Politics without scruples undermines the reforms that can unite

 

By Jehan Perera-June 3, 2019, 6:41 pm

The threat of further attacks by extremist Muslim groups, linked to the Islamic State, has receded. Due to the breakdown of trust in the political leaders it needed the reassurance of the army commander to make people believe that they could send their children to school. The confidence of the security forces in the improvement of the ground situation, is evident in the more relaxed way they are getting about checking vehicular traffic. This is true even in the North, which was under strict surveillance in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings. As recent as last week travellers to the North, and in people living in the North, complained about the hardships they were experiencing at the many checkpoints which are not present in the same way in the rest of the country.

But, by this weekend, the checkpoints have been reduced. Unlike three weeks ago, this time when I traveled to the North, there was no need to get down and walk to the checkpoint with one’s baggage while the vehicle was searched. This indicates that there is a reasonable assurance that the extremist network that took the lives of over 250 persons in suicide bombings six weeks ago has been disabled. The extremist Muslim network has been easier to apprehend than expected. The cooperation of the larger Muslim community would have played a big role. This needs to be appreciated by the general population who are falling prey to the campaign by anti-Muslim groups to boycott their shops and even doctors.

There have been strenuous efforts by many sections of the Muslim community to demonstrate their rejection of the suicide bombings and their disavowal of the violent extremists. In an extreme example some Muslim villagers had physically destroyed a mosque they claimed belonged to the extremist sect. Muslim opinion leaders have issued statements, participated in media conferences, joined inter-religious groups for peace and hosted Ifthar (breaking fast) events to express their remorse for what happened to their fellow citizens and also to demonstrate their goodwill. The mainstream Muslim community is also showing a positive reciprocity to proposals emanating from the government for reform of the legal system as it impacts specifically on Muslims.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act would be amended to increase the age of marriage to 18 for Muslim women in a move aimed at unifying the personal laws as far as possible. As an initial step for implementing a common law cutting across different ethnic groups, he said the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act would be amended to declare 18 as the marriageable age for Muslim women in line with the laws applicable for other communities. The Prime Minister said steps would be taken to reform the education sector and the legal system of the country. He said Madrasas or the Muslim religious schools would be brought under the purview of the Education Ministry.

ENCLAVE MENTALITY

In the past the mainstream Muslim religious leaders represented by the All Ceylon Jamayaat Ulema, had balked at such reforms. However, the present crisis has impelled them to reconsider their positions on these and other issues. The ACJU has accepted the need for Muslim women to stop wearing the burqa which fully covers the face as a concession to the need to identify people in a time of national emergency. Sections of the Muslim community have also been willing to turn the searchlight inwards in trying to understand the violent extremism that now besets their community. They have accepted the need for self-criticism and for more engagement with the members of other communities. This again needs to be appreciated instead of seeking to punish the entire community for the actions of the extremists.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe’s proposal to have a uniform legal framework for all Sri Lankans corresponds to his desire to promote a Sri Lankan identity as means to unify the country. The need to press for reform of personal laws is due to the increase in insularity of each of the communities as a result of protracted conflict that has pitted one against the other. Although we live side by side, our actual engagement is limited and we tend to see the members of the other community as being the other, and not part of a common citizenry as envisaged by the Prime Minister.

Instead of unifying the people, the 10 year post-war period has seen communal polarization grow. The town of Kattankudy from which most of the Easter Sunday suicide bombers originated is an example of separation with a corresponding enclave mentality setting in. The police have complained that they find it difficult to get the people there to follow the usual traffic laws, such as getting motorcyclists to use protective helmets. One way in which to counter this enclave mentality is to have uniform laws that apply to every citizen. But it is important that the law reform should be across the board, and apply to every community, and not be targeted on just one.

The minimum standard that would be applicable to all communities would be the international human rights standard. Muslim marriage laws, especially that which permits under 12 girls to be married with permission from the religious clergy is clearly in violation of international standards. It is also likely that the Tamil personal laws of the Thesawalamai in relation to women’s inheritance rights would be similarly in violation of international human rights. It is important that when these personal laws are revised and reformed, that international standards should be maintained. All personal laws, including the Muslim, Thesavalamai and Kandyan laws could be upgraded to meet this standard.

