Clemency for Sergeant RM Sunil Rathnayake is justified.
Posted on August 25th, 2015
Dr Chandrika Iriyagolle
Sri Lanka is a resplendent island, famous for its scenic beauty and its Theravada Buddhist cultural heritage.
Our great nation epitomized the great and good in human nature. Compassion, selflessness, generosity, integrity and, above all, merciful benevolence, are qualities that shine through our long history. Our culture and lifestyle was based on Buddhism in the most pure form, Theravada Buddhism.
The emergence of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a wealthy terrorist group, caused the Buddhist civilisation of this island to become splintered. At the same time, the New United National Party gained power. This formerly just and benevolent party became a dangerous and destructive political force.
A young man observed the terrible destructive forces around him that desecrated Buddhist holy places and massacred innocent civilians, and took the noble and courageous decision to serve his nation by joining the army. His aim was to protect the nation, defend the unitary state of Sri Lanka and its Buddhist cultural heritage. For him, this was an extremely difficult decision, as he was brought up to respect all life. This brave young man was Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake, who has now been betrayed and condemned to death. He is not a Royalist or a Thomian.
Although the crime he is alleged to have committed is inhumane, it must be explored and judged in the appropriate context, and it is crucial to take his mental state into account. Whilst justice has to be rendered to the victims, we must not forget that, in this case, Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake is also a victim himself; not only is he is a victim of the terrorists; he is also a victim of the corrupt political administration and the judiciary.
The emergence of the terrorist groups, and the anarchy and misrule which have resulted have been caused by corrupt and cruel politicians who are driven by greed and ambition. The duplicity, cowardice and double standards of the politicians, law enforcement agencies and the judiciary should all be held responsible for crimes committed in this state.
The guilty are those politicians who brutalized this nation, resulting in the establishment of a tyrannical state and the construction of torture chambers around the island with scant regard for the Buddhist cultural heritage or humanity. They are also responsible for the forming of death squads, such as PRRA, the Green cats, and the Black cats. With their white vans, these groups were responsible for a level of savagery hitherto unknown in Sri Lanka (1987-1994).
Double standards and Duplicity of the Judiciary, Law Enforcement agency and the Parliament.
The attitude of the Sinhalese is of profound concern to the civilised world. Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan (Karuna Amman), a Tamil Tiger terrorist was appointed as a National List Member of Parliament for the United People’s Freedom Alliance in 2008. He is guilty of desecration of Buddhist holy places and is behind some of the most brutal atrocities ever committed by the Tamil tiger terrorists. There were allegations that he was involved in both money laundering and illicit drug trafficking. Rather than being judged and sentenced to death, he was rewarded for his crimes against the nation and against humanity by being made a member of Parliament and then sworn in as the Minister of National Integration in March 2009!
In this context, it is only right that the life of Sergeant RM Sunil Rathnayake should be spared. This would be a justifiable act of mercy and clemency; it is the wish and will of this nation.
Why has the United Nations not investigated members of Parliament in Sri Lanka for their alleged crimes against this nation, such as the torture cells constructed in Sri Lanka 1987-1994) and the establishment of death squads? Have they investigated how the Tamil tigers accumulated so much wealth? Who has been funding the terrorist activities of the Tamil Tigers for 26 years?
Psychiatric Assessment and Evaluation to Render Justice.
The necessary procedures and processes should have been followed to ensure that Sergeant Ratnayake received a fair trial. However, Sergeant RM Sunil was in an extremely hostile environment where he had been fighting for both his country and his own life. As a result, he suffered years of mental and physical trauma. These factors may have caused him to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, leading to a transient imbalance in his mental state with a psychotic episode. Without a proper psychiatric assessment and evaluation, he cannot have received a fair trial and is a victim in all aspects. A sentence to engage in a programme of rehabilitation would have been appropriate and justified.
Sergeant Ratnayake has been targeted for punishment, while war criminals are leading a life of freedom and luxury and are not being held to account for their criminal activities. The nation demands justice, which should be rendered without fear or favour. Criminals should not be entertained in the highest echelons of Sri Lankan society or permitted to enter Parliament.
Betrayal and treachery are considered to be the most evil acts that can be performed by a human being, a civic society, or a nation.The greatness of a human being, a nation or a civilisation is measured by acts of mercy for the vulnerable in society. The vulnerable Sergeant Ratnayake was selectively chosen to be sentenced to death by two judges. It is an act of great betrayal, therefore he shoud be granted clemency to render justice.
Clemency is justified.
The case against Sergeant Ratnayake has dragged on for over a decade. Regardless of his guilt or innocence, this in itself has already subjected him to untold mental and physical trauma.
Sergeant RM Sunil Ratnayake should not be made a scapegoat or a martyr, he should be granted a reprieve.
