Security Theatre
image by Ososment
I was reading this interesting 9/11 retrospective in the Times when I chanced upon a piece by William Gibson, the Sci-Fi author of Neuromancer. He talks about ‘politically agnostic maximization of intelligence’ rather than ‘security theatre‘. Looked up the latter and it’s defined as ‘carrying out of actions which are designed to look as if they improve security whilst at the same time there is little improvement, or possibly even a loss of security through those actions’. That, to me, is a lot of what’s happening in Colombo. There is a large-scale disruption of life without a measurable improvement in the security situation. If it was a purely logical or economic decision you wouldn’t hit your economy so hard without proof that the methods work, but perhaps the feeling of security is worth it.
ANOTHER attempt on the scale of the 2001 attacks hasn’t been necessary. The last one is still doing the trick, and the terrorists’ resources are limited. The fear induced by terrorism mirrors the irrational psychology that makes state lotteries an utterly reliable form of stupidity tax. A huge statistical asymmetry serves as fulcrum for a spectral yet powerful lever: apprehension of the next jackpot. We’re terrorized not by the actual explosion, which statistically we’re almost never present for, but by our apprehension of the next one.
The terrorist tactic that matters most is the next one used, one we haven’t seen yet. In order to know it, we must know the terrorists. Without a national security policy that concentrates on the vigorous and politically agnostic maximization of intelligence rather than, in the phrase of the security expert Bruce Schneier, “security theater,†that may well prove impossible.
— WILLIAM GIBSON, novelist.
I think the threat to Sri Lanka is actually far greater as we share an island with the creators of suicide bombing. The LTTE makes Al Qaeda look tame in terms of sophistication and brutality, and we live with them. Regardless, there are lessons Sri Lanka can learn. Security Theatre is basically security measures that are highly visible but not necessarily effective. In fact, the best security is probably invisible. Here’s some stuff which I think is a bit ineffective.
35 Police Officers at Checkpoint
I exagerate, but only slightly. At the Rajagiriya checkpoint I see literally 15 policeman. It’s so dumb I feel like evading taxes. Are they waiting to Rodney King somebody? Is it a field trip? I dunno. Once I was driving past Independance Square at night and I saw 25 policemen just milling about. That is highly visible but it makes me feel so much less secure because things are obviously mindless. If you have two or three people at a checkpoint and train them well it should be more effective than 35 dummies.
Doublecheck
This hasn’t happened recently, but I have been checked at two checkpoints in a row. This makes me scared cause it means they’re not communicating. It’s a simple thing to SMS a license number to the next checkpoints where they can write it in a log-book. It’d be better if it was computerized and even better if they tracked license numbers to see what was regular and irregular traffic, but I digress. Again, a little invisible thinking provides more security than all the visibile bodies you can muster.
Targets in Colombo
Some people should be moved to more secure locations rather than forcing the entire country to move around them. I’ve never seen public servants behave with such disregard for their masters. If the people on Bauddhaloka Mawatha are such high targets they should move. I have to drive at least a kilometre around almost daily and the collective costs in petrol in time are not worth it for the nation. Those buggers should move somewhere secure with roads they can secure rather than putting a big roadblock in front of national productivity. This is not to mention all the scattered offices on Flower Road, near Matiland Crescent, Gregory’s etc. Move.
I’m not even getting into the larger issue, but Sri Lanka’s security policy is all visibility and no efficiency. There is also no cost/benefit analysis or though to the nation they are hobbling and the costs to the economy and everyday life. That is what we’re fighting for and we should pay it something more than lip service. I don’t want to see security every day, I just want to be secure.
I want to visit my friend in China before he comes back. Free place to crash and all. So, I applied for a visa to China, from Colombo. I’m not sure I’ll get it, but this is process to at least apply. For official but incomplete info, check out the 
The Mahavamsa (a history of Sri Lanka) is full of conflicts between generals and kings. Usually, the more bloodthirsty and unscrupulous would win. Our current (elected) ruler Mahinda Rajapaksa has had his own general conflicts, namely with one Sarath Fonseka. In the old days Fonseka would have staged a coup, as in literally try to cut of Mahinda’s head, and Mahinda would – if that failed – tie him to four elephants and split his parts asunder. Can’t do that shit anymore. Instead Fonseka ran for office and lost and Mahinda tossed him in jail.
Today on the 
Janith has updated 
Most people in Sri Lanka including myself feel secure with a greater visibility of police presence. You’re an exception. Has anyone told you that you look like a Tamil indi? I remember back in 2002 when I was living in Battaramulla, the area surrounding the main intersection was full of Tamil youths who work in the shops (many of them recent migrants from the north after the ceasefire) after 10 o’clock and we felt very uneasy in their menacing (and often aggressive) presence. I felt the same when my car broke down one night in Wellawatte.
Even if the VIPs and VVIPs were moved away from metropolitan Colombo it has many economic and civilian targets that need to be protected, particularly in the background of Thamil Chelvam’s explicit threat to attack Sinhalese civilians in Colombo in retaliation to the Sencholai bombing.
If you don’t like it, better consider moving out.
Mal you are such a bitch.
grow up, you think a bunch of tamils would attack you? its not worth it even if they are ltte. there is no reason for you to be ‘uncomfortable’ .
The point is that feeling secure isn’t the same as being secure. It’s a global debate in the security community, and a valid one. If you feel so secure you should consider moving back from Australia.
Aloha Indie,
I have’nt been in Colombo for many many years, however , Colombo has been called a dangerous city in a Japanese Magazine for what reason, I have no clue ! But, it seems bro. the SLP needs to stepup big time in Colombo with regards to Security. I’m no expert since I have’nt been home for 20+ yrs. so having said that it’s good to see roadblocks but, doest that make the LTTE be more creative… of course ! Remember 2 weeks ago the US Coast Guard nabbed a LTTE sympathiser on that Cocaine filled sub off Puerto Rico. Has anyone in Colombo figured out what the heck he wuz doing helping the Cali Cartel summgle drugs ? Folks, ya’ll better stay on your toes cuz, this sadly is the begining ! But, I’m glad you guys are Ok ! Enjoy your comments too ! But, here the law enforcment are on the LTTE tail and LTTE cant use the persecution card anymore since the war on Terror here ! Gotta Love babe !
