Playing politics with Terrorism

It also paved the way for the hate- mongers who had been waiting for an opportunity

 

• It was clear they were not genuine gestures of religious harmony

• Media, both mainstream and social, and politicians diverted the attention

 31 May 2019 

Media, both mainstream and social, and certain politicians have completely diverted the attention of the country and the authorities from the terrorism that wreaked havoc on Easter Sunday on April 21. The whole country is now chasing a perceived enemy totally forgetting the real enemy. 
The real enemy is the remnants, if any, of the members of the National Thawheed Jama’ath (NTJ) with the indoctrination of hate against other religious communities and the other Muslims who are not prepared to toe their line. The real enemy that might be waiting to cause another disaster is the ideology that drove NTJ leader Zahran Hashim and his cohorts to cold-bloodedly kill hundreds of men women and children. 

They may not necessarily be in a Burqa or Niqab, not necessarily have studied in a Madrasa, the traditional Islamic religious school, not necessarily have studied the Arabic language. 
Being fundamentalists, they may not be concerned about the Muslim Personal Law in Sri Lanka either. 
However, those who are said to be against terrorism are hunting down not only Burqa or Niqab clad women, but also those covering only their heads. They want to eliminate Madrasas, Arabic language and the Muslim Personal Law. 
They say that they were against extremist Muslims and not the traditional Muslims. But they demonize the entire Muslim community; vilify their religion, their scriptures and their practices. When arson attacks were launched in Gampaha and Kurunegala Districts on May 12 and 13, the attackers did not selectively target the houses and properties of the terrorists. It was not clear as to whether any terrorist or extremist was affected. 
They want the ordinary Muslims to dissociate from their religion; their religious education and Arabic language while the real enemy, the extremists in disguise and their ideology are at large. 

Army Commander Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake said in an interview with the Sunday Lankadeepa that only one weapon belonging to the terrorists was captured so far. 
He might be referring to the gun that was recovered at the terrorist hideout in Sainthamaruthu where the last bomb explosions occurred on April 26. 
However, the fear psychosis created within the Sinhalese by the media hype over the capture of items such as swords and knives during the search operations conducted by the security forces following the April 21 terrorist attack has led them to distance themselves from all Muslims. 
It also paved the way for the hate- mongers who had been waiting for an opportunity, to set in motion. The fear coupled with hate has created a situation of harassment of Muslims. 
On the other hand the fear psychosis created within the Muslim community not by the Christians who were targeted by the terrorists on Easter Sunday, but by the media and the hate-mongers, including politicians led some of them even to go to temples with flower trays. 

It was clear that they were not genuine gestures of religious harmony. It was sheer fear. Buddhists too very well knew that these gestures were not genuine. 
The entire issue has now been politicized. Opposition politicians seem to want to keep the tempo on, apparently till the Presidential election is announced in October. They even preferred first the students not to attend school. They spread rumours about a possible second terrorist attack on May 13. 
Schools had been deserted while surprisingly the tuition classes were overflowing. Media aligned to the Opposition highlighted the deserted schools, while the State media was quoting the Army Commander as giving assurances on the security situation. 
Now, they have found two more issues to keep the tempo on, the issues concerning Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen and a Gynaecologist at the Kurunegala General Hospital, Dr Mohamed Shafi. 

The allegations against them are sensitive and very serious in nature. But the media are divided on political party lines when handling those issues. 
The issue concerning the gynaecologist would take a long time to be resolved as each complainant against him has to undergo medical tests. The number of complaints would decide the duration of the outcome of the investigations, apart from other procedural factors. 
He might also have to face a tougher time due to the political divisions among his medical fraternity. 
Minister Bathiudeen is accused of supporting terrorists who were responsible for the Easter Sunday suicide attacks on churches and five-star hotels where more than 250 people were killed and more than 400 were injured. 

"The real enemy that might be waiting to cause another disaster is the ideology that drove NTJ leader Zahran Hashim and his cohorts to cold-bloodedly kill hundreds of men women and children"

Despite the seriousness of the allegations, hilariously it is the politicians and the media who are not experts on security matters that have undertaken the investigations and even the trial, without submitting the evidence they have to the CID. 
The Opposition has handed over a no-confidence motion against Minister Bathiudeen while the Speaker has appointed a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to look into the allegations. In both cases, it is the members of Parliament who are going to investigate the matter. 
And interestingly, in both cases, it would be a numbers game where the arguments are presented on political party lines or on ethnic lines and not on the merits of the findings of investigations carried out by the police so far. Hence, the outcome of both the NCM and the PSC could apparently be foretold. 
Ultimately, the numbers game might clear him of all charges or he would at most be forced to resign from the ministerial portfolio if the NCM against him wins or the PSC finds him guilty of charges. He might be portrayed as a terrorist, but would not be put behind bars. This is not in any way a counter-terrorism measure. 

This is playing politics with terrorism. The selective bombardment by the pro-Opposition media in the meantime would help the Opposition to capitalize on the issue and keep the tempo on. Also, the present tension among the people that might be heightened by the media frenzy over the NCM and the PSC might invite another anti-Muslim backlash. 
Whatever the outcome of the NCM and the PSC might be, ultimately Bathiudeen would be rewarded politically by this NCM and the PSC. He might emerge as a hero among Muslims at the forthcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Muslims, in spite of their rage against the terrorists who turned their lives hellish, seem to take the allegations against Minister Bathiudeen as a vengeance by the Opposition. 
They are of the opinion that the Opposition is after Bathiudeen for not falling in line when they were hard-pressed in finding the majority in Parliament after former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was appointed Prime Minister on October 26 last year. He became easy prey, they view. They also feel this as an exercise by the Opposition with a view to tame the minority parties. 

The Opposition strategy is clear. They seem to be convinced that the minority votes that had tilted en-masse towards the UNP at the last Presidential and Parliamentary elections have not changed and that they can ride purely on the Sinhalese votes. 
Now, they seem to play the patriotic card in order to further make inroads into the Sinhalese vote bank of the UNP. 

