Opinion

Book on Rabies for the public – by Prof. Nimal Senanayake

Published

3 years ago

2023/05/4

Reviewed by Prof. N.A. de S. Amaratunga PhD, DSc

Prof. Nimal Senanayake MD, PhD. DSc, FRCP, professor emeritus, eminent neurologist and creative writer and producer of drama and films, continuing his commitment to write in Sinhala on important health issues for public education, has published the 17th in the series and the chosen subject is the deadly Rabies of which the public awareness could be insufficient from the point of view of prevention and treatment to prevent death. Prevention of onset of the disease is not difficult if treatment is instituted soon after a dog bite or bite by other animals, like bats carrying the virus. Prof. Nimal Senanayake (NS) deals with these aspects adequately and in simple prose in his little book of 165 pages.

NS showing his proclivity to drama and suspense starts in dramatic fashion, bringing in bats rather than dogs to begin his story describing cases of rabies in Texas 1951, Florida 1953, and Pennsylvania 1953, all due to attacks from the sky, as it were, all bitten by flying bats coming down and biting without any provocation. All these bats were not blood sucking vampire bats but apparently harmless insectivora. NS’s intention clearly is not just drama but to draw the attention of the reader to the strong possibility of bats developing as vectors of deadly viruses as was the case with Corona and several other virus diseases which NS has written about. NS has mentioned that Rabies following bat bite had occurred in Sri Lanka, too.

NS then embarks upon a very interesting journey, through history, starting with Diana the Roman Goddess of Wilderness and the Hunt, and traces back the history of Rabies to 4000 years. He mentions great philosophers Democritus (500 BCE), and Aristotle (384 – 322 BCE) and the father of medicine Hippocrates, who had written about disease due to animal bites. Greek physician Galen (129 – 200 CE) had recorded the natural history of rabies and also treatment measures, including wound care, some of which are still valid. NS has commented on Arabian writings on rabies which is noteworthy as early development of medicine happened in the Arabian civilisation.

After history, NS switches over to his usual practice, adopted throughout this series,where he asks critical questions and gives lengthy explanations. These questions are those that may arise in the minds of science writers, students, patients and ordinary people. They are designed to bring out the most important information that these categories must know about rabies and also lively anecdotes. This is a very effective and efficient method of conveying the knowledge with brevity and clarity, that the author has developed with his vast experience of teaching and practice of medicine.

Beginning with the virology of rabies, with a description of the rabies virus, the author covers the entirety of all aspects of the disease. He connects up the physiology of the virus with the pathogenesis of the disease, how the virus enters the tissues of the human body, proliferates and then gains access to the nervous system through the peripheral nerves. What happens in the brain, when the virus reaches it and affects the brainstem, limbic system, etc., would be of particular interest to the medical students.

How the author looks at every aspect is exemplified when a question is asked whether the person who attends to the wounds of the patient could contract the infection and the explanation that follows showing how it could happen. Then the author explains why and how rabies is known as hydro-phobia, the horrendous result that ensues when the extremely thirsty patient attempts to take some water into the mouth and try to swallow it is the reason that causes severe fear of water in the mind of the patient. The physiological basis for this undue fear of water, according to the author, is ‘conditioned reflex’ and this is illustrated with the famous experiment by Pavlov and his dog. Similarly, the patient is horrified of the wind blowing against his body which, like water, causes severe shivering and muscle contraction. A comprehensive description of the possible animals that could be a vector for rabies is given and also how careful people should be about their pets and the danger of being suddenly attacked by these animals who may appear to be harmless, is vividly described.

Though these symptoms are seen in the advanced state, the early symptoms could be similar to those of common cold except that there could be radiating numbness at the site of the wound. The wrong beliefs that the patient may bark like a dog or even bite others have no basis and the origin of these beliefs is explained. But the caregivers must be careful not to get contaminated by salivary secretions of the patient, even on a minor wound or scratch on their skin.

The tragedy of the situation is that when the patient is not subject to severe muscle contraction and shivering he could be in his proper senses and he realises that he is facing a horrendous death. This state is really pathetic for everybody near and dear to the patient. Physio-pathological explanations of the often mysterious fearful clinical picture would be very useful to medical students. These fearful clinical features could be to some degree controlled with pain killers and sedatives. Apart from the nervous system other organs also may be invaded via the nerves and consequently heart failure and pneumonia could result. Merciful death would arrive with the patient going into coma due to the development of encephalitis which is not any different from other types of encephalitis.

