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There was an article in the media by Jehan Perera who had returned
from the US, about an incident at the Airport in Sri Lanka. The way I
understood it was that he was sponsored by the US on this trip to the US
to discuss human rights in Sri Lanka.
I hope when he was in the US he raised concerns about how the US
routinely used the arbitrary powers it assumed after the September 11,
2001 terrorism attacks to hold without charge journalists in Iraq, as
well as Afghanistan and Pakistan. A lot of these journalists were never
convicted of any charge. On the pretext of fighting its enemies or
actually to fight its enemies the U.S. has had a record of holding
journalists for long periods of time without due process.
I hope he asked Robert O. Blake why it is ok for the United States to
take any means necessary to protect its freedoms while it is not ok for
Sri Lanka. I hope he asked Robert O. Blake why torture was systemic, why
tens of thousands young Iraqi men were held for over six years without
any recourse to legal counsel, parental or familial visits and without
any charges brought against them because they were simply suspected of
aiding America’s enemies in Iraq. My guess is he would not have had the
gumption to discuss issues of interest to everyone else in the world.
I hope these people know that a lot of Americans don’t care if their
enemies are tortured and if there were tens of thousands of civilian
casualties.
The objection to the war in Iraq was mainly because we were misled by
a lying regime led by a born again President who misdirected the real
war on terrorism (a loyal patriotic American such as Robert O. Blake
would have to defend and lie for the Government of USA no matter what it
did) which said, “We will be greeted as liberators”. We Americans turned
against the war when American soldiers started dying in politically
unacceptable numbers. More than 4,500 soldiers died in Iraq and that was
the main reason people turned against the war at a time of recession and
escalating costs.
I hope Mr. Perera and his friends asked tough questions from their US
sponsors and US diplomats about torture, I mean ‘enhanced interrogation
techniques’, Abu Graib, CIA Secret Camps, Guantanamo, Renditions,
Torture camps in Romania, Egypt etc. that the US deemed necessary to
keep it safe from evil terrorists.
It begs the question how come United States can pretend its
reputation is lily white when it comes to criticizing other countries on
issues of press freedom. I am sure the erudite scholars challenged their
sponsors on these issues. Americans shall and must take all and any
steps necessary to protect its civilians and it cannot afford to point
fingers at other nations with its record.
Mano Ratwatte - USA
Many in our society do not seem to know what animal welfare is about
and why it is given a significant place in progressive countries. Our
politicians are certainly among those most in the dark because they do
not seem to give a damn about animal welfare.
We hope realization will soon dawn on all these narrow sighted people
that animals - all species other than man - are not trespassers on this
planet but inhabit the earth with us. While man endlessly uses up the
world’s resources, animals help to replenish and sustain them.
Domesticated animals are directly exploited by humans for
agriculture, food, burden and transport; they are used as companion
animals and for man’s security.
Both wild and tame animals are used in education and scientific
research. As a civilized society we must accept our debt of gratitude to
animals, work to alleviate their suffering and pressure the State to
adopt humane policies and provide conditions for a better existence for
them.
In developing animal welfare principles and practices we should not
hesitate to draw from other countries, where much progress has been made
in this field. In the UK, the Farm Animal Welfare Council has described
the ideal principles of welfare for all animals in terms of the Five
Freedoms; accepted and adopted by several countries today, they could be
seen as compatible with our own principles of humane treatment of
animals.
The Five Freedoms are: freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from
discomfort; freedom from pain and injury or disease; freedom to express
normal behaviour and freedom from fear and stress. All animals, even
those reared for slaughter, must be allowed these freedoms as long as
they live.
Hard work by animal welfare organizations alone cannot bring about
changes in attitudes of the State and people. Laws are of the utmost
importance; without laws and strict penalties the ruthless exploitation
and cruelty to animals will continue.
Laws must be introduced or directives issued by the highest
authority, requiring the State to implement measures such as immunizing
animals against disease, introducing humane methods of animal population
control, and providing animal welfare services Laws must also require
people to fulfill their responsibilities to animals owned by them, as
well as to others.
For instance the national program for the prevention of rabies has
taken on a humane face after the President issued a directive to all
Local Government bodies, that the killing of dogs be stopped and humane
solutions implemented, such as vaccination and animal birth control
methods. The implementing of dog sterilization programs everywhere is
already showing dividends.
Pleased with the prospect of the reduction in dog populations in
their neighbourhoods, people are responding positively to these
programs.
An area where animals are subjected to the worst cruelties and
totally denied animal welfare is the cattle trade. It is directly under
State control in all its aspects - transportation, slaughter, meat
production and the running of meat stalls - all requiring permits and
licences from State and Local Government authorities to function. It is,
therefore, the duty of the State to ensure welfare and care to the
animals with the introduction of stern laws and heavy penalties for
cattle and meat traders who violate these laws.
