1 April, 2023

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Reclaiming The State

By Tisaranee Gunasekara

“Did this ever happen?” –Homer (The Iliad)

Some reports may be exaggerated; others not. From ‘imported’ dogs, birds and horses, sharks and elephant-calves allegedly found in the official residences of Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa[i] to the discovery of several private-armouries, many recent revelations indicate the unimaginable extent to which the Rajapaksas treated the state as their private preserve.

What they wanted they got; what they willed they did.

A singularity created by a combination of disparate developments brought about their downfall. Now the task is to undo the harm they did to state and society – and create structural constraints to prevent future rulers from treading the same ruinous path.

Gota Mahinda Picture courtesy Asscociated PressPoliticians have always abused power and always will. But with the Rajapaksas, the abusing of power happened on a scale previously undreamt of. From very early on, the Rajapaksas made a conscious effort to efface and destroy the lines of demarcation between the state and themselves. They set out to create a terrain in which anything (they wanted to do) was permissible.

Familial interests became coterminous with national interests. Policies were made arbitrarily. Whims became policies. The distinction between legal and illegal vanished. Abuse was the norm.

Take, for instance, the curious trajectory of the policy of dual-citizenship. Gotabaya Rajapaksa (and his brother Basil) had been a beneficiary of this system. But a couple of years ago, Mr. Rajapaksa put an end to this practice, citing national interests. No explanation was given as to why suddenly dual-citizenship became a threat to the nation. Then, during the recent president election campaign, Mr. Rajapaksa took another 180 degree turn and restored the practice of dual-citizenship, in a faster, easier form. Once again the country was not told why the practice of granting dual-citizenship ceased to be a threat to the nation.

This story demonstrates the extent to which Rajapaksa whims and self-interest dictated policies in the last ten years.

The Rajapaksa practice of destroying the lines of demarcation between themselves and the state has created multiple structural crises. The most embarrassing of these is the ongoing controversy over the Chief Justice. After they got rid of Shirani Bandaranayake via an illegal impeachment, the Rajapaksas appointed a politico-legal crony to that position. The new ‘Chief Justice’ continued to act like an acolyte of the ruling family, openly. For instance, he visited the private residence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Medamulana to celebrate the 2014 Sinhala and Tamil New Year, rubbing shoulders with politicians and other hangers-on[ii]. Now he refuses to resign honourably and is reportedly demanding a key diplomatic post in lieu. This is what Familial Rule has done to the Lankan state.

Rajapaksa needs and interests guided economic policy as well. Taxation became a tool of extraction, a means of taking money away from ordinary people to sustain the lavish lifestyle of the ruling clan. State resources were used to reward favoured business-acolytes and friendly countries. The reported selling of the extremely valuable Milco land in Narahenpita to Softlogic[iii] at bargain-basement prices and the extravagant concessions granted to Chinese companies demonstrate how ‘familial economics’ operated in practice. The result was a curious phenomenon – a state which was at once obese and lean – obese to accommodate the growing cupidity of the Rajapaksas and their kith and kin; lean vis-à-vis the needs of ordinary Lankans.

The blurring and vanishing of the boundaries between the state and the ruling clan created situations which ranged from merely preposterous to downright dangerous. The alleged conduct of the Carlton Pre-school is an example of the former while the deeds of Avant Garde security service epitomise the latter. According to The Sunday Times, there are allegations that the Carlton Pre-school “drew students on the assurance that they could be placed in a Colombo school of their choice when the pre-school course was completed. This has allegedly been done by issuing letters to such leading schools where principals have been advised to give effect to those letters. It is claimed that they obliged out of fear of reprisals.”[iv] Avant Garde was so favoured that the armouries it operated in the Galle Navy Camp were out of bounds for both naval and police personnel. According to The Sunday Times, “…though the armoury was inside the Navy camp….neither those in the armed forces nor the Police had any control. They could not even check on the armoury. They were not provided details of what had been stored…. Even the rooms in the Seva Vanitha building in the Navy camp in Galle were given for storage of weapons and ammunition. Here again, the Navy had no access to these rooms.”[v]

Militarization under Rajapaksa rule was thus sui generis; it empowered not the military but the ruling family and its acolytes. Under Rajapaksa militarization, a retired major with the right connections to civilian rulers could become more powerful than army or navy commanders, even within military installations!

