Ratwatte Acquitted & Canadian Elections

by Kail Rajah

Former Sri Lanka Defense Minister acquitted in the mass murder case

Just another typical example of abuse of power and lawlessness in this sordid land!

To quote “The judges delivering their decision said that the offence done by body guards of the former Minister does not prove that he is guilty on the charges.”

Doesn’t motive count for anything? Why did the Minister’s Bodyguards kill?

The multiple murders took place at the height of the “Honorable” Minister’s election campaign; those killed were supporters of his opposing candidate out on a political campaign ; they were chased and killed by the Minister’s bodyguards (and at least one of his sons) in the Minister’s vehicle; the presently convicted offenders were first hidden in the Minister’s residence in mid-country, and later at a son’s residence in the Capital; the father and sons pleaded ignorance that was later disproved; the vehicle used was one of the Minister’s motor pool and was found afterwards at the Minister’s residence.

Despite all this evidence, acquitting on the rationale the judges put forward is equivalent to acquitting Osama since he didn’t personally fly the planes, or freeing Saddam since he didn’t himself throw gas bombs on the Kurds!

The shameful verdict should have made any high-court judge worth his salt, if one is still present in this high-office, resign – but how much is integrity worth these days, especially in the Land of the Buddha! God Save the Country!

And as for the death sentences – is there any chance of any of the punishment whatsoever being meted out?  Of COURSE NOT! The sentencing is just a convenient sham not to ruffle too many Muslim feathers (remember the eerily similar case when dozens of Tamil children were butchered in cold-blood at Bindinuwewa?)

This is how it works. Those in “High Offices” tell the concerned families that with “good behavior” (read “not spilling the beans”) the sentences will be commuted within a year or perhaps half that. That promise, plus a “santhosam” for the temporary inconvenience (incarceration), will certainly be enough to zip-up the convicted and the family, especially after the shocking death sentences! The alternative: talk – and you are on your own, straight to the gallows!

Hobson’s choice indeed! In fact the convicted and the families will be eternally thankful to the merciful “Haamus” for their graciousness and compassion! And everything and everybody is hunky dory once again – except of course the poor departed Muslim youth and their families, but who cares? – This is Ape Aanduwa, Sinha(la) Pura Style!– Right?!

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Former Sri Lanka Defense Minister acquitted in the mass murder case

Friday, January 20, 2006, 12:56 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

The controversial judgment in the Udathalawinne mass murder case was proclaimed this morning at the Colombo High Courts.

Five accused army personnel were sentenced to death while the former Deputy Minister of Defense, Anuruddha Ratwatte and his two sons were acquitted this morning from all the charges.

In addition to the death penalty one of the five accused was sentenced to 100 years of imprisonment with hard labor.

The judges delivering their decision said that the offence done by body guards of the former Minister does not prove that he is guilty on the charges. A few paragraphs of the report with 706 pages were read in the Courts.

Former Defense Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte, his two sons Lohan Ratwatte and Chanuka Ratwatte, and fifteen army personnel were indicted on 72 counts including the assassination of ten Muslim youth, aiding and abetting conspiracy and violation of election law and threatening valid voters to prevent them from casting their votes during the General Election held on December 5, 2001 at Mahaiyawa and Kandy.

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“HL: Internal email shows Tories trying to placate Tamil supporters”

The news item is in effect an admission by the Canadian politicians, both liberals and conservatives, that they recognize banning LTTE fund collection in Canada will be at the risk of antagonizing and losing the vote of the large Tamil population in Canada. I refer to the two following quotes from the news item:

“Conservatives moved to placate Tamil voters around Toronto on Thursday after an ill-timed reminder of the party's tough line on the Tamil Tigers organization,”

“Liberal governments have refused to tackle the issue for obvious electoral reasons.”

Doesn’t this alone prove that Canadian Tamils are willing contributors and not victims of “extortion by LTTE” as Stockwell Day and his gang have been claiming all these years? If Tamils are being forced by the LTTE to contribute against their will, then shouldn’t the conservatives expect Tamils to be supportive of the ban and vote for MacKay’s leadership?

