{"id":209324,"date":"2020-04-10T23:58:19","date_gmt":"2020-04-10T18:28:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=209324"},"modified":"2020-04-13T04:05:49","modified_gmt":"2020-04-12T22:35:49","slug":"prez-gotabaya-virtually-tells-the-tamils-et-al-go-to-hell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/prez-gotabaya-virtually-tells-the-tamils-et-al-go-to-hell\/","title":{"rendered":"Prez Gotabaya Virtually Tells The Tamils Et Al: \u201cGo To Hell !\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Karikalan\u00a0<\/span>S.\u00a0<\/span>Navaratnam<\/a> –<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Karikalan S. Navaratnam<\/p><\/div>\n

Even as the whole nation is in a state of paralysis due to coronavirus pandemic,\u00a0<\/span>exploiting the melancholy mood of the people wrapped up in distress and\u00a0<\/span>cunningly seizing the moment, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa<\/span><\/a> had, on 26 March 2020\u00a0<\/span>granted pardon to Army Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake<\/span><\/a>, a mass murderer, and set\u00a0<\/span>him free from the jail.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Moot\u00a0<\/span>question<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Does Gotabaya have the power under the Constitution to grant pardon.? At\u00a0<\/span>this moment, it\u2019s only a moot question. Apparently, the Justice Minister has\u00a0<\/span>spoken on the issue to Meera Srinivasan, \u2018The Hindu\u2019<\/i> Correspondent in\u00a0<\/span>Colombo: \u2018Minister Nimal Siripala has said that\u00a0<\/span><\/i> <\/i>a report had been called from\u00a0<\/span><\/i>his Ministry. \u201cThe final decision is with the President. He can overrule anything.\u00a0<\/span><\/i>He has the absolute power to grant pardon, no one can question him,\u201d he told\u00a0<\/span><\/i>The Hindu, adding that the constitutionally mandated procedure for the pardon\u00a0<\/span><\/i>was followed.<\/i>\u201c<\/i> (The Hindu, 27 March 2020 –<\/b> <\/i>Sri Lanka frees soldier who killed\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>8 Tamils<\/i><\/b>\u201d)<\/i> . By the way, according to New York Times, \u201cSri Lankan government\u00a0<\/span><\/i>did not immediately respond to requests <\/i>(from them) for comment.\u201d (<\/i>NY Times\u00a0<\/b>28 March 2020<\/b> \u2013 <\/i>infra<\/i><\/b> ). There is no news about any subsequent comment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Minister is a lawyer. As will be later discussed in this narrative, his view\u00a0<\/span>may not bear examination. But who cares for the Constitution, the Supreme\u00a0<\/span>Law of the land? Rajapaksas derive their powers not through the Constitution,\u00a0<\/span>Conversely, in the surreal realm of Rajapaksas, Constitutional provisions derive\u00a0<\/span>their sustenance and force only to the extent that they are so recognized by Rajapaksas.\u00a0<\/span>In other words, only if they are not repugnant to Rajapaksas\u2019\u00a0<\/span>agenda. Their track record (2005-2014) would bear this out.\u00a0<\/span>In his discussion on US \u2018Presidential pardons\u2019, CNN Commenator Chris Cillizza\u00a0<\/span>says, \u201cPresident Donald Trump runs his White House (and his life) by two\u00a0<\/span><\/i>simple principles: (1) Reward your friends,(2)\u00a0<\/span><\/i> Punish your enemies<\/i>.\u201d (CNN,\u00a0<\/span><\/b>18 Feb. 2020<\/b> – \u201c<\/b> <\/b>Here’s the secret to getting a Trump presidential pardon<\/i><\/b>\u201d). \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike Trump, Rajapaksas have other priorities too, in order to gratify the\u00a0<\/span>ultra-nationalist Sinhala Buddhist constituency. Mollycoddling the\u201cRanaviruvo<\/i>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>is primary among them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gotabaya\u2019s Election pledge<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, absolving the war criminals of their crimes is part of Rajapaksas\u2019 agenda.<\/p>\n

