Moments after the cabin door connected to the air bridge, weary passengers emerged to walk past equally weary security officials. One of them in a trouser and jacket was greeted by consular officials of the Canadian High Commission in Colombo. They walked him to the Immigration counter and waited for formalities to be completed so he could be driven to a hotel in Colombo.
The Government decision to continue with emergency rule, despite the military defeat of the LTTE, to deal with the remnants of the terrorist organisation, was supported by most in the Opposition in Parliament but continuous attacks and intimidation of media personnel were highlighted as causes for concern by Opposition legislators who fear that the tough laws were being used to clamp down on democratic dissent.
It is a measure of no small relief that the new Chief Justice's speech delivered this week at the ceremonial sitting of the Supreme Court did not contain hollow pronouncements on safeguarding the Rule of Law.
The United Nations has had a long history of political hypocrisy: handling big powers with kid gloves and slamming the rest of the world with sledge hammers.
