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Why we need an international hybrid court

Why should any sensible person, who has followed Sri Lankan politics over the past couple of decades, believe this government when it promises credible ‘domestic mechanisms’ to address the issues highlighted in the UNHRC Report on war crimes in Sri Lanka?

Not only did the Rajapaksa regime make several false promises to the international community, but the present government, too, has betrayed all those who expected transparency, the rule of law and swift justice on wrongdoers after January 8, 2015. For instance, the Weliamuna Report that exposed massive levels of fraud and public waste at Sri Lankan Airlines has been quietly shelved. Investigations into the Avant Garde ‘floating armoury’, the involvement of prominent politicians in the local heroin trade, and the alleged ‘attempted coup’ on the night of January 8, seem to have all been suppressed.And we are still kept in the dark about progress in finding and bringing to justice those responsible for the killing or abduction of journalists.

During his election campaign the Prime Minister promised an independent enquiry into the controversial Treasury Bond sale. That has not hitherto materialized- and probably never will. One suspects that senior members of the present government have made secret deals to protect the high-flyers in the previous regime from prosecution. Only the ‘small fish’ will be arrested, if at all.

This is why the Foreign Minister’s promise, like his earlier promise to recover the Rajapaksa fortunes plundered from the public treasury, will not impress anybody except the naïve. Not only Parliament, but the CID, the Attorney General’s Department, and large sections of the local judiciary, seem either utterly inept or morally compromised. An international hybrid court as proposed by the UN Report is absolutely necessary if we are to have any semblance of justice in this country. This proposal is not “anti-Sri Lanka”. On the contrary, it is the only way we can rescue Sri Lanka and its political-legal institutions from those who have systematically abused them and continue to abuse them today.

It is up to courageous civil society actors to recover Yahapalanaya from the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe regime that has buried it under a flood of bluster and empty promises.

Dr. Vinoth Ramachandra
Colombo 3

Recruiting teacher assistants on meagre salaries

Teacher Assistants for Tamil medium estate schools were recruited recently in the three provinces namely Uva, Central and Sabaragamuwa.Candidates were chosen after a competitive examination held by the Ministry of Education for those who have passed the GCE Advanced Level examination.

Now they are appointed to estate schools in the above three provinces under a strict rule that they should work for 10 years and were requested to complete their degree or diploma during this ten-year period to be enlisted to the permanent cadre. After recruitment to the permanent cadre, they would be given salaries in keeping with teachers of the Grade 3 cadre.

Until then, these teacher assistants are given a meagre salary of Rs 6000/= a month which is not sufficient even to travel to their respective schools, because almost all schools they are posted to are remote schools which are difficult to access by public transport. In addition they have to spend for their higher education too to qualify to become permanent teachers.

Now these teacher- assistants are in a quandary, whether to remain in service or to leave being unable to manage with the salary that is given to them.

I feel the Ministry of Education has committed a blunder and an injustice to the children of estate schools as well as to these teacher assistants. Because the recruited teacher assistants are not content to work in these schools, since they feel that they are being exploited and the children in estate schools will ultimately suffer.

Hence, I earnestly wish to draw the attention of the Ministry of Education, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and the state Minister for Education, Radha Krishinan to look in to this matter and offer these teachers an allowance which would suffice for their expenditure.

M.M.F. Shihana,
Teacher Assistant,
Narangala Tamil School, Ambalakanda

How World Animals Day came to be

Today October 4 is World Animals Day. This day was dedicated to animals by St. Francis of Assisi, who was a Roman Catholic priest. He was a preacher spreading the gospel to the poor and destitute. He devoted his life serving God and the less fortunate. He is best remembered for his love of living and suffering creatures, be they man or beast.

The date of birth of this saint was October 4, 1182. This date has been declared as ‘World Animals Day’.

It is said that once while he was preaching in the small town of Bevagna in France, a flock of birds made up of every known species gathered around him. St. Francis of Assisi spoke to these birds and said “Brother birds may the Lord be with you” thus starting a long conversation with them.

This ‘Sermon to the birds’ was painted by Grotto on a fresco in the Basilica of Assisi. Another well-known episode of St. Francis is about an enormous wolf who was devouring the flocks and terrorizing the population of the little town of Gubbio. St. Francis had travelled to Gubbio and to the amazement of the terrified people, he set off into the forest calling out to the wolf to come to him, saying “Brother wolf come hither”, he said.

He faced the wolf and made the sign of the Cross. The wolf came near him and held out its paw and then followed him to Gubbio.

As animals have feelings they suffer as just as much as we do. Man should not hurt or torture them when he uses them for work.

Ms. H.M. Nethisinghe
Via email