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| Sunday, 10 April 2005 |
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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 Fighting corruption Last Thursday we witnessed protests by some parents, teachers, old boys and students of two leading schools in Colombo and Kandy whose principals were interdicted by the Education Minister following a complaint by the Presidential Investigations Unit that there had been illegal and irregular admissions of students to Grade I of these schools. These protests raise several questions. The organisers of the protests question the legality of the interdiction or the manner in which it was done. They are perfectly entitled to raise the question. But should it be done through street protests dragging the students and disrupting school activities? They have recourse to legal action on behalf of the interdicted Principals. On the other hand, these protests could be viewed as an intimidatory tactic to influence the course of investigations. It could also be considered as an undue interference in the due process of law. If street protests and demonstrations are to determine the guilt or innocence of public officials alleged to be corrupt, how could one ensure the eradication of corruption? The corrupt would have ample resources from their unearned income to bribe or buy over would be demonstrators to escape legal punishment. It is sad that a purely administrative act has been given a political complexion by the United National Party that expressed solidarity with the protest without weighing the pros and cons of the issue. Much more sad and harmful is the dragging of religion into the issue. The organisers of the protest claim that the interdiction of the Principal of this premier school in Colombo is an act instituted by non-Buddhist elements to tarnish the name of Buddhist education institutions. What has religion got to do with irregularities in school admissions? There is no witch hunt against Buddhist schools as alleged by some. Several other Principals were interdicted earlier. Some more interdictions are expected. Investigations are on against Principals of schools of other denominations too. Religion should not be used to cloak malpractices. It demeans religion and brings it discredit. History has enough evidence to show that scoundrels have used religion as a haven. If there is a campaign against Buddhist schools it should be encountered by other means without disrupting school activities and the education of the students. Nor should students be used as pawns to serve the interests of politicians whether they wear white cassocks, saffron robes or any other mode of dress. It is strange that these defenders of Buddhist education had to wait till a Principal is interdicted to take to the streets. Incidentally the best course of action has been advocated by none other than one of the interdicted Principals. He has quite rightly requested the agitated students, old boys and parents not to disrupt school activities and bring discredit to the school but allow him to prove his innocence at the forthcoming investigations. If this advice is heeded, it is better for everybody. The state should also ensure that a fair investigation is held and the rights of the accused are respected. A friend indeed The visit of Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of the People's Republic of China (PRC) marks yet another milestone in the relations between the two countries. China is the rising star in Asia. In fact, it is expected to reach a dominant position in relation to its economic status by the middle of this century. The PRC has been consistently following a path of peace. Its foreign policy has been shaped according to the historic Pancha Seela principle enunciated at the Bandung Conference, the precursor to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Sri Lanka was one of the first countries to break the isolation of the PRC imposed by imperialist powers by signing a trade agreement in 1952 much to the dislike of the West. Since then the PRC has come a long way. It has gained its legitimate position in the UN and in the Security Council. Its One China policy has been accepted by a majority of countries including world powers. The territory of Hong Kong has been integrated with mainland China under the One Country Two Systems model. Only the Taiwan issue remains to be settled. The PRC hopes to settle it by peaceful means and our sympathies are with China on this issue. The visit of the PRC Prime Minister has brought tangible results. New avenues of expanding economic, political and cultural relations between the two countries are sure to emerge from this visit. China remains a friend when in need and a true friend indeed. |
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