Lest History Repeat Itself

Photo by Shehan Gunasekara

SANJEEWA FERNANDO- 05/30/2019

As multi-coloured Buddhist flags fluttered in the breeze and perennially catchy tunes on the nobleness of the Gautama Buddha wafted in the air, rows of houses and shops belonging mainly to Muslims in Minuwangoda, Gampaha, Chilaw and Kuliyapitiya lay in ruins in the light of the Wesak Full Moon. For a seasoned photographer the images of those damaged structures creating a backdrop to the fluttering flags would have been a mouth-watering prospect for a headline-making photograph. Yet since I am not a photographer, the poignance was lost, at least in terms of capturing it through a lens.

One month after the dastardly attacks on Easter Sunday, the entire country is now facing political, social historical and economic, uncertainty that has been absent since the end of the war exactly ten years ago. The ease with which the country slid back to the ethos of a police state in the immediate aftermath of the attacks was quite startling. The ‘citizen committees’ bolted into action, suspecting all those who are not like the majority; invading the privacy and dignity of individuals; people travelling in public transport not being allowed to keep their bags on the overhead racks; being questioned purely on the basis of their ethno-religious background, worse still, based on the garments they wore or facial hair they sported; all these invoked images from the thirty year civil war, although it was a ‘different’ type of ‘suspicious character’ they were wary of then. The respite and the solace of peace, of normalcy and civil life seem luxuries for citizens of this island, after all.

Despite earnest requests by the Cardinal, who after a history of shouting himself hoarse that no ‘churches’ had been under attack – when in reality mobs stoned, burned and damaged smaller churches – was finally compelled to witness a different type of attack on his churches. The attacks were carried out by the Sinhala polity, a few acting riotously and the majority giving way to suspicion aimed generally at the Muslim community, giving tacit justification for such dastardly acts carried out by the unruly few. Due to violence against ordinary Muslims spreading in certain areas, the security forces are now burdened with the task of guarding innocent people from falling prey to Sinhala Buddhist extremists. These groups likely enjoy political patronage, through the involvement of politicos from the Joint Opposition as well as some leaders of far right Sinhala fringe groups such as Mahason Balakaya, Sinhale Api, Ravana Balaya etc. This suggests; that there is a well-orchestrated effort by some elements to make political mileage out of the situation.

From yet another perspective, with the re-appearance of these Sinhala extremist groups associated with the Aluthgama and Digana incidents, the entire aftermath of the Easter Sunday attack has taken a different complexion. It has shifted public attention from the brutality and barbarity of the suicide attacks targeting innocent civilians to the anti-Muslim violence. The headlines are beginning to look different now.

Government clearly to blame

The government is responsible for the absolutely inefficient manner in which it handled the bomb attacks, given reports that Indian intelligence services repeatedly informed their Sri Lankan counterparts that an attack was imminent – weeks and even a few minutes before the attacks on Easter Sunday. No whitewashing could absolve the government from their culpability in the deaths of those innocent civilians.

There is a subscript that runs parallel to this immediate picture, with some prominent Muslim politicians coming under a cloud of suspicion, in some cases with more than sufficient information to suggest that they need to be seriously examined. It is here that the rub lies; facts related to these politicians might run years back and in all probability well beyond January 2015. With some of the fanatics being in the payroll of the authorities at the time, the privileges and the funding for their universities and madrasas all seem to predate the supposedly ‘good governance’ government.

The spectre of Black July

It is against such a backdrop that one has to have incisive skills of observation to realise as to who would benefit most from the riots that ensued after the Easter Sunday bombings. Three weeks went by without much incident, with the kith and the kin of the deceased somehow managing their grief,
frustration and anguish, and not allowing it to become a catalyst for another Black July.
Black July for its part is a classic example of how a fringe group could ascend to be the sole representative of a given community based on the sympathy it receives from those who are indiscriminately victimised. It served as a launching pad for a guerrilla organization which consisted of only 15 members at that time, skyrocketing to become the most formidable militant group in Sri Lankan Northern politics, and eventually one of the most feared guerrilla outfits in the world. Black July only convinced Prabhakaran and those who followed him that there could be safety for them only if they bore arms in the short term and through a separate state, for which they were to dedicate themselves in the long term.

History has a tendency to repeat itself, unless society learns and averts ignorant and erratic behaviour, which repeatedly invites calamities of similar nature. Most of the suicide cadres or ‘hardcore’ Tigers were those who either suffered or witnessed atrocities committed against their kith and kin during the 1983 July pogrom, or were at least indirect victims of it. They hardly would have been in need of a carefully-programmed brainwashing campaign to turn them into militants.

As much as Zaharan Hashim, the mastermind behind the Easter attacks, managed to brainwash his followers, nothing could make the process more accelarated in his absence than demonising the ordinary Muslim community and clubbing them together with fanatics. That is what is transpiring in the form of indiscriminate attacks on and vilification of all Muslims; Zaharan and the jihadists, who were apparently without a cause, now seem directly applicable to the ordinary local Muslim, addressing a grievance now attributed to them that can be seen in a more acceptable light.

Muslim leaders in hot water

Among the various immediate beneficiaries of the riots are the Muslim politicians who seem to have been hand in glove, if not directly in terms of attacks orchestrated by the NTJ, at least indirectly by patronising, covering up, financing and facilitating their activities. The finger that is being directed at them cannot be shrugged off as over-zealous actions of the majority who visualise themselves as being under attack. They are based on many instances of their interference and intervention to make the fanatics’ work easy. From having relatives closely connected to the bombers, suspicious business relationships, influence on releasing those suspects when they were apprehended by authorities are too serious to be ignored as coincidence. As long as peace was maintained, as was the case during the first three weeks after the attacks, ground-breaking revelations made by the security and intelligence agencies were incisive, deep and damning. Had they continued in the same vein, it would have led to exposing the real power dealers who were behind these acts of mass murder. Now, the emphasis of the security forces have been deflected to safeguarding law and order and scrutinising the innocent Muslim; at least from the public perspective, the focus has shifted elsewhere.

