Capturing wrongdoers and producing them in Court is not revenge

Reproduced from Ceylon Today

Letter written by Somawansa Amarasinghe to the President on 19th of January 2015.

Maithripala Sirisena,
President of Sri Lanka,
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 01.

President,
Firstly I express my pleasure at your being elected by a majority of Sri Lankans, namely the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim voters, as the President of Sri Lanka.

You are now the President of the entire nation, even of the people who did not vote for you.
You were not elected by 6,217,160 voters to adopt a flexible or weak policy relating to anyone who is responsible for the corrupt administration that existed during the life-threatening period of transition that spanned the hours between the night of 8th January 2015 and the dawn hours of 9th January 2015. You were not elected to institute overt or covert action that militates against the interests of the people and the country.

The question as to whether your administration will stick to a permissive or slack policy in dealing with criminal issues has arisen within a wide section of the people, including myself, within this short period of 10 days that has elapsed since the Presidential Election was concluded. This question that besets the people must not be considered to be a negligible manifestation of impatience on their part. The people who came forward fearlessly against the dictatorial dynastic rule of Mahinda Rajapaksa in what was a truly life-threatening environment in which the nation lives, cannot remain stand by looking on idly at the total dissipation of the victory they won. Therefore this impatience that exists among the people is in fact a beneficial and essential component in society today. It should not be perceived as being something that carries potential instability. Stability can be achieved only through an enlightened political dialogue among the people of this country. It would otherwise not be possible to establish within the country an ambience in which we can move forward towards an administration that guarantees victories for the country and the people as well, and create a suitable environment in which a free and fair poll can be conducted and in which the 100-day programme can be fully implemented , subsequent to the historic victory achieved by this country.

From among the steps that should be launched without delay to bring about the vital opportunity to implement the 100-day programme, what should be given preference to suppress the main threat which exists against democracy today ?

To do this, the persons who planned a bloody conspiracy which was due to be launched at dawn on the 9th of January 2015 with the objective of grabbing power in the country and those who took certain resolute actions in connection with that intention, should be taken into custody without any delay and questioned. A great example of this was given to administrators by Sirimavo Bandaranaike. What you should do is to implement those essential steps without further delay. That is,arresting the conspirators without considering their status. It has now been delayed by ten days. In the meantime weapons stores come to light. Information regarding a floating armoury has been revealed. However there is no owner for these.

Already the Foreign Minister has lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Division regarding the conspiracy on 9th January. However none of the conspirators have been taken into custody. Instead, statements making light of the conspiracy is being spread around. It is said that the "Floating Armoury" and the "Weapons Storage Unit at the Bandaranaike Conference Hall" belong to a security company. It is not mentioned to whom this company belongs. The news of the weapons storage unit discovered at the Bandaranaike Conference Hall Complex was not mentioned over state television. It is as if that television service is still under the Rajapaksa administration.

What should happen now is that conspirators should be taken into custody and questioned. Making such arrests and questioning the relevant persons does not go against the Dhamma which has been stated in the stanza, NahiVerenaVerani... (Hatred never ceases through hatred...). Arresting those who have engaged in wrong doing, questioning them and producing them in Court is not revenge.

As of now what has been established wrongly within the country is that the Rajapaksas gave up their administrative power in a democratic and humble manner. The Rajapaksas have been given the opportunity to deceive the entire world. Everyone who allowed this should be held accountable in the presence of the people.

You are the Head of State of Sri Lanka. It is your responsibility to protect the people and this country. At this juncture, you should take steps according to the Dhasharaja Dharma without delay to engage in ruling the country. The good governance which comes from the West, is entirely that in nature, if not more so, than the concept included in the Dhasharaja Dharma. This Dhamma does not discriminate anyone on grounds of race or religion. You should take action against the enemies of this country. If you act upon the 'dhasharaja dharma,' which includes, "alms-giving, donation, virtue, forthrightness, gentleness, being frugal, non-violent, non-hostile, patient and non-aggressive" and rule according to this Dhamma, that will be good governance. The task will be established.

Now, what should be done before all else, by you, in whom is vested temporary executive powers, is to free the Parliament (the legislature) which was under pressure and had declined considerably under the previous dictatorship of the executive presidency and the judiciary. You have agreed to that. From the moment that this is accomplished and when subsequent to the expiry of the 100-day period the parliamentary election is due to be held, the people will be aware of the fact that the responsibility and onus of selecting and appointing non-corrupt persons of integrity to Parliament is vested in you. On the other hand, the judiciary which has lost the trust of the people and has been disgraced and degraded should be restored to its previous honour and moral standards and in order to do that and win back the trust of the nation, the present Chief Justice should be removed whether he is willing or not or arrangements made for him to resign. There is no reason why members of the present Parliament who accept the fact sincerely that the judiciary should be independent, would be opposed to a no-confidence motion brought against the present Chief Justice in Parliament. With a biased Chief Justice holding office, it would be a hindrance to take into custody leaders alleged to have been involved in the conspiracy of 9th January.

At this moment, Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher, Malay and other races which have been granted limited consolation are very impatient. It is not surprising that people who are not aware of what is happening are behaving in this manner. It is obvious that the state media and private media are not disclosing the entire truth. The transparency that those responsible promised is limited to words only. Conspirators roam free. The biased Chief Justice still carries out case hearings as the President of the Bench of Supreme Court Judges. You and those responsible stand before the people but do not tell them what is happening within the country.

In one voice with the people I ask that this situation be changed immediately.
Do that, and demonstrate to the country and its people that serious investigations into the alleged conspiracy on the 9th of January have actually been initiated.

Commence immediately the procedure to bring a vote of no-confidence against the disreputable Chief Justice, in Parliament. I am going to engage in a fast unto death at the Independence Square in Colombo from today (19th January 2015) until relevant persons are arrested and the no-confidence motion against the Chief Justice is prepared.

It should be especially brought to your attention that, subsequent to the Presidential election in 2010, General Sarath Fonseka was unlawfully arrested sans any proper reason, and that the peaceful people of Rathupaswala were suppressed while in the process, two school-going boys and a labourer who was on his way to work were killed, and also that Police duties were appropriated by Special Army Forces during the Rathupaswala incident, in which certain people intervened with unauthorized orders.

I offer the people's and my personal salutation to all officials, identified and unidentified as of now, who prevented the murders, bloodshed and massive destruction which would have taken place due to the 9th January dawn conspiracy and to all other judicious and law-abiding people. I also absolutely emphasize the fact that, the homage of the nation should be paid to all of them and whatever steps required for their proper protection is taken.

Yours,

Somawansa Amarasinghe,
who loves the country and its people and is willing to
sacrifice his life.
19 January 2015