The senior most politician in the country at present and a politician who had held the high profile portfolios such as Leader of the Opposition, Prime Minister and President, Ranil Wickremesinghe has mentioned in an interview with the local media that Justice for Tamils in the North and East should be meted out through the United Nations Human Rights Commission. The latest statement made by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe is a surprising one and made even to think whether it was a `crocodile tears’.
Beginning his political career in 1977 under the first executive President of Sri Lanka J.R. Jeyewadene who was even his close relative, Ranil Wickremesinghe held several important ministerial portfolios under the Presidency of four executive Presidents, J.R.Jeyewardene, Ranasinghe Premadasa, D.B. Wijetunge and Maithripala Sirisena. Later he held the position of Leader of the Opposition and became the Prime Minister. Ranil Wickremesinghe became President when former President Gotabaya Rajapakse was ousted following a rebellion carried out by Aragalaya movement. Ranil Wickremesinghe is considered as a westernized politician to appear always in full suit unlike his predecessors who attired themselves in National dress.
The 75 years old Ranil Wickremesinghe’s ancestral house was also set on fire during the Aragalaya movement when people agitated against Gottabaya Rajapakse three years before in 2022. When the civil war was going on for four decades in the North and East, Ranil Wickremesinghe was in the cabinets of his party’s leaders such as J.R.Jeyawardena , R.Premadasa and even in the cabinet of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) President Maithripala Sirsena who became President after ousting Gotabaya Rajapakse.
So when he was holding key portfolios and later becoming the Prime Minister as well as President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe didn’t utter a single word about meting out justice to Tamils for the injustices they had faced during the four decades of civil war in the Island. It was even during his tenure as Prime Minister and President UNHRC sessions held in Geneva taking up the human rights violations happened in the North and East.
However now in an interview to a local media Ranil Wickremesinghe has mentioned about meting out justice to North and East Tamils for the injustices they had faced during the civil war in the two provinces. So by making the statement on granting justice for Tamils, Ranil Wickremesinghe has admitted finally the atrocities committed against Tamils in the Island. Whereas on the other hand it is also thought provoking to see whether Ranil Wickremesinghe has urged justice for Tamils in the backdrop of National People’s Power (NPP) Government of President Anurakumara Dissanayake is flexing its muscles to dig out what has happened at the Battalanda torture camp, which was the brain child of Ranil Wickremesinghe.
So it is important to think about in order to get the sympathy on him from the international community and the Tamil diaspora as well as to divert the attention of the people in the country at large , whether Ranil Wickremesinghe has now began to speak on justice to be meted out to Tamils. In the political circle Ranil Wickremesinghe has been even considered as shrewd manipulator. It is at this juncture legendary US President Abraham Lincoln’s saying echoes loudly. Abraham Lincoln had said : “ You can fool some of the people all the time and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
Therefore as far as Ranil Wickremesinghe is concerned his statement on seeking justice for Tamils sounds in line with what Abraham Lincoln had said. Ranil Wickremesinghe during his powerful days in politics had never supported the moves to bring justice to North and East Tamils through UNHRC in Geneva. The Governments , Ranil Wickremesinghe represented were made to counter the call for Justice made by Tamil representations at the UNHRC.
Whereas sixteen years after the North and East war ended former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has called upon for Justice to North and East Tamils. Whatever Ranil Wickremesinghe’s call for justice to Tamils could be appreciative . On the other hand as a prominent national leader he should also be answerable to the atrocities committed at the Battalanda torture camp. It is understood that the Local Government polls are around the corner( May 6), ruling NPP will go all out to corner Ranil Wickremesinghe in its campaigns.
So whether Ranil Wickremesinghe is shedding `crocodile tears’ to escape from the brunt of the intended NPP campaign attacks during the local government election period remains a big question.