The Day-journalists first accused the LTTE of raising funds by drug trafficking and sent the Canadian Police on a wild goose chase, at tax payer’s expense, of course! Next was a prostitution charge by a paid think-tank that blew up in their own faces. Now, inadvertently, they have disclosed how ingenuous they were in accusing the LTTE of extortion. When will the Day-crowd cease their lies and misinformation to the Canadian public and let the war-ravaged community thousands of miles away see some daylight? 

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HL:Internal email shows Tories trying to placate Tamil supporters

Associated Press, Thu January 19, 2006 17:45 EST . Bruce Cheadle

OTTAWA (CP) _An internal party email obtained by The Canadian Press indicates the Conservatives moved to placate Tamil voters around Toronto on Thursday after an ill-timed reminder of the party's tough line on the Tamil Tigers organization.

The missive makes it clear the Conservatives are learning the hard lessons of ethnic politics in this country.

The email says Tory candidates in Toronto's east end complained after Deputy Leader Peter MacKay publicly reiterated a proposed ban on Tigers _ apparently not realizing the Conservatives had agreed not to discuss the ban during the election.

Late Thursday, the party released a statement saying it wanted to improve the targeting of Canadian aid to Tamil communities in Sri Lanka and to get more involved in the Norway-brokered peace process.

It's a direct response to a newspaper interview MacKay granted earlier this week.

According to a party email circulating Thursday, MacKay's comments ``have caused trouble for the seven candidates with sizeable Tamil support in and around Scarborough.''

The Conservatives and their foreign affairs critic Stockwell Day have long argued that Canada should place the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE, on its list of banned terrorist entities, in keeping with a recommendation from the national spy service.

But with the world's largest Tamil expatriot community centred around Toronto, successive Liberal governments have refused to tackle the issue for obvious electoral reasons.

The email from party official Sandra Buckler to a group of senior strategists, obtained by The Canadian Press, peels back the campaign machinations revolving around the ethnic vote.

``(MacKay) said exactly what Stock said about 18 months (ago),'' Buckler wrote, ``only Peter didn't know that Stock had promised not to talk about the issue during the election _ yikes.''

Conservative MP Jason Kenney denied in interview there was any gag order on discussing the LTTE ban.

``Mr. Day has had ongoing contact with members of the Tamil community, particularly in eastern Toronto and Scarborough,'' said Kenney.

He also denied the Tories have issues with Tamil voters, noting the party has a Tamil candidate in Scarborough-Agincourt. Banning the LTTE is not one of the Conservatives' top priorities, Kenney added, nor is it a significant election issue.

``I think most Canadian voters vote on domestic issues _ bread and butter issues _ and not conflicts 15,000 kilometres away,'' he said.

Nonetheless, the party did have a statement on the issue.

``The Conservative government would not be a passive bystander in the Sri Lankan peace process as the current government has been,'' Kenney said in the interview.

Earlier this week, MacKay told the National Post ``we would list them (the LTTE) if the government changed on Monday.''

``I think we have to be definitive in saying that we certainly support the Tamil community,'' said MacKay. ``But there is a very clear and distinct line that has to be drawn when it comes to terrorist fundraising that we feel is happening in Canada right now, based on CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) reports.''

His comments were picked up Thursday by news organizations in Thailand and Colombo.

Candidates in Toronto's eastern suburbs immediately complained they were getting grief from their large Tamil constituencies, including party workers.

The Conservative campaign reticence is not suprising, but may be somewhat hypocritical.

For years the Tories have accused the Liberals of refusing to ban the Tigers for electoral reasons.

Paul Martin, then the Liberal finance minister, was roundly criticized for attending Tamil events that CSIS said served as LTTE fund raisers.

But with Conservative Leader Stephen Harper set to visit the heavily ethnic riding of candidate Pauline Browes on Saturday, the party is looking for a way to soften MacKay's comments.

According to Buckler's internal e-mail, Browes asked the campaign head office to ``issue a statement confirming our party's support for the peace process in Norway, and that we would ensure Canadian aid reaches Tamil communities.

``This general statement from the central campaign would go to workers, and the local Tamil media.''

By the end of the day, the party brass had complied.

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