The Tangalle verdict

Editorial-July 19, 2014, 6:30 pm 

There will undoubtedly be a sense of satisfaction among most that those responsible for the murder of a British national and the rape of his girl friend at a hotel in Tangalle on Christmas Eve three years ago have got their just desserts. The main accused was the Chairman of the Tangalle Pradeshiya Sabha and readers may remember how he was driven in a prison’s vehicle from remand custody to chair meetings of that local body. It took a long time for indictment to be served on the accused and the case was properly transferred to the Colombo High Court to ensure that there were no attempts to influence witnesses and other malfeasances that could not have been ruled out had the trial taken place in Tangalle. The matter is by no means closed and appeal procedures, to which the accused are entitled, will no doubt follow. The victim’s brother had also expressed the possibility of early release. Considering this country’s track record in matters concerning influential persons who have been convicted of grave crime and jailed, we are sad to say that anything is possible.

There was a lot of pressure exerted by the British government on behalf of the victim who was a national of that country. His local MP came here and mounted a campaign on behalf of his constituent, no doubt gaining some political mileage for himself as a result of his efforts. A government minister is on record saying that the guilty verdict was an endorsement of judicial independence here as well as the efficiency with which the investigation and the prosecution had been conducted. He is not wrong in his assessment that detractors of the government are all too willing to believe that ruling party functionaries are above the law. But such conclusions, we might add, have often been reached on evidence on the ground. There is good reason for us to be proud of the professionalism demonstrated by the various responsible authorities and more so about the fact that witnesses courageously testified on facts in their possession. It is sad but true that too often people tend to duck giving evidence in court due to the inconvenience of protracted procedures and the rastiadu that attending court inevitably involves. Fortunately that did not happen in this case and modern forensic procedures, including DNA technology, were used to obtain convictions.

With the Uva Provincial Council election on the horizon, it will be useful for political parties to reflect on the kind of candidates they run for election. Many local and provincial politicians of all parties, as well as some national politicians, have time and again conclusively demonstrated that they are bad hats, totally unsuitable for elective office. Yet they, and sometimes their progeny, are nominated by the political parties whose main interest, understandably, is to field candidates who can win. It is easy to say that ``if the electors want them, let them have them.’’ Have we not been told virtually ad nauseam that people get the government they deserve? Yet it is not unreasonable for the electorate, or at least an influential segment, to do whatever they can to ensure that rank undesirables are kept out of candidate lists of all parties. Whether they will succeed in such an endeavour is another matter. Sadly there is insufficient public opinion on such matters of importance. Men and women of intelligence, integrity and ability who once adorned our legislature are now history. Politics today is a game that offers spoils undreamed of in a bygone era and such spoils inevitably attract undesirables. That is true not only of Sri Lanka but of most countries in the world.

The incident at Tangalle happened at a time when Sri Lanka was investing hugely in the tourism industry. Britain is one of the major generators of tourist traffic into this country and the murder and rape of their nationals, widely publicized in the UK, no doubt caused people planning to visit Sri Lanka to reconsider their holiday destinations. We are told that there have been many cancellations from the Middle East with visitors who intended holidaying here changing their minds post-Aluthgama. There are leaders who have gone on public record describing those events as relatively minor and had been quickly brought under control. They are quick to remember that this was not the case in July 1983 when Sri Lanka’s image was blackened in the eyes of the world. That assessment cannot be faulted and we would agree that the recent rioting was quickly contained. However there were three killings and extensive property damage. There is no escaping the reality that there was a policing failure and pre-emptive action was woefully lacking. No doubt we learn from experience and it is to be hoped that those mistakes will not be repeated. But undesirable communal tensions, some perhaps simmering over time, have been created and it is essential that those who would stoke such fires are given short shrift.