RESOLVE NOW

In the course of my visit to Jaffna I met with three groups that have public influence. One comprised religious clergy, the other human rights activists and youth, and the third was a group of trauma counsellors. The common feature of all these groups was the interest they showed to engage with the larger society rather than to remain insular and live in enclaves. After the war’s end and with the onset of violent extremism they did not wish to be isolated or singled out. They could see that the problems facing the country were inter-related. There is a strong desire for interaction with opinion leaders and activists from other parts of the country.

Unfortunately, this desire on the part of people in the North and elsewhere is being purposely subverted by the national level politicians who engage in divisive politics. There is a deliberate and unconscionable campaign at this time to target and isolate the Muslim community and make them out to be a security threat within the country. There is the ongoing saga in which a Muslim doctor is being accused of having engaged in the covert sterilization of Sinhala women. Women who have undergone Caesarean surgery in which this doctor has been involved have been encouraged to complain to the authorities and get monetary compensation. Doctors who do not believe these allegations are afraid to speak up for fear of being lynched themselves.

The several crises besetting the country at this time, and the apparent paralysis of the govenrment is an indication of the need for leadership within the government. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe demonstrated leadership in visiting the North and reassuring the people that the government cares for them. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister’s ability to do more, and in particular to deal with the crises that are unfolding, is undermined by his lack of control over the police and security forces. The punitive and executive power of the state in relation to preservation of law and order is in the hands of the president. Unfortunately, he has not been cooperating with the Prime Minister for several months, during which time the country has plunged into crisis.

The divided powers of government are a recipe for disaster as indicated by the evidence given by police IGP Pujith Jayasundera in his evidence before the court with regard to the total unpreparedness of the government to act on intelligence reports of the Easter Sunday bombing that led to the slaughter of innocents. Unless President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe find a way to work together the unraveling of Sri Lanka’s prospects for development and peace will continue until the next elections scheduled for the end of the year. The country cannot afford to wait for so long. A failure to put things right now will also mean that the stage is being set for worse to come during the run-up to the elections and thereafter.

Alarming resurgence in Sri Lankan police attacks on Tamil journalists

Many ceremonies were held in Sri Lanka on 18 May to mark the 10th anniversary of the end of the civil war. The military celebrated “Victory Day” while the civilians who died were remembered in Tamil regions such as Mullaitivu (left), where two journalists were recently the victims of intimidation by the police (photos: Ishara S. Kodikara - Lakruwan Wanniarachchi / AFP).

 

June 4, 2019

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Sri Lankan authorities to punish those responsible for recent acts of violence and harassment of journalists and to ensure that the police stop harassing and intimidating reporters covering the problems that the Tamil minority still endure ten years after the end of the civil war.

The 27 May violence against Kanapathipillai Kumanan, a journalist working for the Tamil daily Virakesari, was the third reported attack on a journalist of Tamil origin since the start of the year. Kumanan was working on a story about a Hindu temple in the district of Mullaitivu, on Sri Lanka’s northeastern coast, when a police officer hit him, threw his camera to the ground and threatened him with worse violence if he reported this attack.

The focus of a conflict between the Hinduist Tamil minority and the mainly Buddhist Sinhalese majority, the temple has been occupied for the past few years by Buddhist monks, who changed its name and recently installed CCTV cameras in order to control access. Kumanan had gone there to report on the failure to comply with a recent court ruling in favour of Hinduists who said they were being prevented from worshipping there.

“We call on the Sri Lankan authorities to not let this unacceptable act of violence against Virakesari’s reporter go unpunished,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk. “Allowing journalists to investigate controversial subjects freely is the best way to defuse tension. Ten years after the end of the civil war, the resurgence in attacks by the security forces against Tamil reporters recalls the worst times in Sri Lanka’s history, when it was one of the world’s deadliest countries for journalists.”

Trumped-up charges

The civil war finally ended in May 2009 with the Tamil Tiger separatist rebellion being crushed militarily. This has left deep scars in the collective memory and attempts by journalists to cover the demands of the Tamil minority’s representatives are being met with acts of intimidation from the security forces.

Shanmugam Thavaseelan, a reporter for the Asia Broadcasting Corporation and Tamil Guardian, was arrested by police on trumped-up charges on 20 April in Mullaitivu, the same district where the police attacked Kumanan five weeks later. Thavaseelan’s real crime was trying to cover a demonstration calling for justice for the Tamil civilians who disappeared during the civil war.

Nadarajah Kugarajah, a reporter for the Tamil TV channel Dan TV, was attacked by several police officers while investigating an arson attack two months before that in Jaffna, the capital of the mainly Tamil Northern Province, and had to be hospitalized with injuries, especially facial injuries.