Good post mate. Hope you dont mind me adding my 2 cents of constructive critisism. Firstly I dont think we cant really comment on the Invisible part of it, as that would be mainly handled by the Intelligence Community of SL to which I have no connections. However the lack of it was notable during the “Millenium City” incident.
35 dude’s at a checkpoint. He he. I did a post on Checkpoints in SL. My point as yours is the practicality of them. We all know that most of the Vehical’s with Bombs were caught by tip off’s and not the Forces identifying them, as the LTTE is not foolish enough to plant bombs in plain sight, and it’s not practical to check every vehicle in a similar manner. Employing one Sniffer Dog in place of those30 odd officers would be more practical IMO. If there is a lack of Sniffers, I think it’s about time that they start Breeding and get down more. Coz you aint gonna get any where holding a mirror under a car, thats simply “Old School”.
As for “Double Check”. I’m not sure whether we can avoid this. Use electronical means, would mean opening up the ability for some one to hack the system. From sending an SMS posing as a Police officer to Hacking the entier Computer System to enable a Payload of Bobms to be delivered to it’s target without being checked at a single Check Point. Also it gives you an added possibility of catching some one in the 2nd go. A similar place of Double Checking is the Galle Face Stretch where you have about 3 check points. Some times you may cruise passed em and some times you might get stopped in atleast 2 (like my uncl).
What ever said and done, I couldn’t agree with you more on shifting Political Targets. If Sri Jayawardhenepura is the Capital, the Parliament is located there, and Govt. Offices are shifting over there, well it’s time to shift the Parlimentarians as well as their offices. It makes sense as it would be lesser area for those chaps to travel in fear, lesser aount of fuel waisted on their conveys and one stop shop for our people to get things done. Economic targets being gaured is one thing. That is a measly checkpoint at the Entrance and Exit. Guarding Politicians require the entire freaking road to be closed down.
Security is a relative idea, and I would feel relatively more secure with a bigger police presence. The question is, if you feel so uneasy at a checkpoint full of soldiers, how would a wannabe terrorist feel? That’s the whole point of overt presence.
good points. but the reality is that given the paucity in security intelligence etc. strength in numbers seems to be our only strength. One time the CID was due to investigate some dodgy lodge in front of seeya’s house, and they had called up the occupants in advance to let them know that they will be arriving at 8pm.
Intelligence isn’t going to shoot up overnight given the resources available to most cop sheds, criminal really. That is however the unfortunate reality.
on an unrelated note, is clancy’s pub quiz still on on monday nights? well, tonight in particular?
Since you asked, the Pub Quiz is moving to the Inn on the Green from next Wednesday (the 20th). Setting up time: 8pm. Start: 8:30pm. Same wonderful quiz masters.
OK, Indi, a lot of your complaints are quite common to most civilians. Don’t mean to sound condescending, but it’s true. As Mal says, most people feel more secure with visible security measures. And making people feel secure is important, almost as important as making them secure. If you don’t, you risk people making themselves secure via vigilante groups, etc. I had a similar debate with Aadhavan on this some time ago. However silly and pointless the security measures may seem, they have a deterrant effect and help disrupt terrorist activity. No terrorist is going to try and run a checkpoint (however ineffective) with weapons or explosives on board. Let me explain some of the reasons for the apparent silliness you’ve pointed out:
Overmanned checkpoints: If its during rushhour, the OIC might have decided more men were needed so that several cars can be checked simultaneously. You often see this with traffic cops doing alcohol checks on Friday & Saturday nights too. Your Independence Square cops might have been screening another operation going on nearby by security or int. Who knows? Very often the invisible effects the visible.
Double checking: In Colombo, many police stations don’t have routine comms with each other (don’t laugh, the FBI hadn’t email facilities in its Washington Field Office — the biggest in the US — until 2004), and so the Bamba cops might set up a VCP by the flats and check your right after you’ve been checked near the Savoy by the Wella cops. Sometimes it’s intentional, to prevent a vehicle picking up people or weapons immediately after a VCP. When I went to Batti by bus somewhere in ’93, we were thoroughly checked every kilometre, and it was intentional.
Targets in Colombo: Why would the VIPs move to a secure (and easily ID’d) location outside the city? The same reason the LTTE doesn’t move its important facilities away from the tamil population in the NE. The fish swims in the water. Besides, a secure hard facility will cost cash. Yours.
Yes, we need smarter measures. But that doesn’t mean there are no smart measures in place either.
I don’t think military experience puts anyone in a position to ‘condescend’ to civilians. There’s nothing wrong with being a civilian and there’s nothing inherently intelligent about the military.
As to cost, the economic costs of the current security procedures are much higher. Another complaint of mine is that no one does cost/benefit analysis to see how this will affect the country and achieve the broader objective of a prosperous and peaceful Lanka
I said I didn’t mean to sound condescending, because I recognized that my statement might sound condescending; even though that was not my intent. Hope that’s clear enough. Don’t be so touchy. I have nothing against civilians. In fact, I am one!
As for cost, it’s probably true that current roadblocks, closed roads, etc cost as much as a new secure complex. However, having a secure complex outside the city won’t solve the problem of temporarily closed roads. VIPs will still have to travel into the city for various reasons. The solution is to move all govt departments, ministries, and in fact the who administration out of the city. Plus embassies, and in fact, anything connected to the GoSL. This isn’t practical.
Do you mean a cost/benefit analysis of VIP security vs prosperity?
I’ll add my two cents into this debate.
. I agree with Indi on the waste of resources when it comes to the deployment of police officers to a single check point. Won’t it become a case of too many cooks spoiling the soup? Or it could be that out of the 10 (average number at high security points) or so police officers, three officers will be innvolved in the actual checking of a vehicle while the other seven are just milling around doing little to nothing. At most they are there to have a conversation with the person(s) being checked as I found out recently.
JustMal argued, validy I might add, that a higher security presence is comforting to most citizens. In a way, I agree with you as well. If not actually sucessfull in catching a would-be terrorist, it serves to give the nation a sense of ease knowing that measures are in place. However, when bombs keep going off regardless of these measures then we have to question the sucess rate of such measures? Either the check points are in the wrong place or the police offers are checking the wrong cars. At that point, a lot of people can say that the government’s security measure of increasing security is nothing more than a smoke screen designed to give the common man the impression that things are somewhat rosy when that is clearly not the case.