After this comprehensive discussion on all the important aspects of rabies, the author talks about a rare type of rabies called paralytic rabies which is due to the spinal cord and the medulla oblongata being affected instead of the brain and brain stem. This condition is also known as the dumb or silent rabies as there is no violent spasms but a paralysis of limbs and other muscles. Yet slow death cannot be avoided. This type of rabies is more common with bat bites and there had been an outbreak of it of epidemic proportion in Trinidad in 1929 – 1931 period. Health authorities thought it was an outbreak of polio or botulism poisoning.

Author goes into details of diagnosis and draws our attention to the fact that the animal bite incident may even have been forgotten as onset of symptoms could be delayed. This makes diagnosis difficult and this is made worse by the fact that there may be several other conditions that may initially exhibit similar clinical features. NS with his usual thoroughness mentions that sometimes a person who has been bitten by a dog may undergo immense mental stress and go into hysteria which may simulate rabies!

NS gives a comprehensive description of tetanus which is one of the conditions that need to be differentiated in the diagnosis of rabies. Moreover tetanus could occur following bites by dogs and other animals who carry the bacterium that causes tetanus. In tetanus the bacteria do not travel upto the nervous system but the toxin it produces while proliferating in the depth of a wound could travel along nerves and effect the central nervous system. Spasms of muscles could result in a similar clinical picture to that of rabies though there are important differences that may help the doctor to suspect rabies. These differences are lucidly described by the author and illustrated with clear colour pictures which is a striking feature throughout the book which complements the text and adds value to the work. The fact that if adequate treatment is provided in good time tetanus could be fully cured which is not the case with rabies which needs to be nipped in the bud if it is to be cured is emphasized.

NS mentions botulinum toxin poisoning which is another condition that could mimic rabies. What is important to ordinary reader here is the fact that contaminated food, specially tinned fish that has gone bad could contain the toxin due to Clostridium botulinum contamination. NS does not forget to tell us how to detect the possibility of such contamination by an examination of the can of fish which would appear to be swollen and the fish would be blackish in colour. Other diseases that the author mentions, which may be clinically similar to rabies, are encephalitis caused by malaria, delirium tremens and poisoning by certain locally found wild fruits like “goda kaduru” and “attana” and also “ganja” which children may unknowingly consume.

Then the author deals with the tests that could be carried out to confirm the diagnosis particularly in the animal that had bitten the patient so that treatment could be started early to prevent death. He has a story to tell about the development of these tests and also the vaccines. He gives detailed account of how Frenchman Louis Pasteur succeeded in discovering anthrax causing bacteria in cattle and attempts at developing a vaccine against anthrax and also against rabies. Description of Pasteur’s attempt to experiment the rabies vaccine he had developed on a human being is full of drama and suspense. Scientific detail which could be boring is embellished with human drama which is a feature of NS’s writings that make them so readable. Author has written several pages on Louis Pasteur in order to emphasize the great importance of the ground breaking discoveries he had made which eventually helped mankind to combat many killer diseases caused by micro-organisms. The description of how Pasteur risks his life when he sucked into a tube saliva from a rabid dog is fascinating.

Next NS deals with the attempt at attenuation of the virus by Irish physician Sir David Semple (1856 – 1937) The attenuated virus could be used as the vaccine as it could initiate the development of immunity against the viral infection. Greater success was achieved by the efforts of Polish physician Hillary Koprowski (1960 -2013) and American bacteriologist Herald Cox (1907 – 1986) who used new methods to lessen the virulence of the virus. Methods of producing safe vaccines which may not have the complications of earlier varieties have taken vast strides with the development of DNA technology.

Finally, NS writes about prevention and treatment of rabies which is of vital importance as about 55000 die worldwide annually mainly due to ignorance, negligence and lack of facilities for vaccination. What should be done after being bitten by an animal which could be a vector of rabies are clearly described. The use of Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) and Anti-rabies Vaccine (ARV) and their mode of action is given in detail. This section is very important for the student as well as lay persons. The final chapter on animal management from the point of view of rabies prevention would be very useful for everybody, specially people who keep pets, animal lovers and animal farm keepers.

