Writing under the caption "What is the stand of the BASL?" in The Sunday Leader of August 2, Fair Query has presented a rather funny poser. On the basis of the position of the BASL that every person has a legal right to be represented by a lawyer, he wishes to know if this strong professional body in the country would ask its members to refuse services to the Defence Ministry personnel.

On what basis on earth has this anonymous writer conceived such a figment-like notion in his mind? To the best of my knowledge, the BASL has never ever indicated such a course of action. In fact, when I met the Counsel for the Defence Ministry personnel at the High Court, Matara, the other day, I congratulated him for his duty consciousness.

The stand of the BASL in regard to the Liyanaarachchi issue in the late ’80s is by no means inconsistent with its present stand as claimed by this writer. Obviously, there is something amiss in his reasoning faculties.

As a Bar Council member at the time and life member of the BASL, I vividly remember the matter relating to Attorney-at-Law, Wijedasa Liyanaarachchi. He was arrested on 25. 8. 1988 and detained at the police station for some days, brought to the Counter Terrorism Unit at Sapugaskanda thereafter, and later admitted to the General Hospital, Colombo, where he died on 3. 9. 1988, nine days after the arrest. The medico-legal report stated that the death had resulted from bodily torture, the victim having sustained over 100 internal and external injuries including many bone fractures while being in police custody.

We were and are convinced that he was a victim of state terror which was the order of the day at the time. So, the BASL collectively and unanimously resolved that its members would not appear for any police officer in any criminal case until these criminals were brought to book. The object was to restore the law and order situation of the country with its concomitant necessity of lawyers being able to practice their profession fearlessly.

If Fair Query thinks this stand was unjustified, please explain.

Don’t forget either, that lawyers Kanchana Abeypala, Lanka Devapura, Sarath Ratnayaka, Wanapala Ranatunga and Sanath Karaliyadda were also shot dead for the ‘wrong’ of appearing for the petitioners in Habeas Corpus applications. It was a veritable reign of terror in the fullest sense of the word.

I read your interview with the new Tourism Minister, Nandana Gunathileka with much enthusiasm.

I am sure what has happened to the Minister is itself a huge miracle as he correctly notes.

But the ‘small miracle’ tag certainly means the diversity of this island. Cultural diversity, social diversity and above all the environmental diversity. Wonder if the Hon Minister knows any other place in the world where we find all these diversities within 63,000 sq.km!

Sir Arthur C. Clark described Sri Lanka as the miniature universe. If the Minister had heard that he might have called it also as ‘inappropriate’ - perhaps maximized universe.

We always considered JVPers as learned people with some intellectual capacity, but the grasp of this Minister is nothing short of alarming. The Minister seems to have missed the point. He should re-brand the tag - Sri Lanka Huge Miracle - Just like him!

The Mahanayakas, Diyawadana Nilame and the minister are trying to cover up their nakedness with transparent clothes on the baby elephant abduction issue. These people cannot fool the intelligent public any more.

This much acclaimed Buddhist country, preaching bana from every street corner all the time, now has a new monarchial type leader and cabinet that has committed this sin and in the process broken two precepts;  

— Adinna Dhana (Abduction and robbery from mother)

— Musawaada (Justifying the wrongdoing in public)

Unlike in other teachings, once committed there is no revocation of karma whether good or bad.  

It is only Samitha Thero of the National Bhikku Front that came forward to speak out boldly and oppose this crime. Not a single saffron robed monk spoke a word about it, probably thinking of their benefits from politicians, because they have much to lose if they speak of justice.  

The JHU, a part of the government that is supposedly so concerned about Buddhist rights and culture, is keeping mum. The very vocal Environment Minister Champika Ranawaka seems to have gone deaf and dumb on this matter.

Buddha’s Dhamma is not the property of Sri Lanka or the Mahanayakas, nor are the Mahanayakas the custodians of Buddhism although they like to boast that they are. Buddha’s Dhamma is for the entire mankind.

Buddha never ordered rituals. His Dhamma is the supreme and universal compassion to every living being including nature and the environment. It seems some people accuse NGOs of violations against Buddhism purely to cover up their sins. But in fact they themselves are the very destroyers of Buddhism.

"Wetath niyarath goyam kaanam kaata kiyamda me awanaduwa" is a well known axiom.  

Abduction of suckling elephant babies, depriving them of their mothers’ warmth, and torturing them is a karma that will have to be paid over samsara by those responsible for this act. There is no escape.

We are sad that the President who preaches so much about humanity, equality, and justice has not ordered the immediate return of the two calves to their mothers at their ‘home’ in Pinnawela. What is his executive power for?