The Right and the Willingness to Know

Some years ago, Gunter Grass shocked the world by announcing that he was once a member of the SS. Asked why he decided to confess after decades of denial, he replied that one morning, while shaving, he found himself whistling the tune of the Hitler Youth, and realised “how deeply the Third Reich had impressed itself upon him”[vi]. The degree to which the Rajapaksas were able to impose their thinking on the Lankan state became evident when the new Secretary to the Ministry of Defence issued a statement justifying the dubious financial practices of his Rajapaksa predecessor. He has since recanted, but his instinctive reaction indicates how deep and pervasive the malaise is.

Treating the state as the private preserve of the rulers led to a form of governance which was so completely unintelligent that it boomeranged on its very creators. Reclaiming the Lankans state from this abyss and restoring it to its original position constitute an urgent and indispensable task for the new government.

Historian Ibn Khaldun pointed out that, “……people as a rule approach great and high ranking persons with praise and encomiums. They embellish conditions and spread their fame. The information made public in such cases is not truthful.”[vii]

Until the Rajapaksas left power, most Lankans had only a hazy idea about what the clan was up to. By silencing the media, the Rajapaksas ensured that the populace remained uninformed and ignorant about the reality behind the patriotic and populist façade.

The new government has promised to remove all impediments to the right to information and the free flow or information. But laws are not enough. We must be willing to know, to become informed. And ‘knowing’ must not stop with knowing the crimes and the misdeeds of the Rajapaksas; it must extend to knowing any wrongdoing by current and future governments.

The country needs a civil service which abides by the law and the constitution and is capable of standing up to rulers who step outside these necessary confines. The country also needs a populace willing to become informed about and be critical about the wrongdoings not just of the opposing side but also of one’s own side.

The task is a Himalayan one. And it must begin now.

[i] http://www.srilankamirror.com/news/item/1816-mahinda-kept-dogs-and-birds-gota-had-shark-and-elephants

[ii] http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2014/04/20/ministerial-macaws-and-kitul-tree-answers/

[iii] http://www.srilankamirror.com/news/item/1058-milco-land-sold-to-softlogic-at-a-cheap-price

[iv] http://www.sundaytimes.lk/150118/columns/corruption-and-abuse-of-power-probes-by-special-tribunals-131235.html

[v] http://www.sundaytimes.lk/150125/columns/shocking-revelations-of-deep-security-state-within-the-state-131923.html

[vi] The Daily Beast – 9.5.2013

[vii] The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History (Abridged version)

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Latest comments

  • 23
    4

    38% of the national revenue towards interest payment sums up the previous regimes theft. The citizens who elected the new government, hopefully will have the patience to await justice.

    • 21
      5

      Even if we forgive their corruption, they must be punished for their murders.

      :-)

      • 20
        3

        aratai

        “Even if we forgive their corruption, they must be punished for their murders.”

        Corruption is a crime just as the murders and killings.

    • 13
      4

      Tisaranee Gunasekara –

      1. “What they wanted they got; what they willed they did.”

      They turned the Democratic Socialist of Sri Lanka into the Medamulana Rajapaksa Family Dictatorship and Dynasty.

      2. “A singularity created by a combination of disparate developments brought about their downfall. Now the task is to undo the harm they did to state and society – and create structural constraints to prevent future rulers from treading the same ruinous path”

      We need the “Abisaid Solution” to the “Umayyad Excesses”. Louis the XVI? American Revolution? Common Sense Phamplet? American Crisis?

      Expose, Expose and Expose to the population.

      Every Sri Lankan should know, the facts, and how it affected them.

