Sadness In Victory

(May 27, Toronto, Sri Lanka Guardian) Campaign for Democracy in Sri Lanka (CDSL) Canada on the first anniversary of the victory over the LTTE wishes to express our utmost gratitude to those who paid supreme sacrifice to free the country from a brutal terrorist outfit.

While we (CDSL) commemorate this event, we shall not forget that the chief architect of this victory, the General who gave the leadership to bring this victory possible is languishing in a Sri Lankan jail with total disregard to the laws of the country and grossly denying his rightful place in the present time of Sri Lanka. We, as a nation should be ashamed to this ungrateful act of pure political vengeance against the truthful owner to this victory.

History teaches us that the statues of General Sarath Fonseka toppled and torn down today will be rebuilt tomorrow and his rightful place in the Sri Lankan history will be reinstated.

There is no shortage of politicians selling this victory for politically profiting to gain power. Once in power they end up in plundering the country's resources. If not all, most of the major institutions are run by cronies and family members of the ruling class with absolute disregard to the professional qualifications and qualities need to manage these important institutions. It is no wonder how most of these institutions are become liabilities and causing millions and billons of rupees of losses year after year of public money.

Let us examine honestly where Sri Lanka stands amongst the countries of the world today. Can we be proud of when there is no medicine for critical illnesses and patients sleeping on the floor in our hospitals as they are over-crowded; when tens of thousands of liberated people are still living in misery in so called temporary camps; when tens of thousands of university graduated are unemployed; when journalist are being threatened, killed , imprisoned or made to disappear when they speak of their mind thus itself demonstrate the freedom of expression, democracy and justice existing in the country; when gap between the different communities are widening rather than narrowing by each passing day with no real political solution in the horizon to national issues; when mothers throw their children to rivers and commit suicide rather watching them suffer in unbearable poverty.

We urge every Sri Lankan irrespective of where they live today to help raise awareness of Sri Lanka’s journey towards a totalitarian and feudal regime. It is our duty to help Sri Lanka to become a country of social justice and equal rights to every citizen and a place we all can be proud of.