Complete impunity

This resurgence in attacks against Tamil journalists is all the more worrying because, after the Easter Sunday bombings on 21 April, the authorities reactivated the arbitrary detention procedures allowed under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which were used to intimidate, arrest and even eliminate troublesome journalists during the civil war’s darkest years.

The government resulting from the 2015 elections undertook to end impunity for crimes of violence against journalists by reopening all relevant investigations. Four years later, no concrete result has been obtained in any of the investigations into the 14 murders of Sri Lankan journalists between 2003 and 2009 that RSF registered in its barometer of press freedom violations. Similarly, the dozens of cases of torture and intimidation also remain completely unpunished.

Worse still, Maj. Prabath Bulathwatte, the former head of an elite police unit tasked with silencing anyone who took too much interest in the activities of the security forces, was recalled into active service three weeks ago. Bulathwatte is the main suspect in many cases of abduction, torture or murders of journalists, including the Sunday Leader’s well known editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, who was killed in January 2009.

Sri Lanka is ranked 126th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2019 World Press Freedom Index.

 

The Ultra-nationalist ultimatum

• Resignations may not necessarily satiate the raging ultra-nationalism
• That failure should not be an excuse for the govt. to act now

4 June 2019

A weak government is like the supine barber to whom even the goat prods its goatee. The current government in Colombo is not just weak, indecisive and lacking a common purpose. Its manifest incompetence and vacillation is self- destructive and can set the country on fire. 

As of yesterday, the country was heading for a yet another inter-communal turbulence. As usual, the government seemed to be clueless as to what to do next. 

On Sunday, Galabodaatte Gnanasara Thera, freshly released from jail on a presidential pardon gave an ultimatum until 12 noon yesterday (3rd) to the president to sack two Muslim governors and a Cabinet minister. “Failing to do that before the ultimatum would see ‘sanakeli (carnival) in the country,” he thundered from the platform where another monk, Athuraliye Rathana Thera has launched a ‘fast unto death.’ Rathana Thera is demanding the removal of the three Muslim politicians, accused of mollycoddling Islamic extremists. 
Ministers, MPs and opposition politicians had paid homage to the fasting monk, not to miss television cameras. Even Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith visited the fasting monk, which may suggest, Ven. Rathana Thera’s call has support beyond Sinhalese Buddhists. 

Of the three politicians, Western provincial governor, Azath Salley and Eastern province governor M.L.A. M. Hizbullah were appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena and only the president himself could sack them. Whereas Minister Rishad Bathiudeen is appointed by the president in consultation with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who can ask the Cabinet minister to resign. However, removal of the Cabinet minister is the discretion of the president, in consultation with the prime minister. 

According to article 42 3) A Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers, a Minister who is not a member of the Cabinet of Ministers and a Deputy Minister, shall continue to hold office throughout the period during which the Cabinet of Ministers continues to function under the provisions of the Constitution unless he–(a) is removed from office under the hand of the President on the advice of the Prime Minister; 

Effectively, the President, who is still pondering over a second term, is under pressure from the monks to remove Muslim politicians who represent a chunk of Muslim vote bank. Whereas the removal of Mr Bathiudeen needs to be in consultation with Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, who has ignored calls for the former’s resignation. 

Yesterday afternoon, Governors Salley and Hizbullah tendered their resignation to President Maithripala Sirisena. The president accepted their resignations, President’s media division reported. 

These resignations may not necessarily satiate the raging ultra-nationalism, rather they could be seen as a capitulation of the government, thereby further emboldening majoritarian bigotry. 
The government has proved to be incapable of effectively confronting this socially destabilizing, and ethnically divisive phenomenon. 

On one side, it is besieged by its own dearth of political capital, and hence the reluctance to take decisive action. Internal bickering within the government and conflictual relationship between the president and prime minister makes things worse. Foreign investors have already given up on the current political dispensation. (Sub-par economic performance over the past five years is the result.) However, inertia within the government has now hit its nadir, impeding the primary and most basic function of a government: national security. 

Easter Sunday carnage itself is the most gruesome proof of that failure. The government failed to police the Muslim community, confront rising extremism, investigate returning IS conscripts, follow up on the recovery of explosives in an extremist training camp in Puttalam, and finally to act on the intelligence alerts on the impending Easter Sunday attacks.  However, the serial failure in the past should not be an excuse for the government not to act now, when the decisive government intervention is most needed. 