      This means, it has to be in All 3 Languages, Sinhala, Tamil and English.

      Common Sense (pamphlet) Sri Lanka?

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_%28pamphlet%29

      The American Crisis 1776-1783

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_American_Crisis

      The Sri Lankan Crisis 2010-2015

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_American_Crisis

      Tisaranee Gunasekara, what are you waiting for? The Medamulamna MarRa is deposed, the White Van owners Gota and Basil Rajapaksa are deposed.

    • 4
      2

      MARA’s latest job is calling minister’s and disterbing them to get syimpothe for him . This shameless jobless person have no self respect.

      • 3
        1

        He must be banned from calling others. Or prohibit him owning a trelephone..

  • 18
    2

    Right to information is a very important one that will check and balance the individuals and the gvt.

    • 3
      1

      Dear TG

      Well said:

      “We must be willing to know, to become informed. And ‘knowing’ must not stop with knowing the crimes and the misdeeds of the Rajapaksas; it must extend to knowing any wrongdoing by current and future governments”

      Yes, Knowing must not stop because the sources of corruption are unfortunately ever present in our nature. Eternal vigilance is very tiring but there is no other option.

      Your column should be translated into Sinhala and Tamil and placed in well read media.
      And may I suggest that you or someone selects at some of the your past contributions and bring out the collection in all three languages.

      Eventually real change will come only through constant reminders of what are wrong and what are right.
      This is of course made constantly obstructed by self serving parasites who use their words to muddy the waters solely for their own advancement

  • 20
    5

    Another great article Tisarannee. Indeed every government is guilty of corruption, but the Rajapaksa government, coupled with nepotism, has reached unbelievable lengths and is of a far greater magnitude, than any previous governments. The scale in which they all stooped to fleecing the people, and the life they led, is beyond our imagination. They can all dismiss this as a witch hunt, and yes, some stories can be made up or exaggerated, but it will not be hard to sift through them, and find out the truth.
    Being devious and dishonest must run in those Rajapaksa genes.

  • 16
    4

    Thanks Tisarannee,

    For another valuable article.

    If any one in SriLanka can freely read CT, NOW (not before)
    then this sort of articles will educate the locals
    and improve the nation in the future.

    Keep writing Madam

    You will do a great service to the country.

  • 19
    4

    The worst part is besides all these atrocities and callous plunder of the wealth of the Nation by this MARAUDING RAJAPAKSHE CLAN, there still remains a staggering 5 Million foolish voters who opted to vote for this MONSTER.

    We as a Nation are really indebted to GANDASARA to have helped topple this PLUNDERING FAMILY in the larger interest of the country.

    Cannot fathom out how worst things would have gotten if this MONSTER was re-elected this time around.

    People have already started breathing freely and seeing economic woes getting better by the day. THANKS GANDASRA for saving the country for us all.

    • 1
      1

      Half those 5.7 million are no doubt,racists and the other
      half depend on handouts in election times.This govt
      should convert the better half into genuine nation
      builders and the racists will have to tow the line
      gradually over time.

  • 15
    4

    Another regular contributor to these pages tells us the Rajapakses have brought this country to the dubious level of a Mafia-State. It will take quite a while, much resources and a change of attitude by our
    governing officials to return to the earlier neutral State.
    Details of the massive wholesale robbery of the Rajapakses is slowly but surely coming out. The country must be kept fully informed of all the wrong doing, by whom, when and to what extent. Unless the guilty are held fully accountable future rogues will try to turn the country into their private fiefdom if and when they worm their way into positions of this often vulnerable country.

    Backlash

  • 4
    16

    Tissaranee… whether the abuse of power be undreamnt proportions or not is immeterial.
    It surmounts to ABUSE……….It need not be exaggerated.

    You can not darken this picture for the Rajapakshes and lesser shades for others.

    • 5
      2

      What did she exaggerate? Can you elaborate please? It is no good just saying it without substance!