Fishing in murky waters

There are also the Sinhala politicos of the former regime, who, it is revealed now, have been sponsoring extremist elements within the Muslim polity with the intention of dividing the Muslim voter base which had not been unanimously in their favour. Investigations have revealed that some of the bombers have been in contact, at least indirectly, with the former power-wielders. Their activities were not completely hidden from the security apparatus during the Rajapaksa regime, to such an extent that a finger is being pointed in their direction as well. Any further revelations in this regard would certainly have been damning on the image that the Rajapaksas have been projecting to the Sinhala majority, as the saviours of Sinhala Buddhist aspirations. It would have not gone down well with the prospective presidential candidacy of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, to have been seen as a benefactor of some of the members of these terror groups, although not directly related to the attacks.
 Diverting attention from the real issue of digging deep into how Zaharan and his aides grew into such a powerful position, of being able to carry out coordinated attacks on six places in a matter of minutes, might shed unexpected light on such shady deals of the former regime as well.

The current government, with its glaring incompetence, while reeling from the unprecedented nature of the attack, would certainly not want a pogrom of this nature under their watch. The last strand of legitimacy this ‘good governance’ government might have left intact could be that it is not given to overtly racist or Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism as a political weapon as the Rajapaksa regime did.

The question again arises as to whether the security apparatus, including the intelligence wing, is truly and really under the political authority of the present regime. Even if the answer is a tentative ‘yes’, then which group of the governing coalition controls it, is the million dollar question. With the hybrid government at odds with each other to the extent that the Prime Minister has not been attendant at Security Council meetings, it should not come as a surprise that they are not fully in control of the security apparatus.

Could it be more outrageous than for a President to say that he only came to hear about arguably the most devastating attack by ISIS affiliated terrorists outside the Middle East, through a Facebook post of a friend of his and that too, hours later? Could it be more criminal than for a Prime Minister’s claim that he came to know of it through WhatsApp while holidaying? At the moment the operations and investigations carried out by the security forces seem to be on their own volition, rather than through a resolute political decree of the government in power.

Impact on the economic front

Although the IMF has downplayed the impact of the attacks on the country’s economy – including Sri Lanka’s ability to meet another Billion Dollar debt instalment deadline of foreign debt repayment due in October this year, repercussions in vital sectors such as tourism and foreign direct investment would be telling in the immediate future. All remedial measures the government contemplates in grappling with the economic fallout that it sure to take place will test the competence of the UNP component of the government. Yet in the eyes of the general public, who seem to have gone into a frenzy of fear and paralysis in terms of their day to day activities, the economic ramifications do not seem to figure that large, at least at this particular moment of time.

The government needs to show the populace that it is in control of the situation, restore law and order and bring back communal consensus, which seems to be in tatters at present. The constitutional amendments that have been in the offing need to be revamped, irrespective of the immediate needs of security and governance, requiring the attention and effort of a concerted nature. The country simply cannot relapse into a post-Black July syndrome with ethno-racial tensions reaching boiling point and suspicions around one community dominating the socio political discourse. Although it is premature and infantile to believe that all will be well once the remaining few jihadists are apprehended – as the President claims – it should not be used to turn Sri Lanka back into a security state, the type we have grown used to during the civil war. It should also not be an occasion to facilitate draconian laws that deprive people of their constitutionally guaranteed rights by subjecting them to emergency laws and harsh security measures.

History does repeat itself, unless we are wary and vigilant citizens.

11 times ‘Game of Thrones’ got it right about Sri Lanka’s state of politics

 GAMES: Stark

Friday, 31 May 2019

All good things must come to an end. Good Governance, ‘Avengers,’ ‘Game of Thrones’. While the first was not very good and the second went mostly well but was bad in bits with a sad endgame, the last of these got ugly in the season and series finale. Here, for those of us who like parallel universes in which nothing is as it seems, are some odious comparisons.

1. There is a true leader among us somewhere

Jon Snow learns from Samwell Tarly that he, Jon, is actually Aegon Targaryen – the most likely successor to the Iron Throne over which the Seven Kingdoms have fought for time out of mind… and oh, as a sign of his heritage, the bastard son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark learns to ride a dragon (a heritage of the Targaryens).

In a milieu where our main houses have let us and themselves down, everyone’s on the lookout for a high-born saviour. I’m sure many minor characters have told the likes of Kumar Sangakkara that he’s fit to be the best among the rest to lead us to glory. If there’s one problem with this, it’s that Sanga – like Snow – is shy and effacing of self… for all his strategic advantages. I’ll also eat my hat if Chevaan Daniel hasn’t thrown his in the ring… for at least prime ministerial but possibly future presidential stakes. There be dragons to tame along the road for the likes of these.

2. Some people never learn because they’re too naïve and trusting

Ser Jaime Lannister rides alone to Winterfell where he reveals to the Northern Kingdom’s lords and ladies – who had distrusted Daenerys and doubted Cersei – that the latter had deceived Jon Snow… there were going to be no Lannister armies sent up north to help humanity combat the Night Walkers. This betrayal prompts Daenerys to dismiss the usefulness of her hand Tyrion Lannister – who, despite everything nefarious and underhand his sister Cersei had done for seven straight series, tended to trust her word…

Do I need to force the parallel? Our erstwhile Coalition against Corruption is Cersei through and through. It’s just that you and I – like Tyrion: savvy in every other respect except as regards our established political leaders – haven’t all yet quite seen through the parties we still tend to trust. Shame on us!

3. Expect the unexpected from minor players

Arya seduces Gendry (who is later formally recognised as a Baratheon) but rebuffs his marriage proposal; Jaime formally knights Brienne of Tarth (and then promptly beds her); Bran proposes himself as bait to lure out the Night King, who wants to destroy the Three-Eyed Raven (whose memory of history threatens the White Walkers and their deadly intentions to wipe out humanity)

Where the usual suspects have failed – and keep failing time and again – there are some bit players and relatively minor characters who could pull a rabbit out of a hat. I’m keeping an eye on the likes of Rosy, Mangy and Ruwan W.