The issue of double check is annoying, I admit, but it atleast makes some semblance of sense unlike the 10 officers to a check point trend. I was driving from Gatsbys to Pillows and back when we were stopped every few metres. Thrice in Duplication Road before Liberty Plaza. In all these cases, we told the officers there that we were checked just up the road, but they said they had no way of checking and, therefore, had to check again. In such cases, couldn’t a simple radio message to the previous sentry points be sufficent? Give them the licence plate number and ask for the time at which they were checked. If they were checked at a time interval during which it would be impossible for the passengers in question to load explosives into the vehicle, then let them go. Simple. Efficent. Effective.
The VIPs. Contentious issue, but I don’t see how moving them all to one part of Colombo is going to help the security situation. Sure, it will mean that traffic in areas such as Baudhaloka Mawatha will move relatively freely, but that will also mean that such areas – I am referring to areas that used to have strict security – will become increasingly attractive to the LTTE as a potential targets for random bombing – a sure fire method of instilling fear in the minds of citizens especially to people who are under the (false) impression that the target has to be visible, commercial and central to be of any significance.
Finally, JustMal, you are being very paranoid about the Tamil youth in your area and on the occasion of your car breaking down in Wellawatte. And then we are the first to jump down on the White Man who feels uncomfortable in the presence of so many ‘darkies’. Its that sort of paranoia that gives rise to mass hysteria.
I’ve been in the deep south, possibly miles away from the nearest Tamil citizen, handicaped by the fact that I can’t speak Sinhala without sounding like a retard. I had two choices: let paranoia overtake me so I could assume that everyone who eyes me is a member of Sihala Urumaya (or any other Sinhalese extremist) who would want to do very bad things to a lost Tamil bugger like me; Or I could smile, try my level hardest to communicate with them and ask for help. I chose the latter.
Moral of the story: don’t get paranoid. Just saying.
The main problem was that these youths were believed by the community to be LTTE spies who were sent to Colombo by Pottu Amman. Pretty paranoid in retrospect, but this is a good example of how suburban Sinhalese feel. As for Wellawatte, I had heard many scary stories about the Tamil mobs in this area and it was very uncomfortable for me and my littel bro to sit in a car with an overheated engine in the middle of “enemy” territory. At the personal level though, I do not have prejudices against individual Tamil people. But I have to admit that as a collective group, I tend to mistrust them. Can’t help it.
Labour is one of the cheapest resources in Sri Lanka. That’s why government agencies and institutions are so overcrowded.
That is paranoia, Mal. “Tamil mobs”, “enemy territory”???? You should take a close look at the real enemy territory. Believe me, Wella will seem like a cozy bit of real estate in comparison. Even when I was in the Army, my family lived in Wellawatte, and I never felt safer. It’s still one of my favourite areas of the city. Especially the Rosewood Bar at the Sapphire — one of the best pubs in the city, BTW — if you don’t mind sharing the bar with a few dangerous-looking northerners.
this ethnic problem will never be resolved until attitudes like this change. This general, irrational, unapologetic demonizing and paranoia of the “other” is what continues to fan the flames of this ethnic problem. If you believe Tamils as a group are dangerous thugs out to get you, you would never even dream of allowing them to be equal partners with you in the task of nation building. I hope these voices aren’t the dominant ones in Sinhala society, because if they are, genuine peace doesn’t stand a chance.
What Wellawate have you been in! I can walk into any of those little Jaffna style kaddes and eat with my friends in the night and have no issues at all.
Have to agree with Blacker. Except of course about the moving the politicians out bit. You have to admit this is tiresome machan. And the knock on effect on the economy is just not right. I was stuck at the Hilton one day trying to get to Sugathadasa Stadium on the opening day of SAG for 2 hours. I happened to be going to the same place HE was going, but what about all the people who had meetings, appointments?
The GOSL can’t adopt the same logic that the LTTE does in this regard. They aren’t a guerilla organisation.
I didn’t say it cant. Just that it won’t.
Sorry, just realized that the above statement didn’t make much sense. It’s not a case of adopting LTTE logic. More that it’s a natural phenomenon for the fish to swim in the water than on land.
About the rajagiriya check point.. I was travalin in bus and stop at this check point. and it took only about 10 min to check all the passengers ID’s and inside the bus, I cant imagine how much time its take if there were only 2 or 3 police men
My issue with doublechecking is not that it’s inconvenient but just that it shows that information isn’t being gathered or shared. If there are a couple people at each Checkpoint I’d like to have them gathering and sharing data.
For example, our car is pretty regular traffic through Battaramulla and not worth checking often, a lot of cars are. If they had some records they could see the normal traffic and see the anomalies. You could even just plug the license numbers into a program to highlight high-risk targets. What bugs me is that there’s this simple data collection opportunity that’s wasted.
Come off it. It’s a 3rd World country. What do you want, London bobbies? Nothing in the govt, civil, or public service works anywhere near what it’s supposed to. Why should the cops be different? I’d be happy if they could handle traffic and provide adequate public transport, bugger security.
Ind machan that process, while admirable in the abstract is flawed in practice. You can’t have only the anomalies checked. How can changing personnel at every checkpoint keep track of the different vehicles that pass at the same time every day. Chances are it’s a different bugger everyday waving the stop sign. Even if information was gathered and shared, the LTTE truck will be 12 miles away before the checkpoint finds out that they should have stopped it because it didn’t go past the last few days.
Also it would be a simple project for the Tigers to become part of the statistics and slip a couple of claymores in the trunk when they were satisfied that they won’t be checked. I park at the Hilton, I’m checked (by the same buggers) EVERY day. I nod, smile and wave my hand.
Checkpoints are placebos.
fair enough, random checks are almost always better anyways. Urgh
-the main intersection was full of Tamil youths who work in the shops (many of them recent migrants from the north after the ceasefire) after 10 o’clock and we felt very uneasy in their menacing (and often aggressive) presence-
jesus! menacing?! just after you’ve mentioned that they were youths who work in the shops and have just migrated from the north? do you just feel uncomfortable around tamils, in general, or what?
It’s natural to feel threatened by a group of rowdy drunk youths who are shouting in a language you don’t understand in the middle of the night at a deserted spot of the road, and stare at you as if they are going to mug you. Get off from your sanctimonious politically correct high horse. Anyone would feel the same if they were in my position. The fact that they were recent migrants probably did contributed (there you go, I said it) to my fear. I wouldn’t feel the presence of a normal Colombo Tamil. Won’t a white man in America feel the same in the presence of a group of black men? Reality over idealism. This is how most people feel.
