Groundviews

Rehabilitation

The outgoing president of my former country just pardoned

Jude Jayamaha, murderer of the young Yvonne Jonsson, who had

dual Sri Lankan and Swedish nationality, bludgeoned to death

in an apartment at the luxury Royal Park flats. The victim’s skull

shattered Into sixty-four shards. The killer got twelve years at first,

was sent later to Death Row, from where he has been released

for good behaviour, according to the president, who happens also

to be a distant relative. Prisoners at Welikada have climbed

to their roof shouting, we too must be set free. The story is making

national, global news. The imperious president. What is the right

payment for murder? Who will greet the killer now at cocktail

parties, in the cinema? Yes, that is the Royal Park killer? Perhaps

he will sit for plastic surgery; change his name; go abroad,

as he has money. Maybe he will take a room in the town

where the surviving sister resides? She may also live in Colombo.

After all, she too is a dual national. Perhaps they will bump

into each other at Majestic City, or in the Crescat complex,

on the green at Galle Face? What will they say to each other?

 

Indran Amirthanayagam, (c) November 13, 2019

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