4. Valour and strength in numbers don’t always win

When the combined forces of the living face the Army of the Dead… the Dothraki are decimated, the Unsullied fall in unimaginable numbers, and Ser Jorah Mormont – who once betrayed her trust by spying on her – sacrifices his life in Daenerys’ service

Sri Lanka’s military and its intelligence arm are arguably among the best in the world after decades of internecine warfare. They could win big over home-grown extremists every time. If not for the fuddy-duddy, fumbling-bumbling, often foul-play suspected political mandarins who rule the roost and sacrifice the valorous in our security setup by exposing the nation to defencelessness through petty politicking and personal lapses.

5. There’s a reason why true leaders wish to remain anonymous these days

Jon reveals his Targaryen claim to Daenerys, as well as Sansa and Arya… with diverse results – Dany wants him to keep it a secret because of what it will do to him, them and her claim to the throne; Sansa tells Tyrion, sensing an opportunity to have her foster-brother anointed as the true sovereign over the seven kingdoms; and inscrutable Arya sets off for the south, hell-bent on assassinating Cersei who currently occupies the Iron Throne

Think about it. If your political opposition was to be a former strongman-bureaucrat who batters and bruises his political, military and civilian foes with equal despatch – would you be able and willing to say “under the bludgeonings of fate, my head is bloody but unbowed”? I can think of someone who once did – and he’s not in the land of the living any more…

6. Expect serious setbacks if you’re riding into battle against tyranny

At Dragonstone, Daenerys’s army – bound for King’s Landing – is ambushed by Euron Greyjoy’s fleet and Rhaegal her dragon is killed by ship-mounted scorpions

However, those opposed equally to innate tyranny and technical incompetence to rule alike may have no choice if they or we want to salvage the last fading chances left to our homeland. So saddle up, Sanga – or any other would-be saviour of a benighted nation! Anyone? Chevaan’s already campaigning as if he’s on a crusade!

7. Also, expect some real shockers along the way

In a shocking episode titled ‘The Bells’, the head count mounts: Varys is burned by Drogon upon Daenerys learning that he has tried to contrive the Iron Throne for Jon Snow; Jaime Lannister kills Euron but is mortally wounded (later he will die under the ruins of the Red Keep with his sister-lover Cersei in his arms); in a tragic Clegane faceoff, the Hound kills the Mountain, but only at the cost of his own life… and most surprisingly of all, Daenerys – whose trajectory had taken her full circle from victim to liberator to oppressor to victim once again (this time, of her own uncontrolled temperament), indiscriminately lays waste to King’s Landing while a shocked Jon and Tyrion watch from the rubble of the demolished capital city below

The good will go about stirring up apathy wherever they go, in opposition to anyone who emerges to challenge the standing order. The bad will fight tooth and nail – in the House and on the street en route to the polls – to secure the status quo to their advantage. The ugly… well, we all know who once rode a fiery dragon to war – and threatens to do it again. In fact, he’s likely to use fire in peacetime! Woe to the people he plans to save… ’ware such saviours and deliverers, who don’t know they’re nothing much more than war criminals!

8. In the heat of the moment, one’s true character will stand out

Not merciful in victory, the Unsullied execute surrendered King’s Landing troops – on Daenerys’ orders

This may be one reason why the executive on both sides of the present political divide hesitates to nominate our former martial commander as minister of law and order. The field marshal himself seems to perform better with parliamentary skirmishes seeming to be his forte these days…
9. No one as arrogant as the righteous ruler
Not one to rest on her laurels, Daenerys announces to her blood relative and erstwhile lover Jon Snow that she plans to ‘liberate’ the rest of the world at the head of her conquering armies led by a single dragon. Do her intended liberated wish to be free? They don’t get that choice, nor other would-be saviours and deliverers – so she tells a troubled Jon… leading him to assassinate her in his arms a few fatal steps away from the fated Iron Throne

Once upon a time, we stood by the personality (I use the term loosely) who best epitomised a liberal democratic approach to nation-building, transitional justice and all that jazz. Only to see his house of cards tumble in the aftermath of last year’s coup’s defeat. Only to recognise, much to our dismay, that our cardboard hero not only has feet of clay, but is a democrat abroad only in order to be a tyrant in his own party. Hope you won’t be fooled again, civil society and civilised academics and professionals?

10. A pyrrhic victory awaits the persevering

Tyrion puts his rhetorical skills to good use in persuading the noble leaders of the Seven Kingdoms to institute a sort of appointed monarchy. Later, he deploys his diplomacy in reorganising the Small Council to rule Westeros wisely in the absence of their new king, Bran the Broken – who comes to the throne unexpectedly, but after clever convincing of the Westerosi aristocracy by Tyrion… for which he is rewarded by being made Hand of the King to Bran the First of his name…

I see the honourable speaker making what seem like all kinds of helpful suggestions about governance and politics these days... rather than get on with select committees and the like, under his mandate. Trust he – and the body politic – will come to see these moves as unconstitutional at best and ambitiously unwarranted at worst. The worst treason could be to do the right thing for the wrong reason.

11. It all ends in tears

In a ‘Stark’ ending for fans and critics alike, as well as the characters concerned, Arya departs to the uncharted West (“what’s west of Westeros?”); Sansa is crowned Queen in the North; and the tragic regicide Jon Snow – unbeknownst to his peers save a few close confidantes as the true king of the seven kingdoms – is banished to the Night Watch north of the wall…

I know some fans of GOT who think the finale ended on a note of justice denied to the rightful or noble and pure. For it was hardly the cliff-hanger or closure we sought – and some of us still seek… in spinoffs, for e.g. Sorry: the fully satisfying extended version will not be televised in real life. However idealistic aficionados may be, it almost always ends in tears. Therefore, let us learn the lessons of history – and prime-time pseudo-historical soap opera.
(Journalist | Editor-at-large of LMD | Writer #SpeakingTruthToPower)

Buddhist monk hunger strikes calling for removal of Muslim minister

31 May 2019

A senior Buddhist monk, Athuraliye Rathana today launched a hunger strike in Kandy calling for the removal of a Muslim minister and two Muslim governors from their posts. 

