Why can't the UNP say sorry?

BY Our Political Editor

(May 06, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The fact that the UNP while in power committed atrocities in the late 80s and 90s in the south,north and east is well known. The atrocities committed in the south have been recorded by commissions investigating involuntary or forced disappearances which recorded the testimonies of around 30,000 persons. Recently we published an article written by the secretary of several of these commissions, Mr. M.C.M. Iqbal, entitled: SRI LANKA: Samples of brutality that happened in the late eighties. The UNP has never apologised for the brutalities perpetrated during this period. The people's unforgiving verdict against them, for over 16 years now, is very much tied up with the people's memories of these atrocities.

In fact, the UNP, even during the May Day celebrations of 2010 tried to speak about these atrocities as some kind of triumph. Their political line has always been to say that it was only through the vigilance and efforts of the UNP that the JVP was so decisively defeated. However, the information collected by the commissions have clearly established that the large number of the persons who were forcibly disappeared were not persons involved with the JVP but that many of them were members of the opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party. The policy adopted by J.R. Jayewardene in wiping the SLFP from the political scene was carried on during the Premadasa regime and particularly during the election that brought him to power. The largest number of disappearances happened around the days of the election.

Today the fact that opposition political party members and supporters were killed in their thousands during this period of terror ushered in against the JVP is well established. However, the UNP maintain the same rhetoric that it was a great triumph against a rebel group. Using the appearance and rise of the rebel groups in order to keep alive the authoritarian system, was the aim of the UNP during this period. Until these facts which are well-known to the people today, are dealt with in a rational manner by the UNP the party will never again be able to win the confidence of the people.

It is argued today that the UNP suffered many defeats in 1956 and the 60s and that they were able to recover; and in the same manner be able to do so in the future. However, the difference between those defeats and the defeats of the last 16 years is that in the 50s and the 60s the UNP did not have a record of being engaged in mass brutalities against the people. Those elections were of a different type and one or another party won or lost and there was always the democratic possibility that the loser would become the victor on another day.

However, the situation of the last 16 years is that the UNP has a record of mass brutalities perpetrated against the people and that memory remains in the minds of the people. It is not just a question of defeat but one of the deliberate rejections of a violent political party and the grave wrongs done by the party against the people. The argument that the present regime uses is not that they are better than the UNP. Their argument is that the wrongs they do are the same kind of wrongs as done by the UNP and that they are better able to better utilise the repressive policies that the UNP perpetrated and that they are carrying on a political heritage which they share with the UNP.

The present regime is as authoritarian, or even more so than the UNP. However, their strategy was based on the UNP strategy which was mainly targeted against their party. In the same manner that the UNP dealt with Sirmao Bandaranaike the present regime is dealing with Sarath Fonseka who was the main opposition candidate in the last elections. The election violence and the massive misuse of government resources for the elections are simply extensions of the same policies and practices started by the United National Party.

The country needs an effective opposition. However, the UNP cannot become an effective opposition until they have the courage to genuinely apologise for the past and admit the serious wrongs done to the people. Genuine admissions of this nature will undermine the present regime more than any other political measure the UNP is capable of. The undoing of a violent tradition can only be done by admitting the brutality of the past and by giving an undertaking to the people that that past will not be repeated. Such is the challenge before the United National Party today.


Related Links:

Samples of brutality that happened in the late eighties

* UNP: Ranil's Democracy

* The UNP's inability to mourn

* Stop making excuses

* Inability to admit wrongs

* 2010 Parliamentary Elections