  • 14
    3

    I am beginning to wonder whether the late D. A. Rajapaksha was of these qualities; from whose genes these off springs have acquired the inimical bad habits and the desire to do the plundering of the public resources for their own use and benefits.

    Going by the details so far been exposed, surely the late Snr. Rajapaksha too must have been a rogue of this magnitude himself during his hey days doing politics with SWRD.

    These qualities cannot come on its own in the blood stream of these squanderers unless the chemistry of genes of these rogue brothers in the Rajapaksha family is hereditary.

    I had always thought that those sporting the shawl when wearing the national dress are men of unique traits and of exemplary characters and above all the most civic conscious but to my dismay, they aren’t.

  • 15
    3

    Brilliant article.

    The rural folk has no clue about GDP numbers or the debt burden or the trade deficit.

    They will keep on voting as long as a subsidy state is continued. Free fertilizer, Samurdhi, free UNI education, subsidized transport, non contributory pensions etc etc.

    At some point these will become unbearable since tax income is insufficient to give these hand outs.

    Hopefully we can get out of this vicious cycle over a period of time.

  • 24
    3

    SAD THING IS NEARLY 46% OR SO MUTTS VOTED FOR THIS THIEF WHO FLEECED THEM AND PROBABLY WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.

  • 6
    2

    The malaise that pervades the public service will be the hardest to eradicate. These are people who grew up in the public service to not question the Rajapakshes but to salute and do their bidding. Some very spectacular cases need to be conducted against the key players GR MR and BR for the eyes of the public service to open to their own culpability. The evidence is slowly building up. But much needs to be done to counter the deliberate destruction of evidence and other measures taken to hide the facts and prevent legal cases to be filed.

  • 10
    2

    Tissaranee identifies the ills created by the previous regime. It is very well done. But, she must now advance solutions to the malaise. The stables have to be cleansed. But, the new government is bent on repeating the same mistakes, appointing its cronies and relatives to public positions.
    1. There must be transparency in all appointments. Explanations must be given by Ministers as to why a person was appointed to a particular public office.

    2. There must be punishment for murder and corruption. The proper procedure in the law must be employed without any suggestion of a witch hunt. First information reports must be filed and the police must investigate.

    3. If there was treason or sedition involved in not handing over power, this must first be investigated by an impartial commission.

    4. all persons arrested for political reasons without trial must be released and compensation paid. This includes the Tamils detained in camps.

    5. The judiciary must be reformed. There is a supineness that has crept into the existing supreme court judges. It is necessary to replace them. They did not do justice. They looked the other side.

    6. Just solutions must be found to the minority problem. There are solutions. The 13th Amendment, the ISGA are existing solutions. Other constitutional methods of ensuring the rights of the Tamils and Muslims should be discussed and implemented without delay.

    • 11
      4

      Ponkoh Sivakumaran

      “Just solutions must be found to the minority problem.”

      May I suggest that it is not a minority problem but majoritarian problem imposed on rest of the people. Sinhala speaking people also continue to suffer from tyranny of the majority.

  • 9
    3

    Thanks Tissaranee for your nice article. Pl keep us informed of what is happening under the present regime also.

  • 4
    1

    was the earlier version of dual citizenship harder to get (the new version seems to require a recommendation from the diplomatic mission, and a personal interview to be conducted in Sri Lanka)?
    Anyway 18A would be a far better example than this especially considering that it’s not clear what benefit they got from it (it was too late to add anyone to the electoral register)

  • 7
    3

    Brilliant analysis. Hope this will bring greater awareness among the citizens, and will speed up the ” Rata Beraganeema ” from Pseudo Patriots and leaders who claim they are statesmen.

    Now that to happen all the religious leaders, Take Unions , Civic Organisations , Professional bodies , and University Student Unions must put pressure on the new regime to take speedy action as per the laws and also to give full support to the new regime with the help of Police and the three armed forces.