Easter Sunday attacks did not trigger an immediate communal backlash. Riots materialized only after it became clear to rabble-rousers that the government was not capable of decisive action. (Anti-Muslim riots happened only two weeks after the bombing.) Now, there are very public calls for the boycott of Muslim shops and propagating of Islamophobia. 
Two wrongs do not make a right. At least now, the government should mobilize its security and legal apparatus to confront rising ultra-nationalism and Islamophobia for they create permissive conditions for Islamic extremism to find new recruits. They also cause long term ethnic polarization. On their part, well-meaning nationalist forces should not try to take the current government into ransom. Such efforts could lead to major social instability, violence and potential economic collapse. 

On the other hand, the government is besieged by the perceived complicity of some of its Muslim politicians in actively promoting Wahhabi extremism. Some of them are implicated in initiatives aimed at Arabization of local Muslims, aided by financing from Gulf states. Incriminating evidence is now coming to surface. 

Minister Rishad Bathiudeen owned, directly or by proxy, a Tamil language media network, financed by the Gulf donors. Governor Hizbullah’s Batticaloa ‘Sharia’ campus has received the US $ 24 million soft loans from a Qatari foundation. 

Azath Salley, on the other hand, is a different kettle of fish, who on some occasions had been vocal against the spread of Wahhabi extremism. He is however accused of mediating the release of two suspects, sons of a prominent Muslim Maulavi, who were accused of demolishing Buddha statues in Mawanella. At that time, Salley’s mediation had the support of Muslim community leaders who believed that the two suspects were innocent. They were released from remand custody through the intervention by the president. Minister Kabir Hashim later told a media conference that one of the released suspects was identified as a suicide bomber, which proved to be far from the truth, as the identities of seven suicide bombers were later revealed. 

The role of Muslim community leadership, starting from All Ceylon Jamayathul Ulama, in promoting Wahhabism and Arabized social-cultural narratives among the local Muslim community is yet to be fully investigated. Until such an investigation is undertaken and accomplices are revealed, it is natural for the majority Sinhalese to be apprehensive. 

It is, therefore, the duty of the government to address these concerns and at the same time, keep in check that such sensitivities do not take a violent manifestation. 
During the last six months of the current government, the least one could expect is that it would not reign over the major communal riot, which could complicate the ethnic relations for decades to come. 

To that end, it should undertake a few commonsensical tasks that any government would do: 

First, it should provide unequivocal instructions to the security forces and police to enforce the full scope of emergency regulations irrespective of ethnic, religious, political affiliations. 
Any perceived sources of destabilization and communal riots should be arrested and subjected to preventive detention under the PTA/and emergency regulations. 
It should follow up with the arrests made during the previous communal riots in Mawanella and, make sure that the perpetrators are dealt with the full course of law, especially taking into consideration the current security realities. 

Release of suspects to appease the partisan political leaders would only embolden the future rioters. Whereas effective legal action laced with a degree of utilitarianism would serve as a deterrent to the recurrence of riots. If Sri Lanka could lock up LTTE inmates for decades without trials, which was a necessary evil in a time of security exigency, the law should be applied with the same efficiency on the perpetrators of anti-Muslim riots and Islamic extremists who plotted attacks, and who would probably plot attacks in future. 

To fulfil its basic duties of national security, the government should first and foremost, restore its credential as the monopoly of legitimate violence. Then it should exercise those powers.  

Arrest Rathana Thera for political unrest - Vikramabahu

Menaka Indrakumar-Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Nava Sama Samaja Party Leader Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne yesterday (4) said Athuraliye Rathana Thera should be arrested for creating political unrest in the country by fasting unto death demanding the removal two governors and a Minister.“According to the law, nobody has the right to take one’s life, when one does and survives the attempt, the individual is arrested and hospitalised.This should have been the case with Rathana Thera.

Police should have arrested him immediately.

How can he demand people to step down from any position? This is suicide. Any individual would be arrested, but why not Rathana Thera?.

He added a petition in the coming days will be issued to arrest Rathana Thera and submitted to the Inspector General of Police to take immediate action against him.Everybody in this country comes under one law, it applies to a monk as well.

While addressing the conference, statements were made of Athuraliye Rathana Thera had taken enough food supplements for a week to sustain himself for the fast and he had been eating without the knowledge of the people during the fast.

Who Is Creating Zaharans? 