Rathana has accused Minister Rishad Bathiudeen and the Eastern and Western Province governors, M L A M Hizbullah and Azath Salley of being associated with the Islamist extremism. 

The incident follows the Easter Sunday suicide bombings by Islamist extremists supportive of Islamic State, which left over 250 people dead. 

Rathana is conducting his hunger strike outside the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. 

In the aftermath of the bombings, several Muslim homes, businesses and mosques were destroyed by Buddhist mobs, with images showing that monks and Sri Lankan military personnel were also involved in racist rioting. 

Related Articles: 

28 May 2019 : Sri Lankan military’s Psychological Operations wing holds meetings on ‘Muslim fundamentalism'

16 May 2019 : Hard-line Buddhists behind organised anti-Muslim violence says SL minister

15 May 2019 : Sri Lankan security forces colluded in anti-Muslim riots - JDS video

Pardoning Gnanasara: Impunity & Political Culture At It Worst!

By Lakmal Harischandra –MAY 30, 2019

Lakmal Harischandra

When Ven Galagoda Atte Gnanasara (GST)walked out of prison, probably no-one was surprised as it was the end-result of much political behind-the- curtain activities, but well known in the public domain, which  led to  the granting of Presidential pardon by the head crackpot Sirisena (MS). After the end of the war in 2009, this fiery monk has been used as a political pawn and tool by the Rajapaksas to stay in power exploiting the racist sentiments among the Sinhala Buddhist people and now it appears that MS too, seeing sure signs of doom at the next election is also attempting to use GST for his camp’s political survival. However, the Minister of Buddha Sasana, Gamini Jayawickrama too earlier endorsed requests by religious and political third parties to issue the pardon, and numerous members of the government also have spoken out and acted in support of it for political expediency. Thus, Ranil camp cannot escape responsibility by blaming this decision upon MS alone. 

It was thus a sad day for Sri Lanka where the height of impunity went to another appalling low level, signifying a chronic impunity crisis affecting the process of justice in this Dharma Dweepa. When GST was let off the hook and allowed to go free, the last remnants of the rule of law also went vanished. Analysts point out that the pardon specifically signals that some are more equal than others, when some categories of citizens, such as the Buddhist clergy, can expect to enjoy preferential treatment when it comes to obeying the law. It also sets a dangerous precedent whereby properly tried, convicted and sentenced persons can be released on the whims of the President and government. The timing of his presidential pardon in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday massacre is significant as well, where GST’s dubious record as an incessant Islamophobe will play a pivotal role in further exacerbating the hate campaign against the Island’s Muslim population. It is indeed the second rising of the Sri Lankan version of  Wirathu of Myanamar. He is already coming out with his version of ‘I told you so’ which appears to echo well with the anti-Muslim hate lobbies barking loud through the social media.   

The rogue character of GST came into prominence with the well-orchestrated hate campaign against the Muslims during the second term of MR’s tenure of office. After his (largely mysterious) visit to Norway, his dreaded BBS shot into prominence creating havoc in the civic life in this country, along with their sister hate outfits – Sihala Ravaya and Ravana Balaya – all of whom enjoyed State patronage in their halcyon days.  What happened in Sri Lanka, when he went all over the country setting fire to the inner sentiments of the people in the name of Sinhala Buddhism and patriotism were well known. What happened in Aluthgama where GST’s fiery racist speech led to much carnage and damage was also well known. Now, no-one should tell us that this Aluthgama  anti-Muslim attack took place  because few Muslim youth assaulted a Budddhist monk; for four years after, they were released without charges as there were no supporting evidence. This shows that attacks of this nature are pre planned. Fast forwarding to Yahapalana times, he appeared to tone down his antics, but his visit to the funeral house of the victim in Digana after the road rage incident appeared to provide more impetus to Amitha and his gang to exploit the feelings of the people to engage in the anti- Muslim communal violence.     

Be it as it may, the incident in question which led to GST’s jail sentence was not related to his anti-Muslim rampage. This hardline rogue monk  was found guilty of having threatened the woman activist Sandya Ekneligoda, who was seeking justice for her husband who mysteriously disappeared during MR time. In 2016, GST interrupted a court hearing over the abduction of this journalist, Prageeth Ekneligoda, in which military intelligence officials were accused. He shouted at the judge and lawyers because the military officials had not been allowed bail, and threatened Ekneligoda’s wife in filthy language. GST also faced a separate contempt of court case over the same incident. When, he was put behind bars, there were wide discourses all over the country initiated by the top hierarchy in the various chapters about the permissibility of disrobing this monk in jail and getting him to don a jumper. This concern was interestingly not shown when many other rogue Bikkhus were arrested and jailed for numerous offences. Amnesty International also then  said that the verdict was a victory for human rights defenders in Sri Lanka. “This is an important verdict for all people who fight for human rights in Sri Lanka. A clear message has gone out to those who seek to intimidate, threaten and silence people seeking justice”. However, he was granted bail. Then in late 2018, we commenced his sentence of 19 years of rigorous imprisonment to be completed within 6 years.. It was not even few months behind bars when this fresh concerns were shown to gain his release by way of a Presidential pardon through a concerted social media cum political lobbying campaign led by rogue sections of the Maha Sangha. His receiving pardon stands in contrast with another Sinhala writer who serving a jail sentence for apparently writing a fiction which some monks thought was insulting of Buddhism. 

