An appeal from all friends of Sri Lanka to come forward to prevent it from taking another wrong turn
History repeatedly teaches us how seemingly benign political leaders turned dangerous autocrats by taking cover behind symbols of peace or legal frameworks set in place to protect human rights. Swastika was a symbol of peace in South Asia. Even this was used by Hitler to recruit people en masse to commit crimes against humanity. Martin Luther King said “remember, all what Hitler did was legal”, because he wrapped up repressive agendas in legal frameworks that appeared to be humane on the face. This presses upon the fact that legality does not equate to morality in the test of time. Who might suspect that Sri Lankan government would abuse the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act to arrest media personnel who challenge the political status quo? Section 3(1) of the ICCPR Act of 2007 states that no individual should advocate national, racial, or religious hatred that incites discrimination, hostility, or violence. On the face of it this