such interference in the process of the law, there cannot be justice for any victim.
In the normal circumstances, there would have been a prompt and immediate magisterial inquiry at the scene of the incidents and all the suspects would have been taken into custody. The statements of the eye witnesses would have been recorded then and there. The fact that no such thing took place in the present instance is a clear indication that the one who is running the country does so according to his own whims and fancies with a scant respect for judicial norms.
In the circumstances it is clear that there is no law and order or even peace in the country about which the government keeps boasting all the time.
A Concerned Citizen,
You are entirely correct.
Crime Scene Investigation is not done properly or is not done at all.
Reports say that policemen were present at the scene of the shootout,
maybe in civvies as later responses indicate.
Police also would have been aware of men carrying guns accompanying candidates. This was against the law and they should have been disarmed early in the electioneering campaign.
The police at the scene should have prevented removal of vehicles – except those transporting the injured, and secured the crime scene which should have been photographed by a Crime Scene Unit.
This is done in other countries by special yellow coloured tape.
The scene should have been cordoned off. Spent cartridge cases especially should have been left where they fell,for fingerprinting later. All firearms should have been collected carefully and kept for the same purpose.All this appears NOT to have been done.
What sort of [Edited out.] police do we have?
Or, is it that they dared not do their duty?
Are not there duties laid down for policemen to carry out at Crime Scenes?
This is unbeleivable.
Thanks Raigamaya for the comments genuinely reported. However the present regime can not be excused for inviting the thugs into SLFP ,whatever the reasons. The recent killing, which is a good example and Gotabaya must know that the whole country is aware of what happened. Gotabaya, Please do not invite this rascals into your association. We thought you were of the calibre of Ranjan Wijeratne who never associated these type of ppl.
Sunil Premjayanth
It must be highlighted that many of the journalists are attempting to slip in the idea that Mahinda Rajapaksa was somehow supportive or Bharatha Lakshman while Gotahbaya was supporting Duminda Silva.
Mahinda Rajapaksa was not on Lucky Aiya’s side will become clear if you talk to any supporter of Lucky Aiya. I’m afraid the media beholden to the government is sneaking in an idea that they think might help Rajapaksas dodge the blame for the killing of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.
No ltt terrorists in the north, only in the parliment.
To SLFP:
This is not addressed to the crazy-racist core of the SLFP but to the idiots who follow their dogma without having an original thought of their own. Dayan Jayatilleke has has claimed that 74% of sinhalas belong to your group (although I somehow doubt it).
Well, I guess, whoever came up with the phrase “People deserve the Government they elect” had you in mind when they coined it. I expect that you will continue to suffer ignominy under the thugs you have eagerly pushed to the head of your party. Don’t expect the JVP to come to your rescue yet. They would be too aware of how you guys sacrificed their youngest and the bravest in the pogrom of 1987-89. You will have to fight your own battles now.
I expect that they will wait till you emerge on the other side, battle-hardened and with contrition about how you treated your own brethren who either spoke a different language or were from a different socio-economic stratum. In fact many who sacrificed their lives (I believe) came from your own stratum.
I suspect the country has already been given on a platter to the Americans (not that I have great objection to that but you could have done it in more equal terms if Fonseka-JVP coalition came to power). Do I have pity for you? Well, no (that would be patronising). But I do feel some compassion for you. After all you are really no different to Australians who rail against a carbon tax intended to safeguard the future of their children, or Europeans who are carrying on a self-destrutive economic suicide based on a racist past which is barely under the surface. You are just part of the billions of primates on this planets who label themselves human, denying your primate origin in the process.
Ravana-The King of Primates!
Well written, especially the last sentence! But, here when you say, “I suspect the country has already been given on a platter to the Americans (not that I have great objection…” I wonder whether you have by some mistake typed the word, “Americans” instead of, “Chinese”!
The other point is even if the JVP wanted to do something about the present status quo, without their “chicken farmer” who got killed in ’89, they would be hard-pressed to do so!-leave alone the in-fighting!
Sabbe,
I am glad you answered. So which side do you belong to. The “Regime-Premi” racists or the “Sri Lanka- Premi” primates?
BTW, I think you made a mistake when you called me the King of Primates. I am not a primate who has gone washing himself in the river. If you consider the King of the Rakshas as an etymological root of “Arakshaka” or “Rakshana” you might glean the true meaning of Ravana.
Chinese? Really!
Did you not see your leader being hugged by none other than the former leader of the “Free World”. Obviously the leader and you have both been in the same river. Billy boy was obviously double-checking!
Please keep in mind that the Americans of that stature are never so friendly in public without good reason. It’s almost like Bill had been delivered some delectable news just prior to meeting Moda Raja.
Just admit it. Your goose is cooked. When the time is right we will come to the rescue (Americans tend to be reasonable when they have you over a barrel. They are open to negotiation even when they are on top. In this they are very different to Europeans, and I admire this quality). In the meantime practice supplication position with your palm.
Ravana-of Primate origin!
Well, I’m just a Primate too who likes his home. That home has become violent and goon-infested, so I’ll be prepared to duck the next time I visit home!
That supplication position won’t be needed as yet! I don’t believe your magical powers of predicting the future after you lost that war with Rama!-a Primate turned god. Even Dabiyoo is going to walk freely in Canada with an arrest warrant on him!
So this is how you mourn the loss of a “future think tank”, “pious crusader” and a “visionary”??? Shame on you!
WHY were the bodyguards of a former MP and a present MP given guns when the bodyguards of TNA MPs are given none???
the reality of racist lanka?
Who would get advise from thugs? Who would appoint a thug to overlook the affairs of a important ministry such as Defence? Only person with similar background or status can do it and would do it. So we happened to hail from that great Isle Sri Lanka. Can we be proud of this or are shamed of this? After all its our own creation which we find hard to throwout.
All the king’s men
If not for the bravery of an almost non entity, somebody would have been scot free, just like the deeply religious minister’s wife who got away unscathed, after burning alive her husband’s mistress along with another innocent woman in a van.
Political violence during elections have been there for decades.But they were just skirmishes which were amicably settled after the elections were over.But as time went on specially during the liberalisation of the economy,introduction of the all powerful Executive Presidency making democracy a farce by the UNP under JRJ to be in power at any cost, destroying the law enforcement authority and the judiciary the rot set in.One could see the disempowerment of the citizen and subjucating them to the whims and fancies of those in Power and their henchman and the lumpan elements ,polarisation of the Electorate to the extent of destroying the Opposition Political parties .This trend was picked up subesequently by the SLFP. UPFA who came to power. They added to the already violent politics polished it ,and under MR they have mastered the art of deception,destroyed the Police and the Judiciary made a mockery of democracy by using the State media to brainwash an already gullible populace to accept the sayings and doings of political masters without a whimper.