Prof. Senanayake has produced yet again a compact little book, full of knowledge important for everybody, written in beautiful Sinhala prose, like a story, simplifying complex matters and vividly emphasizing where emphasis is necessary. This excellent piece of work would be of use to ordinary people, medical students, postgraduates, animal farmers, and doctors who practice bread and butter medicine everywhere in the country.

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Opinion

Appreciation: D. L. O. Mendis Visionary Engineer, Philosopher, and Mentor

Published

5 hours ago

2026/01/2

Thilina Walpola

D.L.O. Mendis

Today, we honour the life and legacy of D.L.O. Mendis, a visionary engineer and philosopher whose contributions defined the standards of our profession. D.L.O. possessed a rare combination of analytical rigor and creative foresight. His numerous technical papers presented here and abroad related to water resources development stand as enduring monuments to his brilliance.

Beyond creating blueprints and technical specifications, D.L.O. presented bold ideas that challenged and strengthened our professional communities. He was a dedicated mentor to junior engineers, and a leader who firmly believed that engineering was, above all, a service to humanity. While we mourn this great loss, we take solace in knowing that his radical influence shaped our careers and the ethical code that governs our profession.

A Career of Integrity and Excellence

Throughout his career spanning more than 70 years, D.L.O. embodied the highest standards of integrity and technical excellence. He was particularly instrumental in advancing our

understanding of ancient irrigation systems, bridging the gap between historical wisdom and modern development.

Academic and Professional Journey

D.L.O.’s educational journey began at Ladies’ College(which accepted boys in lower grades at the time) before he moved to Royal College. He later entered the University of Ceylon as a member of the pioneering first batch of engineering students in 1950, graduating in 1954 in a class of nearly 25 students.

His professional path was distinguished and diverse:

Irrigation Department:

Served for nearly 10 years.

River Valleys Development Board (RVDB):

Contributed during the construction of the Uda Walawe reservoir.

Ministry of Plan Implementation:

Served as Deputy Director under Director M. S. M. De Silva, where his main contribution was the promotion of appropriate technology, particularly the advancement of historical Kotmale ironwork which has existed since the era of Parakrama Bahu the Great, and the South Eastern Dry Zone Project. (SEDZ).

Consultancy:

Served as a freelance consultant.

Leadership:

A prolific contributor of a large number of technical papers to the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL), eventually serving as its President.

Personal Reflections and Anecdotes

My association with D.L.O. spanned more than 50 years. I first saw him riding a bicycle past Akbar Hall while I was an engineering student. I later learned his family was residing at Prof. Paul’s residence nearby while he was serving at Uda Walawe Reservoir Project as a senior engineer for the RVDB.

Through D.L.O., I had the privilege of meeting legendary professionals outside the Irrigation Department, includingthe exceptionally bright M.S.M. de Silva and the international economist, Dr. Lal Jayawardena (Mr. N.U.Jayawardena’s son).

A Tribute to a Legacy

We extend our deepest gratitude for Mr. D.L.O. Mendis’slifelong service and offer our sincerest condolences to his family and colleagues. His monumental work and numerous publications remain a lasting gift to future generations of engineers.

May he attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana!

G.T. Dharmasena,
Former Director General of Irrigation

Opinion

Nature’s revenge for human greed and the plight of the Third World

Published

5 hours ago

2026/01/2

Thilina Walpola

Now there is no doubt about the phenomenon of global warming, its far reaching effects and its causes. Yet Donald Trump says global warming is con and Europe, too, is dithering about what measures should be urgently taken to save Earth. Deliberations at the COP30 meeting in Brazil did not bring the desired results regarding emission of greenhouse gases. The biggest polluters like the US, who have not met the minimum goals regarding emissions, decided at the 2015 Paris Agreement, failed to provide guarantees that they will correct themselves in the coming years. Cyclones that hit Sri Lanka and other Asian countries last month are the direct result of unrestricted burning of fossil fuel and other activities that cause emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Extreme climate events hit poor countries like the proverbial lightning that strikes the begging bowl.