  • 13
    5

    These two murderers( Mahinda and Gotabaya) completely destroyed our country.
    Fortunately Majority of people have profoundly decided to change the criminal regime and wisely selected Mr. Maithreepala Sirisena as a true leader for our country.

    Now fortunately people are free from all avenues of our society.

    Freedom of speech, freedom of writing, freedom of political engagement and participation and freedom of expression are now extremely visible.

    Before 08th of January 2015, during the regime of Rajapaksa family completely banned everything.
    Above mentioned freedoms are completely invisible and disappeared.

    Gotabaya and Mahinda both of you must remember how you acted. Both of you were like accidentally wounded pigs.

    Now you must suffer, not only for few years but for till you both die.

  • 3
    2

    Excellent article, keep writing TG

  • 4
    2

    Tissaranee,

    Thanks again for a timely article.

    I hope your articles are published in Both Sinhala and Tamil as well.The non english educated masses can read,understand and conceptualization the magnitude of the problem.

    You have pointed out the core of the problems where even the current defense secretary issuing statement about a matter which is with judiciary now.

    Another issue that never made is way to English language media is the land appropriation in north.
    Even after the President and prime minister of the country assuring return of private land taken from public for military purpose would be returned,A name board/banner showed up last week in an area in Jaffna showing annexed land as military housing scheme.

    Such are deeply engrained practices in Srilanka,These practices must be addressed in many different fronts.

    1.A code of conduct for all public servants,politicians,Judiciary,Law enforcement and Military.

    2.A freedom of information act.

    3.Independent judiciary for civilian and civic minded Organization to file law suites against government employees including Politicians and military establishment.

    4.Practices to fast track case of public interest so speedy justice will be served without procrastination.A permanent tribunal for abuses of powers along the lines of bribery commission with judicial powers,to stamp out impunity.

    5.Witness protection to allow people to freely exercise their civic rights including giving evidence without fear of repercussion from Government,Military or Individuals.

    Srilanka is a long way away from a Just and free society.

    We have work hard to achieve this at least for our future generations.

  • 5
    0

    So we have had cousins, bothers and Royalists. Now its the turn of wives. Wait until they start on mistresses. Is this how to reclaim the State?

    Saman Ekanayake appointed Secretary to the PM, his wife, D.K.R. Ekanayake appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Social Services.

    J.B. Sugathadasa appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Food Security and his wife, N.D. Sugathadasa appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Youth Affairs.

    L.P. Jayampathi appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Ports, his wife D.S. Malkanthi made Secretary of the State Ministry Cultural Affairs.

    Somaratne Dissanayake made Chairman of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation when he was actively campaigning for Mahinda Rajapaksa during election campaigns in 2005 and in 2010 while being a vociferous critique of the opposition.

    Kavan Ratnayaka, elder brother of former UNP Parliamentarian Sagala Ratnayaka appointed Chairman of Lake House.

    • 3
      0

      Certainly strains the credibility of the MS administration!

      Won’t these guys ever learn from the mistakes that their predecessors made? Time for the ‘Council’ to protest and get these (nepotistic?) appointments amended within these “100 days”. Let’s not have anything that even remotely resembles the actions of MR and his lot.

  • 5
    3

    It was a God’s gift to the people of Sri Lanka that MR contested the
    election, two years prior to termination of the second term. Had he
    contested at the end of his second term, their private army would have been fully prepared to take over in the event of a defeat and dictatorship would have followed with or without blood shed and by then
    the minorities would have been under the control of the state, NPC would have got dissolved and the military governors with full powers would have been in charge of N/E and Douglas, Karuna & Pillian would have been his area commandos to ensure mouths are shut and opened only
    when eating or drinking.

    MR is charismatic and popular with the majority people, just like Mohamed Gaddafi or Genaral Hoshni Mubarak , waving the communal flag
    all the time and the govt. should act fast to expose his corruptions
    and the amount of public money plundered and names of the people involved, irrespective of which family they come from, failing they are in for trouble in the parliamentary elections as he intends to carry on in politics.

