{"id":104249,"date":"2013-09-08T00:09:26","date_gmt":"2013-09-07T18:39:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=104249"},"modified":"2013-09-11T00:59:20","modified_gmt":"2013-09-10T19:29:20","slug":"they-are-all-the-b-y-same","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/they-are-all-the-b-y-same\/","title":{"rendered":"They Are All The B\u2026.y Same!"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Emil van der Poorten<\/a><\/span>\u00a0–<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Emil van der Poorten<\/p><\/div>\n

Particularly with the visit of Navi Pillay<\/a><\/span> which might well have occurred before this sees print (or the web equivalent), it seems like every columnist and his or her aunt and uncle have brought out their crystal balls or miniature wishing wells for that momentous occasion.<\/p>\n

Suffice it to say that it isn\u2019t that important that this submission sees the light of day while that discussion resides in the \u201cmatter of burning interest\u201d category.\u00a0 In response to the obvious question of, \u201cWhy so?\u201d let me say that, given past history, the visit is not going to mean a great deal in the larger scheme of things and may end up being yet another (boring) chapter in any effort to introduce even a smidgen of decency into the conduct of Sri Lanka\u2019s affairs.\u00a0 You will note that I have not so much as made reference to matters of accountability, democratic practice etc. etc.\u00a0 The reason for that is very simple, we appear to have passed that \u201cbest before\u201d date on those issues and it will take more than a Herculean effort to inject some freshness into them at short notice.<\/p>\n

This is no reflection on the Louise Arbour<\/a><\/span>s and Navi Pillays of this world (and the UN agencies that they represent or represented, as the case may be). \u00a0Both of these giants of modern human rights practice did more than most men and women, put together, have done in recent times in that field but there is a limit to what even human genius can achieve in the face of a \u201cdo-nothing\u201d set of international powers.<\/p>\n

China and Russia, for the very simple reason that they do not want anything resembling human rights established on the world\u2019s stage because they are against that very concept, will torpedo every effort by the Pillays and Arbours of this world.\u00a0 The hypocritical brigade led by the Brits, the Yanks, the French and Germans will continue their leadership role in what I have previously described as the \u201cTut-tut brigades,\u201d strutting the world stage while uttering inane platitudes. There is some hope from among the economic second tier of democracies, but nothing to write home about!<\/p>\n

As for our neighbouring behemoth, India, it has displayed a singularly unprincipled and unethical pattern of conduct being driven purely and simply by what it sees as political opportunities on its (Federal) scene which are in turn driven themselves by the two major parties of Karunanidhi and Jeyalalithaa in Tamil Nadu who jump up and down whenever sentiment in their state seems to suggest that some political gains are to be made by supporting their Tamil cousins across the Palk Strait.<\/p>\n

It seems that it is only some of the non-governmental organizations – much reviled by the Fascist rump that claims to represent \u201cthe interests\u201d of Sri Lanka while bludgeoning journalists and \u201cnon-believers\u201d left, right and centre – will valiantly strive to keep the flame of decency burning in this benighted nation.<\/p>\n

If that sounds (again!) like an apocalyptic vision of the Pearl of the Orient, A Land Like No Other, The Miracle of Asia (take your pick), I make no apology.\u00a0 Facts need to be stated and reality faced.<\/p>\n

Pillay\u2019s visit given her credentials and track record cannot be reassuring to those who shoot unarmed young people down in cold blood for the crime of being in the vicinity of a demonstration in support of safe drinking water.\u00a0 However, to expect that it is going to seize the high ground of morality and force a government that has displayed nothing less than consistent contempt for the rule of law to change course would be more than a little optimistic.<\/p>\n

All that said, events like Pillay\u2019s visit are \u201cthe only game in town\u201d and it is up to everyone who wants civilization to return to this land to do whatever they can to reinforce the message to Ms. Pillay that something is particularly rotten in this particular State of Denmark and that we desperately need the good offices of those from outside Sri Lanka because any effort at reform from within this country is doomed from the get-go as experience has shown, time and time again.<\/p>\n

The recent attack on Columnist of the Year Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema<\/a><\/span>\u00a0was an obvious warning \u00a0– \u201ca shot across the bows\u201d – for anyone so much as contemplating criticism of the Rajapaksa regime<\/a><\/span> even in a newspaper owned by one of their minions.\u00a0 The fact that the lady is alive as I write this owes everything to good luck, not bad planning on the part of those who terrorized her, her parents and ten-year old child<\/strong>, and I have it on the best <\/strong>authority that the \u201cofficial\u201d story is a more than a little economical in the matter of truth.\u00a0\u00a0 It continues to describe the event as a common-or-garden burglary.\u00a0 Period.\u00a0 In the circumstances, I suppose the fact that a dead cat was laid on the Abeywickrema doorstep shortly before the event and the family car tires slashed have to be assumed to be (an innovative) part of the modus operandi of the current crop of \u201cordinary\u201d Colombo burglars!\u00a0 Not to mention the dialogue among the two groups that formed the \u201craiding party\u201d and their explanation to Mandana of why they were there.<\/p>\n

The seeming amateurishness of the attack against her should in no way dilute the seriousness of what was attempted.\u00a0 That amateurishness is reflective of an impunity and arrogance that has grown and says very clearly, \u201cWe don\u2019t have the time to spend on slick planning.\u00a0 When there\u2019s a job to do, we\u2019ll do it in the manner most convenient to us.\u00a0 If there are a few casualties along the way, too bad.\u201d\u00a0 As for silencing any potential \u2018squealers\u2019 among those captured, the manner in which they can be dealt with has already been more than adequately demonstrated both in and out of remand facilities in this country for a considerable time now.<\/p>\n

While the preceding paragraphs certainly paint a picture of doom and gloom, it is not intended to provide an \u201cout\u201d for anyone of conscience.\u00a0 Those who fit that description still living in this country must do whatever they can, in whatever way possible, to show resistance to the juggernaut of violence and subjugation.\u00a0 Much bigger and more sophisticated machines of repression have been pushed off what seemed at the time their inexorable track to crushing whole populations.\u00a0 There is no reason for Sri Lanka with a history of representative democracy going back well into the last century to be any different.<\/p>\n

As Sri Lankans, as humans of decency who believe in law and order and the application of the principles of justice in our lives and those of our fellow citizens we owe that, not only to the generations to come but to OURSELVES.\u00a0 Without that demonstration of decency we have no right to call ourselves human beings.\u00a0 The fact that \u201cThey are all the b\u2026.y same\u201d doesn\u2019t make it any less essential that we continue to fight the good fight for decency in this country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":93580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,46,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-104249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-constitutional-reforms","category-editorial"],"yoast_head":"\nThey Are All The B\u2026.y Same! - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/they-are-all-the-b-y-same\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"They Are All The B\u2026.y Same! - Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[…]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/they-are-all-the-b-y-same\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-09-07T18:39:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2013-09-10T19:29:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Emil.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"356\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"433\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/they-are-all-the-b-y-same\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/they-are-all-the-b-y-same\/\",\"name\":\"They Are All The B\u2026.y Same! 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