Granting Presidential pardon to GST has made a mockery of the powers vested in the President under the country’s constitution. It is pertinent to quote the statement of the Centre for Policy Alternatives in this regard. ‘CPA stresses that presidential pardons exist to correct miscarriages of justice and are to be exercised with extreme caution and gravity. The pardon of Gnanasara Thero cannot be called a fit and proper exercise of that power by any metric. The trial, conviction and sentencing of the Thero raised no legitimate questions of any miscarriage of justice and there was ample opportunity for the Thero to fully exercise his right to a fair trial by appealing his conviction. Indeed this option was pursued by him at both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court which both duly dismissed the appeals. As such, the pardon itself amounts to an undue interference with the legal process… The pardon raises a number of very serious concerns. First, it legitimises the view that it is possible to act with contempt for the judiciary, be punished through a legitimate judicial process, and then enjoy impunity through a pardon granted on political considerations. Second, the pardon comes amidst the ongoing and extremely tense situation in the country. The pardon, however indirectly, represents a worrying endorsement of such anti-minority sentiment, and can only heighten the anxiety and fear being felt by Muslim Sri Lankans today’. In this context, as CPA statement calls for ,  the government as a whole must justify, with stated reasons, why the grant of a pardon in this case will not be inconsistent with the Constitution, the rule of law, and the administration of justice in Sri Lanka and will not exacerbate inter-communal tensions. Anything less will directly undermine the legitimacy of Sri Lanka’s democracy.

 Sri Lanka’s poor human rights situation is clearly being exacerbated by the weakness of state institutions and the judicial system. Sri Lanka is facing a crisis of impunity. As ICJ Report in 2012 says, ‘It has become a cliché to speak of a ‘culture of impunity’ but the phrase is entirely apt in describing the situation in Sri Lanka, where impunity has over the years become institutionalized and systematized: mechanisms to hold state actors to account for their actions have been eroded; checks on the arbitrary use of power have been diluted, if not dissolved’. We saw impunity in the case of  spate of communal violence of 1983, Aluthgama and Digana. 

The 1978 Constitution essentially took away much powers of the Parliament and gave the President excessive power, presumably to balance representation with governability. The powers given to one individual in the person of the Executive President has been abused time and again by the various holders of this high office since JRJ. The country saw in October 2018,  how MS  in a fit of lunacy  abused his Presidential powers under the Constitution, not only taking  Sri Lanka and the world  by surprise, but also put the nation on a serious mode of reflection about the suitability of the Executive Presidential system to Sri Lanka, imposed by JRJ in 1978 and the quality of our Legislature. Prof. S. Sarath Mathilal de Silva- Attorney-at-Law in an article in CDN on ‘Presidential immunity: Scope and application’ (May 2018) commented;   ‘It appears that both presidential immunity and other indemnity provisions within the law contribute significantly towards the culture of impunity in Sri Lanka’. Now, MS has shown that his powers to grant pardon too needs serious review. MS should be criminally answerable for all the offences and abuses committed by him during the course of his  administration in fairness to the people of this country who are asked to abide by the rule of law.

The timing of granting pardon to GST is also significant when the anti-Muslim sentiments are at an all-time high reaching its’ peak. This is the 09/11 experience for Sri Lankan Muslims witnessing their religion being demonised and being alienated in society. There is deep suspicion that GST will aggravate this dangerous trend and help earn valuable Sinhala Buddhist votes for the MS/MR camp, playing the Sinhala Supremacist card. Already, Muslims have been projected as the bogeyman by rogue sections of the Sinhala media both print and TV- Hiru, Ada Derana and Divaina. Recent media sensationalism as seen in the editing of speeches by Muslim spokesmen and also so-called Sterilization story are causing much concern among the Muslims driven to a corner and put on a victim hood mode. All what is left is for a foul-mouthed  GST to lit the pyre- a disaster which a far thinking personality like the Catholic Cardinal has been doing his utmost to avert. This does not mean that Muslim extremism should be pussy footed. It should be confronted . However, to be successful,  it is imperative that the Muslim community is fully on-board with the rest of us without making this fight against extremism – a war against the entire community as a whole.  It is a fact that the mainstream Muslims are also victims of this growing extremism and radicalism by a fringe group among them. 

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Sexism, slander, hatred: Sri Lanka’s culture of online abuse

From politicians to members of the LGBTQI community, social media in Sri Lanka is a hotbed of harassment and hostility

A mobile browser unable to connect to Facebook after Sri Lanka’s government shut down the platform in response to unrest following the Easter Sunday attacks. Photograph: Lakruwan Wanniarachchi/AFP/Getty Images

Raisa Wickrematunge -Tue 28 May 2019 

The threats began after Jegatheeswaram Jeyachandrika decided to contest local government elections.
Clutching a file of printouts, Meena, as she is known, points to a Facebook post in which she is pictured, circled in red, among a group of people.

“We opened some new shops that day, part of a collective project,” she says. “This post implies that I’m the mistress of one of the ministers in the photo.”

That was one of the milder offerings. Meena has been called a sex worker, among other things, and hateful comments have been made towards her immediate family. Several volunteers helping with her campaign dropped out following the repeated threats.

Stones have been thrown at Meena’s house, and flyers containing defamatory claims against her have been distributed. She went to the police, but received no response to her complaints. As with the Facebook posts, there have been no consequences for the perpetrators.

“Unless people take action, how are women to move forward?” she asks, adding that such incidents only push women out of politics. Despite the recent implementation of a 25% quota for female representation in local government in Sri Lanka, significant barriers to equal political participation remain.

But Meena’s story also highlights the pervasive nature of online violence in Sri Lanka – and the inability of state mechanisms to respond effectively to it.

Researchers have found that, in Sri Lanka, a culture of casual sexism, misogyny and objectification prevails on Facebook, which is by far the country’s most widely used social media platform, with more than 6 million users as of 2018. Leaked intimate photos and videos of young girls are also shared on the platform.

“Boys befriend girls and coerce them into sending them their nude photos. Once the relationship goes bad, they leak them online … 17-year-old girls have taken their own lives over cases like this,” says Ananthi*, an activist.

In Sri Lanka, where same-sex relationships have not yet been decriminalised, members of the LGBTIQ community also face threats including surveillance, extortion, discrimination and online sexual abuse and exploitation.

