Sri Lanka’s Dismal Political Achievements

by Thambu Kanagasabai, LLM [London] Former Lecturer in Law, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, April 23, 2020

The Sri Lankan Government is claiming credit as the first country in the world to have successfully controlled the Corvid-19 virus spreading world-wide.  However, it is to be noted that this claim is premature and has to be substantiated with accurate statistics of other infected countries.  The present article lists various other Sri Lankan ‘achievements’ in the field of human rights, state governance and administration particularly affecting the non-Sinhalese Buddhist communities – Tamils and Muslims – since independence from the British in 1948.

[1] Sri Lanka being a multi-ethnical and religious country in its constitution has omitted the secular nature of Sri Lanka and incorporated a statutory provision to protect and foster Buddhism being the foremost religion making it as a binding obligation and duty on the state to implement it while side-stepping the other religions for “protecting and fostering”.

[2] Sri Lanka holds the discriminatory distinction of passing legislation in 1974 forcing the Tamil students to score higher marks then Sinhalese students to gain admission to its universities.

[3] Sri Lanka is also the first country to launch official colonization of majority Sinhalese in Tamil inhabited areas in the north and east from 1948 to change the demographic pattern to make Sri Lanka a SINHALESE BUDDHIST STATE. Gal-oya, Pathavia and the ongoing Mahaveli Development scheme are few examples to quote]

[4] Sri Lanka also holds the leading rank in the composition of its security forces with about 98% Sinhalese. [Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and Criminal Investigation Department [CID]

[5] Sri Lanka ranks first in stationing security forces with one solider for every five civilians in the north and east of Sri Lanka [The historical and traditional homeland of Tamils]

[6] Sri Lanka also ranks as a leader in the world to erect numerous Buddha Statues and Viharas in the Tamils [Hindu/Christian] traditional homeland of Tamils in the north and east where with very few/or nil Buddhist worshipers are living around to patronize them.

[7] Sri Lanka leads the world in conducting pogroms against minority Tamils [1956, 1958, 1971, 1977, 1983] lending assistance and encouragement to the security forces and thugs in the massacre of innocent Tamil civilians in all parts of the island, including the genocidal war between 2006- 2009. The brutal massacre of Tamils in 1983 when Tamils were burnt alive, their homes, shops, establishments, schools, and temples were looted and set on fire the civilized world opened its gates for refuges to arrive in their countries – [Canada, UK, USA, Australia, Scandinavian countries after seeing these horrors telecasted in their countries by the media.]

[8] Sri Lanka is the only country in the world where security forces permanently residing in the lands seized from Tamil civilians in the north and east are engaged in businesses like running hotels, tourists resorts and restaurants including farming and selling the produce in the markets – thereby depriving the livelihood of the Tamil civilians and farmers in the north and east.

[9] Sri Lanka holds the dubious record of practicing impunity to security forces as a state policy since 1956. Sinhala security forces and officials involved in the killings, torture and enforced disappearances of the Tamils are blessed as ‘War Heroes” and enjoy state protection from any prosecution. Even recently a criminal [Army Corporal Sunil Ratnayake] sentenced to death for killing Tamil civilians including children was granted pardon on March 25, 2020 by the President and was given state reception inside the Jail and was given a Military escort to his residence [Please refer media report below]
[A Sri Lankan soldier who was sentenced to death over the massacre of eight Tamil civilians, including three children, has received a presidential pardon and been released home]. https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/sri-lanka-pardons-soldier-imprisoned-over-massacre-tamils

[10] Sri Lanka holds the credit of appointing numerous State Commissions from 1977 mostly dealing with human rights issues affecting the Tamils and finally shelving their reports and recommendations in the safe custody of state and finally lying in the archives, the last being the Commission on Enforced Disappearances chaired by Paranagama in 2013 which was appointed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksha [Brother of the present President]

[11] Sri Lanka ranks as the first country in the world which has its current Army Commander Shavendra Silva slapped with an entry ban by USA.

[12] Sri Lanka holds the unique record of point blank shootings and killings of white flag carrying and surrendering civilians and LTTE members obeying the order of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksahe [Present President] who instructed the field Army Commander to “Kill them all” during the war in 2009 against LTTE as later confirmed by Field Marshal Sarath Fonsena , the then Army Commander.

[13] Sri Lanka also holds the unique distinction of being governed by a President and Prime Minister who are accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity by United Nations and UNHRC Official’s investigations. The present Government headed by Gotabaya, a former Military Officer is slowly and steadily militarizing the Government Institutions and Administration by appointing his friends and loyal who served with him or under him possibly leading to a Military Dictatorship.

[14] Sri Lanka is now creating a unique record by blatantly violating Section 70 [3] of the constitution and planning to hold an illegal general election on June 20, 2020 which according to constitution must be held within three months from the date of the dissolution of parliament which was on March 02, 2020. Accordingly the election must be held before June 02, 2020. To justify this flagrant violation of constitution, Sri Lankan Government has created an unheard political “doctrine of necessity” hiding under the Covid-19 pandemic.

Above all Sri Lanka is the only country in the world which co-sponsored and accepted the UNHRC Resolutions [30/1, 34/1 and 40/1] but later withdrawing from them while rejecting their accepted recommendations which is nothing but a slap on UNHRC’S and United Nation’s standing, credibility and their international roles to promote human rights, accountability and justice among UN member countries.

Finally Sri Lanka is the only country where some of its Government members blamed the Muslims for the birth and spread of Corvid-19 in Sri Lanka and stamping it with an ethnic community thereby unleashing an anti-Muslim campaign.

In short, Sri Lanka’s several records assaulting the fundamental democratic principles and practices will probably remain unbroken and intact in its tarnished history and as a country which is also engaged in a hidden genocide agenda against the Tamils.