The present demands for written undertakings by the government promising no prosecution of the former President on the one hand and attacks on officers who have been doing their job diligently are all attempts to return to a situation of lawlessness which prevailed before, says the Asian Human Rights Commission.
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Issuing a statement today the AHRC has urged every law abiding citizen to intervene in order to ensure that all serious efforts to enforce the law to be respected by everyone. “No one is above the law and there are no privileged citizens who can claim that allegations against them should not to be investigated.” the AHRC said.
We publish below the statement in full;
The nation must defend the criminal investigations being conducted by the Commission against Bribery and Corruption
A revolt has been organized by few irresponsible politicians through a campaign to stop investigations into allegations of bribery and corruption. The latest name to be added to the list of those who are being investigated on such allegations is the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa himself.
There cannot be a greater attempt to drag a nation into chaos and anarchy than to disrupt investigations into crime and such an attempt to drag the country into chaos and anarchy is now taking place led by some of the senior politicians associated with the former regime.
It is not for us to pronounce on guilt or innocence of any of the alleged criminals. That is a task for a court when the matters reach the court, on some future date. However, no citizen can remain neutral on the issue of the right of the appropriate authorities to conduct investigations into crime. The only way law, order and peace is maintained within any nation is through strict conduct of investigations into crime and thereby punishing those who break the rules on which the society keeps itself together. All attempts to breakdown the investigations into crime are attempts to rip apart a society altogether.
For a long time the law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges were all prevented from doing their duties by all an all-powerful executive which thought it fit to break all the rules of the society. It was a welcome sign that after the 8th of January 2015 elections such interferences has been brought to an end and some attempts have been made to enforce the law particularly in the area of control of bribery and corruption. Now the fear has spread among those who had relied on impunity.
The present demands for written undertakings by the government promising no prosecution of the former President on the one hand and attacks on officers who have been doing their job diligently are all attempts to return to a situation of lawlessness which prevailed before.
The Asian Human Rights Commission urges every law abiding citizen to intervene in order to ensure that all serious efforts to enforce the law to be respected by everyone.
No one is above the law and there are no privileged citizens who can claim that allegations against them should not to be investigated.
K.A Sumanasekera / April 22, 2015
Aren’t these the same dudes who helped Mr Prabakaran and tried to rescue him?…
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anonymous / April 22, 2015
Oh!, hello Sumane,
Nice to see you back online. When did you touch down? Were you on the same flight with Basil Mahaththaya?. Sorry pal, we do not hold grudges but truth has to come out sooner or later. How was it in USA?. Life must be hard over there now without the Jarapassas out, isn’t it. Anyway, welcome back to ‘Paradise regained’, only for the genuine Sri Lankans.
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Amarasiri / April 22, 2015
RE: Rajapaksa Is Not Above The Law; Law Abiding Citizens Should Intervene: AHRC
The American Revolution- Got Rid of King George, the Despot
The French Revolution- Got Rid of King Louis, the Despot
The Russian Revolution- Got Rid of Czar, the Despot
The Sri Lankan “Revolution”- Got Rid of Medamulana Mahinda Rajapaksa, , the Despot. Now need to send him to where VP, his Election buddy resides, along with 100,000 Sri Lankans, coursey of both of them and others.
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Amarasiri / April 22, 2015
Kiribanda .A Sumanasekera
What happened to your Avatar Lorenzo, the Para-Portuguese? Leela, the Para-The Indian? All Paras in the Land of Native Veddah Aethho, as afar as I am aware.
We currently have a problem with the Para-Mahinda Rajapaksa, having Lied, being a crook along with his family, his shills and his cronies and on top being a criminal as well.
Of course V Prabakaran helped Medamulana MaRa to be elected, and VP is in heaven with Rajiv Gandhi and the 100,000 Sri Lankans they collectively helped to get there.
Why is Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa and their White Van buddies with them? Just curious.
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simon / April 23, 2015
Sumanasekera , are you the dude trying to rescue the other war criminal MR?
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anonymous / April 22, 2015
“Rajapaksa Is Not Above The Law”…. he was but ‘not anymore’.
‘Ditta Dhamma Vedaneeya’, ‘What goes round comes around’. You and your onetime untouchable brothers are mere statistics now.
Time to face the consequences man.
This man Mahinda, apologised at a village meeting few days ago for not taking action for his Ministers, MPs and goons for robbing the country and blamed the International community for criticizing him.
Let me remind you something you old fool, 2/3 of the international community who criticized you were the Sri Lankan people whom you chased away for not approving your dictatorship. Unfortunately, the other 1/3 decided not to leave the country or had no means of escape vanished without a trace thanks to your loving ‘Hichchi Malli’ Gothaya. You are just another number right now. Check your NID,it is there. I hope yours’ is not another 22222222222V like your other-half’s.
