‘Lawyers for Democracy’ views with alarm the wide spread incidents of extortion that is taking place throughout the country. The recent incident where the manager of a plantation was murdered and the statement released by the Planters’ Association reveals the several cases of extortion and intimidation that has taken place in the plantation sector.
Lal Wijenayake
Forcible acquisition of land from lawful owners and even state lands is fast becoming like bribery and corruption the accepted norm in our country. It is no secret that extortion of money from reputed business establishments has become the serious problem in the business sector. This development has dissuaded investors from investing in business ventures in our country. It is well known that in almost all instances these acts of extortion / intimidation has been committed either by politicians or persons closely connected to politicians. What is strange is the impunity with which such acts are committed. In many instances such incidents goes unreported because of the risks involved in reporting these incidents because of the corruption and politicization that exists in the police and one cannot rely on the police to provide for their safety.
The Planters Association has to be congratulated for exposing this development fearlessly.
We ‘Lawyers for Democracy’ calls upon the authorities concerned even at this late stage to take immediate action to restore confidence in individuals regarding their personal safety and the safety of their property.
Lal Wijenayake , Convener Lawyers for Democracy
Nirmalan Dhas / July 20, 2013
What the citizens of Sri Lanka are living through is the collapse of the Sri Lankan nation state. Mr. R.M.B Senanayake’s article ‘government by patronage is not democracy’ describes the process of collapse in more detail.
This collapse is generated by very deeply rooted psycho social dynamics whose attempts to seek states of dynamic equilibrium that could be sustained were severely destabilized by colonial interventions.
Whether we can do anything about this is one important question that the citizens of this island have to face. After all the collapse of the state is not a trend peculiar to Sri Lanka and in fact shows every sign of being a dynamic that is global in the scope of its impact.
Whether they should do anything about this is another important question that the citizens of this island have to face. After all for the aged it should be possible to quietly go to the grave. For the wealthy it should be possible to seek a life in better lands where most already hold some sort of citizenship. And for others there are the increasing number of boats headed towards other lands.
There also is the question of to what extent each and every citizen is complicit in the context that is emerging. Does it not arise from their actions and inaction even if their words were always critical as now and though they were wont to sound the alarm while doing little to put out the fire?
Is there a god of sorts whose intervention we await and if so does that god have a name? And what then of the wider global manifestations of this process of nation state (or institutional) failure of which that of the Sri Lankan is but an indication?. Can a Global ill be remedies by a local cure? Is this local ill but the impact of some ongoing attempt at a global cure?
Strategies have to be carefully constructed and paths to credible futures perceived, and these tasks demand widespread collaboration and networking that ego driven human individuality greatly hinders and most often successfully prevents. But in the meantime it would make sense at the most elementary level for the Lawyers for Democracy to open a register to the public to register such incidents of unlawful activities that the authorities charged with the maintenance of law and order refuse to act upon.
That small step may perhaps allow you to see further once you have mounted it and then perhaps you will see what can be done next.
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Carpathian Gemba / July 26, 2013
Mr.Nirmalan Dhas- I hold no candle for this regime, facts has to be faced. This rot started with the 1972 constitution.Felix and NM played the initial innings. Remember the Bank Strike.Felix was a shameless crude dictator.Once the JVP insurgency was over, action should have been taken to review the action that was taken to bring the situation under control.That was not done.The way that uprising was suppressed became the standard and it had become worse by the day.It is said that in the US, USSR,UK,France the army is never used in action involving the local society. Only leaders of slums like Libya, Syria,Iran etc use the army against the civilians.
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Lapatiya / July 20, 2013
There is no Law in the country. we have only “Madamulana Law” nothing this kind of extortion, abductions, killings and forcible disappearances will not happen in the Country without the knowledge of the ruling family. best example is DIG Vaas Gunawardana. He is already a “Ape Miniha” so nothing will happen to him. It is a matter of time that Attorney General come and say that there is no case against him. everything will be credited to “International Conspiracy” account.
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Lapatiya / July 20, 2013
correction, ….disappearance will happen.
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Amarasiri / July 20, 2013
Dear Lal Wijenaike,
“The Planters Association has to be congratulated for exposing this development fearlessly.
We ‘Lawyers for Democracy’ calls upon the authorities concerned even at this late stage to take immediate action to restore confidence in individuals regarding their personal safety and the safety of their property.”
Well said, BUT is is a potential solution?
What is Newton’s Third Law?
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/newtlaws/u2l4a.cfm
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
So, in Sri Lanka, the Laws, Natures and man made Laws are being violated, because there is equal and opposite reaction.
So, what is needed is an equal and opposite reaction. Unfortunately, the appointed police is not doing heir duty and helping to make it worse.
So, form a Citizens Protection Force, a Home Guard by each community and each trade union to protect its members. This is Tribalism. but that is what is needed when the current system does not work.
Then we will have Somalia and Afghanistan. Is it a better solution than no solution? Why not?
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Amarasiri / July 20, 2013
Correction
So, in Sri Lanka, the Laws, Natures and man made Laws are being violated, because there is NO equal and opposite reaction.