Let me tell you another story. I went for jogging one night and some fucking junkie mugged me at knife point in front of Domino’s in Rajagiriya. Was there any bloody cop around? No!!! Before the ceasefire there were dozens of cops and soldiers everywhere in this neighbourhood at all hours.
Mal, I think you’re taking out your frustration at the general lack of law & order by focusing on the Tamils. You started off with a group of Tamil shop workers who became a “mob”, who are now “rowdy drunk youths who are shouting in a language you don’t understand”. Was the junky a Tamil too? I have generally found Tamils (drunk or sober) to be a bit better behaved than the Sinhalese. Your mugging may make you generally afraid on the street after dark (that’s not unnatural), but blaming it on Tamils won’t make it go away. A lot of the crime in Colombo and the south is Sinhalese-generated.
“Won’t a white man in America feel the same in the presence of a group of black men? ”
And when he does that we are the first to harp on about racism and how the white folk continue to opress us. Double standards – you gotta love it.
Just because most people feel that way doesn’t mean its right.
I am not just being politically correct. All I am saying is that its that kind of attitude on a macro level which continues to prolong is silly ethnic conflict.
Just Mal is a bit out of it, not to take so seriously. His definition of the ‘real world’ is one where it’s OK for police to beat people in custody and all NGOs are corrupt because Norway is trying to steal our oil. Now you can add to that random Tamil youth out to get him. It’s a bit paranoid and noxious and, as mentioned, not to be taken too seriously.
This can happen, electra. But then Tamil people must be feeling threatened all the time.
Coming from someone whose mom allegedly stole millions from worldbank funded NGO projects, it’s not a surprise to hear these words. Has someone ever told you that you were uglier than your sister indi? You skinny little hairy black cunt who looks like the missing link between apes and humans.
In a perfect society, it’s not OK for police to beat up people. But if you have a choice between terrorists and criminals running amok and the police beating up the odd suspect to elicit a confession, most people would accept it. Most people in Colombo do accept it as a fact of life. Since you only hang out with your blog buddies (do you have any real friends other than that?) you probably don’t know how most people think. This is because most people live in reality while you live in a semi utopian fantasy (not a surprise as you never seem to be sober). I wonder why you drink so much. Does living like an ugly puny fuck make you hate life?
Most politicians in Sri Lanka are corrupt. NGO activists are politicians as well. It’s just that they are not elected by the people and they don’t have any accountability to the public. That makes them worse.
Any western country that gets involved in a third world country would do it only for strategic and/or economic benefits. US in Iraq/Afghanistan, Australia in East Timor etc are similar examples. If you think Norway is just spending millions of dollars for nothing in return, you’re a holy fuckwit.
NGOs doesnt use ‘Public’ Money, and they are accountable to their funders.
Any charity is accountable to the government. NGOs in other countries are monitored by the governments. They are not above the law. If they choose to get involved in politics, governance, policy making and aid they must be transparent. You’re like those Sri Lankan trishaw drivers who say they do not have to abide by any regulations (uniform, id, set fares) because they are self employed. That’s a dumb fucking argument only to be expected from a corrupt ngot. Any organisation, especially ones firmly commited to dividing Sri Lanka and promoting the Tamil racist cause should hindered, blocked, restricted and terrorised at every point.
“Any organisation, especially ones firmly commited to dividing Sri Lanka and promoting the Tamil racist cause should hindered, blocked, restricted and terrorised at every point. ”
…..are you advocating terrorism?
Depends on what your definition of terrorism is. I certainly would not publicly support suicide bombs and abductions.
However, I do believe that the current atmosphere where ngots act as if they can get away with anything just because they are working for foreign affiliated organisations must be changed. A general climate of uneasiness must be created against them by the use of media, public protests, smear campaigns, legal means etc. Any ngot involved in the slightest illegal act (smoking pot, cruising in the mt lavinia beach for homosexual prostitutes etc) should be publicly prosecuted and used against the entire ngot community to discredit them. Ngots must be closely monitored to make sure that their income is declared and taxes paid correctly. A zero tolerance approach must be applied. We do not need to resort to illegal means because we have a many legal ones that aren’t being properly used.
Ngots are just another type of politicians, albeit without a people’s mandate or a seat in the parliament. They do run a parellel government in Sri Lanka and many other troubled nations. They are accountable to the Sri Lankan and not just their funders because their activities affect the Sri Lankan nation and the lives of its people.
It’s a fact of life that those who live by the sword (or profit by those who do) will die by the sword. Ngots who do the LTTE’s dirty work aren’t an exception. I do not advocate killing them but I’m not surprised that they are being gunned down by disenchanted groups.
Just Mal,
Attack the argument, not the man. If you fail to do that, you just appear incapable in front of more informed and intelligent people, and your argument falls apart. Don’t resort to baseless unsubstantiated personal attacks when you can’t justify your point of view. Back it up, or back off.
… and there go the last vestiges of Mal’s credibility, if you were wondering. Criticize the simplistic world-view and he attacks my family. Classy
Geez look where this is going.
Mal : Cool it dude. Your getting personal.
If your so freaking scared of Wellawatte. Try jamming your Car, next to the Kollupitya Flats. That place is filled with Kudda’s and what not’s along with the normal innocent people. Mate whether people are Sinhalese or Tamil or Musilm or what ever, if people are criminals it’s ok. But you cant make them criminal’s and terrorist just on their race or religion. Now that is out right Rasicm and Discrimination.
Get over your silly parnoid sense of state. There is more out there, than to be scared of Wellawatte mate. I being to every dingy shop there, eaten the best thosai and wadei’s without being able to speak a wolrd of tamil. (Ok maybe “Wanga” “Ponga” “Ondu” “Rendu” “Mundu”.. and ofcourse “Mutta Kottu” and “Mutta Roti”). I’ve walked the streets of Wellawatta at all odd times mate. There is nothing additionally to be afraid than being afraid walking in any street be it Wellawatte, Colombo 7, or Matara.