It was an election pledge given by Gotabaya at his inaugural election rally on\u00a09 Oct. 2019, ahead of the Presidential Election held on 16 Nov. 2019:\u00a0<\/span>\u201cSLPP Presidential Candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa says his duty is to make Sri\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Lanka a safe country once again and also promised to release all war heroes\u00a0<\/span><\/i>who have been imprisoned over \u2018false\u2019 charges.\u201d<\/i> ( Adaderana, 9 Oct. 2019<\/b> – \u201cGotabaya pledges to release imprisoned war heroes by Nov. 17<\/i>\u201d<\/b> ).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Beware ! and Brace up !\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Trashing the hallowed principle of Rule of Law and thumping one\u2019s nose at the\u00a0<\/span>Judiciary are menacing threats to civil liberties and human rights. Especially, \u00a0<\/span>the vulnerable sections of the society are liable to succumb to ethnocentric\u00a0<\/span>executive tyranny and oppression. Gotabaya\u2019s pardon is just the tip of the\u00a0<\/span>iceberg. \u201cThe ICJ is deeply concerned that this presidential pardon may be the\u00a0<\/span><\/i>first of the many to come<\/i>\u2026.\u201d ( ICJ, 27 March 2020<\/b>, infra<\/i>.) Political bullies often\u00a0<\/span>pick on soft targets. Therefore, the Tamil people and other ethno-religious\u00a0<\/span>minorities, besides the vocal minority among the Sinhala liberals need to\u00a0<\/span>remain on the alert:\u00a0 <\/span>Beware!,\u00a0 <\/span>and Brace up ! Fight this fascist menace!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFalse charge\u201d or \u201cMinor offence\u201d?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

President Gotabaya, in his infinite wisdom, has instinctively found out that\u00a0<\/span>Sunil Ratnayake\u2019s conviction was based on \u201cfalse charges\u201d, an arcane element\u00a0<\/span>that had slipped the judicial minds of a Magistrate, the three Trial-at-Bar\u00a0<\/span>judges of Colombo High Court and five judges of the Supreme Court. And , the\u00a0<\/span>President may also have mused over using another flimsy fig leaf to cover his\u00a0<\/span>naked aggression against the sacred doctrine of Rule of Law. What is that?\u00a0<\/span>\u201cSri Lanka\u2019s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a committee to look\u00a0<\/span><\/i>into way to<\/i> <\/i><\/b>release people <\/i>who have been jailed over minor offenses<\/i><\/b> and\u00a0<\/span><\/i>those who could not provide bail, his office said.<\/i>\u201d (ECONOMYNEXT, 24 March\u00a0<\/span><\/b>2020<\/b> \u2013\u201cSri Lanka mulls releasing prisoners in Coronavirus battle<\/i><\/b>\u201d). But, that is\u00a0<\/span>a sticky wicket.\u00a0<\/span>Committing mass murder cannot be a \u201cminor offence<\/i>\u201d even in\u00a0<\/span>a dystopian society, where jungle law runs rampant. But then, in Rajapaksas\u2019\u00a0<\/span>realm, who can stop them from construing words to suit their convenience?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gross\u00a0<\/span>travesty\u00a0<\/span>of\u00a0<\/span>Justice<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Gotabaya\u2019s Presidential pardon is a gross travesty of justice. He has, virtually,\u00a0<\/span>told one and all\u00a0 <\/span>– the souls of the dead, victims\u2019 families, the judiciary,\u00a0<\/span>Tamil citizenry, the UNHRC in Geneva, human rights defenders the world\u00a0<\/span>over and discerning members of the international community, to \u201cGo to Hell\u201d.\u00a0<\/span>The gratuitous pardon is a brazen expression of Gotabaya\u2019s arrogance of\u00a0<\/span>power and toxic tribalism. What is at stake is the very survival of the multi-ethnic covenant that has precariously held this country together since our\u00a0<\/span>political emancipation from the British in 1948.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The gory moments<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

