Sri Lankan politics

Lock up the losers

The president tightens his grip

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Readers' comments



No matter who's to blame, one thing is crystal clear: the people of this once pristine 'Saphire of the Indian Ocean', are the real LOSERS, as the mighty & the powerful tear the island apart in their internecine & insane power struggles.

What an unjust world we live in..


I'm pleased you are an optimist relating to Sri Lankan affairs in the same way you canvassed and was convinced that GR, MR and SF should jointly be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Well Done KB you are a treasure.

Konnapu Bandara

Diashora, my good man, what a ray of sunshine you are! Are you, my good fellow, by any chance in the same depression support group as samm2010 below? For nattering nabobs of negativism like you the glass is always half empty. But for the vast majority of patriotic Sri Lankans like us, the glass is not only half full but in many cases it's quite full right up to the rim.



What does it say for a country with a clumsy and paranoid Head of State? It explains much of what has happened under his watch from October 2005 and yet unfolding. The Dublin Peace Tribunal verdict says it all. Just today the UN Human Rights Commissioner has called for an International War Crimes Trial as SL has not kept to its promise to investigate war crimes as undertaken to the UN Secretary General. Coincidentally, herein lies the spat between Fonseka and Rajapakses because the former had stated that he was willing to testify on the war crimes committed against Tamil people in the final stages of the war in the Wanni. Fonseka is now in military custody for as yet unknown charges except what is braodcast by different Government Spokesmen, including Gotabhaya Rajapakse, against which an appeal to the Supreme Court is pending.Also pending is an appeal against the Presidential election result but other events have overtaken that threatenned legal challenge. In the final days of that Presdential electioneering ethnic politics was again back in the fray for which Fonseka paid a heavy price by the support lent him by the main Tamil political party,as was also reflected among the minority voters who backed him at the polls.President Rajapakse's call that 'we are one nation, there are no more minorities' had obviously had the opposite effect after decades of bitter experiences. It remains one of the main challenges facing the President and the new government to be elected next April.


Con Appu,
I say KB, you are right everybody is "happy" blissfully happy. honky dory! When were you last in SL? may i suggest you come and find out for yourself.
You need a reality check my friend.
In the meantime keep taking those tablets with your G&T.

Konnapu Bandara

samm2010, my dear fellow, you are like that one grumpy uncle everybody has in their families. My dear chap, you know the cranky fellow who shows up for the wedding and ends up fighting with the bride's father. Please take a break from your grumpy rumblings and take a trip around our beloved Lanka. You will see a happy farmer going to tend to his paddy fields in Lunugamvehera, happy because of the newly constructed Veheragala tank he is able to cultivate both Yala and Maha seasons now. You will see a happy stock trader on his way to the stock floor of CSE, happy because CSE was the best performing stock exchange in the world in 2009 as it jumped 125.2%. You will see a happy Jaffna youth playing Cricket with SLA soldiers, happy because brutal LTTE terrorists who made his life hell are no more. You will see a happy driver on the Colombo roads, happy because of many new flyovers he can get to his destination in time.You will see a happy Colombo-Jaffna private bus operator, happy because of all the local tourists from south going for vacations in the north. The country is again full of vigor, excitement, happiness, and laughter. My dear fellow, I am convinced this will be like a tonic to dispel your gloomy disposition. My good man, join the party, don't be left behind.



One can raise the question why the voice of the people has risen to this level if it remains all calm according to media minster´s point of view. People are angered since SF had been brutally assaulted and holding him on a camp even without providing him with most necessary medication. All these are though lies to the media minister and the other ministers who give their views to press briefiing. In a country where the people´s mandate in the recent presidential election was neglected by the ruliing authorities wihtout a shame, while also neglecting decisions made by supremecourt of the nation, even raising questions about the democracy is seen to be a big joke.


I happened to watch two YOUTUBE videos on demonstrations held following SF´abduction. There were a large fraction of people who have come to protest against this illeagal arrest. People including active buddhist monks were treated very bad by police. They said, they just wanted to protest peacefully against the abduction of country´s war hero, who was once the most powerful army commander to the current govt. However, looking at the way people express their angers I do feel people are helpless today facing their lives in a lawless rule. It was said that there were no such a large crowd to be seen going against a regime recently. People have fears about the democracy of the country whether it could slowly be vanished by the rule of Mahinda Rajapakse together with his brothers.


President Rajapaksa holds the following ministerial positions:

Minister of Finance

Minister of Defence

Minister of Highways & Road Development

Minister of Media

Minister of Religious Affairs & MORAL UPLIFTMENT!

The country has more than 100 ministers and includes:

A Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services; and

Another Minister for Disaster Management and Human Rights!

The full list can be seen here:


Wonder why Rajapakse took over the Ministry of Mass Media? Does he think that the independent media needs to be shown a trick or two? Could this mean that any tough questions at media conferences will be construed as promoting regime change?

Really, how could he have overlooked such eminently qualified candidates like Minister Dr. Mervyn Silva PhD?
Mervyn, with his subtle powers of intellectual persuasion, would have won over all those nasty independent journalists who refuse to toe the line.


Treason, Assassination?
Could Sarath have been so naive as to think that this was a way of getting into the ruling cabal's inner circle?

