By Barbara Seneviratne –
Barbara Seneviratne
The COPE report was handed over to President which highlighted immense irregularities in all government institutions. The COPE members and the public expected the President to take immediate actions but he is very silent. His strange silence is nothing to be surprised about. He had been silence on the report regarding the “Taxation Commission” which was given to the President in 2009.
Well the President may have his reasons to be silent, after all this system is poisoned by collective bad faith and polluted by individual avarice.
Not only ignoring the COPE report but the President has conveniently ignored the necessity to enforce accountability or the necessity to eliminate corruption exposed. What he is doing now is completely different from what he preached to the voters and especially in his much bragged “Mahinda Chinthanaya”. People from all walks of life wonder if this is the last stages of Sri Lankan democracy.
The World Bank and IMF sponsored economic liberalization policies not only had a negative impact on the health and education in the country but also gave birth to a greedy and corrupt private sector that thrived on giving bribes to the State officials and politicians to get ministerial tenders. The supply of allegedly contaminated fuel which was brought by a company which was removed from the list of suppliers to the CPC is one such example.
The corporate sector too is partly responsible for the collapse of the social and cultural morals and collapse of the economy. Especially in the last eight years the ethics of the private sector too have vanished and the masses are now cheated by both private and public sectors.
The tragedy of Sri Lanka today is waste of human resources due to warp minds of the rulers. This is clearly seen in the government’s attitude towards the current strike by university academies and students.
The President has conveniently ignored the necessity to enforce accountability or the necessity to eliminate these crimes are not in the ” Mahinda Chinthanaya” hence human nature shows itself so completely depraved nearly approaching brutality as in the last stage of democracy.
The health sector too is highly neglected and many a professionals in this sector are migrating overseas where their skills are recognized and better remunerated.
Nepotism, Impunity and corruption are the norm. The blame must also be shared by the public who elect corrupt politicians to power. The President and his party members and politicians displayed insensitivity to the different kinds of crimes that women, children and public are facing.
Due to impunity laws have had no effect. Although few members of parliament demanded positive changes to the constitutions it all fell on deaf ears because of vote bank politics.
One such example is Kahawatte in the Ratnapura District where people and the public are frozen with fear for some reason or other. A fear psychosis similar to the Grease yaka has being promoted apparently by those who profit by crimes. Police are failing in their duties due to corrupt SLFP politicians who are not allowing the Police to carry out their duties independently.
More recent is the mockery of reinstatement of the former Tangalle Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman W. G. Sampath Chandrapushpa by Minister Susil Premajayantha. In a letter dated July 25, 2012 notified of his removal and in a second letter dated July 29, 2012, notifies that he has been reinstated as PS chairman and that his party membership has been restored.
No democracy can survive without law and order. Public interest requires for its promotion not its disintegration and destruction. The country has become a rudderless ship, with things worsening by the day. The time has dawned for the public to protest against all ill regularities, corruption and collapse of the law and order and demand democracy in the country.
Let me quote form Martin Luther King Jr. “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people,”
Sam / August 15, 2012
We now have an undeclared Military Regime which can also be called a Police State. “Survive as president at any cost” is the name of the game.
In the north & east,the situation is one of State Terrorism.
The military and police are not concerned with law & order,and carry on regardless.
The common man lives in fear.
Again farcical elections are being staged.
The Elections Commissioner is unable to check violations and malpractices.Now he is said to have stated that a few posters & cutouts may be allowed!
The Tangalle Chairman is getting away with rape and murder.
Police and Prison officers are getting away with murder of two Vavuniya Prison detainees who were beaten to death.
The judiciary is indifferent.
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Kiran / August 16, 2012
Excellent piece – keep on writing madam!
Lets discuss ‘Development after Development’ and an exit strategy for Rajapassa regime since the writing in on the wall that the current development model is intellectually, morally, socially and environmentally bankrupt, and an alternative is needed. The people are fed up as the protests indicated. The war victory has faded and Rajapaase is being held accountable by the people although the business community has been horribly silent and cowardly to speak up and out and of course has benefited from the neo-liberal carbon heavy economic inequality is growing with corruption.
As noted here the Rajapassa brothers and sons dictatorship is rotten to the core and has corrupted and rotted all public institutions. The corrupt clown Susil Premajayantha, the bad petrol man like his boss the petrol pump man Basil R from LA uneducated minister of economic development and brothers (like the 2 so-called ministers of education) must be forced to resign – the case is so clear.
mahinda Rajapassa keep these corrupt cronies because he is increasingly paralized and fearful of loosing power. To hold on to power he is promoting ethnic and religious tensions in a classic divide and rule strategy and holding local elections to promote the facade of democracy and governance as a fig leaf to cover the rotten governance institutions and governors he has appointed.
The political culture of the country also stinks with Ranil Wickramasinghe another shameless dictator in the UNP.
Thankfully however the people are finally waking up and speaking out judging by the number of protests and strikes on a daily basis! As Marx said every thesis has its antithesis and we will soon see a push back from the people against the rotten politicians.
Even the gods are angry and there is no proper rain and reservoirs have dried up despite and because of the fake militarized Buddhism in Lanka today. The miracle of Asia is now the debacle of Asia – but out of the Ashes of mahinda chinthanaya the people will rise – lets talk development after development!
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Dinuk / August 16, 2012
Quite right! the Rajapassa family dictatorship whose days are numbered judging by the number of strikes and protests and balck outs, cannot survive if the old SLFP members and the leftist genriatrics take a joint stand and say enough is enough.. no more family looitng of public wealth via UPFA!
