Columns

These last couple of weeks in Sri Lanka have been exciting, comic and sad. Mob rule in the guise of ethno-religious differences and confrontation has brought shame and disgrace to a country trying to keep western rottweilers from chewing up Sri Lanka’s misled and misleading politicians who were made to believe that a pat on the dog’s head and a bone to its mouth are sufficient to win their friendship and keep them at bay.

The stirring of ethnic and religious antagonism and fears by rampaging mobs encouraged by extremist blowheads in the name of patriotism and a determination to preserve the country’s current demographics and religious ‘supremacy’ has only provided more fodder for ongoing western demands for Sri Lanka to honour its pledges to the UN Human Rights Council and blood thirsty beasts in it and elsewhere, braying for the country’s blood.

Now the so-called patriots at home who have let loose their vicious brand of nationalistic fervour against ethnic minorities in the last decade or so by their violence have only helped buttress the calls from the worldwide Tamil diaspora and other revenge seekers for strong international action against Sri Lanka.

Cabinet Spokesman dentist Rajitha Senaratne’s mistaken belief that Sri Lanka did not co-sponsor UNHRC Resolution 30/1 of October 2015 (perhaps the only one in government who still believes so) – should have been shaken by the gruelling experience of being tackled and forced on to the mat in Geneva the other day. But one doubts that even this would make him concede that he was wrong and that Sri Lanka would have fared better had we done just what the dear doctor believes we had done in Geneva nearly three years ago.

Instead we tried to please the Rottweiler pack already preparing to attack us and others who were already growling, with blandishments hoping that yahapalana’s docility to the west and ideological friendship would win the day. Alas that approach seems to have failed as the pressure still continues and the demand for the pound of flesh promised to them has not subsided, as the Geneva meeting has shown.

It would serve the cause of yahapalana, which of course has taken a severe beating in recent times, better if spokesman Senaratne gets his facts right and tries to stop playing the Thracian gladiator Spartacus at media briefings in the belief that loquacity is an adequate substitute for fact and reasoned analysis and response.

To begin with if he is there to brief the media on what transpired at the cabinet meeting, what could be disclosed and answer media questions relevant to what emerged from the cabinet that is fine for that is his task. But to entertain irrelevancy, engage in verbal combat and then stand up and walk off as he did last week, is hardly doing the government he represents any favours, particularly when the chinks in his armour clearly show.

Let’s leave the Geneva mess aside for the time being and look elsewhere. How far is it correct that those who came from outside the embattled areas were largely responsible for fuelling the flames of racial and religious hatred?

It may be quite true, especially when it is said that saffron-robed Buddhist monks had visited the areas. Some might believe that the intention that brought them there was genuine and praiseworthy. It was to douse the fires that were beginning to rise as a result of an incident that had little connection with a Sinhala-Muslim confrontation except that the individuals involved in the roadside incident happened to be a Sinhala victim and four Muslim assailants.

Adding to the physical presence of those referred to as fired up ‘extremists’ were those who turned to social media to spread hate speech and apparently fabricate stories – what Donald Trump constantly calls ‘fake news’.

There is little doubt that blown up ‘stories’ coming from the affected areas or from elsewhere did add to the churning pot of false and exaggerated stories fed into it by religious and racial extremists or by mischief makers waiting for such an opportunity.

There was evidence to show that during the jihadist attacks on towns and cities in some European countries including the UK, during the last couple of years social media not only played a part in dissemination of information between jihadist moles and active participants but also in spreading misinformation to create confusion and fear among citizens.

To some the social media has turned into an instrument for the dissemination of hate and revenge and to others a means for social good and easier communication between family and friends.

While there has been an ongoing debate for some time now on whether social media that create social disturbance and chaos should be controlled to prevent national disintegration and internal ethno-religious conflict, the question is how far could and should one go without trampling on other rights that citizens enjoy.

While this debate flared up again in the box and elsewhere there was an item in social media exchanges that has quite rightly raised other concerns. It seems that one particular item that was planted by someone and was in circulation (I personally did not see it) caused presidential ire to rise by several degrees.

Readers might recall the recent incident of two persons who left a night club at around 6 am (a day and night club perhaps) and ended up in the Diyawanna Oya. Now there are lots of things that really should end up in this particular waterway which would be a valuable contribution to the health and well-being of our nation but a new BMW still carrying a garage number plate is not it.

Anyway the night clubbers seemed to have dragged themselves out of the water and fled where we do not know. It’s most unlikely they headed home in their wet clothes without some explanation ready – like this was a driverless car which took off on its “own volition” as our lady high commissioner in London departing today from a still wintery city.

If the story said to have been in circulation and that annoyed the president was a social media concoction that the car which ended up in the drink was driven by his son Daham there seemed to be proof that young Sirisena was nowhere around.

Now there have been all sorts of stories about young Daham from the days when he turned up at the UN during a general assembly session and had somehow managed to sit with the Sri Lankan delegation.

There were photographs of Daham Sirisena at the delegation’s seats at the UN which suddenly disappeared from sight when the news broke. Since then his visage has not illumined the newspapers.

Since then Daham Sirisena appeared to have pinned to the ground and his travels terminated. That is what most people thought. That was of course not the truth. He travelled with his Presidential father even to Putin country if I remember correctly.

If all these stories in circulation are true then Daham Sirisena could not have been at the wheel. He was said to have been in Japan with his parents. If that is evidence to ‘exonerate’ Daham from driving into the Diyawanna waters, for he is visiting Japan as part of the presidential entourage but keeping it all quiet from the Sri Lankan people.

Why is it that young Sirisena is not in any photographs? If he has been a member of delegations visiting foreign countries why should they hide when Rajapaksa children also had their fair share of travel at state expense.

If one asks the President’s Media Unit you might or might not get an answer. If one asks the foreign ministry it might provide an answer on “its own volition”, if one gets an answer at all, compelling one to seek remedial action from the Right to Information Commission under the RTI Act.

May be neither of these institutions are inclined to reveal how many visits members of the presidential family have made abroad as part of a Sri Lankan delegation or just for the ride, who they were and how much it cost the government for each of them.

I ask this not in jest or to ridicule. But surely there must be someone in his secretariat with backbone enough to advice the head of State. If he is determined to visit every country on this planet before his term is up he should at least think of leaving some of his progeny behind to mind the store at home.

He surely cannot exhort others on frugality and saving public money while spending money on family tours at public expense.
Would defenders of presidential conduct tell of any other President of Sri Lanka since the executive presidency was born who has travelled abroad so many times in such a short time? I suppose his next foreign visit will be to London for the Commonwealth Summit in the second half of April. Will some of his progeny tag along too giving the Tamil diaspora another opportunity to mount a protest against him.

SLFP Secretary General Duminda Dissanayake said after a party meeting last week that Maithripala Sirisena will contest a second term. If that is so then there is no need to rush around the world as though these countries will disappear from the face of this planet.
May be he knows a secret we do not. Hence the haste.