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| Sunday, 27 June 2004 |
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Editor, Sunday Observer. E-mail: [email protected] Snail mail : Sunday Observer, 35, D.R.Wijewardana Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Telephone : 94 11 2429239 / 2331181 Fax : 94 11 2429230 Death on the roads As if to mock the police over the Courteous Drivers Week, a driver of a Kurunegala bound private bus ran over three persons- two school girls and a relative, killing all three on the pedestrian crossing opposite Ratmalgoda Maha Vidyalaya in Polgahawela on the Colombo - Kurunegala Road on the morning of the Third Day. These three deaths brought to 11 the number of deaths on the road during the first three days of the Week. From media reports, it is clear that the errant driver had used the road as a racing track regardless of the pedestrian crossing and the children crossing. Every time such incidents take place the media highlights them and editorials are written but to no avail. No sooner the dead are buried, buried also are the memories of the tragic events and life goes on as it used to be till the next death occurs. It may be that the culprits are produced in Court and compensation paid to the victims' families. Yet how can one compensate for life in Rupees and cents? It would also be interesting to find out how many of the culprits eventually escape punishment. It is not unusual for the defence to plead for clemency on the ground that technology was at fault, sometimes conniving with law enforcement officials. In this instance, the police have also failed to control traffic. It should be made mandatory for the police to assist school authorities in guaranteeing student safety at pedestrian crossings opposite schools during mornings and immediately after school time ends. The number of these tragic incidents could be minimized if the police enforce regular speed checks. There is much more to be done to prevent recurrence of road deaths. There should be a holistic approach to road construction and usage. As former DIG Traffic Camillus Abeygunawardene has stated in a recent newspaper article road safety should be a high priority state policy. It is time that all stakeholders and private and public institutions involved in the construction and maintenance of roads, as well as state law enforcement and health agencies should make a concerted effort to evolve such a high priority state policy and follow it up with efficient implementation of the same. There is also the immediate task of taming the unruly drivers, especially private bus drivers. The latter have become a law unto themselves as they have the backing of the bus owners who have much political clout. To do so the police should be allowed to do their duties without fear or favour. International Day Against Torture Yesterday was International Day Against Torture. In fact, this is the first time this day is marked the world over. It is a sequel to the UN General Assembly decision last December. UN involvement against torture, however, has a much longer history. Since its inception it has raised its voice against torture and inhuman or degrading treatment. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whose fiftieth anniversary we celebrate this year proclaims ": no one shall be subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment". In 1984 the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which entered into force on June 26, 1987. Already 105 states including Sri Lanka have ratified the Convention. It binds states parties to make torture a crime and to prosecute and punish those guilty of it. As reports from Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and other places of detention testify, torture continues to be practised by states as well as by non-state agencies throughout the world. In Sri Lanka too torture is not a strange phenomenon. During the reign of terror unleashed to quell the Southern insurgency and also during the fratricidal war that went on for nearly two decades torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment was quite common. Sad to say these practices, though few in number still continue to be used by state as well as non-state agencies. On this International Day Against Torture we would like to underline not only the need to outlaw torture but the necessity to repeal laws and regulations that allow state agencies to act with impunity and inflict cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment on hapless victims. |
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