By Shivanthi Ranasinghe Courtesy Ceylon Today

Last week, three notable incidents took place back to back. Though not related, these three incidents in its own way hold relevance to each other. The first incident was the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) taking to streets to protest over the death of a man half way across the world. The day after, families of the 774 policemen and officers who were massacred by the LTTE commemorated their 30th death anniversary. The following day, Pasindu Hirushan returned home after 98 days in hospital partially recovered from the skull and brain injuries sustained when a ‘ragging’ party goes horribly wrong – yet again.

First Incident – FSP protest

The fact that the FSP’s protests come two weeks after the incident occurred indicates that this was a carefully planned event rather than one that erupted on the heat of emotion. They did not protest at the Protesters’ Park”, adjacent to the Presidential Secretariat, but along the busy roads in front of the US Embassy. The Police asked them to disperse. They refused and this quickly turned into a heated argument. Finally, the Police literally bundled and carted them off to Courts. 

The Police action was condemned by almost all quarters, including from within the Government. Namal Rajapaksa tweeted that violent acts” should not be allowed to destroy the services rendered by the Police to the Nation. This reaction by the public needs a closer look. 

In the past few years, the Police did not meet protesters without donning their riot gear first and protesters were aggressively prevented from entering the Fort. A monstrosity of a riot Police truck was a menacing semi-permanent presence in Fort, parked there even when a protest was not in progress. Without much aggression from protesters, water cannons and tear gas canisters were used along with the baton. Pictures of protesters and the Police grappling with each other, blood drenched protesters and barricades were common images that filled the evening news. 

Perhaps the worst incident that happened was when the disabled war veterans, including retired Policemen, were violently repulsed. In a truly tragic turn of events, one tear gas canister damaged the eye of a soldier whose other eye was already impaired due to injuries sustained during the war. It was absolutely heart rending when the water pressure detached artificial limbs from its wearers. 

There was one incident that day that disclosed the outlook of the riot Police. Shortly before unleashing the water cannon, a Policeman rushed over to the protesters’ side and removed a severely disabled veteran out of the way. This incident highlighted that the Police are often simply following orders from their political masters. Obviously, the violent measures taken against the disabled veterans were deeply troubling to these Policemen. However, as a disciplined force committed to upholding law and order, the Police must do as the legit arm directs them. 

2nd Incident – Police Massacre memorial

The day after the fracas with the FSP, the families of 774 Policemen who were massacred by the LTTE in 1990 held a commemoration for their loved ones. This 11 June marks 30 years since the then incumbent Government headed by President Ranasinghe Premadasa ordered the Police of the Eastern Province to surrender to the LTTE. Of the 774 Policemen who surrendered, 324 were Sinhala and Muslims, the others were Tamils. 

The Police complied, but they warned the top brass that the terrorists would torture and kill them. The assertions of ASP Ivan Boteju will reverberate through the annals of history. As the OIC of the Kalmunai Police station he was extremely conscientious of the lives of his men he was holding in his hands. Boteju and his men retaliated fighting against the LTTE for three hours causing heavy losses to the enemy whilst repeatedly requesting for air and artillery support. 

To the slaughter

The Government denied Boteju and his men that support. Instead, the IGP contacted ASP Boteju and personally ordered him to surrender despite the Police station holding enough arms and ammunition to fight for two more days. As a disciplined officer, ASP Boteju was unable to ignore the direct order.  

Exactly as the Government was warned, the LTTE took these officers and men to the Vinayagapuram and Trincomalee jungles, where they were blindfolded, restrained by tying their hands to the back, forced to prostrate on the ground and shot. The imprudence of that Government is that along with their security advisors they patiently waited for the terrorists to grant a safe passage out of the Province to the surrendered Police. 

Discrediting country and Police

It is unfortunate that those who were quick to condemn the Police action over the recent protests failed to salute these men and officers who senselessly lost their lives in such a brutal fashion because of the callousness of a Government thirty years ago. Their grieving families and the Police were alone at the 30th death anniversary commemoration. Some of the Policemen were no more than 20-21 years of age when they were killed that day. 

The 30th death anniversary of this massacres and the recent condemnation of the Police over the handling of the protesters is significant. It is not so just because the two incidents took place with just a day apart of one another. It is because nefarious elements are at work again to destabilise the country and the Police are once again being tagged. There is a concentrated effort to discredit the Police. This exercise did not start with the FSP protests, but their efforts gained some traction only after these protests. The FSP’s motive for the protests is the key to understand this project. 

Did FSP protest the 21 April massacre?

Their protest was for the death of a man in America, two weeks after the incident. The fact that there was also an officer with Asian roots, who stood resolutely with his back to the manslaughter, has raised the question whether this Police brutality is based on racism or bad Police training. Either way, the need for Police reforms cannot be denied. The big question is ‘why is US Police brutality that relevant for us to take to the streets?’ Last year, nearly 300 were killed in the Easter Sunday massacres due to Police and political failures. Yet no one protested. 

Failure, however, is not the same as brutality. Therefore, the anchor of this protest was about Police brutality. This objective is not to be confused with commiserating or seeking justice for the dead man. If FSP is so bothered about George Floyd’s death, then before asking the US to reform and respect life, they must reform their political associations in the universities. 

3rd Incident – Pasindu returns home

Bullying in universities is a serious issue in Sri Lanka. Freshmen, especially in the Arts faculty, are often subjected to some of the most gross and depraved acts of bullying. The first such victim was recorded in 1975. To escape sexual assault, a 22- year-old undergraduate jumped out of the second floor of a building and was permanently paralysed. She committed suicide in 2002. 

The latest victim of ragging was Pasindu. He was hit by a tractor tyre that was thrown at him from a height. He lost his balance and crash landed on his head, sustaining severe skull and brain injuries. Once an active sportsman and brilliant student, he is now unable to stand on his own, speak coherently and even write. 

Did FSP protest the Pasindu ragging?

Yet, no one has protested, demanded justice or reforms for Pasindu or any of the other victims. In this context, for FSP to protest over Floyd indicates a different agenda. This was revealed by the press conference called by the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) Convener Lahiru Weerasekara. 

He outlines that in the coming weeks, the people will begin to feel the effects of COVID-19 owing to the contracted economy. He predicts that people will lose their jobs and  face many social issues. Almost salivating at the prospect of people suffering, he promises that the socialist group would defy the law and take to the streets. It is clear from this statement that they are planning to clash more with the Police. They will defy the Police into provocation and any such will be blown out of proportion as Police brutality. Thus, the FSP’s protest was not for George Floyd, but to capitalise on his death to establish the Police as a brutal force. Once the Police is thus discredited, more mayhem can follow. This is their plan of action to gain political ground. Sri Lanka better be aware. 

ranasingheshivanthi@gmail.com