In order to put this narrative in perspective, let me briefly recall the \u201cheroic\u201d\u00a0<\/span>exploits of the \u201cwar hero\u201d,\u00a0<\/span>Army Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake.\u201cOn 24 Dec. 2000, some bodies were found in the septic tank of a toilet by the\u00a0<\/span><\/i>side of the army camp. The matter was then reported to the Chavakacheri\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Courts. When the judge inspected the scene, four youths under the age of 18\u00a0<\/span><\/i>were discovered besides four men with decomposed bodies, throats slit and\u00a0<\/span><\/i>eyes blindfolded. Some had their legs and hands chopped off. One had his skin\u00a0<\/span><\/i>peeled, looking pink. Among the eight murder victims was five-year-old\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Visvarayan Prasath.\u00a0<\/span><\/i>(Colombo Telegraph, 26 March 2020<\/b>– \u201cArmy Butcher\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>Sunil Ratnayake Released Amidst Coronavirus Outbreak<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/a>\u201d)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Silent spectators<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

To sit by as spectators to a travesty of justice is to condone what is being done.That is what the Sinhala-Buddhist polity, in general, and its political class have\u00a0<\/span>done.\u00a0<\/span>\u2018Patriotic\u2019 SB barons of the mainstream media, their columnists and\u00a0<\/span>reporters have either shamelessly remained silent with a view to suppressing\u00a0<\/span>the information or tried to sanitise it.\u00a0<\/span>The Island <\/i>newspaper<\/i>, always thirsting\u00a0<\/span>for Tamil blood and relishing our moments of tragedy, has carried \u2018research\u2019\u00a0<\/span>articles rationalizing the massacre and glorifying Gotabaya\u2019s pardon. Happily,\u00a0<\/span>the outside world is familiar with the mindset of the majority – local fascists\u2019\u00a0<\/span>morbid fascination with army atrocities targeting the Tamils:\u00a0\u201cThe pardon brought outrage from rights activists and opposition politicians,\u00a0<\/span><\/i>but little obvious reaction from the broader Sri Lankan public\u2026\u2026..\u201d<\/i>.\u00a0\u201cBut social media pages supportive of the president were flooded with praise\u00a0<\/span><\/i>for the pardon, underscoring the continuing divide over the war\u2026..\u201d<\/i>(New York\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Times, 28 March 2020 –<\/b>\u201cAs Pandemic Rages, Sri Lanka\u2019s President Pardons a\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>War Criminal<\/i><\/b>\u201d ) NY Times<\/i> story has referred to \u201cOpposition politicians<\/i>\u201d. But\u00a0<\/span>the only (Sinhala) Opposition <\/i>politician who has tacitly spoken out is former\u00a0<\/span>Minister Mangala Samaraweera – besides the (Tamil) TNA politicians.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Soothing\u00a0 <\/span>voices from the South<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, there are soothing voices from some enlightened sections of the\u00a0Sinhala South who have always tried to make themselves heard over the din of\u00a0<\/span>the racist rabble. They are few, but not feeble voices.\u00a0 <\/span>Writng in her weekly\u00a0<\/span>column, the erudite human rights lawyer Ms. Kishali Pinto Jayawardene<\/i> has\u00a0<\/span>observed: \u201cWitnesses were also reluctant to travel to Colombo for court\u00a0<\/i>hearings. Ratnayake\u2019s meagre and solitary conviction, (veritably a sop thrown\u00a0<\/i>to those demanding justice), was upheld by the Supreme Court following a\u00a0<\/span><\/i>meticulous consideration of the evidence and the evidence of the sole and\u00a0<\/i>traumatized survivor of that atrocity<\/i>\u2026\u2026\u2026 (Sunday Times, 29 March 2020 –<\/b>\u201cFocus on Rights: A historic atrocity that did not get justice<\/i><\/b>\u201d)<\/p>\n

