Letters

Police joined 'carrion crows' looting corpses

The tsunami and its devastation have brought out the worst in the worst of our hoodlums. We have constantly been hearing, since the disaster, horrible tales of looting of property, theft of property, theft of jewellery from corpses, fingers and ears being cut off to get at rings and ear rings, and even the sale of corpses. Stories of rape of refugees and spiriting away of little children too, are surfacing.

The human vultures were quick to gather and make capital out of the disaster. Like carrion crows, they organised themselves and were busily engaged in their gruesome activity. What was most nauseating about it all was the reported involvement of police personnel whose allotted task was to prevent what they actually promoted and participated in. Eye witnesses in the Wellawatte area described how a body of reserve policemen were involved with a gang of IRCs in the looting of beach side restaurants on that fateful Sunday.

Sadly, our police force seems to have sunk to a deplorable level where it has become common for the supposed enforcers of the law to become perpetrators of the vilest crimes. Recourse to complaints only result in harassment and abuse.

Is it any wonder that the vilest of criminals now rule the roost in the country.

'A.A.B.'
Attidiya

Political vultures set to strike

Disaster aid being used for party propaganda?

I am appealing to all foreign donors who are willing to extend their hand for the reconstruction of our nation and rehabilitation of our unfortunate brethren after the tsunami havoc not to trust any of our politicians whatever their political party, creed or position may be. All our politicians from the very top to the bottom who had been in power and who are in power cannot be trusted at all, especially when it comes to large scale foreign funding.

This is the ideal setting for political vultures to strike. I am ashamed as a Sri Lankan to make this statement but the diplomatic community in Colombo know that it is the reality here. Perhaps there may be a handful of honest politicians but their henchmen who trail them are dishonest and will look for ways and means to make a fast buck by hoodwinking their leaders.

I understand already some politicians in power are begging the diplomats in Colombo to release part of the aid coming from their countries to these individual politicians on the pretext of helping the people of their electorates. The irony is some of these politicians represent upcountry areas where their electorates are hundreds of miles away from the sea. Already there are reports that a certain political group is using disaster aid for party propaganda by displaying banners and party badges on the clothes of their workers, obviously having the next election in mind. For that matter there may be a large number of public servants with authority who are also waiting to strike while the iron is hot.

I wish to make an earnest appeal to all donor countries and agencies not to leave their monetary donations in the hands of our politicians and expect everything to go right. No, it will never happen in our country. If they want to ensure that every pound, euro or dollar that they have generously parted with is properly utilised without going into the pockets of our politicians, their henchmen or dishonest bureaucrats, please make arrangements for the sake of our country and unfortunate people that you form your own monitoring committee to watch the disbursement of your funds.

Phoenix
Ratnapura

Its your wake up call, Madam President

It is your wake up call, Madam President. The country was going to the dogs and nothing was done to put things right. This is similar to the destruction of Sodom and Gommorah which is now the Dead Sea.

You have now to wake up and take heed. You have been given a splendid chance to take notice and rise above petty differences and personal ambitions. You can ride the crest of the tidal wave by cleaning up all the malpractices of the politicians.

You have openly admitted that the country is corrupt, naming the judiciary, police and ministers who were robbing the country left, right and centre. You allowed the underworld to reign supreme and these underworld elements were having your ministers etc., in their payroll. The funds that are pouring in from all around the world are sufficient to build this beautiful country back to its pristine glory.

Do not allow any minister or any politician who has had the slightest element of suspicion to be in charge or handle the vast sums of money that are pouring in. Clean up the politics and politicians of this country lest the remedy be worse than the disease. This is the moment presented to you to reach the position of a stateswoman. Do not allow politicians or others who have blotted their copy book to handle the cash that is flowing in.

Clean up the wonderful beaches we are blessed with rather than allow the beaches to be turned into lavatories. They are our tourist assets.

Ordinary poor people forecast that in a few months the politicians and henchmen will end up as multi millionaires. Don't allow the vast financial help to be squandered. Use all the decent and honest politicians from whichever party and clean up the rot once and for all. The country stinks of corruption. Even the dead people are being robbed and some are robbed by the police who are the custodians of law and order.