Rajapassa is paying out more an more to keep old and corrupt SLFP folks like Susil Premajayantha the corrupt petrol man and spokesman with him – but this strategy is paying deminishing returns – because people are starving and fed up of the rent seeking of Rajapassa and his cronies. They are highering unemployed graduates with no skills and refusing to pay qualified academics who are striking! What sort of econonomic joke policy is this?
At the same time they are also paying the military and home guards who were recently awarded pensions to keep the family dictatorship safe.
The striking academics should start a campaign to educate the miltiary rank & file on the true colours of the regime they protect!
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Dodo / August 16, 2012
Latest development joke: China is building a satellite for Lanka but the bloody brand new Norichcholai power plant which coast billion is defunct and there are black outs! I suppose the satelite will provide electricity?!
Why does Lanka needs a satellite? Are there not other development priorities? People must start protesting the de-development and indebting of Lanka in the name of development.
Also, they are planning to fill the sea at Galle Face and build a formular One racing track meanwhile the entire south coast is eroding as the wave pattern changes with the on-going construction of the Harbour area. No envirnomental impact assessment has been done. These uneducated Rajapasssa bros are a danger to the country and must be sent packing soon! A war crimes trial in the Hague is needed!
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James Bond / August 17, 2012
There’s no Right to Information Bill in Sri Lanka but the regime is building a “communication” satellite with loans from China – does something smell rotten in the miracle of Asia?!
Delusion in the name of the game – delusions of grandeur of a crumbling morally and intellectually and financially bankrupt Rajapassa Bros regime..
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China Doll / August 19, 2012
Way to go Babs! Lanka needs you to lead a bi-partisan anti-corruption campaign with other influential women: Sunethra Bandaranaiyake, Rosy Senanayake. Today in Lanka women need to “be the change”!
Recently 4,100 corruption probe reports on financial fraud committed by high state officials have been given to that corrupt to the hilt bugger who passes as so-called president of lanka – mahinda rajapassa and his secretary, Lalith, another free riding stooge- who is protecting the thieves many of whom are his family members, cronies and appointees.
The bugger MR should be exposed for covering up the mountain of filth and corruption that he has cultivated to stay in power and loot sri Lankan. An anti-corruption campaign aimed at Rajapassa family, Nivad Cabral, Lalith Weeratunge, P.B Jayasundara must be launched like the Ana Hazae campaign in India which has damaged Congress which would lose an election according to polsters today.. Maybe Sunethra and Rosy Senanayake can team up for a bi-partisan anti-corruption drive led by influential Lankan women who can and must ‘be the change’ to get rid of the dictator and robber barons running amok in Lanka today!
We need to start thinking outside the box since the political culture with that power hungry clownish dictator Ranil in the opposition is also useless and propped up by that useless feminist [Edited out]
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gamini / August 15, 2012
Today many who supported MR to Presidency as this writer, is surprised that MR thrives on Corruption, Murder and indifference to the state of Law and Order in the country. Not only MR is indifferent, he displays Impunity when challenged. I fail to understand when MR was very openly exposed of having embezzled Tsunami funds received for the Poor, Committed Political killings using Wambottas, why is it that these Political Pundits as this writer, Barbara Seneviratne did not clarify the issues for the benifit of the Public, but instead clamoured to elect MR as President. So who should be blamed for the present state of affairs? This Barbara Seneviratne type is absolutely disgusting and is a disgrace for Humanity, now coming before the Public and pretending, while one foot is still with MR, as if they are Puritans in Politics. This is the Educated Scum in this Society.
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Desilva / August 15, 2012
I AM ASHAMED TO SAY THAT, WE, SINHALESE, WHO ARE THE NUMERICALLY MAJORITY CITIZENS, IN SRI LANKA, ARE GRADED AND PROVEN AS THE INTELECTUALLY MINORITY CITIZENS.
HOWEVER MUCH WE TRY TO TALK SENCE TO THESE SO CALLED MAJORITY, IT DOES NOT SINK FURTHER THAN THEIR THICK SKINS.
IT IS SO SAD TO SEE OUR MOTHERLAND GO TO THE DOGS, WHILE THE LEADERS, FLY SKY HIGH WITH DEBTS, WHICH, WE POOR CITIZENS, COULD NOT REPAY FOR THE NEXT 200 YEARS AND MORE.
NOT MANY KNOW, THAT, OUR ISLAND HAS BEEN PUT DOWN AS SECURITY, FOR ALL THE DEBTS WE HAVE INCURRED.
WE WILL ONLY REALISE ONE DAY, WHEN, THE DEBTERS WILL WALK IN LIKE THE BAILIFFS, AND CLAIM OUR ISLAND.
WHEN WILL WE OPEN OUR EYES AND SEE WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON AROUND US?
“HETA MARUNUTH HITHATA SAPAI ADHA NAYAWELA’
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Helena Waidiyasekerta / August 16, 2012
De Silva, what you say is correct, but how many of the intelligent fools we hv in this country takes note of such daylight robbery done by our greedy rulers and their mafia pigs, this is the guthama buddahage rajiya, so proudly boasted in some busses, see all the natural disasters happening in this land, more to come even the gods are angry when we have dogs in command !
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gamini / August 16, 2012
I am sure many would have seen the recent incident where a lorry ladened with goods on Havelock Road, the tyres had sunk. Will it not happen when the Head of State tells lies ‘Polowa Palena Boru’. Only hope the earth will sink and this bugger MR’s vehicle not only the wheels but the whole vehicle should go down, so that the people will have the satisfaction of each covering up with a sod of soil.
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parth / August 18, 2012
to expect a politician like Rajapakse to take action against his own colleagues is the height of naivete. The state terrorism silently condoned by the majority during the war years has taken root. Now it’s too late for Sri Lanka.
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