Will President stop playing balls with crooks?

Mr. Editor, may I please request you to give me a little space in your well-read newspaper to highlight a matter of public importance. That is not all, your no holds barred Editorials elevate us from that sense of hopelessness.

I propose to draw the attention of the President, who is battling with what he inherited, as those responsible are crawling out of the woodworks. A man in the outskirts of the city was engaged to test the waters for the mascot to crawl out. This man is eternally grateful since he stopped action when the Bribery Commission asked him, a notorious chain snatcher before his foray into politics, how he acquired assets to the value of 800 million in 2005.

Mr Editor, what abysmal levels we have hit can be measured when we observe the Pohottuwa kicking out a man who did an outstanding job as the Head of the COPE and nominated the man, under reference, as a member of the COPE! This takes my mind to a pithy Sinhala saying how a robber’s mother was reached to get information about the thief.

In fact, the astute consummate politician, who attaches no value to ethics, truth, morality, or anything which falls within decency, did not fail to tell the organised cheer squad that you Mr President is now with them and indirectly said that they call the shots and that you play ball.

 In your sister paper, the SUNDAY ISLAND, recently, there was a feature article, on page 17, captioned “SYSTEM CHANGE NOT IN MY LIFE TIME.” We, the readers, are grateful to the Editor for placing a large picture that confirmed what the writer said as you are hounding those who call for “system change” while allowing the crooks to come out of hiding.

The whole world is aware how drunken thugs attacked unarmed protesters on Galle Face Green, on 09 of May, after food and drink, obviously at the taxpayers cost, was provided by the then occupant of Temple Trees.

The picture clearly shows a Catholic Priest who was running for safety from getting assaulted with a rod, possibly IRON and a policeman making a desperate attempt to stop him getting injured. The assailants face is clear and will be known to the law enforcement people. This man is still at large and the laws of the land are not applicable to him. However, the Police indicted the Priest and action is pending.

Television showed how Aragalaya supporters, men, women and children, were manhandled when they assembled to remember some dead yesterday.

The international community, too, now recognise that there is no justice and fair play in our country, blessed by Buddha and other faiths. The law-abiding citizens are of the view that we are on top of a volcano and an eruption is quite possible.

Will you be the catalyst for this monumental disaster?

Amelia Daranegama

Kegalle