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Monday, 15 August 2011

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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.

‘Join in developing the country to avoid another war’

This is the best time to solve the ethnic issue and that is through a Parliamentary Select Committee. Both President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Tamil community wish to implement the 13th amendment. There is no strong opposition from the Sinhala people for this now, because Sinhala people guarantee the rights of the Tamil people.

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Have you heard of the Hokandara Wala (Pit)?

This morning (Sunday, August 14, 2011), on my way to Malabe in a three-wheeler, I stopped for breakfast at a wayside boutique in Hokandara. A few stringhoppers with a white potato curry and sambol was downed in a few minutes. Then a cup of plain tea. The opposite side of the road was as pastoral as an urbanizing landscape could be. Paddy fields and through them a newly tarred road that must have been little more than a guru paara not too long ago. Tree-line at the far end and above it all dawn yielding to the more insistent warmth of the rising sun. Made for reflection.

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Sins that become sweet

Gnanasunderam Kuhanathan is a 59-years-old media personnel. He is a father of five. Four of them are males. This family meets their day-to-day needs with the help of the salary being received by Kuhanathan.

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