Sometimes this surveillance occurs at family and community level, but rights organisations such as Equal Ground have also reported intimidation, violence and discrimination against individuals and groups on the basis of sexual orientation, both offline and on social media.

Facebook has also been used to amplify hate and misinformation. Following the devastating suicide bomb attacks on churches and hotels on Easter Sunday, the government responded by twice blocking Facebook and Facebook-owned platforms Instagram and WhatsApp. It first adopted this approach in March 2018, in the aftermath of riots targeting the Muslim community, claiming that this helped to curb hate and misinformation. However, research shows that people have found ways to continue posting online.

In April 2018, 13 Sri Lankan civil society organisations wrote an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook CEO, expressing “deep frustration” over the platform’s “little to no support” for attempts to report content on gender-based violence, violence against the LGBTIQ community and hate speech, particularly in local languages like Sinhalese and Tamil. Facebookresponded, promising to increase content reviewers and work with government and civil society to curb hate speech and better understand the local context, including training their staff to identify inflammatory content in local languages, especially Sinhalese.

Yet the problem persists.

Sri Lanka’s own penal code has several sections that can be used to address different aspects of technology-based violence, and it is a signatory to a number of international conventions, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

“Various government bodies together with civil society partners are in the midst of conducting research on prevalence and varied manifestations of cyber harassment and violence,” says Hans Billimoria, director of the Grassrooted Trust. “That said, civil society partners on the ground and those at the forefront of the struggle against gender-based and intimate partner violence still lack the information they need to fully support victims and their families.”

Those who do report online violence often get no response – that is, if they know where to go in the first place. The main body tasked with dealing with such issues, the cyber crimes division of the criminal investigation department, is based in Colombo, and those living outside the capital have to travel there to make a report. Those reporting instances of leaked intimate images said the insensitivity of officers handling their cases often caused fresh trauma.

Meena says her experiences left her needing counselling. “I expected nearly 1,000 votes [in the election]. Because of the slander and harassment in real life, that number fell by more than half. Now, I’m left with my 333 votes, and a file full of printouts of the harassment that I have received online.”
• Name has been changed

Raisa Wickrematunge is editor of the civic media initiative Groundviews in Colombo, Sri Lanka

 Sandhya Ekneligoda appeals to re-enforce sentence against Gnanasara Thera

Fri, May 31, 2019, 11:51 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

May 31, Colombo: Sandya Eknaligoda, wife of missing journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda has filed a petition in the Supreme Court requesting the court to re-enforce a six month sentence issued by the Homagama Magistrate's Court against the controversial monk venerable Galagodaaththe Gnanasara thera.

The Apex Court has decided to take up Ms. Ekenligoda's petition for consideration on the 22nd of June.

Ekneligoda in her petition, appeals the court to convert the suspended sentence against the Bodu Bala Sena Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera to a mandatory sentence.

The petition was taken up today for consideration before a three member bench comprising Judges Sarath de Abrew, Gamini Amarasena and Murdu Fernando.

The Homagama Magistrate sentenced Gnanasara thera to a six month imprisonment on the 18th of June 2018 for intimidating and threatening Sandya Eknaligoda at the Homagama Magistrate�s complex.

The Magistrate sentenced the hardline Thero to two six-month terms of imprisonment to be served concurrently.

Gnanasara thera filed a petition challenging the verdict of the Homagama Magistrate before the Homagama High Court. The Homagama High Court subsequently issued an order to suspend the sentence issued by the Homagama Magistrate's Court.

Ekneligoda pointed out that the decision to suspend the Gnanasara Thera from serving the sentence by the Homagama High Court is contrary to the law.


The petitioner requests the Supreme Court to quash the Homagama High Court's order and issue an order for the Thera to serve a mandatory sentence.

Acquittal of Ven. Gnanasara Thera and 12 others from another case confirmed

Lakmal Sooriyagoda-Friday, May 31, 2019

The Colombo High Court was yesterday informed that an appeal petition filed by the Attorney General (AG) challenging the Colombo High Court’s decision to acquit Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thera and 12 others from 11 charges including for attacking a church in Thalahena had been withdrawn by the Attorney General.

On April 2, 2014, the Colombo High Court had acquitted all the accused from 11 charges following a trial. Accordingly, the judgement to acquit all accused including Ven.Gnanasara Thera will be effective since there is no any legal impediment.

Filing an appeal in the Court of Appeal, the Attorney General had moved to set aside the judgment of the Colombo High Court and convict and sentence the accused according to law.

However, on November 11, 2018, the Attorney General decided to withdraw the appeal petition citing a legal issue.

 

When the case pertaining to matter came up before High Court Judge Aditya Patabendi, the court was informed through Defence Counsel Tirantha Walaliyadda that the Attorney General has already withdrawn the appeal application.

The thirteen accused S.A. Athula Seneviratne, W.M. Sudu Banda, H. Thamara Beatrice, A.K. Denzil Premakumara, D.S.P.Kandana Arachchi, T.K. Somadasa, E.M.V. Ratnayake, K.W. Karunananda, E.M.H. Rathnayake, Ven. Aththaragama Gnanawimala Thera, Ven. Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thera, Ven. Agulgalle Siri Jinananda Thera and Dhanushka Sanjeewa had been indicted in the Colombo High Court by Attorney General for committing the offences of being members of an unlawful assembly to attack the Calvary church in Thalahena in 2008.

They were further accused for causing mischief to the said church, robbery of two gold chains worth Rs.15,000 and 50,000 belonging to person called Rohan Anderson and causing injuries to John Anton Anderson.

Demonization And Criminalization Of Religions

Experiencing the bright and dark, both faces of life, are we filled with love, kindness, compassion, and non-judgment toward others and also ourselves.

 

by Zulkifli Nazim-2019-05-31

 

'If a person foolishly does me wrong, I will return to him the protection of my boundless love. The more evil that comes from him the more good will go from me. I will always give off only the fragrance of goodness.' (Lord Buddha).

