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THE OBSERVER

The Oldest English Newspaper in South Asia
Founded 4.2.1834
P. O. Box 1217,
35, D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha,
Colombo 10, Sri Lanka.
Telephone: Editor - 94-1-429226; Fax: 94-1-429230

Thuggery and Government

It seems inevitable that, being the party in governmental power, the People’s Alliance has the most number of accusations of thuggery against it. 

This is a tradition begun by the UNP when it was last in power. The UNP used the powers of the State to the fullest in meting out not just continuous thuggery against all and sundry (including Supreme Court judges) but also a death squad campaign that made ours one of the bloodiest countries of the times. The Opposition activists or critics killed - some of them after abduction and unspeakable tortures - by UNP-linked death squads number in the thousands. But to date there has not been a thorough investigation into the ‘dirty war’ waged by the UNP government, unlike the probes into the ‘dirty wars’ in other countries such as Argentina and Chile. 

In this country, those same politicians who presided over the mass murder, torture and rape are today freely campaigning to re-enter Parliament and Government, in contrast to the similar politicians and generals in other countries who now either lie in jail or suffer the humiliation of law suits. 

Already, in the current election campaign, two people have died in incidents in which the accusing finger has been pointed against PA politicians - even a former Minister - or their supporters. People are beginning to compare the thug politics linked to the PA with the past UNP thuggery, if not the mass murder by the death squads. 

The only way that thuggery can be stopped or reduced is by stern action against its perpetrators. Strong legal and party disciplinary action against those found guilty will have an immediate demonstration effect. The intentions of the Government to protect law and order and a democratic political culture will be made clear not only to other potential perpetrators but also to the general citizenry who will surely show their appreciation in the appropriate manner when electing their next Government come December 5. 

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