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Joseph De Vazz-Mahanuwara / April 26, 2015
Send the Medamulla Rajapakse to Hell with his 40 thieves including Basil the Hora Economic Dude.
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Mallaiyuran / April 22, 2015
“It is not for us to pronounce on guilt or innocence of any of the alleged criminals. “
NGOs, whom are funded by foreign spy agencies, are attempting to put real Heroic Sinhala Intellectuals into prison” . -the puppets run Lankave court.
The Old Royals are blocking the New Royal from establishing the good governance is the most fraudulence trick played by the Sinhala intellectuals, ever.
We have been wasting our throats’ energy by shouting against bringing the new royal government. We have been crying loud against the premature ethylene pumping to straighten the Sinhala Intellectual – dog tails, as dangerous and would entrap the Tamils become ruled permanently by the Lanake’s left and right Royal. The notorious drug kingpins, international human smugglers, mass murdering genocide rowdies, war criminals, famous UNP dictators all who changed their name from Old to New Royals, have been saying in the past that the Tamils’ freedom fighting has blocking them to give the charity they wanted give to the Tamils, that is their birth right, the freedom to live in Eelam with equal rights. Now they are blaming each other, that they can not run a good government because they are there, that is “old” is the one change the name to “new”.
Old King played a drama on the night of January 8th, with the UNP dictator was within the Temple tree compound. That is basically,with the help of the UNP dictator, Old king played Secretary Kerry what the Russian General Mikhail Kutuzov played to Napoleon. They spread stories that the Secretary has threaten with bringing American troops. They spread stories that Ranil witnessed a coup taking place at Temple Tree. Now the Old King is back in control. As in all other classic Sinhala Intellectuals’ make tear packs tricks, Secretary Kerry has been attempted to bring under control. Now there is ample arrangements to use Secretary Kerry’s visit to use the elections manipulations.
There is lot of chance to use Secretary’s visit to seat back the old King. Tamils should not sleep. They should use Secretary’s visit to bring out the Lanka’s worst human rights violations to the international light. They should not allow Sinhala Intellectuals use it to cover up the crime and bring the same Royal back to power with a new name.
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dcn / April 22, 2015
Agree. MR is nor supreme or God. The law should apply equally to all. You cannot use political support to thwart legitimate investigations.
The President and government must act firmly.All good thinking citizens must rise up to protect our legally established BC, Police/CI etc to carry out their functions without any interruptions. If necessary, the good thinking citizens must get onto the streets to show their dissent of these thugs, rowdies who is trying to intimidate the President, government, and the legitimate officials
The time is up for good citizens to rise up!!!
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Premila / April 22, 2015
why has no credible allegations been brought so far ? Considering the high number of billion dollar corruption charges against MR during elections, what is this ridiculous accusation ? It’s such a farce to save face of yahapalanaya who has been unable to deliver a single rogue despite a lapse of 3 months. What’s the point in shouting about corruption without being able to prove it ? What happened to all those piles of files people took to bribery commission ? Obviously there was NOTHING in them except a charade. Now just to justify their existence, a joke of a charge brought to humiliate MR, since nothing more could be done ! How bankrupt has the unelected minority govt become? For god’s sake stop yelling hora and produce evidence ! Your shouting is now hollow and long lost its attraction. You are sounding like a broken record and have lost all semblance of credibility. Perhaps the UNPers who got in at the back door will echo your sentiments and not a basic intelligent man ! Anyway – it just backfired on RW and he saw the strength of the real power in parliament while the puppet govt watched helplessly !! So the joke is on them finally !
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Siripala / April 22, 2015
AHRC you have nothing shout in SL. Based in Singapur, where were you when during Lee Kuan Yew’s ruling Singapur ?
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Stewart / April 23, 2015
Siripala, As much as I detest the AHRC for their hypocrisy I am afraid you have got your facts wrong. The AHRC is based in Hong Kong, not Singapore. Lee Kwan Yue would have never put up with their nonsense.
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Ambedkar Reborn / April 22, 2015
How Marcos of Philippines fell from Grace.
How two past Presidents of Indonesia also fell from Grace.
People awakening and people’s power did the trick.
AHRC is spot on in telling that MR is not above the law. It is a good Oman for the Asian Century to be enhanced in the proper way and with respect to law and order . Hope SL citizens wake up.
MR is trying to hide behind race and religion and has confessed in a Vihare that he has broken the law by covering up the illegal activities of his ministers and will never make the mistakes again.
They are not mistakes. They are blunders that affects the whole country.