Tisaranee Gunasekara<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

As always, Ms.Tissaranee Gunasekara<\/i> has candidly expressed her outrage over\u00a0<\/span>Gotabaya\u2019s decision. Her account of the brutality captures the poignant scene\u00a0<\/span>and also exposes the evil traits of the military men and the hypocrisy of some\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Opposition leaders:\u00a0<\/span>EXCERPTS:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u201c\u2026\u2026All the eight deceased persons had sustained the identical fatal injury, a\u00a0<\/span><\/i>cut on the neck inflicted from behind, as disclosed by the medical evidence\u2026.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>\u2026\u2026.Amongst those whose throats were slit from behind was a five year old\u00a0<\/span><\/i>child. The toddler had accompanied his father, two brothers (aged 13 and 15)\u00a0<\/span><\/i>and other adults\u2026 in their fatal journey to their original village of Mirusuvil.\u00a0<\/span>As\u00a0<\/span><\/i>they were about to leave, writes Justice Aluvihare, the toddler saw a guava tree\u00a0<\/span><\/i>full of ripe fruits. He begged for some fruits. The group stopped to pluck the\u00a0<\/span><\/i>fruits. That was when the killers arrived\u2026\u2026. <\/i>\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of leader would pardon such a killer? What kind of a future can the<\/i>\u00a0<\/span>country expect from such a leader<\/i>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Barbarism is heroism \u2013 Official reception to \u201cbutcher\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/i>When the pardoned killer emerged from the prison, his welcoming party\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>was headed by none other than retired major general and defence secretary\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>Kamal Gunaratne<\/i><\/b>. That presence was as symbolic as the pardon itself because\u00a0<\/span><\/i>it gave<\/i> <\/i><\/b>to the pardon the final ideological imprimatur. This was no isolated act,\u00a0<\/span><\/i>it said, but an integral component of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa political\u00a0<\/span><\/i>project\u2026\u2026\u2026.Barbarism is heroism, the pardon says, and blood lust is\u00a0<\/span><\/i>patriotism\u2026.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Ranil, Sajith, JVP & BASL<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe shameful and shaming silence on the part of <\/i>Ranil Wickremesinghe,\u00a0<\/i><\/b>Sajith Premadasa <\/i><\/b>and <\/i>th<\/i><\/b>e<\/i> JVP <\/i><\/b>about this heinous pardon demonstrates that in\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i>the oppositional space, cowardice and opportunism prevail<\/i>.\u201d \u00a0<\/span>(Colombo\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Telegraph, 5 April 2020 \u2013 \u201c<\/b> <\/i>The President in the Pandemic\u2026\u2026<\/span><\/a>\u201d)<\/i>.<\/b><\/p>\n

By the way, the silence of the Bar Association (BASL) on this cardinal issue is\u00a0<\/span>deafening. And, where is His Eminence, Cardinal\u00a0 <\/span>Malcolm Ranjit? And what is\u00a0<\/span>his take on the gross abuse of power by His Excellency, President Gotabaya?\u00a0<\/span>We know that His Eminence and His Excellency have an excellent rapport .<\/p>\n

