The Sunday Times Editorial

10th March1996


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Police without party politics

The Vijaya Kumaratunga Commission has recommended the setting up of a special centralised unit within the Police Department to investigate politically motivated crimes. It has also called for a permanent body to inquire into Police inaction.

The two divergent factors are interesting. One is to stop Police acting at the speed of greased tightening when it comes to harassing or investigating government's critics; and the other how to get them off their backs to investigate something that is against government supporters.

Are these proposed Special Units to be under the direction and control of politicians from the ruling party? In that case one might as well forget it because it could be like a popular Sinhala saying which translated would mean asking a thief's mother to do light reading to catch the thief.

We have seen the disgraceful manner in which the CID and the NIB have been used by governments past and present to victimise political opponents and government critics. They have often been used like lackeys to do run-of-the-mill party errands because their promotions have depended on specific political performances. They are basically lost on LTTE activities except to leak stories once in a way about hit squads in Colombo.

Quite a number of them, though fortunately not all, seem only interested in their perks and promotions. And they have amply demonstrated not having the guts to stand up to their political superiors and give them correct advice when it is necessary.

The commission has recommended that the special unit should come under the proposed Constitutional Council which will come with the new Constitution. That may be just about jumping the gun. With the opposition to the devolution package growing, the new Constitution or the new Council and the special unit may only be a good suggestion and never go beyond paper.

But that does not mean the Commission's suggestion is a bad idea. The question is how to get such a special unit of the Police constituted to ensure that party politics are separated from independent Police probes. We leave it to the powers that be to work it out, if they are interested.

Terrorism is terrorism

The government of Sri Lanka has righted a wrong by quickly and strongly condemning the recent bomb attacks in Israel.

Sri Lanka had been quick to condemn the London bombings by the IRA when they happened. But for over a fortnight Sri Lanka was politically deaf when the spate of bombings took place in Israel threatening to blast the peace process there. All this obviously because of pressure from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and related lobbies.

It was good enough for Sri Lanka to buy planes from Israel. We had our STF trained there and also got specialised training in post-war treatment for wounded soldiers and obtained expertise in intelligence matters. But because of the SLMC, former President Premadasa kicked Israel out. The PA also has treated Israel as a pariah state even though the Palestine Liberation Organization, Egypt and Jordan have recognised Israel and maintained good relations with it.

We accuse others of double-standards and have them ourselves. If we are to be in the forefront of an international drive against terrorism, we cannot afford to condemn terrorism in one corner of the world and condone it in another. So it is good that the PA has decided to call a terrorist a terrorist. Whatever cloak he may wear and wherever he commits an offence of terror against innocent civilians terrorism is terrorism.

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