The Morning on 31 May in our editorial underscored the importance of focusing on the influential and powerful people, or the ‘big fish’, that impede the country’s Covid-19 management efforts, as they impact these efforts on a much larger scale than the general public and also provide a far more influential example to the public by trivialising Covid-19 safety regulations through ignorance or insolence.
If everyone is at risk of contracting the virus alike, and if everyone’s contribution is equally important, why is the law being enforced in different ways, is a question that was raised by the public repeatedly in the past week or so. They question what has happened to the “one country, one law” concept.
The country saw how the law enforcement authorities without a second thought arrested members of the public who failed to wear face masks in public. The way these members of the public were physically carried and forced onto buses (to be prosecuted later) by the Police received mixed responses, as some saw it as using power unnecessarily, while some viewed it to be a necessary stringent measure essential to manage the pandemic. Regardless of its appropriateness, everyone supported the idea of being serious about managing the status quo.
The law, or the law enforcement authorities, however, appears to be selective when it comes to prosecuting those who jeopardise the public’s safety, and two incidents, birthday parties to be precise, that took place this week, validates that impression.
One of the two incidents is the Kurunegala Mayor Thushara Sanjeewa Vitharana’s birthday party held at the Kurunegala Police Station, which was attended by an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and was held without regard to the Covid-19 safety regulations. Even though the ASP in question was transferred over his reckless act of organising what was said to be a surprise celebration for the birthday, the Kurunegala Mayor faced no legal action. What is more disturbing is the fact that as per reports, the duo had not been arrested thus far, nor were they sent to or instructed to quarantine, even though the public who committed the same offences in a much smaller scale were arrested in a humiliating manner.
The second birthday party is the one organised by event organiser Chandimal Jayasinghe and model Piumi Hansamali at a leading 5 star hotel in Colombo. Even though they were arrested on 31 May over the said party, before some media outlets could even publish the news about the arrest, they were granted bail. Following the incident, the Police said that they were checking the closed circuit television cameras of the hotel to identify who attended the party apart from those who were initially identified, leaving the public with the question as to how come the organisers of the party did not know who attended or were invited as there is no way that they allowed random persons to attend their party. Whether they were instructed to undergo quarantine remains unknown; but it is unlikely. Last afternoon, Police announced that another six guests who had attended the birthday party had been arrested and were set to be produced in court, although their names were not divulged.
These are not solitary incidents. Before travel restrictions were imposed, strict Covid-19 safety regulations were in place, and a number of events that were held and attended by persons of rank went without being noticed, even though they openly and patently violated Covid-19 safety regulations.
Certain parties that enforce the law may be concerned about the social status of the said people who infringed the law; but Covid-19 does not care about that at all. How long will Sri Lanka take to comprehend this simple home truth is concerning, and how the law treats them in a different manner is more alarming.
The public are more than prepared to compromise their freedom, jobs and even the most basic rights such as having a good meal, to support Sri Lanka’s Covid-19 management efforts. That is exactly why the majority of the public adhere to prolonged travel restrictions despite everyone’s only wish is being able to go back to their normal lives.
Needless to say, there are millions of informal sector workers, including daily wage workers, who are confined to their homes, with no way of earning a rupee to buy essential goods and wondering as to when the travel restrictions would be lifted. In this context, if the laws applicable to the public do not apply the same way to the wealthy and the powerful, that is nothing less than an insult to the public who are starving in their homes, and it is an alarming sign that even a global pandemic cannot change the biased attitudes and practices Sri Lanka continues to support.
Perhaps, now is the best time to prove by actions that we can still keep hopes about a country that has one law, which protects people, not jeopardises their safety.The law and the untouchables
02 Jun 2021
The law and the untouchables
02 Jun 2021
The Morning on 31 May in our editorial underscored the importance of focusing on the influential and powerful people, or the ‘big fish’, that impede the country’s Covid-19 management efforts, as they impact these efforts on a much larger scale than the general public and also provide a far more influential example to the public by trivialising Covid-19 safety regulations through ignorance or insolence.
If everyone is at risk of contracting the virus alike, and if everyone’s contribution is equally important, why is the law being enforced in different ways, is a question that was raised by the public repeatedly in the past week or so. They question what has happened to the “one country, one law” concept.
The country saw how the law enforcement authorities without a second thought arrested members of the public who failed to wear face masks in public. The way these members of the public were physically carried and forced onto buses (to be prosecuted later) by the Police received mixed responses, as some saw it as using power unnecessarily, while some viewed it to be a necessary stringent measure essential to manage the pandemic. Regardless of its appropriateness, everyone supported the idea of being serious about managing the status quo.
The law, or the law enforcement authorities, however, appears to be selective when it comes to prosecuting those who jeopardise the public’s safety, and two incidents, birthday parties to be precise, that took place this week, validates that impression.
One of the two incidents is the Kurunegala Mayor Thushara Sanjeewa Vitharana’s birthday party held at the Kurunegala Police Station, which was attended by an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and was held without regard to the Covid-19 safety regulations. Even though the ASP in question was transferred over his reckless act of organising what was said to be a surprise celebration for the birthday, the Kurunegala Mayor faced no legal action. What is more disturbing is the fact that as per reports, the duo had not been arrested thus far, nor were they sent to or instructed to quarantine, even though the public who committed the same offences in a much smaller scale were arrested in a humiliating manner.
The second birthday party is the one organised by event organiser Chandimal Jayasinghe and model Piumi Hansamali at a leading 5 star hotel in Colombo. Even though they were arrested on 31 May over the said party, before some media outlets could even publish the news about the arrest, they were granted bail. Following the incident, the Police said that they were checking the closed circuit television cameras of the hotel to identify who attended the party apart from those who were initially identified, leaving the public with the question as to how come the organisers of the party did not know who attended or were invited as there is no way that they allowed random persons to attend their party. Whether they were instructed to undergo quarantine remains unknown; but it is unlikely. Last afternoon, Police announced that another six guests who had attended the birthday party had been arrested and were set to be produced in court, although their names were not divulged.
These are not solitary incidents. Before travel restrictions were imposed, strict Covid-19 safety regulations were in place, and a number of events that were held and attended by persons of rank went without being noticed, even though they openly and patently violated Covid-19 safety regulations.
Certain parties that enforce the law may be concerned about the social status of the said people who infringed the law; but Covid-19 does not care about that at all. How long will Sri Lanka take to comprehend this simple home truth is concerning, and how the law treats them in a different manner is more alarming.
The public are more than prepared to compromise their freedom, jobs and even the most basic rights such as having a good meal, to support Sri Lanka’s Covid-19 management efforts. That is exactly why the majority of the public adhere to prolonged travel restrictions despite everyone’s only wish is being able to go back to their normal lives.
Needless to say, there are millions of informal sector workers, including daily wage workers, who are confined to their homes, with no way of earning a rupee to buy essential goods and wondering as to when the travel restrictions would be lifted. In this context, if the laws applicable to the public do not apply the same way to the wealthy and the powerful, that is nothing less than an insult to the public who are starving in their homes, and it is an alarming sign that even a global pandemic cannot change the biased attitudes and practices Sri Lanka continues to support.
Perhaps, now is the best time to prove by actions that we can still keep hopes about a country that has one law, which protects people, not jeopardises their safety.Kapruka
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!