This is off the Topic, but if you think a Sinhala Mugger is not going to mug you just beacuse your Sinhala your soo wrong, as wrong as your going to think a Tamil youth is going to mug you just because your Tamil. Tamil & Muslim people are more hospitable than Sinhalese. You go to any Shop be it a “Bath Kade” to a “Clothes Store” you’ll find those people attending to your needs and serving you extra, where as a Sinhala mudalali, woudn’t care two hoots. You may call this being Business Minded, but then if so it’ll be a Sinhalese who will be “Under Cutting” you.
Max’s last statement is true actually.. Completely agree with it.
About the check points? Is there any effort to make them more planned? Why not have more checkpoints in strategic places places rather than in heavily traffiked areas. Most people i have met were just tired of all the checkpoints instead of feeling so secure about them. While it may be impractical to move ALL the bigwigs out of Colombo, at least moving some of them will improve matters.
What is with all the hatred towards the NGOs? Coming to work today, i saw posters on bus stands condemning the worldbank. ‘Get Lost’ it said? c’mon. I wonder how they are going to help this country. Pocket money out of their own pockets? I bet they’d build orphanages with their own hands eh..
Heavily traficked areas are often the strategic places. Like Dehiwela bridge. Where else would one put a vehicle checkpoint except where vehicles are? You have to put VCPs at the choke points. Someone trying to get into the city’s going to come in at rushhour, not 1am. Yes, we are frustrated by the delays caused by VCPs, but whenever there’s a bomb blown, everyone points out how they saw x, y, or z type of vehicle, loaded with a, b, or c, “and the cops didn’t even check the buggers, machang”. Be glad our forces don’t behave like the Brits in Northern Ireland, where when the threat levels were high, one would have to leave home at 4am to get to work in Belfast at 8.30am (if you lived outside the city), cos the VCPs were checking EVERY SINGLE rushhour vehicle. Secrity measures are on the thin line between securing and allowing freedom.
Security is like the medical field; everyone thinks they know better than those trained in it.
Just a point on the World Bank, bit off topic I know but then it appears most of this thread is off topic, the WB unfortunately is not one of the better global institutions and is particularly bad at the issues they are supposed to resolve, namely poverty alleviation, social justice and the environment. Just check out http://www.bicusa.org/en/Issue.4.aspx for some background reading
Oh. I forgot. You were ‘trained in it’.
This is a discussion, where we try to figure out ideas that could work. The bad ones get beaten out and the good ones that weather the criticism remain. No issues with that.
Ha ha. Wasn’t talking about myself, Andre. But what I meant is that worldwide, the general population always thinks the buggers in charge are useless at security. They’re still complaining about it in the UK, even though the security services busted the last AQ attempt. My point is that it’s always hard to debate such an issue because we (myself included, obviously) see only the visible measures, and not the invisible. Often the former makes a bit more sense in the context of the latter.
well, like you said David, this is a third world country. Do you really believe that proper planning is going into security check points? Refering to the police clumping together, i did see app. 6 policemen clumped together for an hour or so near Galle Face yesterday. And no, it was not near the check point either.
But ok. Get your point about ppl criticising security even in Europe. Maybe we shouldn’t be critical. much.
I think that mugger did you a great dis-service by not using the fucking knife.
Typical ngot view. So anyone who criticises Tamils/ngots should be killed with knives. lol.. Fuck yourself with a banana you ugly fuck.
Don’t disturb the child Sophist, his mother told him about the scary Tamils and the NGO bogeyman and he’s happy with that worldview. Try not to mention anything more complex than a chauvanist fairy tale, he might throw another tantrum
Actually I don’t know what my parents think about politics. I wasn’t brought up to hate Tamils. My dad does some occassional work for NGOs (although he’s not an ngot).
Ah well… as I said again, it’s not a surprise that someone whose (equally butt ugly) mother supposedly stole millions from world bank funds comes to the defence of all ngots. And look at your faggot ass dad man. That son of a bitch would go and support anyone who pays him enough, even mahinda rajapakse at the last election. It runs in the family eh. Btw, I have you ever wondered why your dad looks very different from you and your sis.
When losing an argument, insult your opponent’s family – tis the Sri Lankan way after all.
Do you have any evidence to back up your claim concerning the allegations you make.
If you do then please present them, otherwise SHUT UP!
Errr… just for reference, I dont think my mother has worked for the World Bank, though she may have. She has worked for other international organzations on education research. My dad’s political preferences are his own, though if you read his writing I’d doubt that you find him supporting Mahinda Rajapakse. I’d be interested to see any evidence otherwise.
Basically, it’s the same knee-jerk xenophobic attacks I usually get, and they’re always incorrect. Btw, my mother is beautiful. That comment was written on her birthday.
Harr HArr HaRr!!
I am ze evil NGO man! I cum to eats all uf yous! I vill suck you alls dry! Run my prettiez! Run!!
Trishaws remain the only reliable and efficient form of public transport precisely because ‘they do not have to abide by any regulations (uniform, id, set fares) ‘
Regulate tuk-tuks you cripple the industry. Similar with NGOs.
For wi(mal)-types this is a good thing, after all they think aid agencies should be terrorized not only beurucratically crippled. Sure gives a new meaning to ‘counter-terrorism’
Oh please. Taxis in all developed countries are regulated. Regulation isn’t a bad thing if done correctly. This is not an anarchist utopia you dumb fuck.
There’s a difference though. Taxis should be regulated to make the service much better for the people, whereas with NGOs, regulation should be used to cripple and restrict them.
it isnt anarchism fukso. it’s simple economics. anyone who has waited for a bus outside of colombo and taken a ride in what we call the railway wud know that what these people-friendly regulation has done.
Most regulation seems to look good in the abstract. when put into practice they often fuck things up. especially in terms of set-fares in the case of transport.
Deane, just a note about Trishaws. Regulating them does not really cripple the industry. They are still going strong in India even with the regulations.
But NGOs are regulated. By their donors. If they do not make use of the funds given, and if they cannot produce deliverables, they lose their funding. Granted, there are NGOs that side track due process. But not all.
yeah.. that’s kinda what i seaid earlier. they are accountable to their funders, as they shud.
As for tuktuks.. well kinda off topic.. crippling may be atoo strong a word. isnt it better the consumers ‘ regulate’ the tuktuks. works better this way.
Quite difficult for the customer to regulate the tuktuk, they always end up screwing you. I love the Indian regulation of having meters. Except of course, the trishaws charge you one and a half times the meter after 9.30.