By failing to introduce strict laws the State has allowed the
unwieldy growth of the trade, which is also entrenched in corruption.
In contrast, an extremely heartening new development that has come up
in the animal welfare scene is the initiative taken by some of the
senior lecturers of the Human Genetics Department of the Medical
Faculty, University of Colombo, in forming an Ethical Review Committee (ERC)
to evaluate all proposed scientific research projects using animals, in
the light of strict ethical standards.
The ERC also insists that strict standards of ethics and provision of
animal welfare be maintained in such research.
Animals used in scientific research are for the most part subjected
to severe injury and unbearable pain and invariably put to death after
such research. The respect and concern shown by these members of the
medical profession for the lives of animals and their action to protect
them from unnecessary suffering and pain is exemplary.
It should be an eye opener to those in our society who think there is
little or no value attached to the lives of animals.
It would be appropriate to conclude with a quotation from Albert
Schweitzer, in his Nobel Prize acceptance address ‘The Problem of Peace
in The World Today’ “The human spirit is not dead. It lives on in
secret.” It has come to believe that compassion, in which all ethics
must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it
embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind.
Sagarica Rajakarunanayake - Sathva Mithra
The other day I parked my vehicle at the Manning Market (opposite the
Wellawatte Police Station), which I have been doing so quite regularly
for many months. No sooner I came back after about ten minutes I got a
rude shock to be told by a police officer that Parking was not allowed
there.
I made him understand that there was no ‘NO PARKING’ sign anywhere in
the vicinity and that I have been parking practically every week for
quite sometime and no police officer has told me not to park there.
Generally in this area there are parked lorries unloading vegetables,
three-wheelers parked and waiting for customers and I was the
unfortunate victim of the ‘No Parking Syndrome’.
Trying to make him understand was of no avail as he simply retorted
saying ‘No parking here on the Galle Road.’
I was flabbergasted and had no option but to pay the fine, as I can’t
make a complaint to the police? Thereafter I had no option but to park
in an adjoining lane and was getting about shuttling to the Post Office
and the Police Station (Fortunately for my luck they were just opposite
the marketplace) I noticed that vehicles were being parked at the same
place and not a police officer to be seen in the vicinity. I can
understand, if I was told that parking was not allowed as some foreign
dignitary or some VVIP was passing that way, I would have definitely
obliged and parked elsewhere.
Also it is noticeable that in many main roads in Colombo, the ‘No
Parking’ boards seem to be emerging once again inconveniencing the
public, when it should be the very opposite when the country is moving
into a peaceful environment after the conclusion of the fear psychosis
that we have had experienced for more than 25 years.
This is over to the relevant lawmakers for their opinion on the lapse
of proper procedural controls not being implemented causing injustice to
the general public by adhering to ‘ad hoc’ decisions.
MLM - Colombo 3
I read with interest Lionel Wijesiri’s article A disciplined Nation -
is it a mission impossible?
As mentioned - the home, the school and religious institutions are
the places that have a profound influence on the young.
At home the parents should take a greater interest in their children
- look into their studies, check on the company he/she keeps discourage
late birthday parties, etc.
They should be taught what is good as against bad, what is right as
against wrong, respect for elders etc.
I still remember one thing that was taught to me over 70 years ago.
As small children we were asked to always walk on the right side of the
road or even when inside an institution like a hospital. And I still
adhere to what was taught to me years ago.
Even now I keep to the right be it a road or inside an institution. A
glaring instance of indiscipline can be observed in all our State
hospitals exhorting people to ‘keep your right’ and would you believe it
- the doctors, nurses and all other medical staff keep to the left,
thereby creating confusion when people come from the opposite direction.
As they say, ‘charity beings at home’ and if the very people - the
Medical staff, balantly disregard these ‘Sign Boards’ then how do you
expect the visitors to the hospitals to keep to the right. I think the
hospital administrators should be answerable for this lapse on the part
of all staff in hospitals.
Coming back to indiscipline everywhere, how can one respect the
ordinary person to be disciplined when our politicians hurl documents at
each other, use abusive mariakade language against each other, occupy
the Speakers Chair, try to remove the Mace etc.
From the President downwards all should address their minds to find
out the vast causes for indiscipline - be it a student, public or
private employee or ordinary man on the street - and seek ways and means
to remove this canker.
Parents must devote more of their time towards disciplining their
children because in ours younger years parental responsibility is a
major influence.
Above all, parents should be disciplined. It is then easy to
inculcate his in your offspring.
Let the schools give a start. Then religious leaders and civil
society will follow.
And who knows in the not so distant future. We will have a fully
disciplined nation?
Vernon - Dehiwala
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