Editorials – Hindu & Deccan Chronicle<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The revolting assault on the Rule of Law and the Judiciary has not provoked\u00a0<\/span>condemnation from any of the editors in Colombo. There was nary a single\u00a0<\/span>editorial comment on the issue by any of the dailies\/weeklies. Perhaps, they\u00a0<\/span>feared Gotabaya goons. Or else, they dismissed it as a trifling matter. However,\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThe Hindu<\/i>\u201d (Chennai) and \u201cDeccan Chronicle<\/i>\u201d (Hyderabad) had the gumption\u00a0<\/span>to editorially comment on Gotabaya\u2019s pardon. EXCERPTS:\u00a0<\/span>\u201cIt hardly needs emphasis that the exercise of the power of pardon is an act of\u00a0<\/span><\/i>compassion, and not a tool for political or electoral messaging. However,\u00a0<\/span><\/i>President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has sent out a message to his vast body of\u00a0<\/span><\/i>supporters among the Sinhalese that he would not let \u2018war heroes\u2019 languish in\u00a0<\/span><\/i>prison, even if it means that the minority Tamils get a chilling message that\u00a0<\/span><\/i>substantive justice for war crimes will always elude them; and even when\u00a0<\/span><\/i>rendered, it could be undone with a stroke of the pen<\/i>\u2026\u2026..\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pardon, granted at a time when the country\u2019s focus is on fighting COVID-<\/i>19, is a serious setback to hopes that accountability could be brought about in\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Sri Lanka through domestic mechanisms.<\/i>\u201d (The Hindu, 30 March 2020 \u2013<\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u201cPolitical pardon: On Sri Lankan soldier\u2019s release\u201d<\/i><\/b> )<\/p>\n

\u201cThe decision of its president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to pardon the soldier\u00a0<\/span>Sunil\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Ratnayake is not only deeply disappointing but also sends quite the wrong\u00a0<\/span><\/i>signal to the UN and the world that the island nation will not bow to\u00a0<\/span><\/i>international opinion on respecting the law against war crimes<\/i>.\u201d (Deccan\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Chronicle, 1 April 2020 \u2013<\/b> \u201cA Political Pardon<\/i><\/b>\u201d )<\/p>\n

International community<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Mercifully, the international community at large keeps its ear to the ground.\u00a0<\/span>Rajapaksas\u2019 writ may not run in the domains of the civilized world. The UN and\u00a0<\/span>eminent human rights\/civil rights organizations and advocates have promptly\u00a0<\/span>condemned Gotabaya\u2019s monstrosity. The common thread running through\u00a0<\/span>their diverse messages is scepticism about Sri Lanka\u2019s commitment to fulfil its\u00a0international human rights obligations. They also believe that an international\u00a0<\/span>justice mechanism is imperative in Sri Lanka. EXCERPTS:\u00a0<\/span>\u201cWe are troubled by reports that the convicted perpetrator of the Mirusuvil\u00a0<\/span><\/i>massacre, in Sri Lanka, has received a Presidential Pardon and was released\u00a0<\/span><\/i>from jail this week. The Presidential pardon is an affront to victims and yet\u00a0<\/span><\/i>another example of the failure of Sri Lanka to fulfil its international human\u00a0<\/span><\/i>rights obligations to provide meaningful accountability for war crimes, crimes\u00a0<\/span><\/i>against humanity and other gross violations of human rights<\/i>.\u201d(per<\/i> Rupert\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/b>Colville, Spokesperson<\/a>, UNHRC<\/span>, Geneva, 27 March 2020 )<\/b><\/p>\n

International Commission of Jurists<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe prosecution of Staff Sergeant Ratnayake for his involvement in the killing\u00a0<\/span><\/i>of civilians, including children, at Mirusuvil was a rare exception to the usual\u00a0<\/span><\/i>lack of accountability for human rights violations committed during the\u00a0<\/span><\/i>conflict,\u201d said Frederick Rawski, ICJ\u2019s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is particularly distressing that a presidential pardon of this nature has been\u00a0<\/span><\/i>issued at a time when the nation is dealing with the potentially devastating\u00a0<\/span><\/i>impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak,\u201d said Rawski. \u201cThe government would be\u00a0<\/span><\/i>advised to focus on responding to legitimate calls to release prisoners of minor\u00a0<\/span><\/i>offences, \u2026\u2026\u2026 rather than taking cynical advantage of the crisis to free\u00a0<\/span><\/i>convicted war criminals<\/i>.\u201d( ICJ,\u00a0<\/span>27 March 2020 \u2013 \u201c<\/b>Sri Lanka: Presidential\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>pardon of former Army officer for killing of Tamil civilians is unacceptable<\/i><\/b>\u201d)<\/p>\n