I heard on the radio that a trishaw could go 20 km on a single litre of fuel.
Um.. I think I’ll stop. We might have to start another post on trishaws..
except the indian regulation seems to restrict the service as pointed out by nan. And no, if you have used enuf tuktuks in SL u’d know there are very little of them screwin u. and some of our buggers are starting to have Meters all on thier own.
Indian regulations do not restrict service. I’d go out of my way to get to a regulated Auto stand.
As for the Sri Lankan chaps. Well, maybe they are better than their Indian counterparts. But they still do screw you, mostly the Colombo drivers.
Regulation of fares does in fact have an impact on the availability of threewheelers in many major Indian cities, specially during peak times such as when people go to work and return from work. At times I’ve had to stay on the walking around to find three wheeler for upto one hour! Sometimes Autorickshaw (as three wheelers are called in India) drivers would ask where I want to go and when I tell him he would go off saying he is not interested going in that direction! When does that happen in Sri Lanka?
This is the inevitable result of regulating prices.
For example consider this letter to the editor in the Deccan Herald -
Auto menace
Sir, On 27th September 2005, we had a programme after which no autorickshaw was willing to ply us back. Apart from non-compliance, their behaviour was also rude. http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/Oct42005/editpage1647432005103.asp
Or conside this taken from the blog http://hazycolours.blogspot.com/ (In the 17′th septembet post)
Walking on a wet road covered with muck, and observing all autorickshaw drivers refusing pedestrians with disdain, I wondered what makes them tick. One day, between seething in anger and puzzling over some complex issues at work, I realized that the autorickshaw driver’s propensity to take me from the station to home is driven by his expectations on the following:
a) Condition of the roads or rc
Those are the very reasons i’d use to say that regulation is necessary! It is because they are so disdainful that we need regulations. So when they refuse to take you, what happens is that you can make a complaint. And when they over charge you, you can always report it to the nearest police station.
That is why these regulated auto stands are so good. They have to take you whereever you want to go.
You can’t make them take you iof they don’t want to. If you impose maximum fares, then you’d just get less three weheelers in the night. Three wheeler drivers are available even at 3 in the morning because they know they can charge higher prices and therefore staying up at ungodly hours is worth their while. At the same time, the fact that there are so many three wheelers competing for business keep fares down. In my opnion, you don’t need to regulate three wheelers at all.
No you dont. but it’s very Sri Lankan to take something perfectly fine and break it. Maximum fares, and government setting fares is why all other modes of transport in this country suck. you never really find 3-wheeler buggers not taking you where you want to go , if they did you’d simply walk over to the next guy. Nor do you find any of them striking. (except once when there was no fuel available)
so this complaints system is not necessary, nor is it practical, SL currently has a complaints system for buses. but nobody uses it, who can be bothered?
SL needs to privatise Rail, and liberalise the Bus industry. that’s quite obviously is the common sense solution, precisely why it wont get implemented.
Apologies for making this thread a tuk-tuk debate.
Andre, you said – Those are the very reasons i’d use to say that regulation is necessary!
Actually those are things that exist in India which does in fact regulate 3 wheelers quite severely.In other words, those are problems that exist in India where 3 wheelers are regulated and don’t exist in Sri Lanka where 3 wheelers are not regulated!
In Sri Lank we don’t have to face the problem of walking along the road for 1 hour or so at certain times of the day hoping to find a 3 wheeler! This is not the case in India where the number of three wheelers on the roads doesn’t match the demand for them due to the fact that people are dissuaded from running threewheelers due to inadequare profitability. That’s caused by the fact that they regulate fares.
And if we happen to live in an area where it is inconvenient for 3 wheeler drivers to go to (or if we want to travel at a time where it is inconvenient for them to stay awake!), we have the option of negotiating a hire fare that compensates for that inconvenience instead of being stranded on the road. Negotiating fares is a strict no no in India where fares are strictly regulated.
Andre, you said – So when they refuse to take you, what happens is that you can make a complaint.
The idea of bringing up regulations to forcing 3 wheeler drivers to take you somewhere in his vehicle is not fair to 3 wheeler drivers. It’s their life, their 3 wheelers and they have a right to decide who they want to allow inside their vehicles. Fortunately, those kinds of regulations are unenforcable as is clear from the link to the letter to the editor that I provided earlier.Wanting to force somebody to take you somewhere in his vehicle even though he doesn’t want to do it is wrong.
Good grief. We are just saying the same things over and over again. I dont feel like repeating myself, and maybe we’ll grind out this issue if there ever is a post on Autos. Chal!
I was about to write that in many Indian cities it’s difficult to find a trishaw when you need one. Due the fact that fares are regulated, deman exceeds supply during certain times of the day.
To say something about the expectation that security/police should be a bit more sophisticated and er.. organized:
“This isn’t Canada, Indi.”
Also remember the story Sach once said about SL Police: the Bear says, “Budu mahattayo mata gahanna epa. Ow mama thamayi haawa!”
We can’t expect much. But of course we can comment.
How did Canada become the Canada it is today?
Are we just going to sit around on our asses and say, this is Sri Lanka. We are a third world country. And we cant do a thing about it!
The way we can affect change is to point something out, and create a big enough fuss about it..
I think you should all take a look at this post by the Benevolent Dictator. It’s fairly insightful with regard to the matter of treatment of civilians at checkpoints.
http://the-benevolent-dictator.blogspot.com/
Gee whiz – what a post… this mother-slandering stuff by Just Mal (closet living relative being Dextr no doubt) has happened to a few other bloggers. I suppose Theena is right it is very Sri Lankan.
The other side of the coin would be that Just Mull lives in some dowdy far flung suburb in the land of Oz where he struggles to compete and hates the fact that in Oz most Tamils are 100 times more educated and wealthy than he’ll ever be. Hence the massive inferiority complex, chip on shoulder and hateful racisit attitude.
You should go home and live amongst your JVP anti NGO, NGOT and NBLOODYANYTHING nutters – just sending those evil thugs and terrorists money is not enough mate – put your life on the line for them too.
Reason you got scared in Wellawate is because you hate Tamils and you know that people can instinctively pick up on that sort of hatred. Just as all these Sihalese bloggers shun you, you’re probably shuned by most of the Sri Lankan community in Oz too.