The last decade has seen some of the worst natural disasters in the history of mankind. The devastating impacts of the climate crisis reached new heights in 2024, with scores of unprecedented heatwaves, floods and storms across the globe, according to the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Yet human greed which is the ultimate cause of global warming continues unabated and CO2 emissions reach new records. The WMO’s report on 2024, the hottest year on record, sets out a trail of destruction from extreme weather that took lives, demolished buildings and ravaged vital crops. More than 800,000 people were displaced and made homeless, the highest yearly number since records began in 2008.

The report lists 151 unprecedented extreme weather events in 2024, meaning they were worse than any ever recorded in the region. Heatwaves in Japan left hundreds of thousands of people struck down by heatstroke. Soaring temperatures during heatwaves peaked at 49.9C at Carnarvon in Western Australia, 49.7C in the city of Tabas in Iran, and 48.5C in a nationwide heatwave in Mali.

Record rains in Italy led to floods, landslides and electricity blackouts; torrents destroyed thousands of homes in Senegal; and flash floods in Pakistan and Brazil caused major crop losses.

Storms were also supercharged by global heating in 2024, with an unprecedented six typhoons in under a month hitting the Philippines. Hurricane Helene was the strongest ever recorded to strike the Big Bend region of Florida in the US, while Vietnam was hit by Super Typhoon Yagi, affecting 3.6 million people. Many more unprecedented events will have passed unrecorded.

The world is already deep into the climate crisis, with the WMO report saying that for the first time, the 10 hottest years on record all occurred in the last decade. However, global carbon emissions have continued to rise, which will bring even worse impacts. Experts were particularly critical of the purge of climate scientists and programmes by the US president, Donald Trump, saying that ignoring reality left ordinary people paying the price.

“Leaders must step up – seizing the benefits of cheap, clean renewables for their people and economies – with new national climate plans due this year,” said the UN secretary general, António Guterres.

Extreme climate events like heat waves, intense rainfall, droughts, and severe storms have significantly increased in frequency and intensity over the past decades, driven by global warming, with studies showing a fivefold increase in climate disasters compared to the 1970s, and human influence now clearly linked to many specific events, according to reports from organisations like the UN, WMO, and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The number of recorded climate-related disasters (storms, floods, droughts, wildfires) surged from 711 in the 1970s to over 3,000 in the 2000s and 2010s.

The intensity of these events is also alarmingly rising. Heatwaves, heavy precipitation events, and sea-level impacts from cyclones are becoming more severe, with phenomena like extreme heat in North America now considered “virtually impossible” without human-caused climate change. Scientists can now more confidently attribute specific extreme events (like heatwaves in Europe or floods in Asia) to climate change, moving beyond general predictions to clear causation. The warming atmosphere holds more moisture, fueling more intense precipitation, while human activities (like burning fossil fuels) continue to warm the planet, loading the dice for extreme weather.

These disasters could have been considerably lessened if the signatories to the Paris Agreement on climate change signed in 2016 had fulfilled their commitment to the agreement. The goal of the UN agreement was to reduce the average global temperature rise well below 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels. To achieve this, it was necessary to cut down CO2 emission by 20%, increase the renewable energy market by 20% and improve energy efficiency by 20%, the so called 20/20/20 targets. However, the agreement was non-binding for the individual countries.

Despite all this effort, green-house gas emissions reached an all-time record of 37 billion tons in 2018 and 41 billion tonnes in 2024. This has caused havoc all over the world, long dry periods affecting crops, desertification, forest fires alternating with torrential rain, huge floods and storms. Countries like China, the US, EU and India who in that order are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases have a great responsibility in saving the world from total destruction. Though China, EU and India appear to be on course to achieve Intended Nationally Determined Contributions towards emission reduction, they must do more in double quick time if global temperature rise is to be kept at 1.5C. In contrast President Trump in his usual bumbling and foolish attitude is planning to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. .

It has been calculated that if meat consumption is reduced by 20% carbon emission would be reduced by 5%. Cutting down on meat consumption would be good for health also and would lesson cruelty to animals. There are several similar measures that people and governments could do to mitigate this problem. But human greed seems to be uncontrollable. Obviously rich countries have the capacity to deal with extreme weather events and don’t care much about their devastating impact on poor countries.

