On the arrest of former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe...

Former Sri Lankan President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been arrested on charges of corruption. This is a welcome move. Let the law do its duty. In recent times, the arrest of several prominent political figures accused of corruption is a healthy sign for the future of Sri Lanka. In this matter, it is essential for the law of Sri Lanka to act without ethnic or religious bias, for the sake of a better future for the nation. It is also necessary that the people of the country realize that the law is carrying out its duty without discrimination of race, religion, or language.

Ranil Wickremesinghe’s arrest appears to be an act by Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s National People’s Power that seeks to deeply understand the mindset of the people. If Ranil’s arrest does not lead to political protests or unrest in the country, we can expect that, step by step, more individuals will be arrested.

There is, however, one area where the government could have acted with a little more caution. There are several issues related to Ranil’s corruption allegations—such as protecting the Rajapaksa brothers, the Central Bank bond scam, and others. There are also matters concerning human rights violations. If the government had chosen one of those cases to arrest Ranil, it would have been even more effective. Perhaps, due to the legal delays and complications in proving such charges, the government has opted for this particular charge, which might be easier to establish.

During his tenure, there were several human rights violations in the North-East as well as in the South. The extent of his involvement in them needs to be examined in detail. We hope that in the future, the government will also investigate the possible human rights violations committed by Ranil Wickremesinghe.

That aside, it seems to have become a cliché among politicians both in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka—once they are arrested, all sorts of illnesses that never existed before suddenly begin to surface! How does that happen? Is there some kind of unwritten law operating behind such incidents?