In the end, it only takes one moron like Just Muck to ruin any attempt to bring peace to Sri Lanka and the harsh reality is thanks to decades of being run by politicians who played on the small minds of his sort we have nothing but war.
Ole’ Mahinda in Havana jumping up and down in a very one sided speech – the world is quietly sitting aside and thinking, right so you’re the one that’s going to save your country – NOT. So I guess, they’ll probably not be interested in investing in Sri Lankan or visiting it. So this country will continue to grind down into the abyss where those that thrive on war profiteering rackets and paranoia to make a crust are the only ones happy with our lot.
The inconvenience on checkpoints must be a real pain – I doubt there is safety in having more than 3-5 police/soldiers at these stops. Anymore than 10 would become targets – but hey the boys like to hang out after pay day, have a splif, get paranoid and boast about their exploits, everything from blowing up civilians to rape to knifing “ltte” cadres. Sad but true…
PS … indi does not look like a Tamil – just a geek with specks and very skinny legs – now this might come as a suprise to you Just Mad – but some people actually find that look attractive… lol
She still wants you Indi…
For yet another Just Mal (honestly if you have the intelligence to turn on a computer…) please see the last couple of comments from this bloke Madhan on Ravana – very interesting parallels.
Just Mal and Madhan are personifications of the mindset that will kill this country. Thank God Janapathi has taken our advise to go fuck himself.
*advice
Aloha Indi, You need these check points really bad in Colombo because, Security services still lack good intel on LTTE cells in Colombo. They lack tracking of lone terrorist . But, in the US they were able to apprehend these terrorist by the FBI due to tips and survellence by the Federal Agencies. I was relieved to hear the SL Police plan to install CCTV ! Finally you can have a face to terror and evidence. By the way I ‘m glad the US law enforcement wised up to LTTE nonsense here in the US with the arrest of those in opratives two weeks ago.
During the Fall of 1994 the Discovery Channel planned to broadcast a documentary on the LTTE Natioanlly at 6pm ! Guess what I never aired ! Period ! We were so eagerly awaiting the broadcast but, were so disapointed. As we later found out was due to LTTE sympathisers in New York who hoodwinked Discovery Channel execs into believing their plight. So it never aired !LTTE realised the negertive the documentary could have on their illigel fund raising here. But, during the Previews, it could has been awesome so the US audience to see the REAL LTTE ! So The Sl govt. needs to expose terror by any means !
Could we have a discovery program on GoSL too? That could be as interesting.
Actually There was a Documentry not long ago ! But, It only covered Tsunami development ! By the Check NPR Website for Documentry on Suicide Bombings by LTTE. I bet those Tigers hated that . There are many documentries on GOSL, which are very Fair and Balanced without the rhetoric and whitewash ! Good Luck ma’ Man !
Lol – I want Indi as much as I want you Sophist – stop crawling it’s pretty pathetic.
Just wondering why you bring up Janapathi all the time ?? He’s so disappeared on blogsphere except for your eternally bringing him up???
Aloha Indi,
We need a small favor from ya ! Noone seems to know why slow moving single engined aircraft are able to hit a flat area such as Katu even and not get shot down by the 40mm Bofors anti aircraft guns proximity to the runway at night ! so having said that, we are informed that the reason no SLAF aircraft pursued the Light aircraft due to damage to some of the Kfirs & Migs ? True or false ? 40% damaged ? Can ya find out bro. ?
East- West Center Study Group – Hawaii !
Beau, the Kfirs & MiGs have no night interceptor capability. Also, ever try to knock down a slow-moving prop aircraft with a jet? However, you might get some answers here: http://defencenet.blogspot.com/
Beau, you don’t sound as if you’re stupid enough to look to the military for “self reporting” of damages etc, especially the GOSL military…
unfortunately, David, the self annointed “military expert”, accepts their statements as gospel…
y hasn’t the GOSL let reporters or the SLMM into view the damage…???
‘Cos they don’t want public assessment of the damage, obviously. Do you really need stuff like this explained to you? Why doesn’t Prabha let reporters in to photograph his “Fuhrer bunker”? Or run articles on his kids studying overseas?
Good Point DB,
? ….. where are the F 7 ‘s refurbished in pakistan in 06′ ? In Defence digest almanac the SLAF AA capability mentions manpads from France true or False ? I recieved a cool pic taken by a guy on a Srilankan flight from Chennai that shows At KAB an AN 124 unloading the Mig 27′s and transporting them to the hangers plus one parked minus wings next to the H/door s ~
?…. WHY cant some of the Bombers be based at Hingurakgoda AB with the 7600ft runway ? I’m no expert brother, just asking so educate me son !
Last ? …. if SLAf bombed Iranmadu airstrip which I found on Google maps …. where the heck did they takeoff from Mulativu ? just checking ?
you make myy ppoint dumbshit… it was a retorical question…
if it was only a few copters damaged the GOSL woullda had the whole world in to see the “ineffectural” bombing…
since they didn’t YOU KNOW that the damages are much worse
Is that really you, Sherlock? Haven’t you noticed the increased bombing runs over the last two days? What do you think that is, God pissing on you?
You haven’t seen the damage, the SLAF has stepped up operations, but your conclusion is — ta da! — we’ve flattened the SLAF? Ha ha. I think you’ve got a semen buid up in the brain, machang. Comes from reading too much Tamilnet. Shit, you buggers are easily entertained. No wonder the LTTE’s been able to gang baang you guys for twenty years. You’ll believe anything. Ha ha.
answer my question…
if 40% are damaged then there’s still 60% function, no?
if there’s not migs of kfirs damage, prove it by letting SLMM in…
why you always talking about semen and homosexuality?
you repressing something?
is that why your wife kicked you out and sent your sorry ass back to SL?
“if there’s not migs of kfirs damage, prove it by letting SLMM in…”
Ha ha. Prove it to whom??? What do you think this is, a kindergarten fight? War isn’t about proving things, it’s about hiding the truth and destroying the enemy. And right now we’re doing a good job of it. And that’s why you guys are losing. The guys you had who knew how to fight are dead or now on our side. Now all you can do is “send messages”. This isn’t the postal service. Ha ha, “prove it”. That’s a good one.
