WHEN former Sri Lankan prime minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake was critical of his own, ruling administration for downgrading senior politicians in the government some weeks back, he was offered a ‘holiday' abroad for a cooling-off period, some news websites said. Last month, a law student who wanted to file a complaint against special privileges being allegedly given to Namal Rajapaksa, son of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in a law examination in Colombo, was threatened and abused by what the media called “unknown” persons. Nearly 20 months after the end of a bitter war between government forces and Tamil separatist guerrillas (in May 2009), dissent and anti-government criticism which wasn't tolerated during the latter stages of the war, continues to be an issue in Sri Lanka at all levels of society. The fear psychosis that prevailed then also continues in the post-war era. Incidents of crime are also mounting in urban areas and in particular in the northern Jaffna and Vavuniya districts, once the scene of heavy fighting during the conflict years. Both regions are either dominated by minority Tamil residents or have a large concentration of Tamils. “It is all about the high level of impunity and the absence of the rule of law,” reckons J.C. Weliamuna, a well-known human rights lawyer and civil rights activist, referring to the politicization in the rule of law where government politicians enjoy brazen impunity. “Fear (in society) has been building up for some time now. Impunity is now a ‘given' not only for the royal family but also for other powerful persons. No complaints are entertained,” he said. The president, his family and brothers – (three who all hold powerful positions) – are referred to as the ‘royal family'. The level of impunity is such that few people dare challenge the president, government politicians or their close associates. When the Cabinet reshuffle took place soon after Rajapaksa was sworn in for a second term in office in November 2010, eight veterans in the Cabinet were ‘kicked upstairs' as what are called ‘senior' ministers but without portfolios. They, including Wickremanayake (who served as prime minister in Rajapaksa's Cabinet until being replaced in an earlier reshuffle), didn't have an office to work from until two weeks back where they are housed in one common building and with common staff. This is a major comedown from previous positions where they had many staff and exclusive offices while politicians close to Rajapaksa were appointed to their earlier positions in the Cabinet. IN a rare show of defiance against his leader (Rajapaksa), the former premier told a last month's public meeting outside Colombo that ‘some ministers do not have a place to even stay or an office to work in or a secretary and a staff to work with although it is over one month since the Cabinet was appointed'. “I asked one (senior) minister where his office was. He said it was in the sky. What is this?” he was reported to have stated scornfully, in remarks directed at the president. Two days later, he was asked to go to Brazil at the installation of a new president which political analysts said was meant to keep him away instead of ‘stirring more trouble.' It is mostly the Sri Lankan media that often bears the scars of what is referred to as a ‘docile society'. “People are scared to express their views, particularly journalists. Criticism is muted,” one Colombo NGO human rights activist said. International media watchdog ‘Reporters Without Borders' in a Dec. 30 statement welcomed a fall in the number of physical attacks, threats and cases of imprisonment in Sri Lanka againat journalists but said it's worrying that the authorities are blocking the return of real editorial freedom. “At the same time, the flight of at least 55 Sri Lankan journalists, including many press freedom activists, into exile during the past three years has left a void in the country's media,” it said. The killers of famed newspaper editor Lasantha Wickrematunga on Jan. 8, 2009, are still at large while the whereabouts of political cartoonist Prageeth Ekneligoda, who was abducted by unknown persons nearly a year ago, are still not known. A newspaper editor in the Tamil-dominated north says that many people in Jaffna are afraid to venture out at night and sleep in the homes of neighbors if they are alone, particularly the elderly. Burglaries are on the rise and at least four murders including a top Hindu Brahmin priest and a government education official have been killed in the past six weeks. Police have been blamed for lax security and on Sunday, joint army-police patrols were introduced to the north in a bid to reduce crime in a region that was once better known for Tamil rebels and their cause toward establishing a separate homeland for the Tamil minority. Most of the violence has been blamed on former rebel cadres and some armed cadres working for local politicians but political analysts also attribute it to increasing impunity. Lawyer and rights activist Weliamuna also attributes other issues to increasing crime and fear, is the high cost of living – leading to frustrations in society; politicization of employment in the government sector, and the business community influenced by ruling party politicians in which a few get the best deals. Cost of essentials including vegetables and meats has led to the army being mobilized to transport produce from their farms in camps to Colombo and sold cheap while eggs and chicken meat has been imported from India since early December. “There is no opposition to challenge (government) leaders. There is no room for non-governmental organizations involved in advocacy (of peace and law and order),” he said adding that even ministers are afraid to be critical or objective, fearing they would be thrown out of the Cabinet. Rajapaksa's all-powerful government has a 2/3rd control of parliament. “Impunity and failure to govern are serious problems,” Weliamuna, a former executive director at the Colombo office of Transparency International, a global watchdog on transparency issues, said noting that often it is the ‘lackeys' of the government who are responsible for the state of affairs. “The government is being mislead by their lackeys. The government would be better off without these people and should quickly re-establish the rule of law.” – The writer is a political analyst based in Colombo __
