7 December, 2024

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Gota Pardons Sunil: Why?

By Ameer Ali

Dr. Ameer Ali

At a time when the entire population of Sri Lanka and the whole world is preoccupied with finding the means to escape with minimum damage from the deadly effects of a health and economic crises, caused by Covid-19, also termed as Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus by Epoch Times, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR) has picked this moment of despair and despondence to grant a special pardon to an army butcher Sunil Ratnayake, a former staff sergeant, who was convicted and sentenced to death in 2015 after a thirteen year trial, for murdering eight Tamil civilians including four children in Mirusuvil on 19 December 2000. This pardon is mind boggling to say the least, and deservingly met unreserved condemnation from all right minded individuals and institutions, both nationally as well as internationally. It is not only an insult to the families and the community of the butcher’s victims, but also a blatant interference with and callous disregard to the country’s judiciary.

The erosion of the principle of separation of powers, an important pillar of democracy, started in Sri Lanka long before GR came to power. GR’s immediate predecessor Maithripala Sirisena for example, twice granted pardons, first to a Buddhist priest imprisoned for contempt of court, and next, to a murderer sentenced to death for killing a Sweedish teenager in 2005. Now, in the hands of an authoritarian GR, that erosion seems to have reached a new low. His authoritarian measures in handling the Covid-19 calamity, although should have started a few weeks earlier, did, no doubt, receive kudos even from his opponents. Compared to her neighbours Sri Lanka has done well so far. Let us hope that the country would come out of this pandemic with the most minimum damage. So, why did GR decide to tarnish his reputation by pardoning a convicted murderer? Kuma David raised this question, but left the answer in abeyance (“Why Did Gota Pardon Sunil Ratnayake?”, Colombo Telegraph, 29 March 2020).

One could think of two possible reasons, one political and the other personal. Politically, GR is desperate for his clan’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) led Sri Lanka Nidhas Podujana Sandhanaya (SLNPS) to win the forthcoming General Election with two-third majority. That majority would guarantee him an opportunity to radically revise, if not totally abolish, the current constitution with its controversial 19th amendment. He has been complaining for long how that amendment is restricting his ability and willingness to transform Sri Lanka into a nation of “prosperity and splendour”. GR’s ultimate goal is to be an all-powerful executive president, as originally envisioned by JR. From an authoritarian position GR would emerge as a dictatorial president. This is why he allowed nominations to continue uninterrupted amidst the spread of the Coronavirus. He would love to have the election as soon as possible with less opportunity for the opposition to mount any consolidated campaign.   

GR is fully aware of and openly acknowledged the fact that he became a President solely with the backing of Buddhist supremacists. It was their money and campaigning that swayed Sinhala voters to elect him. Even though none of these supremacists now clamoured for the release of Ratnayake, GR’s unilateral interference and meddling with judiciary would have certainly gone a long way to pleasing his backers. As he already announced during the presidential campaign that he would release all those army and police personnel languishing in prison on trumped up charges, more such pardons could be expected from him in the future. Certainly to the supremacists, GR has proved his mettle by the one single and daring act of freeing Ratnayake.  

Recently, there was some grumbling and dissatisfaction among a group of maverick monks that the GR-MR duumvirate was not going far enough towards creating a Sinhala Buddhist polity and economy and was breaking some promises it made earlier. These monks have also formed a new far right political party, Ape Jana Balaya Pakshaya (AJBP). GR is trying his best to thwart their attempt and keep intact the Sinhala Buddhist vote bank within the control of SLNPS. Thus, there is politics behind Ratnayake’s release.

Besides, there may be a personal reason behind that pardon. It arises from a feeling of guilt. After all, Ratnayake and other army and police personnel who are locked up in prison are not the architects of their crimes but acted as instruments and carried out orders from a chain of command. At the top of that chain was Gota himself. It was “Gota’s War”, as captioned by Chandraprema, and it was Gota who masterminded how that war was to be fought and won. Therefore why should the architect remain free and become president of the country while the ones who carried out orders be punished? This question must have pricked Gota’s conscience and made up his resolve to free all of them. Ratnayake is his first choice and beneficiary. 

The Tamil community of course would be hurt by the President’s actions. To GR however, it is not a problem politically, because very few Tamils would vote for SLNPS. He has also decided already that in his modelled Sri Lanka of ‘prosperity and splendour’, Tamils would be excluded politically if not economically; and, in the eyes of the supremacist backers, Tamils as well as Muslims are not the owners of this country, and therefore they are simply disposables.                         

Latest comments

  • 6
    4

    Will he be getting a higher post in the army? Probably he has another assignment since he has proven skills.