And ‘Overlooked’, why’s this pic faked?
http://www.tamilnet.com/img/publish/2007/03/taf_9_60650_435.jpg
They’ve super’d Prabha’s fig over the Tiger in the centre (you can see the original guy’s blue collar still showing cos he’s taller than Prabha). So what’s up? Is he too scared to come out of the Fuhrer Bunker? And you scoff at the SLAF not letting journos in. At least the GoSL doesn’t need to fake pix of Mahinda visiting the East, whereas the knopw one really sees yoour great leader. Is he still in SL, or with his kids in Europe?
you’re funny…
why whould they go to the trouble to photoshop him in and then leave a “blue collar”?
there’s obviously someone standing behind him…
you’re grasping for straws…
Cos like everything else, the Tigers are no good with computers either.
Play nice, both of you
he started indi… you notice how he always gets personnal or starts name calling…
guess he’s a bit insecure
go to this page:
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=21668
now count the blue uniforms in the first group pic…
how many? 7
and now scroll down…
how many blue uniforms in the 2nd group pic…
6?
yes
so the blue collar is the 7th man standing behind Mr. P
you’re pathetic david…
Ha ha, I know you guys in the NE are not too familiar with Photoshop, but down here it’s commonplace. Of course there are only 6 blue uniforms in the second pic — as pointed out, Prabha’s been superimposed over the 7th. You really expect us to believe its a coincidence that the guy behind Prabha is almost exactly the same height and staanding in exactly the same pose? There are other tell-tale signs — they’ve screwed up the lighting, for instance; the other Tigers are lit from the left quarter (over the photographer’s left shoulder) but Prabha’s lit full frontal. These little things give away amateurish Photoshop work.
haha, very funny David, really thought better of you & thought your comments were bit bit more civilized than others!
I don’t care whether Praba’s pics were superimposed or it was a cartoon, not a big fan of Praba, but I’d trust him more than, any politicians in Lanka. Don’t care it is a scooter or cycle, I really respect him for their innovative skills! …compared to your government taking the taxpayers money to buy those modern supersonic fighter jets from Israel & etc…..spending millions that can’t even operate efficiently at night times (this I don’t know – read from a blog before).
Anyway, yeh, you are right, we know that you guys in the south are more familiar with photos /photoshops than us lot in the NE, cos we know the hardship you boys go through when those German & american tourists make you boys bend over while taking the favourite clips for their collection ;o)
“than us lot in the NE”
What “us lot”, Thamil? You don’t live in the NE, you live in the USA. So if any American tourists are coming over, it’s cos they’ve got tired of buggering the Tamils who are over there;)
“spending millions that can’t even operate efficiently at night times”
The SLAF don’t need a night capability for ground attack, ‘cos they’ve got total air superiority, my friend. You only need to sneak around at night if you can’t survive in the daytime. So rather than gloating about the LTTE’s “night capability”, you should recognise it for what it is — an inability to carry out daylight ops. Which is why Anura Banda’s statement today about attacks on the parliament is so ludicrous — who’s gonna bomb the parliament at night? All the dumb arse politicians are asleep at home. But this is just the excuse the SLAF needs to get a night capability. Thought it was tough on the NE Tamils now? Wait ’til there’s round-the-clock bombing. You can thank Uncle Prabha for that.
me….was born & brought up in Yapane (spelling?)….where I currently doesn’t matter…. I consider my self a “notherner”.
Facing round the clock bombing is not new for tamils my friend! They would have/ are facing it with or without Uncle P! Its just an excuse for racist-retards to bomb the tamil areas.
Our thanks goes to Uncle Praba any way for doing what he could & what he has done. ….he had already done a damn good job. Without him, tamils would have got wiped off
“where I currently doesn’t matter”
But it DOES matter, Thamil. If you lived in SL instead of the USA, you’d be able to see for yourself the misery the LTTE has brought on the NE Tamils. I’m sure from over there in the US it looks like Prabha’s doing a “damn good job”. The Tamils were never in danger of being “wiped off”, but there’s no doubt that the original Tamil militant struggle achieved many things. However, those things were all lost when the Tigers started killing other Tamil militants and anyone who had a different view from them. Therre’s always a time when a people need to look at their leaders and make some hard choices as to whether they can bring them their promised goals. The Tamils did that in the laate ’70s and early ’80s when they realised ineffectual protests weren’t working. Now, after 25 years of slaughter and nothing to show for it, they need to make some new choices.
And people like you, Thamil, who think you’re helping the Tamil cause by throwing money at the problem, are part of the problem. You’re funding the kidnapping of young kids, you’re paying for the death of old men and young mothers. You are patently ignorant of what’s happening on the ground, you’re fed on a diet of Tamilnet, and yoou’re happy to hide from the war. If you think Prabha’s doing such a “damn good job”, why the hell are you in the US and not here fighting and dying alongside your brothers and sisters? You know, I’ve talked to ex-Tigers, and they hate buggers like you more than they hate me.
FYI, I travel around….not permanently based in the US, Mr. Blaker!
I do visit S’Lanka often & I exactly know what the ground situation is in the coutry.
So you have met ex-tigers, you know tamils who hate tigers…blah blah blah, are you sure you are not being fed on big fat state sensored meida & military brainwash?
Yeh, I know what you are going to say Davis, you been there in the army ….and you know better. that’s fine, I have been there too Mr. blaker & seen the sufferingfrom MBRL, supersonic fighter jets, arrogant armed force (kadaya – spelling??) killing, raping & torturing innocent civilians. I can justify my self!
How about you guys, paying tax to your goverment, partly going to Karuna, so you guys are supporting child recruitment & extorsion too …huh?
any way, I know & have really good sinhala friends & families too, with whom I don’t talk politics, and I know they are very nice people, even better than some Tamils I have seen. Ooh yeh, and some of them are against the SLA occupation of Jaffna, but that is not right in your way of thinking is it.
Where I am, what I do doesn’t mean I can’t say what I feel is right David!! I don’t have to join tigers & fight the war to protect innocent tamil civilians, simply there are other ways.
Ok Tman,
Like Rodney King said after the los Angeles riot ” CCCCaaannntt weee aallll get aloooonng ” Know what I mean ! Thamil man … no offense baba …… ya full of hot jumbalaya babe why dont ya take a pill ‘n chill jack ! ya sound like all the other tiger sympathisers “it aint our fault it, he did it !” Hmmmm , I feel some Kim Il Sung feed coming from ya ! Do ay ever thought about joining the Hare Chrishnas chump ? They need someone like ya to play their drums Kimosabe !
Laters !