By Hilmy Ahamed –JUNE 4, 2019

Hilmy Ahamed

The tragic events of 21/4 Easter bombings destroyed the ‘peace’ that prevailed since the end of the Eelam war in May 2009. Exactly a decade later, it was not the Tamils who had regrouped to launch the biggest ever terrorist attack on civilians in Sri Lanka, but a bunch of well educated, misled rich Muslim youth who had no specific demand from the Sri Lankan State. Their motive is still a mystery and the Muslim community as well as the families of the terrorists came forward to assist the security forces in quelling any growth or left over killer cells. Through this, the security forces were able to quash the widely expected second wave of attacks.  Yet, the harassment of the entire Muslim community continued with search operations, indictment and incarceration for possessing the Quran and Arabic literature (which every Muslim possesses), camouflage clothing (which was legally sold even by pavement hawkers), kitchen knives, swords and even toy guns. The policy of the Police was ARREST AND INVESTIGATE and many innocent civilians were humiliated. Most were charged under the INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS (ICCPR) ACT or PREVENTION OF TERRORISM ACT(PTA), which does not allow a Magistrate to grant bail, while the Sinhala Buddhist rioters in the Kurunegala and Gampaha districts who caused death, looting and destruction were charged under normal civilian laws and bailed out a few days later. This travesty of justice could create hundreds of more Zahrans similar to what led the Tamil youth to an armed struggle due to the carnage of the July 1983 riots.  The local media, with a sinister political agenda and to boost their ratings, magnified and sensationalized these arrests, implying that everyone arrested was a terrorist or possessed dangerous weapons.

The attack on Muslims continues in the form of harassment due to their attire, cultural and religious practices, organized boycott of their businesses and trade and targeting Muslim professionals and public servants. The Police arrested a Muslim medical practitioner who was a candidate of the ruling party during the August 2015 elections at 2.30am for amassing wealth. Is this a Police duty or the responsibility of the Inland Revenue Department or Bribery Commission? Later, the Police, through Media, made public calls for anyone who underwent a cesarean section to lodge complaints of possible unauthorized Tubal ligation (LRT) surgical procedure for sterilization by this senior house officer (SHO) who worked under a Consultant Gynecologist. However, weeks after, the Consultant Gynecologist has not been questioned and arrested.

Three weeks after the Easter carnage of 21/4, Sinhala extremists started a riot in the Kurunegala and Gampaha districts causing damages to mosques, houses, vehicles and business premises. One person was killed in the mayhem. As usual, the Government imposed a curfew and forced the Muslims to stay indoors while the rioters were allowed to roam free in the presence of the Security Forces and destroy everything Muslim. This was a repeat of what happened in Aluthgama, Gintota and Digana. The armed forces and Police usually bring the situation under control only after extensive loss for the Muslims.

The Muslim community is still in a state of shock not because of the cowards who killed and destroyed the livelihood, homes and places of worship in the Kurunegala and Gampaha districts, but because of our inability to have prevented the radicalization that was happening in our backyard which culminated in the death of over 250 and injuring more than 500 Sri Lankans and visitors to our nation on Easter Sunday. The average Muslim never dreamed that there could ever be violent extremists within their community.  Although Muslims were subject to ethnic cleaning in the North by the LTTE or the many violent riots perpetrated on them in the presence of the security forces since the end of the war, the Muslim community never imagined a group of Muslim youth would resort to violence or acts of terror .  Why would any Sri Lankan destroy the hard won  peace in our beautiful country after 30 years of bloodshed?    

Zaharan and his bunch of lunatics do not represent us Muslims. The Holy Quran teaches that to take a life is like killing the whole of humanity, and to save a life is like saving all of humanity. Islam forbids suicide and the killing of innocents, hence they had left the fold of Islam. Then how can these terrorists have been Muslim? They deserved the burial they got, being denied religious rites by all mosques in the country.  

It is sad that some mistakenly believe that the Muslim community knew about this terrorist attack. How can it be so, when even the wife who dropped her husband at the airport believing he was traveling to Zambia, did not know he was on a suicide mission? She travelled to her parental home in Mannar and even received text messages from him claiming to be in transit in Qatar. How then could the Muslim community have known the sadistic plans of these senseless murderers? 