    • 2
      0

      Even Gotha Pardon the army butcher Sunil Ratnayake, God will never pardon this murderer of gruesomely killing an entire Tamil family including a child when they went in search of their home.

      Buddha didn’t preach to kill.

  • 4
    4

    Ameer

    Mohamed bin Zayed receives phone call from Sri Lankan PM

    *** We now know how desperate Sri Lanka is for Rupees to survive . As a Muslim why dont you use your good offices to tell Mohamed Bin Zayed not to give penny to Gotha who will use it to kill Minorities. Gotha has no money to pay Shavendra and his men.

    • 3
      3

      Only the Muslim brothers could convince the Sheihk of Dubai to watch the racial issues by the Rajapaksha regime.

    • 1
      3

      Kali…. You should be put in a dump right away.
      U vicious Virus worst than the COVID.

      In the Sri Lanka Hell Hole in the Hell, there are no guards to stop escapees.
      because people like you.

      • 2
        2

        Thonda- MANY

        It looks like you are getting desperate. I take it you are a Dustman by trade. and an illierate. by birth. Where did you learn ” IN THE SRI LANKA” . Hell Hole in the Hell ( In hell theree are also Mountains , Hills , Contours and Valleys where Blood flows through instead of water ) and for your information the hole is Guarded by DRACULAS to keep thier supply lines . I take it you have not seen one. Just take a look at Gotha and what does he remind you of or for that matter his BEAUTIFUL wife according to Latha . If in doubt liaise with her. But keep your distance in this Self Isolation Era due to Gotha -D 1950 – 2020. Hope you survive the onslaught and see you in th next episode

  • 5
    4

    Mr Ali Did you see this with your own eyes. Were you there when he did this. He has to be given a chance to tell his side of the story. Strange that you did not raise your voice when President Sirisena releSed LTTE cadres and the Rajagiriya murderer who killed a girl in his own aprtment under the influence of drugs. ;

    ;i

    • 5
      3

      Sarojini

      What rubbish are you talking abot. Are you saying your Supreme Court is run by a bunch of IDIOTS.

  • 2
    1

    Kali, keeping them not just free but giving them power it self is a favor, why pay ????? They will get their money from usual sources, kidnap, ransom, deals – – – etc.

  • 2
    1

    This country is ours. Religion,language and culture are second to humankind. We all are human. So no one is superior or inferior.
    As long as we give priority to the religion,language there want be peace. We have to understand the common factors. We all hungry,thirsty and need shelter. So time has come to abandon the outdated belief systems and so called nationality. When you are christian ,Buddhist and Muslim you are separated . If no one take initiative to do away with these nationality mind set up and stop believing in god , cycle of rebirth and karma there will not be any consolation.Religion and nationality have become business and politic. We have to understand the truth and improve human kindness. No brands for kindness, equality, justice and dignity. Enlightenment in true nature and causality is the key.If one want to love the world has to relinquish all these attachments. Anyone love the world try to be a common person and detach from illusions. We are Buddhist,Hindu and Muslim because we are born to that community ,not our free will.
    We are human animal ,so have to fight with the law of “survival of the fittest”. So Gota has the power and he is not a person of nature ( he has religion, nationality and culture). GR take decisions as he want by use of constitution which need some rectifications.

  • 4
    5

    Sunil Ratnayaka case is a typical Indian story. How India and Indian Parasites manged to kill their own and then put the blame on a single person. There was only one witness a Tamil man. All other evidence is circumstantial. No DNA test pf the blood was performed. How can one person cut the throats of six adults exactly the same fashion. How come the victims did not struggle or fight back. Sunil was supposed to have been carrying a fire arm. Why did he not shoot the victims?

    Tamils did the same in 1983. They started fires from the inside of their shops and blamed Sinhalese. I saw this in Pettah.

    • 4
      2

      Dalit

      First of all I take it you are not low caste. Straight on to real stuff. You are a forensic expert and a secret detective like Poirot hero worshipped by Shankar(a Singhe).
      Let me do a Post Mortem

      1) Sunil Ratnayaka case is a typical Indian story.

      *** Man a typical Indian Thriller

      2) How India and Indian Parasites manged to kill their own and then put the blame on a single person.
      *** Do you know you twit when Barbaric Sinkalams ( three of them witnessed by a Muslim) raped Krishanthi and she died of exhaustion where were the Parasites. I take it in your smelly backside while you were shitting.

      3) There was only one witness a Tamil man.

