Letters to the Editor
View(s):
Preventing human rights violations and compensating victims of past violations
The editorial titled “Promising Presidents” in the Sunday Times last week, I considered informative and generally non-partisan with the exception of the reference only to the NPP when mentioning the vacuums related to the “Geneva challenge” in the manifestos.
The issue of individual rights (fundamental and human) is not only a foreign policy decision or a “Geneva challenge”. The manifesto of the current President (highlighted in the media), who has a chequered history of alleged human rights violations (Batalanda Commission Report), has not presented his position on individual rights, but speaks of setting up a University of Public Policy and Management when even the oldest university in the nation, Colombo University, was ranked 2172 in the world and 685 in Asia. These rankings are from 2017, but I doubt it has changed much in 2024.
There are no reports on the status of those arrested, more than 40,000 people, under the Yukthiya supported by the President. The public and the media have not questioned the government on this subject.
The SJB manifesto speaks of replacing the Prevention of Terrorism Act but does not mention whether they want investigations of the alleged killings of more than 20,000 youth under Mr. Premadasa’s late father’s watch, like what is suggested about the JVP killings in 1971.
Whether the West is practising “double standards” on human rights should not be a concern for a Sri Lankan government. Regardless of whether the West supports Israel while the civilians are getting slaughtered in Palestine, the next and subsequent governments must protect the individual rights of the people of Sri Lanka. I am no lawyer, but I believe the current legislation provides adequate protection.
Therefore, the next government must have a time-based plan to implement the law to prevent the occurrence of violations, that have become endemic over the past several decades, and to compensate the victims of those past violations.
Prianka Seneviratne Via email
Their black mark in our political history is hard to erase
A certain political camp, despite the many lessons learned of how hateful politics can bring about irreparable losses to a country, is still engaged in violent and slandering behaviour, assuming that their heyday has come.
For over five decades, they have been playing havoc, crying wolf, and as a result, they have, in spite of their years of shouting of a system change, not been able to go beyond third place, because the black mark their party has put to history is indelible.
Whatever problems the people have, the fear of terror overshadows them.
The majority of the people have always embraced leaders who redress their present needs before setting about uplifting the economy. The people prefer this way because it has law and order and one can be satisfied with at least one meal, without any fear.
G. Hettiarachchi Via email
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