The brutal attacks of 21/4 have damaged the goodwill between the Muslims and majority of the peace loving Sinhala Buddhists and have created mistrust and suspicion. The entire Muslim community came forward to assist the armed force, Police and the Government in the clean up that was successfully launched by them.  A mother reported and handed over her daughter who was married to one of the suspects. Mosques, neighbours, family and friends came out and reported suspicious behavior around them. Millions donated by the government for the information that led to the detection of the eastern network of terrorists was donated by the Muslims to the victims of the church bombing. The network of the terrorists was broken within days by the quick and vigilant action of the security forces thanks to the patriotic Muslims. Yet, deep suspicion and racism were created by opportunistic elements to proportions beyond imagination in the average Sri Lankan.

In the 30-year ethnic war, the Tamils were accused of protecting the Tamil Tigers and their armed struggle to set up a separate state. They may have justified it because of the discrimination and violence perpetrated against them, especially in 1983 where the Tamils living outside of the Northern peninsula lost everything including lives, livelihood and properties. Throughout this period of violence in Sri Lanka, the Muslims remained patriotic for a unitary state.

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ALL TERROR SUSPECTS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR POSITION: CEYLON CHAMBER

Image: Ceylon Chamber of Commerce deeply concerned about the possibility that events that threaten the law and order situation in the country, will unfold and this concern stems from positions taken and utterances made very recently by certain parties.

03/06/2019

Jun 03, 2019 (LBO) – Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has sent a missive to the Ministry of Defence urging the Ministry to take necessary measures to prevent disruptive and unlawful occurrences that will disturb the peace of the communities.

Sending a letter to the Defence Secretary S Kottegoda, the Chamber expects that they can have confidence that all suspicions are being adequately investigated irrespective of the positions being held by those who are suspected to be involved.

“As the highest ranking official vested with responsibility for the maintenance of law and order, we expect you will ensure that all necessary measures are taken to maintain peace, law and order,” the letter said.

“We also need to understand whether all allegations against those who are suspected and accused of engaging in terrorist activities have in fact been investigated.”

Ceylon Chamber of Commerce says they are deeply concerned about the possibility that events that threaten the law and order situation in the country, will unfold and this concern stems from positions taken and utterances made very recently by certain parties

TWISTS AND TURNS in the Dr. Shafi controversy

Teaching Hospital, Kurunegala

• Dr. Shafi’s wife said that everything that happened before and after the arrest of her husband has made her to believe that proceedings have been well-planned to victimize him
• He contested in the General Elections in 2015 as a UNP candidate and polled nearly 54,000 votes
• His wife Dr. M.N.F. Imara, holding an MBBS degree from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, is working in the Nephrology Unit at Teaching Hospital in Kurunegala
• The police had not informed the JMO on call, although there were two on-call JMOs on May 24 night. Instead another JMO (who was not on call) was asked to come by the Director of Kurunegala Hospital

4 June 2019

The alleged sterilization charges against Dr. Seigu Shihabdeen Mohamed Shafi from the Teaching Hospital, Kurunegala have become the main topic in the country at present. It has created a huge controversy which is taking new turns and spreading its flames in the country.

His wife Dr. M.N.F. Imara, holding an MBBS degree from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, is working in the Nephrology Unit at the Teaching Hospital in Kurunegala. Their three children are attending popular national schools in Kurunegala. 

In an interview with the Daily Mirror, Dr. Imara said that everything that happened before and after the arrest of her husband has made her to believe that proceedings have been well-planned to victimize Dr. Shafi. “But, I cannot imagine the secrecy behind all these manipulations,” she said.

On May 24, we were planning to complain to the police regarding the security of my family and prepared the documents. We had even drafted a complaint. But unfortunately, on the same day they arrested my husband

Dr. Imara

Dr. Shafi graduated from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura as an MBBS Doctor in 2003. Since then, he has served the Government Health sector for more than 14 years in the following capacities: Internship at Teaching Hospital Kurunegala - 12/8/2004 to 12/8/2005, Released House Officer of Teaching Hospital Kurunegala 13/08/2005 to 11/04/2006, Medical Officer, District Hospital - Galewela -12/4/2006 to 18/4/2007, Senior House Officer of Gynaecology & Obstetrics at Teaching Hospital Kurunegala - 20/07/2007 to 25/02/2013 and as the Medical Officer of Gynecology & Obstetrics Base Hospital, Dambulla - 26/2/2013 to 26/2/2017

He resigned from the Government sector in July, 2015 to contest the General Elections in 2015. He contested as a UNP candidate and polled nearly 54,000 votes.  However, he could not enter parliament, as the UNP secured only 7 places, and he was 8th in the list.

