Neutralize terror tendencies

THE recent, daring gunning-down of the Commanding Officer of the Military Intelligence Corps, Lt. Colonel Nizam Muthaliph, has raised a few intriguing posers which call for immediate probing and deliberation on the part of the authorities.

One of these is whether a clandestine organisation with anti-State proclivities took his life.

Interestingly, the same question was asked in some quarters when journalist D. Sivaram's bullet-riddled body was found in a Colombo suburb following a dramatic abduction in the heart of Colombo, a few weeks ago.

Sivaram's killing triggered public anxiety that the country was seeing the re-emergence of death squad-type terror, eerily suggestive of the late Eighties.

These suspicions were strengthened when a previously unknown, seemingly anti-State organisation reportedly circulated a letter in some circles, claiming responsibility for the Sivaram killing.

Coming close on the heels of these developments, the killing of Lt. Colonel Muthaliph seems to be begging the question: are secret killer squads attempting to raise their ugly heads?

While the Lt. Colonel Muthaliph killing had all the hallmarks of LTTE bestiality, and could very well be the result of LTTE terror, the State needs to explore other possible causative factors behind this crime.

Coupled with such probes, every effort must be made to crack down on these clandestine organisations, operating in complete violation of the law of the land and in brazen disregard of the norms and principles of democracy and morality.

It needs hardly be said that law and order must be protected and perpetuated by the State. The country could consider itself to be in dire straits if terror squads begin to stalk the land, arrogating to themselves impermissible powers. Let there be no efforts towards re-igniting a death squad culture in Sri Lanka, is our wish.

The Government should leave no stone unturned in its efforts to neutralize these tendencies towards terror. There is certainly no need to be alarmist over these developments, but no chances could be taken either. The State is obliged to preserve democracy and law and order and there is no turning away from these duties.

Since 1994, Governments under President Kumaratunga have been trying their utmost to keep the democratic way of life ticking. Such efforts must continue without any interruption.

There is no getting away from the fact that all groups seeking power must follow the democratic path to this end. No quarter could be given to those seeking power by foul means and the exercise of naked terror.