Features
No help for ‘cyber prisoners’; freedom to let out steam; hollow celebration
We have seen similar clips many times over: a vehicle travelling on a dirt road, a mass of buildings; a uniformed person standing with whip in hand using force on those in an approaching queue. Also workers at desks being drilled standing up and sitting down – seemingly punished. Some escaped but the others are still incarcerated; ill paid and engaged, it is rumoured, in cybercrime.
This brings forth the questions: what is Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Myanmar doing about this terrible exploitation of some of our youth, and what is our government doing about it? The plight of these computer savvy young or cyber experts was exposed weeks ago, even a month or two previous. And they still seem to be in the same tortured situation. Does diplomacy not work? There surely are international organisations which can intervene in a situation like this if the government of Sri Lanka is helpless and appeals to them.
Of course, one has to look at the flip side of the coin too. Did these young ones apply illegally for jobs overseas and did they, or were they taken illicitly to Myanmar? Sri Lankans are ever ready to leave their shores, seeking greener pastures overseas and do not at all seem to mind resorting to illegality, and then fall into pits of exploitation. Subsequently, they cry out for help.
However, whatever the circumstances under which they accepted offered employment, not knowing what sort of jobs they would be required to do and where, these young girls and boys are our children, Sri Lankans, and must be rescued and brought back with no further time wasted.
Social media blast
Three who read comments on FaceBook told Cass they were stunned, but not actually appalled, at the posted remarks after the death of Ex-State Minister Sanath Nishantha. One said she was introduced to unheard of filth. Others commented that hate, derision, scorn and disgust toward the deceased underlay the comments. Press columnists referred to instances of cooking milk rice and lighting crackers which are essentially celebratory, when the death of a VVIP was announced some years ago. This and the vituperative social media comments on the late State Minister were natural outpourings. They cannot be censored or those commentators punished. Pent up feelings of anger and abhorrence of actions of the deceased, augmented by
frustration, finds an outlet and the most convenient, reaching a wider audience than just a group gathered together, is social media. So out comes the vituperation of the angered man or woman on social media. It is excusable.
One columnist in the Sunday Times on January 28 commented that this State Minister’s death due to the speed of the vehicle he was travelling in and time of travel should be a lesson to other brash politicians who consider themselves lords of all they survey whether speeding on public roads or holding forth at meetings. We have seen, shuddered, and a few just escaped these flashing past super vehicles carrying politicians from this social event to the other. Their lordliness gets rubbed off their security personnel and drivers too. Hence the hurry, the dangerous speeding and an apparent misconception the road is theirs, none else should be on it.
Lawyer widow – not weeping
Page 1 news item in The Island of Wednesday January 31: ‘Sanath Nishantha’s widow contemplates political career.’ Going the way of quite a few previous political widows, but times have changed. Cassandra is speaking true to her ancestral name of being able to foretell the future. Instead of crying “I see blood” this Cassandra cries out “I see welcome change.” The high preferential votes the husband won will not come to the widow. Voters have changed; sensible people’s voices are hearkened to. There is a wave of disgusted rage rising to swamp many of the 225 for their brashness, corruption, misuse of power, abject sycophancy et al.
I quote from the news item: “She said that a number of tasks undertaken by Nishantha remained unfinished and she was willing to shoulder the task of accomplishing them.” There was a news item of a political project the late State Minister and Namal Rajapaksa were hatching, with one word being dasa, reminding Cass of the ten yodayas of the mighty Dutugemunu’s army. So many of our potty politicians have aspired to be considered modern day Dutugemunus. We wish the recent widow luck.
The article did not mention that she claimed she was driven to self-sacrifice through entering politics by the usually quoted reason: that of being concerned about the country and having strong feelings for the suffering people she wants to save. Maybe those reeking of falsity assertions will be said later. Who knows, she may well act differently to her hubby’s way of doing things and really serve the country.
Celebrating what?
For goodness sake what is this country or those who rule it spending millions on screaming jets, constructing structures defacing Galle Face Green, and killing youth, yes facilitating death? The answer to this is “To celebrate Independence Day now termed National Day.” To exhibit our military might having an army disproportionate to the size and power of the country; and honour a PM of a neighbouring nation.
But most so the President of the Dem Soc Rep of Sri Lanka can savour regal reception and address the nation from under the fluttering Lion Flag; while the people suffer untold privation and face a bleak future. Repayment of colossal debts faces the country, debts as large as the blue Indian Ocean on which SL Navy ships will pass saluting the Prez and the flag.
Cass and millions of others watched video clips and TV news horrified as some practising paratroopers of the Air Force and the Army crashed down injured. Such a useless and wasteful exercise and expense of young, able-bodied brave men. In these dire times of the country being flat out in debt, deprivation and desperation; what celebration, what carnival entertainment, what awful sacrifice, this year of limb if not life itself?
Insensitivity of the Head of the nation is to blame, in Cassandra’s opinion.