Then, he started serving the Government sector medical profession on August 2016 as a Medical Doctor, attached to Base Hospital, Dambulla which had also come into question. On February 12, 2017, he was transferred back to the Teaching Hospital, Kurunegala as a Senior House Officer, Gynaecology & Obstetrics where he continued to work until he was taken in to custody on May 24 on charges of acquiring a large number of assets through suspicious means. 

He is just an MBBS doctor, and not a Consultant VOG. His post is “Senior House Officer (SHO)” who is a person working under the Consultant and carrying out surgeries, under the supervision of a Consultant. Furthermore, a Cesarean section in an Operation Theatre cannot be performed only by a doctor. There are a group of people numbering six in an operating theatre. This group includes the Senior House Officer (SHO), the House Officer (HO), the Anesthetist and 2-3 members of nursing staff, all assisting in the surgery so that if there is something unusual happening, the others could notice.

Meanwhile, members of Dr. Shafi’s family said that they suspect a link between the DIG Kithsiri Jayalath, whose wife is also a doctor serving the Kurunegala Hospital in the capacity of an associate of the Director of the Hospital Weerabandara

he has worked under many VOGs.  At the time of his arrest, he was working under Consultant VOG, Dr. Pathinisekara.

After the Easter bomb attack on April 21, under emergency regulations, on the same day, the Police visited the residence of Dr. Shafi, to inquire into whether they (Shafis) had been entertaining any strange visitors.  Again, on April 30, the Police visited to check on the house adjoining theirs, which Dr. Shafi had rented out to a group of workers employed in a textile shop in the town. During that time, they had questioned Dr. Shafi’s wife Dr. Imara as well.

When I looked into comments of this post, they had included some pictures of my kids and made threats to my husband, me and my kids

Dr. Imara

Then on May 6, the Police and a SOCO (Scene of Crime) unit came to check the medical lab, Gold Med Diagnostics and Laboratories at Colombo Road, Kurunegala which was owned by the father-in-law of Dr.Shafi as a partner with police sniffer dogs and interrogated Dr. Shafi again for more than 3 hours, regarding his assets and income.

Subsequently, there was a paper article in the ‘Divaina’ newspaper on May 23, regarding sterilization, during cesarean sections by a ‘Tawhid Jamaath doctor’. This was followed by a Facebook post, uploaded by Dr. Channa Jayasumana of Rajarata University, in relation to the article in the said newspaper on the same day.  He tried to relate the issue in the newspaper, to Dr. Shafi using some photos and articles taken from his Facebook profile. Within one night, this post was shared more than 500 times, among various groups. 

“When I looked into comments of this post, they have dragged some pictures of my kids and made threats to my husband, me and my kids,” Dr. Imara said.

“On May 24, we were planning to complain to the police regarding the security of my family and prepared the documents. We had even drafted a complaint. But unfortunately, on the same day they arrested my husband suspecting foul play with regard to acquiring enormous wealth within a short time.  This was done under the guise of emergency law,” she claimed.
The checking continued for 2 – 2 ½ hours and then the police obtained a statement from the wife, regarding checking of the house and what she had to say regarding her husband. She said that they had taken some documents such as passports, land deeds, bank passbooks as well as the CPU, tab and laptop computers. According to her they hadn’t given Dr. Shafi’s wife a check list of the items. 

After arresting a victim, he or she has to be produced before the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) on duty. When invited by the Police,  the JMO has to come. But in the case of Dr. Shafi, the police had not informed the JMO on call, although there were two on-call JMOs on May 24 night. Instead another JMO (who was not on call) was asked to come by the 
Director of the Kurunegala Hospital.

The allegation of forceful sterilization led to a big issue in the hospital and society. Due to personal harassments through Facebook Dr. Imara had to leave the residence. “I am scared to report for duty. My children are undergoing mental trauma, as they are unable to attend school, due to the threatening situation,” she said. On May 28, a protest was organised in front of the hospital, in Kurunegala with the participation of many Buddhist monks.  At the same time, there was another protest at Gattuwana junction (closer to the residence of Dr. Shafi) during which protesters bedecked the junction with black flags and banners while carrying slogans against Dr. Shafi.

