Political Protests
Posted on June 7th, 2011

C.Seneviratne

Recent disturbances inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the countryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ are a concern for peace loving public.While the success and progress of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Army over the years is unquestionable can the same be said of Police?
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ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Police seems to lack a great deal on modern technology and tactical knowhow when it comes to crowd control.How come a few thugs,criminals or protestors take the country’s main industrial zone and heart of Colombo to ransom causing damage worth millions by way of obstructing transport to the hub of the city and damage to public property.Every citizen has a right to express his or her opinion on a peaceful democratic way but demonstrations and marches that would paralyse the economy of the country and bring the safety and security of the public into question should be outlawed by proper legislation by the government.
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Specific demarcated areas in and around Colombo should be identified for rallies and protests and prior notice for policeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ approval should be sought by organisers for the police to have a proper risk aessement to deploy adequate force with right gear.Willy nilly rally organisers holding protests all over the city without proper notice to policeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ should be prosecuted with appropriate laws.
Government should investƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in modern technology to track down the miscreants and culprtits to book.Recent report from the UK where a student was tracked down by CCTV footages and jailed over two years for throwing down a fire extinguisher from the top of a building during a student fees protest is a very good example how the law is implemented even though was aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ college student.
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Police should be trained in modern tactics in crowd controlling and riot training with proper riot gear.It was a shame to see onƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ TV, policemen running away for their dear lives indicating their poor risk assessment and response unprepared.Governments shoulb be changed by the ballot and not by riots and laws similar to western countries where freedom of expression is allowed asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ long as public order is maintained.
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The public will applaude the government to introduce immediate measuresƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to prevent offences of serious nature such as looting,vandalism and criminals actsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ which are performed inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the guise of political protests.
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5 Responses to “Political Protests”

  1. Susantha Wijesinghe Says:

    There is a lot of substance in what you say. This is the FIRST time I saw Police running away from crowds. There was one red shirted rowdy, jumping up and kicking a Police Officer. Deplorable, Demeaning and Degrading. There were many Journalists filming the Street Rowdyism. There was another rowdy throwing a stone at a glass pane, and the noise of glass pane shattering. His face was very conspicuous. If you zoom in, the Rowdy can be identified without any hesitation.

    These films have to be closely studied, the rowdies arrested and arraigned for thuggery and mischief. It is my point of view that the Government is very slow on the uptake in this instance. I do hope that the State Intelligentsia is on the ball.

    Freedom from Terrorists Atrocities, after 30 years, was not brought about to start street rowdism as an alternative.

    Enough is Enough. As suggested, there should be laws enacted to prevent Political Leaders of all hues, from coming out onto the streets impromptu with workers to create disturbances on the road and public places, inconveniencing the general public. It is tantamount to hijacking the Civil Rights and Liberties of individuals who have to face these incivil situations, where they are exposed to injury and probably their life.

    It is my contention that the Police should not be blamed and be the scape goat for Political Thuggery and Rowdyism, in this instance. The Police was there to prevent Rowdyism and Thuggery. They behaved as they should. Then, suddenly a set of Rowdies programmed by the JVP Killers Party, attacked the Police with clubs and lethal flying objects. Then they physically attacked, the Police joined by the participating workers, who were apperently taken unawares to join the fracas. The Police ran. It is not something for some people to be proud of, but be a shamed, that the beautiful country of SRI LANKA is coming to be ruled by JVP Thugs and Killers. The Police inevitably acted in self defence, and they cannot be blamed, period. THEY SHOULD NOT BE MADE SCAPE GOATS.

    THE POLITICAL CLOWNS MUST STOP DEGRADING AND INTEFERING WITH THE POLICE.

    THE GOVERNMENT MUST STOP PUSSYFOOTING AND FIND ALL THE THUGS THAT PARTICIPATED IN BRINING DEATH TO A PARTTICIPANT OF THE PROTEST, AND ENSURE THAT THEY FACE THE LEGAL SYSTEM OF THE COUNTRY. MAY THEY BE ALL INCARCERATED FOR THE COUNTRY’S PROGRESS.

  2. Nanda Says:

    Govenement should consider this incident very seriously and catch all criminals.
    If they let this go this will be the end of our culture, we will become a mini Gaza strip.
    Catch and punish NOW.

  3. ranjit Says:

    Seneviratne all what you have mentioned in your article is correct and the Government should take action Immediately to bring those responsible to justice without a pardon because one poor soul is dead and those thugs in the JVP should be stopped at all cost further doing damage to our society.