  • 1
    3

    Tissaranee!

    Excellent article but it has become monotonous as we are hearing the same thing over and over for the last two weeks and now awaiting the judgement and the punishment to the Rajapaksas for their crimes towards the people of Sri Lanka

  • 3
    6

    Sinhala Buddhist never accept defeat of mahinda rajapaksa…he will come back same like king dutugamunu and great king vijayabahu. God in katharagama and God Sri sumana Saman will protect Sinhalese in this dark days ..may Christian will protect sl Muslims in there coming dark moment ..

    • 9
      2

      Mahesh

      “Sinhala Buddhist never accept defeat of mahinda rajapaksa…he will come back same like king dutugamunu and great king vijayabahu.”

      Americans see Elvis every other week in a Hamburger joint, Indians are still awaiting for Subhas Chandra Bose to return from Russia, LTTE supporters believe their dear leader is alive and kicking in Cambodia, ………..

      “God in katharagama and God Sri sumana Saman will protect Sinhalese in this dark days ..may Christian will protect sl Muslims in there coming dark moment ..”

      You must keep the lights on and make sure you don’t block sun light.

      Here is some useful tips:

      Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that affects the way a person acts, thinks, and sees the world. People with schizophrenia have an altered perception of reality, often a significant loss of contact with reality. They may see or hear things that don’t exist, speak in strange or confusing ways, believe that others are trying to harm them, or feel like they’re being constantly watched. With such a blurred line between the real and the imaginary, schizophrenia makes it difficult—even frightening—to negotiate the activities of daily life. In response, people with schizophrenia may withdraw from the outside world or act out in confusion and fear.

      http://www.helpguide.org/

  • 2
    0

    “The task is a Himalayan one. And it must begin now.” Towards overcoming
    this state to some extent, should not the CAC led by Hon.Ranil W make
    an announcement that before a given date, all Public Officers who
    volunteer to confess their guilt, with document proof, earn a 5-15%
    retention of the monetary valuation. at the sole discretion of the CAC
    on the gravity of the offence/s.
    This way, I would expect some small-time ones to own up, whereby the
    bigger sharks Name will be brought up – and in Lankan style, it will
    lead to elimination of the confessor!
    Begin now but resolve it before nominations for the next GE by fast-
    tracking – lesser valued offences under some sub-committee headed by
    a couple from the main commission.

  • 3
    1

    All this media hype re excesses are not the real deal,Lankans need not be fooled by these revelations and instead await how regional countries behaved in similar situations…Suharto son went to jail for years,Marcos billions $tolen were recovered,Thailand parades its political crooks on TV going to jail for all to see,shows the lavish life styles lived off stolen money.
    Temple Trees should have been thrown open for people to go see how mahinda and gota,namal,dhammika,shiranthi live

    So lets see the real stuff now.

  • 3
    0

    Repeating plunder plunder 1,000 times does not help. Employ the best investigators in the world, pay them even a high percentage of the plundered wealth recovered as the fee and unearth them. For example, if Basil Rajapakse owns Highett hotel as squeeky clean Lalith Kotalawala claims, establishin this and asking the owner to account for the acquisition is not rocket science. Even a person of the current Finance minister’s intellect should be able to figure this out. The whole country is equally excited about catching the thieves and bringing them to justice.

  • 4
    0

    While what Tisaranee says is, again, plain as the nose on one’s face, it doesn’t mean that it should not be stated and re-stated until something is done about it.
    This dilly-dallying and shilly-shallying and the appointment of those who were beneficiaries of the Rajapaksa Regime to investigate criminal acts of that time must stop and STOP NOW.
    For starters, REMOVE EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE THOSE FISCAL CRIMINALITIES WHO HAS BEEN A BENEFICIARY OF THOSE VERY ACTS. This should NOT be debateable. If there is any doubt at all about any individuals they should be removed forthwith. To do less would be as criminal as overlooking what has been done to this country, its people and its economy. These people must be removed NOW. I know the argument will be advanced that “it takes a thief to catch a thief” but that is just not good enough.
    NOTHING MUST STAND IN THE WAY OF THE LAW PREVAILING AND NO DELAY IN THAT PROCESS SHOULD BE TOLERATED.

