Turmoil in Sri Lanka, Prez rushes to China

At a time when Sri Lanka is embroiled in turmoil, confusion and chaos, it is sad to see the President and the Prime Minister pulling in different directions and making contradictory statements instead of standing together and speaking out in one voice.this leads to people finding it difficult to trust the Government and believe what it says. Can you blame the people then if they turn to social media websites to find out the ‘truth’ and in the bargain getting into more trouble considering the rumours and the fake news that are being spread so rapidly by some mentally warped users. Of course there are also many who delete such damaging content no sooner they are received while there are many more who take great pleasure in sharing it with as many as possible in the misdirected belief that they are doing others a favour, not realizing they are agents of Satan and should be locked up to prevent them from falling prey to rabble rousers and mischief makers whose agenda is not to resolve the problem, but to re-kindle the dying embers of hatred and animosity.

It is against this background amid the prevailing fear psychosis and anti-muslim riots in some parts of the country, the latest being in the North-western Province, that we find President Maithripala Sirisena accompanied by a 27-member delegation, most probably comprising his sycophants, rushing to China on a three-day official visit seemingly to attend the “Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations” but according to some media reports, mainly to solicit Chinese assistance for projects to be carried out in his home town of Polonnaruwa. What is so important about this frivolous conference that the head of the country should attend wasting so much of public funds notwithstanding the fact that his priority should have been to remain in his home country.a strong leader needs to remain at the helm directing, monitoring and overseeing affairs, especially at a time of turbulence and trouble. It is not so with this President. He was in Singapore at the time when Islamic extremists unleashed the Easter Sunday carnage. By the time he returned, the armed forces, the Police and the STF were very much into their task of arresting those behind the attacks, locating their hideouts and safe houses and seizing large stocks of weapons, ammunition and explosives. Thanks to our security forces, this time too, they have succeeded in bringing the volatile situation under control. RUSSELL CC NUGEGODA