    We need to have tough laws to deal with such cowards. I have seen police running in Bangaladesh,India and so on but not in our country.I was surprised but it was a good move because those murderers will not stop at anything at that moment they might kill some more innocent people as they were all there prepared. Not only for JVP but to all traitors who do damage to our Mothertland by writing against and giving false information to outside world should be arrested and put them on trial. The media outlets who who give a negative picture of our leaders and the country should be banned in my view. We should take an example from Japan,Singapore and try to build our land rather than destroying it after so much suffering for last thirty years. Act tough on these destructive elements and clean our society for us to live in peace.

  4. Fran Diaz Says:

    We thank Mr Seneviratne for his ideas re protest rallies by the public or by Trade Unions. We agree that designated areas should be used for protest rallies with prior permission from the Police. There must be proper ways to control crowds by Police. For instance, use of tear gas would be more appropriate than to fire live bullets into the air ! Obviously, the Police perhaps did not anticipate such an onslaught in this instance.

    It would have been the right thing to do to have talks between the Ministries concerned, i.e. Labor & Finance with the Trade Unions. Why did the protestors attack the Katunayake Police Station without asking for talks ? Is there a “Rent a Mob” business going on here, dragging some Buddhist priests into the equation too ?

    Creating mayhem and getting protestors killed to get attention is a dangerous method to get the desired changes. The civilized & democratic way to get change is to have peaceful protest, lobby the Ministries/MPs concerned, have talks and send in Petitions. Worker Education Classes on how to bargain should be held either by the Min. of Labor, the workplace itself or both.

    The Government too is to be held partly responsible for this debacle, in that they are hurrying forward with Development without the appropriate ground work being attended to regarding Labor especially.

    The Police too should be better prepared to handle rowdy crowds using harmless methods of control, particularly at this time of Development in Sri Lanka with the apparent “Rent a Mob” business in full swing.

    All Sri Lanka has gained could get lost with this kind tragic behavior between Police & the Public.

  5. Leela Says:

    I should say; this is a very good article for it could be an eye opener for the authorities to start a study on how to quell organised riots, rioters and miscreants in an acceptable way to media czars and the so-called Democratic Western Governments.

    Though what Susantha says at the end of his comment is true in essence, this government should not do or allow police to do things that could lead for trouble seekers to finger point police as a brutal force. Going after miscreants must be done carefully and justice be dispensed quickly.

    An INGO shark Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu wrote a write-up to transcurrents on this subject. Needless to say, transcurrents is mostly subscribed by LTTE rump. So as usual Saravanamuttu not only sympathized with the rioters but used the occasion to highlight his pet subject ‘acountability’ and bash the government by capitalizing that unfortunate death.

    I responded through a thorough comment but ‘Tanscurrents’ chose to publish only two lines of it. Why it forbade criticism on Saravanamuttu’s write-up, I cannot understand. Is transcurrents another tentacle of Saravanamuttu’s INGO octopus. This is the full version of my comment to transcurrent.

    “Here comes the redeemer Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu to save the workers from government schemes and scams. Sri Lankan patriots must understand that likes of Saravanamuttu are bedbugs that lurk in the shade until it gets an opportunity to suck their blood.

    Saravanamuttu had been an avid supporter of LTTE and a mouth-piece of Prabhakaran. What more more proof than his acceptance of LTTE as the sole representative of Tamils. Not just that, after the demise of LTTE, he colludes with the LTTE rump to de-stabilize Sri Lanka. To say it all in short, Saravanamuttu can be introduced as a vulture with a British passport who tries to influence the UK government to take various official actions against Sri Lanka.

    For our fortune, President Rajapakse is no gullible for Saravanamuttu type of sharks. President foresees they are no Thondamans but a bunch of cannibals that have tongs hanging and saliva dripping. President knows they wanted to march him into docks and then into gallows.

    Now, Saravanamuttu wanted to leave the pros and cons of a private sector pension plan for the ageing workforce aside, but pick on accountability. I say, if the man is interested in workers, he should point out the pros and cons of the ‘proposed pension plan’ and propose amendments or an alternative plan.

    Instead he is talking about bread here and accuses the government of being under IMF pressure. Saravanamuttu thinks we have forgotten that he has been on the World Bank’s External Panel to review its Post Conflict Performance Indicators. Moreover, we all know that institutions such as World Bank and International Monitory Fund are against handing out subsidies for the poor. Readers should decide where does Saravanamuttu stands; with the mass or IMF?

    Here Saravanamuttu sheds crocodile tears about Roshen Chanaka but he never talked about the right of the girls who died biting cyanide that his fellow British citizen Adele Balasingham provided by way of garlands. Saravanamuttus are the type that sees kabaragya as thalagoya when they want to eat it. What a hypocrite!”
    Leela

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