I think he was misled by the fate of Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan, aka Col Karuna,who is wanted by the law(in Sri Lanka) for those very same offences.
But then, hey presto, after a spell as a guest of Her Majesty in the UK, Rajapakse appointed Karuna as a cabinet minister.
Now that Fonseka is doing the jail bit, could there be a ministerial appointment be in the offing? It's a funny old world

Invisible man

I do not know what Nelum and co are talking about! If they think the Western media are biased What do you call the "Govt controlled Puppet journalists in SriLanka? Good on you Economist and other journalists including the "BRAVE" ones in SriLanka who are not afraid to give the world the facts and the TRUTH.
Majority of the Srilankans in the country are unaware or are being fed with wrong information by the state media. If only the people in SriLanka who voted (if you call this a democratic voting) for Mr Rajapakse are allowed to have access to the"TRUTH" I wouldn't dare to predict the outcome. He knows this very well and thats why he is using his all his mighty power given to him to suppress the truth by abducting and killing the Journalists.
It is amazing on the one hand Gotabaya is talking about following the 'Law of the land'(if there is one at present) by arresting Mr Fonseka but on the other hand he has already sentenced him for 5 years in jail even befor the charges are brought against him! What kind of Defence secretory he is? What kind of DEMOCRACY is this? This can only happen in China, Iran, Burma to mention some. Rajapakse brothers are hell bent on destroying the democracy, law of the land, freedom of speech and the country as a whole. I am ashamed to be a SriLankan. Unfortunately UN is giving a helping hand by supporting and congratulating him on his re election. Only People in Srilanka can help to prevent the 'DESTRUCTION OF THIS BEUTIFUL PARADISE COUNTRY ONCE WAS' God help Srilanka and its citizens!!!


How can you do a report like this?. It's so one sided. You should have given it to the opposition to write this article, they would have been at least more sympethetic to the government.


For those who said Sri Lanka is free of terrorism. We all so the terror in the TV when General was arrested. For all who talk about democracy we saw what is democracy. We saw the civilisation of Sri Lanka. We saw the culture of Sri Lanka. We saw the laws of Sri Lanka arm forces of Sri Lanka President of Sri Lanka they all stink. Please do not utter the words terrorist or democracy, A terrorist state as SLTE Sri Lanka Terror Est. has no right to use this word. The world can see in full day light the capacity of a state to lie. Keep the LIEon flag flying high fellows. I hope General Fonseka will not vanish as many innocent civilians vanished taken in government un numbered white vans. An island of beaty has turned into and island of terror and shame. Now who is the terrorist ask Fonseka and their family they will tell. Please dont blame the journalist for reporting what they see. World is not part of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is part of the world. Learn to live as decent citizens then we can talk about democracy and law and order.


It’s no point expecting justice from a country where there is no value for human lives.
If they can bomb churches, schools, hospitals and kill 30000 civilians of their own, they can do any think and getaway. So poor Sri Lankans, you have to face the reality, because you selected MR Brothers to rule just because they killed Tamils in the name of LTTE.
If you believe in karma, just face it. Why worry now?.


SF's involvement in politics started during Ranil's period. It was SF who objected to move High Security Zones according to normalization procedures set out by the CFA. Then he issued a statement to the press. That was politics. When MR came to power promising negotiations it was SF who stressed to take the war path. Then he did politics with MR. Those days he gave interviews to the Press criticizing the people who stressed a negotiated settlement to the conflict. Then with the advancement of war he talked lots of politics. These people suddenly found clauses in the Armed Forces Acts and now complaining he did politics while in the army. Every one knows that arresting SF is result of personal animosity between SF and his former bosses. Now he has joined their political enemies, creating a space for the people who wanted a change. That's it.


Kiss goodbye winning the parliamentary election. The Rajapaksas have made a grave tactical error in alienating 4.2 million Fonseka loyalists and at least another 3 million (about 50%) who voted for Rajapaksa who have tremendous admiration and respect for the General. The act is certain to backfire.


The purpose of law is to preserve society and equality is the mother of justice. Power should not be above the law. These are a few cardinal principles of democracy and the rule of law. Where do these principles stand in Sri Lanka?

In post 9/11 era, terrorism is associated with so-called non-state actors like Al Qaeda. But historically, most terror has been committed by states: The Romans themselves in Judea; the French revolutionaries who used the guillotine to remove rivals; the Soviet authorities who set secret police against their own citizens, the Argentine generals of the 1970s intent on "disappearing" their political opponents.

In most cases, state terrorism is harder to combat then its non-state counterpart.

Sri Lankan authorities have mastered all about War On Terror.


The arrest of General Fonseka is indeed very puzzling. It is bound to affect the President's own support base. Considering this, why would a seasoned politician like Rajapaksa, bring to a boil, an issue which hands the opposition a stick to brandish during the forthcoming Parliamentary elections.

I fail to understand the political expediency of this action. Unless, UNLESS, there is strong evidence to suggest a planned coup. Any army would balk at retiring 14 senior officers. Armies would rather ignore officers' transgressions than have a void in the command structure. IF this were to be true, then the country would have to thank the President as a savior of democracy.
Thats a big "IF".

Considering both arguments, politics and power seem to have sidelined development and growth. That seems to be the real loser


Nelum: I'm afraid I cannot agree with you. Why should, as you point out, 'all' world renowned foreign media institutions/ journalists be biased? An independent article does not constitute 'bias' just because it highlights facts of both sides/ reality. This fits in with the current terminology used in SL. For example, a 'traitor' is defined as 'anyone' who does not extend their support to the current regime as opposed to 'someone' who betrays sovereignty.

If the General's offense is engaging in Politics whilst in service, I presume we cannot ignore the fact that HE President's son (who serves in the Navy) was involved in the presidential campaign.

I saw my 'terrorism free' country for the first time last year, for which the President and the General should be honored for their commitment and immense contributions together with the sacrifices made by the galant forces. Although the 'battle' is behind us the 'war' of winning the hearts and minds of the minorities and reconciling an immensly divided population seems ever more challenging. If anything, the current trial of events only raises our concerns whether there will ever be light at the end of the tunnel..



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