      ** Were you helping this man slit the throat of 4 of them or taking pictures.

      4) All other evidence is circumstantial. No DNA test pf the blood was performed. How can one person cut the throats of six adults exactly the same fashion.
      *** Poitot why didnt you give evidence. Idiot for your information the victims were out numbered by Shavendras Men
      5) How come the victims did not struggle or fight back.
      *** How do you fight Shanvendras men under the influence of Drugs with Kalashnikovs in their hand. Man some were child Soldiers

      6) Sunil was supposed to have been carrying a fire arm. Why did he not shoot the victims?

      *** Because his Cock was safely De Cocked.

      7) Tamils did the same in 1983. They started fires from the inside of their shops and blamed Sinhalese. I saw this in Pettah.

      *** Man where were you watching from . Was it from inside a Tamil Thosai Kadai. Did they Claim any compensation

    • 1
      2

      Dear Dalit

      your last Para is much to be desired. Why this point was not raised before.

      However, it was the Sinhala community that protected the tamils. but please do not rub salt on wounds .We have and will live together for many thousand years. No need to bring in absurd arguments to justify a racial riot that happened 37 years ago.

    • 2
      1

      Dalit

      “Tamils did the same in 1983. They started fires from the inside of their shops and blamed Sinhalese. I saw this in Pettah.”

      Did you also see fire started by Tamils from within houses, shops, libraries, factories, cars, lories, boats, …… in 1956, 1958, 1961, 1977, 1981, …….. 1913, 1918, …? Perhaps by the work of LTTE’s suicides ARSONISTS.

      Do you have another pseudonym such as NAK?

  • 1
    1

    A grave and undesirable situation is emerging in Sri Lanka relating to the Human Rights and Democracy. The current regime in power and their entourage seek more power in the coming election to amend the balanced constitution that is in effect during the last four years. A complete disregard for civil, legal rights etc. of people of Sri Lanka is in the process of emerging at the moment prelude to the election. Pardoning of criminals will pursue in future unabated, in addition of suppression of democratic rights of the people after the election.
    Accordingly, in the interest and the common good of the people of Sri Lanka, you may send a strong message to the President and his entourage at this opportune time not to venture into any undemocratic methods to grab power and to suppress the progress that Sri Lanka had made during the last few years.
    You may consider naming the authorities involved as: unacceptable or undesirable persons (persona non grata) so that their future actions will be checked.

  • 1
    3

    Sunil Ratnayake release ia mute compared to the release of Marine Lt. Calley’s atrocities or c
    crimes committed at Mai Lai in Vietnam.

    Whether watching from inside Tamil Thosai Kade is immaterial.

    • 1
      1

      Thonda- MANY

      What else do you expect from a Sinkala KUNCHA-MANY . So you have got the message .For your information Thosai is better than what you can put on he table P..KK.i. No Country will give Gotha Money so MR is making phones calls with a Pichai Pathiram to see if any Country will give any money . China will be allowed to give only Corona.Man even Dosai which is finger licking good is in short supply.

  • 1
    1

    Coronavirus: Anger is growing at China over COVID-19 and its apparent cover-up attempt

    I hope the readers now appreciate that “Kali” never lies and Kali was the first to report the scale of the death in China which is now copied by Sky News. China reported 4000 but it turns out it is 40 Multiples of that amount nearly 160,000. This is what Gotha the BRAVE President is trying to do as there is Political Milelage to be had as evident from Saraths Article . I dont believe South Korean story either. The only Country I believe is Germany which has a far superior Medical Care anywhere in the World and read the signs early.

    Here is the text of Sky News
    We’ve long known about the dangers of a wild animal virus leaping the species gap and ravaging humans and so have the Chinese.
    They have been told repeatedly about the risks posed by their animal markets for decades.
    In 2005, we filmed secretly while being offered pangolins, rare lizards and snakes in an endangered animal restaurant in southern China.
    Year in, year out since, the Chinese have been warned by virologists that it was only a matter of time before a new lethal virus was unleashed threatening a global pandemic if the status quo was preserved.
    And yet the restaurants and markets have remained open.
    Advertisement
    Making matters worse, once that nightmare scenario came to pass, the Chinese appear to have tried to cover up their outbreak at first.
    Doctors were punished and persecuted for reporting it. Some of them have died.

    And according to reports this weekend, the British government has been told the Chinese may have lied about the extent of their own outbreak by a factor of 40.

  • 1
    1

    China Virus

    Wuhan doctor who was among the first to alert other medics to the spread of coronavirus ‘goes missing’ amid fears she has been detained for speaking out

  • 1
    1

    God Bless the Chandiya of Mirisville.

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