The present situation is an underworld's paradise. Yes, Madam, rise above all these and ride the crest of the tidal wave. There will not be another chance for you to realise your political ambitions and the time has come for you to do things cleanly, honestly and with dignity.

Lisa B  
Dehiwala

Return of Anura - another disaster in wake of tsunami

I write to take objection to your report published on page 21 in your issue of January 9 titled "Anura still on holiday."

We are suffering from a great disaster which rolled in from the ocean to our shores in the form of a tsunami and now we have another in the form of Anura rolling in from abroad to add to the devastation. What a catastrophe we face as the Minister is back to dispense the tsunami aid to the residents of Attanagalla in outdoing his illustrious sister.

I was perplexed by your comment that this eminent Minister of our government was not in the country, as I was subjected to viewing a quiz programme on the ITN TV channel run very efficiently by the government, in which a group of school children were quizzed about their "general knowledge" on the greatest leaders of this country who shared the common end name starting with the big letter B.

If my sight is not impaired, I could assure you that I did see the not so energetic Anura B, the Minister in question, seated in the "VIP Gallery" with his other sister who is better given to charity, admiring the intelligence of these school children, who were possibly given the answers before questions were put to them in order that they may come up with the right reply every time. The programmme was of such high calibre it would have surely put the president of North Korea to shame.

Back to our Minister with the large profile, the touring one. After all, he is in charge of getting foreign tourists to Sri Lanka and to get them, you must be abroad because all foreign tourists live there and not here.

Sri Lanka as a whole should prevail upon the White House, that as a part of its tsunami relief package we the citizens of this land be granted a special aid package in which our Minister of Tourism be given permanent residency in the USA as this would be a meaningful step in preventing further disasters in Sri Lanka.

Just imagine his return and the able sister now aiming to amend the constitution under which this illustrious Minister with the last name with a capital B stepping in as President! While the destruction by the tsunami was limited to the coastal belt, to be subjected to having another B as the president, would surely be a complete disaster that will put an end to this nation. We may be out of danger from another tsunami in the future but we will have no end of school children being quizzed on ITN about the great doings of the B's.

Mangala De Silva
Maharagama

JVP making capital

I am writing to confirm various news items reported by the print and electronic media that the JVP is exploiting the disaster situation to the full to achieve their political goals.

I was a member of a medical team which was travelling to a number of villages off Hikkaduwa area to render medical assistance to the displaced persons housed in refugee camps. I observed that some of the camps in areas around Batapola, Meetiyagoda are completely controlled by members of the JVP. They display huge party banners at the entrance to these camps and JVP members who work in these camps carry their party emblems on their clothes which state 'JVP organiser.' In fact, according to the information I gathered from there, I understand that they do not allow medical teams going from Colombo to enter camps maintained by them other than their own selected teams of doctors.

It is quite obvious that the JVP is making the best use of this opportunity for party propaganda using material donated by volunteer organisations as bait. Are they trying to make hay as the tsunami tide has receded?

Healthguard  
Colombo 13

Duet of Death

Role of PM commended

On behalf of all citizens of Sri Lanka, here and abroad, I wish to convey our deepest gratitude and appreciation of the outstanding part played by the Prime Minister in the hour of grief and shock. He was in the thick of all relief activities in all areas since he is the Prime Minister for all Sri Lanka, not just any common or garden MP rising above race, caste, religion and his own constituency.

Such a person is a born leader and an example to all. He even risked a trip to uncleared areas with the absolute conviction that his genuine benevolence will protect him. May the blessings of all religions be upon this outstanding son of Sri Lanka.

P.K. Silva  
Ja-ela

Deepthi case: why did not police object to bail?

'Deepthi Bogollagama, wife of a cabinet minister is given bail' runs the headline in a newspaper. One immediately wonders whether there is a different set of laws when it comes to a politician. An ordinary citizen would not have been sent on bail on a charge of this nature. Here, the wife of a cabinet minister is before court, but due to lack of vital evidence by the police - the medical report - and also because there was no objection by the police, the accused, Deepthi is allowed bail. One wonders whose instructions the police were carrying out in not objecting to bail.