  • 3
    0

    NV,

    Just to add on to the psyche of the likes of Mahesh.

    They also keep looking at others with eyes full of jealousy and vengeance. Never want to do something constructive to uplift their livelihood rather than prying on others and feel jealous. The only viable option they look for is how to make easy money by plundering other people’s wealth. This is what exactly his MASTER TSUNAMI HORA KING DUTUGEMUNU was doing all these years.

    No wonder they feel offended as their easy way out to make money has been snatched by majority of men and women with some brain and reasoning.

    Keep crying MAHESH and wait for some more stark revelations coming out of your TSUNAMI HORA DUTUGEMUNU KING & FAMILY.

    Hope at least then your brain will start functioning, if you have one.

  • 4
    0

    TG:

    Reclaiming The State:

    1) Politicians have always abused power and always will. But with the Rajapaksas, the abusing of power happened on a scale previously undreamt of. From very early on, the Rajapaksas made a conscious effort to efface and destroy the lines of demarcation between the state and themselves. They set out to create a terrain in which anything (they wanted to do) was permissible.

    ***This is similar to an abandoned child left on the street by successive Sinhalese Governments. MR was born out of wedlock and he had no moral standards and like a paedophile he abused the Child ( The Nation) for sexual pleasures ( Greed for Power and Money).
    You cant reclaim something which is not Legitimate. To Legitimise the State you have to make it a Legal Entity by proper documentation.

    2)Rajapaksa needs and interests guided economic policy as well. Taxation became a tool of extraction, a means of taking money away from ordinary people to sustain the lavish lifestyle of the ruling clan. State resources were used to reward favoured business-acolytes and friendly countries.

    *** I am not sure if you are correct when you say that Taxation became a tool of extraction as often the problem in Third World Countries is the lack of effective means of Collecting Taxes.
    But you are right about using State Resources to sustain a Lavish life style but this happened by siphoning off funds received from Loan Shark China which should have gone to developing the Country and dare I say only Sinhala Lanka.

    3) Militarization under Rajapaksa rule was thus sui generis; it empowered not the military but the ruling family and its acolytes. Under Rajapaksa militarization, a retired major with the right connections to civilian rulers could become more powerful than army or navy commanders, even within military installations!

    *** The alarming news of Gothas Private army of 6500 personnel is only now beginning to surface and the Country has been brought back from the clutches of Dictatorship.

    There was a time Gotha was the absolute Powerhouse and his meal was first eaten by his security personnel before he ate to prevent being poisoned. But now he is eating DOG FOOD given by his mother in law.

    4) As regards the Dual Citizenship it has come to haunt Gotha as he cannot go back to USA as he will be arrested a soon as he touches down.

    Just one observation about the Fleet of Vehicles recently discovered dumped in a Yard. A clever Moron Former Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga says that the 53 vehicles belonging to the Presidential Secretariat which were recently found at a vehicle yard, were removed from service after following proper procedures.

    This is the daftest statement I have heard from a Presidential Secretary.
    This raises the following questions.
    a) Was the Scrap Yard heavily guarded up to now and if so why.
    b) Why wasn’t it sold off to a metal dealer as scrap to raise money.
    c) In Sri Lanka these fleet of cars would have stayed in service for a lot longer.

    I am surprised that the Vehicle in which Gotha was travelling which was targeted by LTTE was dumped instead of being sent to the National Museum as a National Treasure.

  • 3
    0

    The crimes and corruption promoted and practised by the Rajapaksas permeated into every aspect of Sri Lankan human life. As Tissaranee points out it would be an Himalayan task to restore Sri Lanka even to the status quo pre Rajapaksa era. Bensen

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