Seeing is believing

(August 28, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Mervyn Silva has become the talk of the town. On private electronic and print media we see and hear much about the latest dastardly act of this notorious non-cabinet Minister also known as Vermin. He is the number one terrorist in the cabinet where all government members are ministers.

The irony of it is that the Prime Minister says that the SAARC leaders who met in Colombo pledged to defeat terrorism in the region; but the President, Prime Minister and the media minister cannot defeat the notorious terrorist in the cabinet.

According to Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, no one is above the law. Then what about Mervyn Silva? Hasn't he taken the law into his hands? Why cannot anyone reform this undesirable minister who is behaving like a mad man?

The opposition and the JVP vehemently condemned the latest incident. The Free Media Movement condemned it. According to newspaper reports, the President just before he left for Beijing had 'warned' the Minister.

Has this incorrigible Minister obeyed even the President who has made him the non-cabinet Labour Minister although he couldn't get even 2500 votes at the last elections? All warnings issued seem to enter through one ear and out of his other ear.

The biggest joke is that one minister after another appear on TV, some with a broad grin like Maithripala Sirisena, and some like Susil Premajayanth without even a hint of a smile, and condemn Mervyn Silva's attack on media personnel.

Premajayanth's lame excuse for his colleague's shameful behaviour is that some people have habits and manners peculiar to them. Can he just get away by saying this? Shouldn't they correct and reform him?

Sirasa media personnel didn't just go there to take Mervyn Silva's photographs. They went there because they received invitations for the function from the relevant ministry. Mervyn Silva and his goons manhandling the media personnel and trying to grab their cameras and other equipment is clearly visible, and his utterings are clearly audible on the TV footage. Seeing is believing. So who is fooling whom?

According to Maithripala Sirisena, Mervyn Silva will get his punishment in his next birth, because he says God will punish him. Till then the people will have to bear the atrocities of this unruly man. The media minister made a statement only after four days of the incident taking place. He also condemned his dastardly deed. Will his condemning solve the problem?

The recent attack on Sirasa is not an isolated incident. There have been a chain of incidents starting with the Rupavahini episode in December 2007. Didn't the government appoint a committee?

According to a newspaper of August 7, Nimal Siripala de Silva seems to have said that the final report of the ministerial committee appointed by the SLFP to inquire into the incident at the state owned Rupavahini Corporation involving Mervyn Silva would be submitted only after the provincial council elections. Cannot they conduct the elections without this political thug?

Already he has started his election violence. On July 28 he attacked a JVP candidate's shop in Nuwaragala in Polonnaruwa District causing damage to the shop and some vehicles. He had even used his famous pistol. Whatever he does, he knows he will be pardoned by the President and the police.

Why cannot the police at least question Mervyn Silva when the TV footage of the attack on Sirasa media personnel was shown? About a week ago three policemen from the Kiribathgoda Police Station collected video tapes of the incident. These tapes will prove that the Minister attacked the Sirasa media men and seized their camera and other equipment. Why cannot the police take action now?

Is it because of the orders they have received from the top? What the people fear is that the Minister is carrying out government contracts. Is the government going to let him continue his ignominious acts and let the citizens, especially the media men suffer for ever?
- Sri Lanka Guardian