President's Counsel, Daya Perera, hammered the weak bowling of the police for the required sixer. Of course, he surely used his skilled court craft - the years of experience - to get Deepthi out on bail. Was this fair? One wonders whether it was morally right for senior counsel to ask for bail when there is a murder charge. Daya Perera could well say he has a right to defend his client, as he rightly did, and that this is not a matter of conscience. Perhaps in the courts, conscience is left at the post.

Again what was the police doing? Did not the police realise that they had to produce the vitally important medical report, and whatever evidence that was necessary to support the charge. How often has the police objected to bail when the evidence is not fully there. In this instance it went the other way about. To add insult to injury not only has the police not produced the required medical report but has also not objected to bail - bail for an alleged murderer. The people have no confidence in the police today.

One wonders what the Police Commission has to say about the behaviour of the police in this case. Because of their failure to produce the medical report, etc. an alleged murderer is allowed bail. What will the Chairman of the Police Commission, Ranjit Abeysuriya, another great criminal lawyer, have to say about this? It is time he took stock of what the police is doing today - it is time he brought them to book.

Maurice Lord  
Colombo 13

It was on January 31, 1905 that my father, the late Rev E.O.P. Welikala (fondly known as Ossie) was born in the village of Talangama.

The second son of the late Rev. Don Louis Welikala, a pioneering missionary of the Church of Ceylon and a reputed Sinhala scholar and Dona Catherina (nee Colombage), he chose to follow in his father's footsteps choosing the humble vocation of priesthood, serving humanity - friends, church, society and country with idealism, dedication, enthusiasm and a practicality which I was privileged to observe from close quarters as his eldest son.

Driven by his faith and high ideals he loved and accepted people for what they were. He put his faith and ideals in what he did for others a few of which I recall as they stay vividly in my memory.

He was the Vicar of St Andrews, Gampola from 1945 to 1949. I remember the devastating floods of 1947 which rampaged Sri Lanka submerging Gampola, covering the bridge over the Mahaweli on the Nuwara Eliya road. He could not swim. However, with a group of a few dedicated volunteers he constructed makeshift boats made from the trunks of banana trees and went on the swirling waters rescuing stranded people, most of who were on the swirling waters rescuing stranded people, most of who were on the rooftops of their homes.

The homeless were housed and fed in the vicarage premises. A flood relief organisation was formed which included Sir R.S.S Gunawardena, Badiudin Mahmud (later minister of education) and other leading citizens of Gampola. At the inaugural public meeting an attempt to attack Mahmud was made whereupon my father who was on the stage physically restrained the attempted attackers risking his own safety. Fear was something unknown to him.

From 1949 to 1966 he was the Vicar of All Saints Church, Galle and Rural Dean for the Southern Province. The communal riots of the 1950's saw his character come to the fore again. Displaced Tamil families (mainly professionals) were temporarily housed in Southlands College, Galle Fort. Anti Tamil sentiment and fear stalked Galle. The refugees had to be fed. He went round the town collecting food and water for them. This was frowned upon by the mobs who told him that if this was done by anybody else they would have forcibly stopped it. This did not bother him. He carried on regardless doing what he felt was right.

He was a friend to all. I know of countless people who turned up in our house seeking his help in their time of need. In illness, death in family, prison, he was present to give a helping man. It there was a death in a family he would personally handle matters, go to the registrar's office to get the death certificate, help with funeral arrangements etc, apart from giving spiritual comfort.

Although many of the leading parishes in Colombo wanted him, he continued to serve the Southern Province where he, apart from managing the church, managed the church schools, orphanages and lands. In the last years of his ministry he continued at Talangama where his father ministered. He was always supported by my mother Milfred (daughter of the late Mudaliyar Wickramaratne and Mrs Wickramaratne) in his work. She was an ideal priest's wife.

My father was one of a rare breed who could move with rulers and the humble and poor. He was a true patriot who lived his life in practical, simple ways with love for his fellow beings. He passed away in 1971 fighting his last illness bravely. His life was an inspiration to us all. May his example light generations to come. As we celebrate his 100th birth anniversary today with a thanksgiving and remembrance service at All Saints Church, Galle he is blessed with his children, grandchildren and great grand children.

Priya Welikala
Colombo 6