In a country like Sri Lanka, for instance, when the waters rage, people have nowhere to go. Poor people with limited land resources cannot choose where to live. This is why hawkers whose wayside shops on the Kadugannawa climb were destroyed by recent earth slides are seen reconstructing the shops in the same places. There may not be sufficient land available to relocate all those who live in unsafe places like the foot of unstable hills, in river basins, sea beaches, etc. in a small country like ours. A significant portion of Sri Lanka’s population lives in disaster-prone areas, with nearly 19 million people residing in vulnerable spots like low-lying or landslide-prone regions, including hill slopes, making them highly susceptible to climate impacts. The National Building and Research Organisation (NBRO) has identified over 14,000 specific landslide-prone locations, affecting thousands of rural and estate homes, with thousands more at high or medium risk, especially in districts like Badulla, Kandy, and Kegalle.

To make life safe from extreme weather for at least the most vulnerable and the poorest may be beyond the means of our poor country with all its economic ills. Experts say we have to be prepared to live with climate change. Rather we may have to die with it unless the preventable is prevented ! According to climate scientists, global warming is preventable. The Director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability & the Media, Michael Mann is among many scientists who point to the “game-changing new scientific understanding” that global warming would stabilize relatively quickly (within a decade) if emissions were to reach net zero, meaning that the worst outcomes are avoidable if we act swiftly. The authors of the comprehensive IPCC reports emphasize that every fraction of a degree of warming that is prevented will save countless lives and protect vital ecosystems. These reports serve as the authoritative voice on climate science and policy recommendations.

The battle against global warming, it appears, has to be fought by the Global South as the North is not doing enough. It is the poor countries of the Global South that do not have the capacity to absorb the blows that nature delivers, and it is they who have to bear the brunt of the relentless onslaught. As I have mentioned in my earlier letters the Global South has to get together to fight the greed driven neo-liberalism which is the cause of so many ills including global warming. In this regard China, India, South Africa and perhaps Iran with the backing of Russia may have to take the leadership and construct an alternative to the present global economic system which would have to take strong cognition of the need to safeguard the environment and cut down on emissions drastically and quickly. This is not impossible if consumerism, which is the driver of neo-liberalism, could be controlled. To achieve this human greed will have to be restrained, perhaps by means of good morals. Unless the Global South realizes the impending peril and takes necessary measures we are doomed.

by N. A. de S. Amaratunga ✍️

Opinion

Remembering Douglas Devananda on New Year’s Day 2026

Published

1 day ago

2026/01/1

Thilina Walpola

Douglas in Geneva

I have no intention of even implicitly commenting on the legality of the ongoing incarceration of Douglas Devananda.

I’ve no legal background, and that’s because having been selected for the Law faculty at the University of Colombo on the basis of my A level results, I opted to study Political Science instead. I did so because I had an acute sense of the asymmetry between the law and justice and had developed a growing compulsion on issues of ethics—issues of right and wrong, good and evil.

However, as someone who has had a book published in the UK on political ethics, I have no compunction is saying that as a country, as a society, there has to be a better way than this.

It is morally and ethically wrong, indeed a travesty, that Douglas, a wounded hero of the anti-LTTE war, should spend New Year 2026 in the dreaded Mahara prison.

Douglas should be honoured as a rare example of a young man, who having quite understandably taken up arms to fight against Sinhala racism and for the Tamil people, decided while still a young man to opt to fight on the side of the democratic Sri Lankan state and to campaign for devolution for the North and East within the framework of a united Sri Lanka and its Constitution.

Douglas was an admired young leader of the PLA, the military wing of the Marxist EPRLF when he began to be known.

Nothing is more ironic than the historical fact that in July 1983 he survived the horrifying Welikada prison massacres, during which Sinhala prisoners, instigated and incentivized from outside (Gonawela Sunil is a name that transpired), slaughtered Tamil prisoners and gauged out their eyes.

Having escaped from jail in Batticaloa, Douglas came back to Sri Lanka in 1989, having had a change of heart after hundreds of youngsters belonging to the EPRLF, PLOT, and TELO had been massacred from 1986 onwards by the hardcore separatist, totalitarian Tigers. He was welcomed by President Premadasa and Minister Ranjan Wijeratne who took him and his ‘boys’ under their wing. There are photos of Douglas in shorts and carrying an automatic weapon, accompanying Ranjan Wijeratne and the Sri Lankan armed forces after the liberation of the islands off Jaffna from the Tiger grip.