Amnesty International<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cResponding to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa\u2019s decision to release Sergeant\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Sunil Rathnayaka, Amnesty International\u2019s Regional Director for South Asia,\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Biraj Patnaik, said:\u00a0 <\/span>\u2018Where accountability is so rare for serious human rights\u00a0<\/span><\/i>violations in Sri Lanka, the government\u2019s arbitrary decision to release Sergeant\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Rathnayaka sends an extremely worrying message<\/i>.\u201d (Amnesty\u00a0 <\/span>Int\u2019l, 26 March\u00a0<\/span><\/b>2020 \u2013<\/b> \u201c<\/b>Justice\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b> <\/span><\/a>reversed for victims of the Mirusuvil massacre, Sri Lanka<\/i><\/span>.\u201d)<\/b><\/p>\n

Human Rights Watch<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPresidential Pardon Shows Rajapaksa\u2019s Indifference to Army Atrocities\u201d\u00a0<\/i>said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director<\/i> (for Human Eights Watch).<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Rajapaksa government has appointed alleged perpetrators of war crimes\u00a0<\/span><\/i>to high office while pardoning one of the few soldiers convicted for a terrible\u00a0<\/span><\/i>offense,\u201d Ganguly said. \u201cIt should be clear that to deliver justice for victims and\u00a0<\/span><\/i>to deter future atrocities, an international justice mechanism is needed in Sri\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Lanka<\/i>.\u201d ( HRW, 27 March 2020 \u2013<\/b> \u201cSri Lanka: Justice Undone for Massacre\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/span><\/a>Victims<\/span>\u201d<\/i><\/b> )<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026\u2026. Mr. Rajapaksa, who was elected in November, is himself accused of\u00a0<\/span><\/i>having ordered war crimes during the civil war, when he served as defense\u00a0<\/span><\/i>secretary\u2026\u2026..\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThe chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the United States,\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Representative Eliot Engel, condemned the pardon in a Twitter post on Friday\u201d<\/i>.\u00a0(NY Times, 28 March 2020<\/b> -ibid<\/i><\/b>.)<\/p>\n

Mirusuvil massacre is by no means our people\u2019s maiden experience at the\u00a0<\/span>hands of the marauding military goons. Time and again the savages have\u00a0<\/span>wantonly slaughtered scores of our defenceless people, young and old. Related\u00a0<\/span>Court cases remain consigned to cold storage. Why? Because, the victims are\u00a0<\/span>Tamils and, therefore, are disposables. From the graves they continue to cry\u00a0<\/span>their heart out for justice. Conjuring up the images of the carnage will be\u00a0<\/span>traumatizing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To borrow (former) Secretary of State John Kerry\u2019s words spoken on\u00a0<\/span>another occasion, Gotabaya\u2019s pardon \u201cis a moral obscenity\u2026that should shock\u00a0<\/span><\/i>the conscience of the world<\/i>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, Does President Gotabaya have the power to \u201cpardon\u201d.? Yes, he has,\u00a0<\/span>under Article\u00a0 <\/span>34(1) of the Constitution. Is it a plenary power? No, it is not.<\/p>\n

*To be continued..\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":196,"featured_media":208026,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,46,8,2375],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-209324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-constitutional-reforms","category-editorial","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\nPrez Gotabaya Virtually Tells The Tamils Et Al: \u201cGo To Hell !\u201d - 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\/prez-gotabaya-virtually-tells-the-tamils-et-al-go-to-hell\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Prez Gotabaya Virtually Tells The Tamils Et Al: \u201cGo To Hell !\u201d - Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[…]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/prez-gotabaya-virtually-tells-the-tamils-et-al-go-to-hell\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-04-10T18:28:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-04-12T22:35:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Gotabaya-Rajapaksa-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"809\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"503\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Karikalan S. 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