Sri Lanka It's Happening

August 18, 2005

While the newspapers and the media were preoccupied with the killing of the foreign minister lot's of other important developments have happened. They have largely been ignored by a media that has published nothing more than glowing eulogies to the slain minister.

The comments are usually made by people who previously had nothing good to say about Kadirgarmer when he was alive. It's either a case of 'one does not speak ill of the dead' or trying to gain political milage.

The government has reimposed emergency regulations. Sri Lanka's brutal police force feels naked with out them. Paliament has been summoned to approve these regulations. Rumours abound that it will be the last act of this parliament because the president is set to disolve it soon after. The emergency regulations can then be used to crush any protests against the government's plan to postpone the more important presidential polls.

The last time emergency regulations were imposed the UNP called them draconian yet did not oppose it's passage in parliament. This time too the UNP has offered conditional support proving once again that it's a party with no shame or backbone.

In the meantime, the elections commisioner has quitely in his own way said that the presidential election will be held this year. Without doubt he is one of the most couragous men in the country. It's easy to be brave when you have a huge army of body guards like the late minister had. It's much harder to be brave when you are a civil servant.

It's even harder to be brave when you are spying for the Army in LTTE held areas. Thousands of such informants have been killed. Only the extremist sinhala hard liners have shed any tears for them.

Posted by raditha at August 18, 2005 3:23 AM