It is Douglas who kept those vital islands safe, together with the Navy, throughout the war.

Douglas stayed with the democratic Sri Lankan state, remaining loyal to the elected president of the day, without ever turning on his or her predecessor. He probably still wears, as he did for decades, the fountain pen that President Premadasa gifted him.

During the LTTE’s offensive on Jaffna after the fall of Elephant Pass, the mass base built up by Douglas which gave the EPDP many municipal seats, helped keep Jaffna itself safe, with more Tamil civilians fleeing into Jaffna than out of it. I recall President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga giving him a satellite phone. Army Chief Lionel Balagalle gave him a pair of mini-Uzis for his safety.

Douglas was no paramilitary leader, pure and simple. His public speech on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, delivered without a teleprompter, is an excellent roadmap for the graduated implementation of the 13th amendment and the attainment of maximum devolution within a unitary state.

Like Chandrika, Douglas has had his sight severely impaired by the LTTE. As a Minister he had visited Tamil detainees imprisoned in wartime, and been set upon by a group of LTTE prisoners who had planned for his visit, concealing sharpened handles of steel buckets in the ceiling, and slammed the pointed metal through his skull. Douglas still needs repeated daily medication for his eyes which were miraculously saved by the Sri Lankan surgeons who repaired his skull, but at a subsequent stage, he was also treated by surgeons overseas.

No Sri Lankan, Sinhala or Tamil, civilian politician or military brass, has survived as many attempted assassinations by the Tigers as has Douglas. I believe the count is eleven. There’s a video somewhere of a suicide bomber blasting herself in his office, yards away from him.

Under no previous Sri Lankan administration since the early 1980s has Douglas found himself behind bars. He has served and/or supported seven democratic Presidents: Premadasa, Wijetunga, Chandrika, Mahinda, Sirisena, Gotabaya and Wickremesinghe. He has been a Minister over decades and a parliamentarian for longer.

He was a firm frontline ally of the Sri Lankan state and its armed forces during the worst challenge the country faced from the worst enemy it had since Independence.

During my tenure as Sri Lanka’s ambassador/Permanent representative to the UN Geneva, Douglas Devananda came from Colombo to defend Sri Lanka in discussions with high level UN officials including UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navanethem Pillay. This was in April 23, mere weeks before the decisive battle of the UN HRC Special session on Sri Lanka which we won handsomely. The media release on his visit reads as follows:

A high-level delegation led by the Hon. Minister Douglas Devananda, Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare, which also included the Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services, H.E. Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, Ambassador/ Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, Secretary to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights, and Mr. Yasantha Kodagoda, Deputy Solicitor General, Attorney General’s Department, represented Sri Lanka at the Durban Review Conference.

“Organized by the United Nations, the Durban Review Conference provides an opportunity to assess and accelerate progress on implementation of measures adopted at the 2001 World Conference against Racism, including assessment of contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. On the opening day of this conference, Hon. Douglas Devananda made a statement behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka.

“On the sidelines of the Durban Review Conference which is being held from 20th to 24th of April 2009, the Sri Lankan delegation met with senior UN officials, and a number of dignitaries from diverse countries and updated them on the current situation in Sri Lanka against the backdrop of Sri Lanka’s fight against separatism and terrorism.

Hon. Devananda and Hon. Bathiudeen, along with the rest of the delegation, held meetings with Ms. Navanethem Pillai, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (and a former Prime Minister of Portugal) and Mr. Anders Johnsson, Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.’

(https://live.lankamission.org/index.php/human-rights/676-minister-devananda-meets-un-high-commissioners-for-human-rights-and-refugees-2.html)

In contemporary world history, a leader from a minority community who defends the unity of his country against a separatist terrorist force deriving from that minority is hailed as a hero. A leader who takes the side of the democratic state, arms in hand, against a totalitarian fascistic foe, is hailed as a hero. Evidently, not so in current-day Sri Lanka.

[Dayan Jayatilleka, Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to the UN Geneva; France, Spain, Portugal and UNESCO; and the Russian Federation, was a Vice-President of the UN Human Rights Council and Chairman, ILO.]

by Dr Dayan Jayatilleka ✍️