indi.ca

Mervyn Silva after receiving one ceremonial beating, in 2007.

So, the latest turn in the Malaka/Rehan saga is that they guy they reportedly assaulted – an Army Major – has found the Major guilty of an offense (not being on duty). He’s also recanted his statement that he was assaulted, so Malaka and Rehan are out on bail, free to terrorize a lobotomized Colombo once again. Again, to repeat, the victim of the assault was guilty and the assailants have gone free. This has happened enough that it’s basically government policy.

Priorly, Mervyn Silva – the blockhead off which Malaka was chipped – assaulted the boss at Rupavahini (state-owned TV) for not airing a vulgar tirade he’d made. The staff of Rupavahini rallied and gave Mervyn a good thrashing and doused him with paint, a happy day for all Sri Lankans. The sense of justice, however, was short-lived. Various Rupavahini staff were later assaulted and stabbed in the bus, with impunity.

Mervyn and, by extension, Malaka provide circuses for the masses. They periodically assault someone and end up in a bit of trouble but inevitably get off, and the victims are inevitably punished more. It’s a sort of national immorality play. The lesson is that certain people are above the law and you are beneath their boot, so don’t you forget it. Also that impunity is inherited, so it matters who your father is.

This has been played out so many times that it’s pretty clear to everyone. Ministers and their sons have a license to thrash anybody. This includes police and Army, so definitely you.