It is high time he gracefully retire from politics and contribute to the country by promoting the ethical values found in Buddha’s teachings.
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justice / April 22, 2015
Investigations of corruption against Mahinda Rajapakse, his family and siblings, must proceed.
MR is clever enough to hide ill gotten wealth abroad in properties in the name of third parties, and in banks which guard identities of depositors.
An ambassador was earlier investigated.
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2013/06/30/have-offshore-leaks-revealed-balapatabandi-achilles-heel/
The speaker tried to intimidate the Bribery Commissioner by summoning her to parliament.
His ‘ruling’ that MPs should not be investigated without his ‘permission’ is not in the constitution.
Even in the British parliament, MPs and ministers are/were investigated for false declarations of London residences and travel expenses – the speaker’s permission was not required.
Those MPs and others objecting to such investigations are those who have ill gotten assets to hide.
The Sirisena government must proceed and bare the unaccountable wealth of MR, all MPs and public servants of failed public enterprises like Airlanka.
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Rohan Polwatte / April 22, 2015
All who are supporting Rajapassas are croooked.Thugs thieves muderers rapists you name it all are rogues. Legal systems should punish those who are guilty.No matter rapavassas or bandaranayakes or jayawardanas or wickrmasinghes. Law cannot be just for the poor and middle class. If not popor and the middle class should take the law to thier hands to solve this Bukll shit stupid system. STUPID SRI LANKAN BASTARDS always want to earn their living thourhg genuine work but HARDLY WORKING. That is the problem of this country. Mostly sinhala and tamil bastard wants only HARDLY TO WORK. MM FCRS.
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Premila / April 25, 2015
Who are you to call people bastards ? You are obviously a dumb idiot who is more racist than anyone from your gutter language
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Saracen / April 23, 2015
Yes AHRC, no one is above the law. Not even you!
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Senthil / April 23, 2015
The huge mistake MR &co did is once the war is over, he must have withdrawn all the army from north and east and saved all live and wounded people. But the army killed all wounded people and surrendered people and berried alive all the people hiding inside trenches. They never escape from this sin. If he had avoided that lest minute killings, I think 90% of the Tamils would not complain about the death during war – war is war and people will die but people should not be killed un-necessarily bombing hospitals, schools, food queues, people escaping towards army etc but in north and east all the above happened and there are plenty of evidence.
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thondamannar / April 23, 2015
NGOs, whom are funded by foreign spy agencies, are attempting to put real Heroic Sinhala Intellectuals into prison” . -the puppets run Lankave court.
LET THEM (AHRC) SING FOR THEIR SUPPER.
“Theese NGOs are called “mile halunath bool ballo”.
We are not concerned whether above or below, Sirisena & Company need to deliver what was promised to us the Tamil Northerner.
SIRIPALA: Stewart Sloane is right. AHRC is in Hong Kong. If that cronic fernando who is suppose to have runaway from some HIT LIST in SL tried their larks from S’gapoe, even today he would be playing with his Jingles behind bars. He nor AHRC dare not criticise S’pore even from HK.
ROHAN POLWATTE … Mind your language. Going by your name, you too is a “SRI LANKA STUPID BASTARD” as stated by you.
So all Sinhalese, Tamils, according to you are all then have to be stupid bastards.
Kindly resume your NIGHT CLASSES
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Bensen Berner / April 23, 2015
Governing a nation is a sacred trust which the Rajapaksas and their cohorts refused to accept and instead abused also the rule of law with impunity for their personal advantage. They should be dealt with immediately and firmly before this continues to destroy the Sri Lankan community forever. Bensen
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Yasin / April 25, 2015
Nobody is above the law. It is just that people put people above the law by way of protests and demonstrations to support the individuals elevated to high positions by the vote of people. There are blind supporters, ie; those who voted for a particular individual will stick by through thick and thin to stand by and openly protest or demonstrate even when proved of their wrong doing. This is due to lack of literacy. There is a very long list of allegations against MR, GR, BR, NR, in fact the entire Rajapakse clan followed by the then PM, ministers, and all those connected to the previous regime. These are allegations and those named are responsible to provide answers. It is believed that huge sums of monies are being spent by members of the previous regime to create a civil
disobedience movement to destabilize the current government and make the President submissive to the demands of the perpetrators and organizers of such movements. It was not easy to defeat MR on the political turf without the combined effort of everyone who stood united irrespective of caste, creed or religion and this peoples victory by choice must not be broken by those who now stand defeated.
MR and every one else connected to him have done valuable progress in the development of the country but then at what cost ?
I would not spend a two way air fare to get to London to buy Marks and Spencer clothing. Would you ?
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