 

Like the air pervading the whole planet, nationalism is both omnipresent and impalpable. It interpenetrates the psyche and the minds of every individual. This behavior can be seen as both conservative and as a revolutionary force, threating the status quo.

 

 

Over the past years, rising nationalism is seen everywhere and in everything. From the time of election of Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa to the establishment of Mr. Maithripala Sirisena as presidents of this country.

 

The end of nationalism has been predicted multiple times by historians and scholars. However, neither is there an inevitable tide of nationalism that is engulfing the world, nor is nationalism universally in decline. Despite shared dynamics and integration, Sri Lanka remains too diverse to be caught up in a single torrent of nationalism, because of the tolerance of Buddhism and true Buddhists in this country.

 

Buddhism is humanistic, in that it rejoices in the possibility of a true freedom as something inherent in human nature. For Buddhism, the ultimate freedom is to achieve full release from the root causes of all suffering: greed, hatred and delusion, which clearly are also the root causes of all social evils.

 

It is the belief of great minds among the Buddhists is, that they believe that world peace can only be achieved if we first establish peace within our minds. Buddhists believe people can live in peace and harmony only if, we as Buddhists abandon negative emotions such as anger in our minds and cultivate positive emotions such as love and compassion.

 

The Buddha does not link violence with mimeticism – hysterical neurosis - He does warn against thinking of human relationships in terms of rivalries to be won or injuries to be avenged, and he urges his followers not to imitate the example of those who wrong them.

 

But what the President and his people, who seem to be proclaiming that they are the defenders of Buddhism, seem to be doing everything to the contrary; in that they are conspicuously, offensively and blatantly involved in anything and everything that is evil and quite perverse and quite adverse to Buddhist teachings – They are no better than those who promulgate extremism and terrorism under the guise of the religion of Islam.

 

It is no wonder we can see an unholy alliance between the two evils. Both parties seem to be recklessly determined on demonization and criminalization of both religions.

 

This attitude clearly shows a defiant disregard for danger or consequences to the people of this country where their main aim is to grab power by hook or by crook. Malicious behaviour without any attempt at concealment by the leaders and their supporters - openly and blatantly violating every law and every form of human decency

 

Let us take a look at the current scenario:

 

We have here two parties - The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP - Pohottuwa) and The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) One is the evil party, and the other is the stupid party, respectively. And the president seems to be very proud to be a member of the stupid party. Frequently, the two parties get together to do something that's both evil and stupid. And that is called bipartisanship.

 

Political corruption is an essential characteristic of organized crime. The two go hand in hand, organized crime tries to buy political influence and to provide space for or eliminate blockages to their illegal practices. This relates to bribery of police, judges, politicians and whatnots and infiltration of these offices of government by organized crime, commonly referred to as state capture.

 

State Capture is defined as the efforts of a small number of firms or such groups as the military, ethnic groups and kleptocratic politicians, to shape the rules of the game to their advantage through illicit, non-transparent provision of private gains to public officials.

 

Attempts to remove and actually removing honest professionals to appoint dishonourable and incompetent people at the highest echelons of our political and justice systems have severely undermined the rule of law in Sri Lanka.

 

The World Justice Project defines “rule of law” as ‘the process by which the laws, in a democracy, are enacted, administered, and enforced is accessible, fair, and efficient’. This means that the level of a country’s democracy is determined by its adherence to the basic principles in which all people – regardless of their economic, political or ethnic status – are subject to equal legal rules.

 

This principle is critically important for the success of any country. It provides a clear national system that is to be applied fairly to every group and person. Without this, the system will increasingly lose credibility and public trust.

 

Criminality and instability will increase, putting everyone at risk. Our justice system is the cornerstone for ensuring the rule of law functions in an effective and healthy way.

 

Over the past few years, the conduct of various top prominent officials in our country, has severely and gravely undermined this constitutional principle and the very foundation of our democracy. Following careful consideration of the hard evidence placed before various courts, a number of judges and luminaries in the judiciary have independently questioned the integrity and conduct and behaviour of some of our most senior so-called “responsible” officials.

 

Our people actually rely on the individuals who occupy these eminent and distinguished positions, to exercise their considerable powers in tackling organised crime and corruption. However, quite the contrary, it has emerged through various court cases and legal processes they seemed to use their powers to protect various individuals facing serious criminal allegations.

 

Our investigation and analysis seem to point to a hidden network of profoundly dishonest individuals within the government and the justice system, who have either been appointed by top-level politicians, or are acting with the primary purpose of protecting certain powerful people from criminal sanction, rather than in the public interest.

 

Today we see and are experiencing corruption and organised crime, drugs, fraud, money-laundering and racketeering, by all accounts, have increased substantially since the incumbent president came to power.

 

A malfunctioning law enforcement provides a suitable breeding ground for organized crime. Where criminals of brands and types are firmly rooted; police and the justice system become weakened by bribery and intimidation.

 

We should perceive the prevalence of organized crime and political corruption as an important indicator of the presence or absence of the rule - Where no rule of law exists, poverty eradication is purposeless, superfluous and meaningless.

 

"Without a functioning justice system, both the government and civil society are defenseless against rampant crime and corruption and development is likely to stagnate - strengthening the rule of law, however, makes no sense if political will is lacking.

 

Great spiritual leaders and philosophers have said that wisdom takes us above the basic instincts. It doesn’t let us be reduced to mere puppets in the hands powerful manipulators for our instant gratification. Wisdom gives our mind the power to differentiate between justified and unjustified and act accordingly.

 

Experiencing the bright and dark, both faces of life, are we filled with love, kindness, compassion, and non-judgment toward others and also ourselves.

 

Winding up with these words of wisdom from a person no less than Chief Seattle:

 

"You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our children -- that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves. This we know.

 

The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.

 

Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself ..."

 

[Chief Seattle - c.1786 – June 7, 1866 was a Suquamish and Duwamish chief – Blake Island, Washington.]