May known and unknown powers protect Sergeant Ratnayake Mudiyanselage Sunil Ratnayake
August 25th, 2015 at 8:27 am
අමු අමුවේ භික්ෂුන් හා අනෙක් සිංහලයන් මැ රු කොටි පුනරුත්තාපනය කර රට බේරන්න කොටි මැ රු රණවිරුවා මරා දමන ආණ්ඩුවට ශාපවේවා මයිත්ත්රී මයිත්ත්රී කරන්න දැන්වත් මයිත්ත්රී . කල පව් හා පාවාදීම් දැන් ඇති
සුනිල් බේරා යන ගමන වෙනස් කරන්න මේ නියම කාලයය්
August 25th, 2015 at 1:11 pm
This brave soldier has already endured 10 of imprisonment. Is it not enough? In theatres of war it is hard to tell combatants from civilians when they do not dress in uniform. In the LRRP it was long range missions which he specialized in. As a country are we going to hang a man who gave his life to save the country on the evidence of a few LTTE operatives? This will create a precedent where Tamils will bring up cases against any Soldier they wish to hang with false evidence. In any case he should not have been tried by a civilian court. He should have been tried by a Military tribunal. I would strongly suggest that President Sirisena must in the interests of good will for the forces pardon Sergeant RM Sunil Rathnayake.
August 25th, 2015 at 4:24 pm
Sunil must be released immediately.
Instead of punishing him for doing the right thing, the govt. should promote him and reward him.
That Batticaloa evil Tamil woman who scratched the world heritage Sigiriya was released from prison by Maru Sira and given a job by ASAD SALLY!!
War heroes who saved people are punished because he is a SINGHALESE.
SL is a DICTATORSHIP ruled by BATALANDA MASS MURDERER, BANDIT QUEEN and MARU SIRA.
Did you hear there is a MAJOR violence to share ministries. President Maru Sira retains DEFENCE, ENVIRONMENT, ENVIRONMENT, ENVIRONMENT (repeated) and 2 other ministries.
WHY ENVIRONMENT???
Because that is the ministry that regulates ILLEGAL SAND MINING, TREE FELLING, etc. The industries of ARALIYA group of companies of his brother!!
August 26th, 2015 at 2:40 am
We sincerely hope this brave soldier will be pardoned against all odds when you have a government who is
hell bent on destroying Sinhalese Buddhists from Sri Lanka. Unpatriotic party (UNP) killed 60,000 Sinhalese Buddhists
on the pretext of putting down an insurgency. Then let ltte killed another 100,000 during their time. Unpatriotic party (UNP) systematically destroying Buddhist population in the country on the orders of the west and the catholic church.
These are the people who saved us from that slow extinction. But today vast majority of Sinhalese (inc. Buddhist monks like malwatte kapuwa, asgiriye kapuwa, sobithaya, ratanaya, etc) have turned their back
on the very people who saved them from the terrorist bomb and partition of the country. That’s Sinhalese nature in a vast number of the Sinhalese.
They have very very short memories. In addition they have a laughable mentality to be identified as Unpatriotic party (UNP) supporters. Their line of thinking is, if your stomach is full, have a bit of money then you have to be a Unpatriotic party supporter. SLFP is for poor and village people. That’s why these traitor Sinhalese turned their backs on very people who saved these low lives backs from bombs, gun etc. These low lives Sinhalese were scared to get out of the house pre MR days in case get blown into pieces. Now they say MR is corrupt, murderous.
They have forgotten how Unpatriotic party killed Sinhalese youth and burnt their bodies in town centres to show others a lesson, put fear into people.
They have forgotten they had to get visas to go to the north and the east.
They have forgotten their hero pol pot ponil signed a pact with hitler mala paharan to divde the country.
They have forgotten how pol pot ponil grassed millennium city intelligent officers to ltte bullet.
They have forgotten lk premadasa sending 600 policemen in the east to ltte bullet
They have forgotten tm jr sacked 40,000 state employees
They have forgotten how pol pot ponil broke central bank in day light and robbed 5000 billion
They have forgotten how tm jr signed accord to divide Sri Lanka with hitler mala paharan put foundation to break up the country by introducing 13 amendment.
They have forgotten Unpatriotic party let the war dragged on to continue losing Sinhalese Buddhists lives for 30 years
(they managed to get rid of over 100,000 Buddhist lives in the process. Not bad for the west and the catholic church. Any comment malwatte kapuwa, asgiriye kapuwa, sobhithaya, ratanya?).
LIST IS SIMPLY ENDLESS. STILL THESE TRAITOR SINHALESE PARROTING MR TRAITOR. THEY DON’T WANT TO ADMIT
HE WAS THE ONE WHO SAVED SRI LANKA AND BUDDHISM IN THE COUNTRY AGAINST ALL ODDS.
This is Sinhalese. This is Sri Lanka. We shouldn’t be surprised by these narrow minded, traitors.
We can not expect any sympathy from puppet maru sira who is a slave to pol pot ponil. Hope patriotic Sinhalese will get together and put pressure on UNPatriotics to pardon him.
August 26th, 2015 at 12:40 pm
Some one needs to start a petition and get is signed by about a million people and send it to Maru Sira. May be he may relent then. The new Justice minister also wants to destroy Buddhist culture like Rosy. We are in a really bad way.