Dr. Imara said that she was under severe mental stress and unable to continue with her usual activities, including looking after her own children.  She strongly feels that her husband was unlawfully arrested and his rights were denied.  She also said that she feels so helpless in this situation because she has to face this challenge alone. She said that she feels nervous because of the entire episode. She believes that her husband has been trapped. Therefore, she is pleading with the authorities to ensure that justice is meted out to her husband and that he is released at the earliest. “I would also like to seek intervention of the authorities to provide security for me to attend to my work and for my children to attend school,” she said.
Two women who had come to the Kurunegala Hospital to make a complaint against Dr. Shafi spoke to the Daily Mirror. One of them is a 30 year old Midwife working in the Dehiwala area. She had a baby two years ago and she claimed her cesarean operation was handled by Dr. Shafi at the Kurunegela Hospital. Now, she is afraid that she was also ‘sterilized’ by Dr. Shafi.  
“My baby was born in 2017 after 33 weeks of pregnancy. There were a few other doctors and nurses too inside the theatre at the time of delivery. I knew Dr. Shafi even before the C-section surgery as I had been trained in the hospital. I saw on television about this sterilization case and women coming up to complain against the doctor. I haven’t still planned to have a baby, but I expect to do so in the future. That is why I wanted to make sure I am in sound health to conceive,” one woman said. Another mother of one, who had been diagnosed with diabetes two years after the C-Section delivery of her first baby, also lodged a complaint at the Kurunegala Hospital. She believes that the ‘sterilization’ had been the cause of her diabetes and also a constant back pain she suffers from.

The allegations against Dr. Seigu Shihabdeen Mohamed Shafi for performing forceful sterilization on pregnant mothers have led to much controversy at the Kurunegala hospital 

“Doctors advised to go for a C-section surgery as I have high pressure. My baby was born in 2010. Since then, I had not been able to conceive. Not only that, I also now have a constant back pain and am being treated for diabetes,” she said.

The Daily Mirror also met the Director of the Kurunegala Hospital Dr. Sarath Weerabandara. He said that the investigations initiated regarding the sterilization charges against Dr. Shafi are a relief to the women who had undergone C-section surgeries at the hands of Dr. Shafi and still have not been able to conceive after the surgery. He stated that he was told by a number of women that after lodging their complaints at the hospital, they were no longer pressurised by their husbands and mothers-in-law.

According to Dr. Weerabandara, an Anesthetist had been telling those in the hospital that Dr. Shafi had been “sterilizing women” during operations in the year 2017. Dr. Shafi’s wife said that her husband had written to the then Director of the hospital requesting for an inquiry to be carried out to check on the rumours circulating against him at that time. However, there has been no response to the request to date, Shafi’s wife Imara said. 

My baby was born in 2010. Since then, I had not been able to conceive. Not only that, I also now have a constant back pain and am being treated for diabetes

When the Daily Mirror inquired into the procedure of investigations regarding the complaints by the women, Weerabandara said that they hope to follow a statistical approach in which they will compare the number of complaints received against Dr. Shafi with the number of complaints received against other doctors in the Kurunegala Hospital.

Meanwhile, members of Dr. Shafi’s family said that they suspect a link between the DIG Kithsiri Jayalath, whose wife is also a doctor serving the Kurunegala Hospital in the capacity of an associate of the Director of the Hospital Weerabandara.  

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“People should focus on facts”- Prof. Hemantha

Prof. Hemantha Senanayake, Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo,  Former President of the Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Chairperson of  the Ethics Review Committee, University of Colombo speaking to the Daily Mirror said that this incident if not investigated into properly and if subject to a delay could make a huge negative impact on Sri Lanka’s achievements in maternal care and health which have been globally admired.

“99% of births happen in hospitals in Sri Lanka. At this rate, people would be afraid to have their babies delivered in hospitals. People should focus on facts that are verified, not on their emotions and on rumours. He added that the Fallopian tubes are not usually seen at cesarean section, unless it is manipulated into the wound by inserting the hand into the abdomen. He emphasised that an impartial, speedy and transparent investigation should reveal the facts, enabling the necessary actions regarding the case.

IGP sent on Compulsory Leave

Camelia Nathaniel-Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara has been sent on Compulsory Leave over the investigations on the Easter Sunday attacks.

Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara said Senior DIG C.D.Wickramaratne has been appointed as the new Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP). President Maithripala Sirisena requested Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara and Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando to hand in their resignations on April 24, due to their failure to notify the relevant institutions and officials regarding the intelligence reports on the terror threat.

The President blamed them for failing to prevent the Easter Sunday bombings despite receiving prior warnings of a possible attack.

Based on the President’s directive, Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned from his post as the Defence Secretary on April 25.