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shantha / July 22, 2013
The plantation companies too are responsible for what has taken place.They turned a blind eye when such incidents took place as they did not wish to offend the politician,till planter Nihal Perera was killed. Most companies condoned wrong so that they could earn money. How many senior planters left in disgust as they could not be blind to what was taking place within the planting set up. If the govt investigates what goes on in the plantation / companies it would stink to the heavens.The extortion thuggery of the companies is no second to the politicians and thugs this is the reason that local politicians resort to extortion at estate level.
James Taylor
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Suranee / July 30, 2013
Shantha,
I’m a wife of a planter and would like to know from where did you get proof that plantation companies turn a blind eye on such incidents and extortion thuggery exists in such companies? Do you know how hard these planters work to try to stop the illegal felling of trees, encroachment of estate lands, etc by some of these corrupt politicians and their supporters? They do so by risking their lives at times.
How dare you make up such lies. Do everyone a favor and meet a few superintendents of tea estates and see how many such reports have been filed and yet the authorities have turned a blind eye to it.
There is not a day that goes by where I do not worry about the safety of my husband who is manager of a plantation especially after the murder of Noori Estate-Deraniyagala Manager Nihal Perera . It’s high time planters are given guns to protect themselves.
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Anura / July 20, 2013
We need another strong tiger like VP or strong Camel to put these heinous lions back in cages. They were caged from 1983 when VP took arms. We need another like him to save Sinhslese from their barbarism acts.
Anura
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Jim softy / July 22, 2013
When you went through so much violence since early 1970s – both by
JVP and later by LTTE, this should be expected.
Govt did not have any fast programmes and can not have those.
Because, there are so many interest groups speaking, protesting, so many interest groups. I don’t think even the govt knows what exactly happening in the country.
It is very easy for you all to bark at the moon.
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Carpathian Gemba / July 26, 2013
Jim Softy,There has to be cause for any effect. Try reasoning why the explosions took place.Play with punchi malli in your spate time.
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justice / July 20, 2013
What has happened and is happening in the north and east,largely ignored by the south,has now blossomed in the south.
Did the Lawyers Collective ever object to land grabs,takeover and even sales of homes & lands the war displaced,intimidation of citizens and temples/churches/mosques even by planting Buddha statues in the vicinity?
All these are committed by members of the armed forces & law enforcement divisions of the government itself.
State Terrorism has now spread its tentacles in the south,and the enforcers are two-bit politicians with swollen heads who think that they can terrorise citizens and enrich themselves.
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Kumar R / July 20, 2013
Absolutely! Niemoller was right!!
When they came, and came again, and came once more for the Tamils during most of the better part of half a century, no fair minded Southerners spoke, or spoke loudly enough to keep the wolves away.
So, I suppose as aptly anticipated by Niemoller, this is justifiable retribution – right?!
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Namal Perera / July 20, 2013
If “Ali Baba” is a criminal and a crook, what else can you expect frm his gang and the close followers?
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Senguttuvan / July 20, 2013
Extortion is already taking place in the more prosperous-looking Tamil homes in Colombo. In the Pettah and elsewhere Tamil and minority-owned business premises, like in Tamil homes, are regularly visited by groups of 4 or 5 – invariably lead by a Buddhist priest – with a List to boot. They even climb up and down 5-storied Apartment blocks in various areas where Tamils lives in large numbers. This is a repeat of what happened in the months after 7/83.
Sinhala homes in the Sabaragamuwa have reported many cases of violent house-breaking, extortion, threats, intimidation and many cases of murder. The State does not take the responsibility but places the burden elsewhere. The rowdy, the thug, the IRC and the murderer are going about their business behaving “this is ape anduwa” – and so it is.
With the price of daily essential food rising to unaffordable levels, people are virtually “trying to kill each other” merely to live on a day to day basis. It will become worse in the coming months and years.
Douibtless, foreign diplomatic missions in Colombo are taking note.
Senguttuvan
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Probono Publico / July 22, 2013
Senguts your going to hurt the sensitivities of K A Sumansekera by exposing these things,now he needs to write more rubbish to defend his paymasters and stay in front of the computer all the time!
cheekeya Senguts your a spoil sport men!
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shankar / July 21, 2013
“With the price of daily essential food rising to unaffordable levels, people are virtually “trying to kill each other” merely to live on a day to day basis.’
So why is mahinda having early elections in the northcentral and central provinces?Why does he think he will win if indeed people are killing each other to survive.If the COL is so high they can show their disgust by voting out the UPFA in those two provinces at least.Obviously mahinda will not have elections one year earlier if he thinks he will lose.
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Jim softy / July 22, 2013
If tamils kill tamils in the north, you accuse army. IF southerners are killed in the south you accuse the govt goons. It is all a mess.
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Carpathian Gemba / July 26, 2013
Welcome to Angoda, you Jin Softy
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Jim softy / July 22, 2013
I think, Lal Wijenaike’s objective here is making his NGO movement one of the foremost in the country and not anything else.
Generally all the NGOs which carry DEMOCRACY for something is an INGO most probably by the Church or a western govt.
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mike / July 22, 2013
You have not taken your prescribed medication, JimNutty!
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Carpathian Gemba / July 26, 2013
Jim Softy, go play with young finger. That is the only thing you can do, you fool
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Benadict / July 23, 2013
Remember Newton’s third LAW , So wait and see.
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