The Fifth Column

21st March 1999

Wrongdoers should suffer for sins

"Thaaththa",Bindu Udagedera asked,"what do you think about the death penalty?"

"Why",asked Percy Udagedera, Bindu's father,"what about it?"

"Why, the government says it will re-introduce the death penalty for those who commit serious crimes..."

"Well" said Percy," I suppose it won't be much different from the other laws.."

"What are those other laws, Thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know.

"Why, Bindu, take for example the law against posters when campaigning for elections...."

"But, Thaaththa, I thought that was being implemented.." Bindu argued.

"What made you believe that?"

"Why, just the other day they showed Karu removing his own posters in Horana and Ratnasiri was also on TV removing posters at Horana..."

"But, Bindu" Percy said, "for every poster that was removed I'm sure hundreds of other posters were put up..."

"So, the law is never observed...." Bindu observed.

"Of course not; that law is as good as the law they passed banning the advertising of cigarettes and liquor..."

"Why, what happened to that law, Thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know.

"Well, that law was supposed to have been implemented from the beginning of this year but that never happened..."

"Are there any other similar laws that are not implemented, Thaaththa?"

"I don't know about that" Percy said," but there are plenty of people who have violated the law who are enjoying many privileges..."

"Who is that, Thaaththa?"

"Why, people with arrest warrants out for them are on the same stage with Ministers....."

"And" Bindu pointed out, "every now and then we hear of an MP surrendering to court and then being released on bail...."

"Ah, yes," Percy agreed," by the time this election is over half our MPs will be out on bail..."

"So that is why you think that merely bringing in a new law with the death penalty nothing will change very much...."

"Of course," Percy said "and it is absurd to blame J.R. now for removing the death penalty. Some people are even trying to blame the recent wave of crime on him!"

"Yes" agreed Bindu," even this government had four and a half years to bring back the death penalty if it wanted to...."

"And with a Professor of Law being the Justice Minister, they should have thought about it..." Percy observed.

"But Thaaththa" Bindu wanted to know," what should they do now?"

"What I would like to see is some kind of penalty being imposed on our politicians for not keeping their promises and rigging elections...."

"The death penalty?"

"No, life imprisonment would be better..." Percy said.

"Why do you say that?"

"Then, they would suffer for a long time and realize that what they did was wrong..." Percy said.

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