Help uphold Rule of Law
A country’s
problems are compounded and aggravated when sections of its
citizenry take it upon themselves to put right what is seen by
them to be wrong. That is, when citizens take the law into their
own hands, law and order issues are rendered more complicated
than before. Unfortunately, such a tendency is re-emerging in
some areas of Sri Lanka and this is a cause for profound concern
and regret.
A communique‚ from Police Headquarters which we front-page
today, focuses on this disconcerting tendency of some sections
taking the law into their hands and thereby subverting the Rule
of Law. Enforcing law and order is a function of the Police and
is best left to the latter. Citizens, whoever they are or
wherever they may be, cannot and should not take upon themselves
the responsibilities of the law and order authorities. This
could only lead to social anarchy and such a situation would be
in no ones interests.
The background to these cautionary words from the Police, are
some instances of criminality in the provinces, where some
persons who were believed to be law-breakers were done to death
by some civilians of the relevant areas. Thus, is the Rule of
Law being stood on its head.
We call on those who are violating the law in this fashion to
refrain from these actions which would run contrary to the law
and order which has been stabilized in this country since the
conclusion of the conflict in May 2009. We repeat that handling
law and order issues is the responsibility of the Police and the
latter and it alone should put an end to the criminality which
has surfaced.
It should be noted that it is only terrorists and anarchists
who attempt to arrogate to themselves the functions of the
forces of law and order. Their aim is to subvert the Rule of Law
to a degree that would enable them to perpetrate criminality
very freely and with no consideration for life and limb. This
has, of course, happened in this country over the decades and at
one time while the LTTE was sowing the seeds of destructive
violence in the North, a counterpart criminal outfit was
terrorizing the citizenry in like fashion in the South, at the
tail end of the eighties.
What aggravates these law and order crises is the tendency
for numerous criminals and illegal outfits to exploit them or to
cash in on them for their gain and enrichment.
This is reportedly already happening to some extent and we
call on the law and order authorities to come down hard on those
sections which are thus engaging in criminal acts and are intent
on creating a fear psychosis among the citizenry.
At this juncture, we believe that the state authorities
should be speaking more to the public on the grave dangers
inherent in lawless elements arrogating to themselves the
functions of the forces of law and order. It should be explained
that when the Rule of Law is unconscionably subverted in this
way all that a country treasures is irrevocably ruined and lost.
When lawless elements profess to mete out justice and wipe
out all traces of the Rule of Law in the process, the flood
gates are opened to mass criminality. Whereas the Writ of the
state was challenged successfully by the LTTE in the North for
many years, until the administration headed by President Mahinda
Rajapaksa, along with the armed forces put an end to it, as
mentioned, there were political forces in the South which
brought life to its knees through brute force and cruelty.
All this and more took place because the Rule of Law was
brazenly undermined and the law of the wilds was allowed to
prevail. Sri Lanka lost all trace of civilization and
religiosity and was reduced to a near barbaric state.
Are the misguided and criminally-bent forces which are
seeking to arrogate to themselves the authority of the law and
order agencies, trying to return Sri Lanka to those sad times
once again?
This is a situation for deep reflection on the part of all.
While the state has no choice but to deal firmly with those
elements which are committing criminal acts and are seeking to
unleash lawlessness in the country, the citizenry needs to
consider that the basis should now be laid for accelerated
economic development. This most important undertaking cannot be
carried out by the state if the country is dogged by
lawlessness. The state must be given the opportunity to develop
the country and to rejuvenate it if all are to prosper. |