We cannot justify all the wrong doing that is going on, on the fact that the war against terrorism was won. This situation is definitely impermanent. The decline has already started. When there is too much power centered in one place, it has always been the case that decline sets in automatically.

It must be remembered that those who sleep with dogs, will wake up with lice and ticks.

Citizens wake up and be aware that we are heading towards a hegemonic dictatorship. Yesterday it was journalists, today it is baby elephants and tomorrow it could be you.

And this is truly a Buddhist country we are told, morning, noon and night!

Asian Finance also playing truant

Further to the letters which appeared in The Sunday Leader of July 19 and 26, under the captions "We have lost our hard earned monies," and "What is the use of the Central Bank," implicating Asian Finance, I too am in the same plight where Asian Finance has been hoodwinking us with only interest payments at a nominal rate and not releasing our capital since January 2009, giving various flimsy excuses and prolonging our agony.

The question asked is, what has the Central Bank done about Asian Finance, which unlike Golden Key and F & G, is a registered company under the supervision of the Central Bank having the required approval to accept deposits. With this undertaking we innocent citizens deposited our hard earned monies with utmost faith that we could get our monies back at anytime we need after maturity. It is our democratic right to get our money without saying why we want it.

We are of the view that the Central Bank has not taken any steps to prevent the directors of Ceylinco Group playing ball with our deposits. If proper supervision had been done this situation would not have arisen. The Central Bank authorities must be taken to task by the Finance Ministry just as in case of the directors of the Ceylinco Group.

To mislead the depositors the Central Bank has appointed Lanka Puthra Bank to oversee matters since April. This is a gimmick as they have only changed the board of directors and appointed new faces. But our deposit still remains unpaid.

The main culprits are languishing within the four walls of Welikada jail for their crimes and we hope that the others along with those at the Central Bank will follow suit.

We shall not rest, neither shall we give these people peace of mind till we get back our capital.

Gamayata magic

Now that the President’s bait has been swallowed hook, line and sinker, to hell with 13th Amendment, WB ‘plug,’ anti-Indian slogans etc. These are the people whom the voters look up to, to honour their pledges made at election time. ‘Betrayal’ is the name of the game. That is our "Nation Fooling Frogs" (NFF).

Buddhists should rise against the kidnapping of baby elephants

"The cankers only, increase for those who are arrogant and heedless, who leave undone what should be done and do what should not be done."

I write with refer-ence to the news report under the heading "Ceylinco de positors told no withdrawals," published in your esteemed paper of July 26 written by Dilrukshi Handunnetti. We thank her for the exposure.

I am one very much under the yoke of Ceylinco. Between my wife and me we have nearly Rs.2 million in fixed deposits with The Finance Company PLC due to mature at the end of this year. And I fear they will not release the monies we need.

We are both over 80 years old. We need these monies for our medical expenses and social and religious obligations. We had saved this money for this very purpose. We do not have any other income.

If we do not get these monies when it is needed we will be put to great hardship.

In the event of our demise the children will have to go into litigation to receive the money and it will be divided in equal shares. We do not want that to happen because some children are well-off while one is badly off with encumbrances. We want to help him at an appropriate time.

If we fail to withdraw these monies when required there will be problems among the children leading to bad family relations.

Hence The Finance Company should release fixed deposits of the very old persons at maturity. The present management company MBSL and the Central Bank should take note and issue instructions.

The recent articles by your Sports Reporter Lal Gunasekera regarding swimming sensation Heshan Unamboowe is most disgusting to say the least. This young schoolboy is only 16 years of age and when you sensationalise with a headline "Heshan under doping probe," just imagine the mental trauma this lad and his parents have to cope with.

As a very powerful VVIP quite rightly said a few months back some newspapers in order to boost their sales try to sensationalise news headlines. This is another classic example. Also, please do not try to make a cat’s paw of young children with ulterior motives to destroy someone else.

You are no doubt aware of young Heshan’s recent performance at the World Swimming Championship in Rome. It is somewhat amazing how you fail to mention anything to the effect of his achievements (national record in 100 m. in 59.47sec.) while all daily and weekly newspapers highlighted this young Trinitian’s record.

Sometimes, I wonder whether our sports reporters too can be bought over for a ‘tot’ and be told what to write or what not to, to please their masters/friends.

This is going to cause a serious problem.

Now if a school girl (or for that matter a schoolboy in these happy days) is about to be raped, how is she/he to photograph the assailant?

Over to you Inspector General of Police.