“When a system reaches that level of collapse it is not possible to recover the system by simple means. What is required in such situations is radical treatment, which can be done only by a leadership that has strong political will to bring an end to that type of degeneration.”.....................................................................
By Basil Fernando
(December 28, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) The speech against General Fonseka, insinuating among other things that there had been irregularities in the purchase of arms, and the speech by General Fonseka categorically denying all such allegations and stating that it was the Secretary of Defense who had the power to make decisions in the purchase of arms through Lanka Logistics Limited, has brought to focus the issue of corruption relating to the purchase of arms. The allegations themselves are not new. Over a long period of time there have been allegations of massive corruption relating to the purchase of arms.
In other areas of Sri Lankan life too there are allegations of corruption about almost everything. Added to all this is the fact that there is no effective agency anymore for investigations into bribery and corruption. The Commission for Bribery and Corruption, which was a weak institution even in normal times, has been virtually paralysed by the interference in the making of appointments in recent years. Many reports about important persons have been made from time to time; however, none of them have resulted in a public inquiry that would recreate public confidence in dealing with corruption in Sri Lanka.
Despite the new demands to deal with corruption, there is hardly any public confidence that under the present circumstances anything can be done. Frustration over corruption has almost become similar to that of dealing with an alcoholic. While the misconduct of an alcoholic may be condemned, no one actually believes that an alcoholic can be reformed. It is one of the levels of the degeneration of human behaviour from which there is hardly any possibility for effective rescue or redemption. When that kind of social behaviour develops, society may complain a great deal; however, there is also fatalistic resignation that nothing can really be done to correct such behaviour.
How has the issue of corruption turned into that kind of behaviour in Sri Lanka? It is associated to the problem of the collapse of the legal system as a whole. Sri Lanka’s legal system, particularly that relating to criminal law, has degenerated to such an extent that the same behavioral pattern as that of a confirmed alcoholic can be detected in the system of law enforcement.
The behaviour of the Sri Lanka policing system is no different to that of an alcoholic. Incidents like the one at the Bambilipitya beach when the police drowned Balawarnan Sivakumar was an example of the type of pathological breakdown of the system of policing in Sri Lanka.
Despite their being the Inspector General of Police, Deputy Inspector Generals of Police, Assistant Superintendents and the like, the behavioral patterns of the Sri Lankan police in the recent decades has degenerated to such an extent that the complaints about this type of behaviour does not generate any more hope of a recovery than the complaints of the bad behaviour of an alcoholic. The systems of discipline no longer work simply because the very mechanisms of understanding and obeying orders and the type of behavioral patterns that are required for the maintenance of discipline no longer exist. The system is no longer capable of giving meaningful commands, and the subordinates are no longer capable of comprehending commands.
When a system reaches that level of collapse it is not possible to recover the system by simple means. What is required in such situations is radical treatment, which can be done only by a leadership that has strong political will to bring an end to that type of degeneration.
The very fact that the system is not capable of reform under the present conditions is to the great advantage of those who are benefiting from this situation. They can be assured that there is not going to be any interference into any abuse that they will engage in order to increase their profit margins. The belief exists that illegality will not lead to any form of adverse consequences and, in fact, illegality could be used for great advantage in unjust enrichment. There are persons who know how to operate in those troubled waters. Sri Lankan politicians and businessmen as well as many people in the law enforcement agencies have now become quite adept at utilising the utterly unresponsive system of law enforcement in their country. The unscrupulousness with which people act under these circumstances is unimaginable.
The type of behaviour that can result in such situations may be illustrated by a few incidents which occurred during the period of terror in the late 80s. In the records of the commissions which were appointed to inquire into the forced disappearances there are some incidents which no rational person would find it easy to comprehend or to explain.
In one instance, a young suspect who had been severely tortured for several days already was brought before his own father. The officers asked the father to stab his own son with a bayonet. The father was completely distraught and despite all threats refused to do so. The officers took the suspect and stabbed him in front of his father.
In a separate incident, a mother in her late 40s visited a police station inquiring about two of her sons who were missing. She was told that the boys were not at the police station. However, the mother refused to leave, and when they heard her loud conversation with the police, the two sons in the lockup started shouting that they were inside the station. She then demanded to see the boys. The officers, one after another refused to let her see them. She refused to leave until she saw them. In the evening, a new batch of policemen arrived and asked her why she was there and she explained. After some time, two officers asked her to enter the station and see the boys. She went in, and thereafter inside the station five policemen raped this mother in front of her sons. Despite her pleadings to be spared, no mercy of any sort was shown her.
Many similar incidents were revealed during these inquiries. What baffles any reader is how such a thing was possible. The only reason, if this can be explained rationally, is that all the controls that are usually exercised were removed during this time, and these officers believed that they could do whatever they liked.
They were completely out of control. This is the behaviour of the alcoholic who is no longer in control of himself.
The system has reached this level. That is what made the type of corruption that is visible today possible. Is there a solution to this problem? This is what anybody who is thinking of a solution to corruption much gives his or her thoughts to.
(The writer can be reached thought his web site : www.basilfernando.net )
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