Features

LAWYERS CAN BE HUMAN

Published

4 years ago

2022/07/17

by ECB Wijeyesinghe

When lawyers die there are no comets seen. Unlike judges who leave the stamp of their personality in their pronouncements the average lawyer splashes about in Court, bamboozles the opposition if possible, collects his fee if any, and then proceeds to face his last judgment. What happens after that is anybody’s guess.

Judges are different. They find it so much easier to get a visa into the Hall of Fame. Take the case of Sir Thomas de Sampayo: his erudite judgments cover several buckram-bound volumes, but he is chiefly remembered by the layman for his egg-shaped head and for his having given utterance to that paradoxical aphorism “a joke is a serious thing”.

One sometimes wonders whether he meant what he said, or whether he was merely joking. There is another historic case: Pontius Pilate. Some readers may recall the lackadaisical role he played in a famous trial nearly 2000 years ago. He just asked one question, “what is truth?”, made a quick exit from the Judgment Hall and thereby gained immortality. Pilate was, of course, intelligent enough to know that there were a thousand answers to that question and had he dilly-dallied any longer he would have been pestered by endless supplementary queries.

Camera Artists

I was assailed by these thoughts when the portrait of George E. Chitty Q.C., was unveiled a few days ago at Hulftsdorp. As a lawyer he would have been in the top rung in any civilized country but half the income he received from his practice must have gone on his expensive hobby – photography. In this respect he reminds us of his illustrious neighbour across the road – Lionel Wendt –who was essentially a musician, but devoted most of his time to an art which placed him in the world class among camera artists.

Those Philistines who think of the law merely as a parasitic profession should have known lawyers of the calibre of George Chitty. Apart from photography, music and art, one of his most rewarding hobbies was dipping his hand into a fund from which he gave freely to his less-fortunate brethren. By that I do not mean merely his poor relations, but any miserable acquaintance who has had a rough deal from Life.

Nimble brain

It has been my good fortune to have seen and met a few of the great lawyers of the past. There are cynics who maintain that the only good lawyers are the dead ones. A man now almost forgotten is E.J. Samerawickrema, father of Mr. Justice George Samerawickreme, the unassuming recluse of “Villa Cecillia.” E.J.S was a slightly built man with a merry twinkle in his eye. Physically he was unlike some of his sons, but he made up for his lack of avoirdupois by the weight of his legal opinions.

His nimble brain was in great demand not only by aspiring politicians, but by businessmen and society women in a tight corner. In a word, he was the trusted adviser of all those in distress in his time and the iron safe in which their secrets were locked up. The memorials on constitutional reform which he wrote for D.S.Senanayake and his friends cannot be counted on the fingers of one hand. As the draftsman of legal pleadings in Ceylon he had no peer. But alas, illness struck him where it hurt most. Though he lost the power of his vocal chords the voice of his opinions could not be stilled. From then onwards till his death, everything he had to say had to be written out and his children proved most cheerful amanuenses.

H.V.Perera

E.J. Samerawickrema’s mantle as the Solon of Ceylon fell on H.V. Perera whose memory is still alive and whose Appeal Court exploits have acquired a legendary aura. One of H.V’s favourite stories concerned a witness who bore an extraordinary resemblance to the presiding judge. All those present in Court twigged the similarity and also the judicial embarrassment.

In order to keep the record in proper perspective, the Judge, whose father’s Walauwa was in the village from where the witness came thought he would rise to the occasion. “Tell me,” he told the villager, “was your mother ever in the habit of visiting the Walauwa ?” “No my lord,” replied the man, who was simple but knew something of the facts of life, “it was not my mother, but my father who worked in the Walauwa and used to spend his nights there.”

Laughter held both its sides as the judge adjusted his wig and wiped the perspiration from his brow.

Leonine face

A lawyer whose face was his fortune, was H.J.C.Pereira. His handsome leonine countenance was an inheritance of the legal family from which he hailed. His brother, Mr. Justice Walter Pereira, and his nephew, R.L.Pereira, had the same cast of features and the same sonorous voice, which caused confusion among witnesses and persuasion among juries.

During my first experience of Jury service there was a memorable battle of wits between H.J.C.P. and the slim, slightly-bald Counsel for the Prosecution, Stanley Obeyesekere, whose retorts sounded like whip-cracks on a recalcitrant horse. Obeyesekere like all Obeyesekeres, had the prominent nose of his clan. It made him look like a bird of prey, especially when he was summing up for a conviction.

He was, besides being a first-class lawyer, a first-class horseman and used to take part regularly whenever the Turf Club meetings had an event for Gentlemen Riders. Even otherwise, he used to compete on level terms with the professionals. The jockeys kept a respectable distance from him when the starting tape went up, because the sting of Obeyesekere’s whip-lash was mild compared to the fury of his tongue-lash.

Punters used to back Obeyesekere’s mount even when the odds were fairly long because they were sure of a clean race and the bumping and boring of the more aggressive riders would be reduced to a minimum. In every race reserved for Gentlemen Riders, Obeyesekere’s mount was always the favourite. His chief rival was a planter, Capt. A.J.S. Featherstonhaugh, who later acted as the Turf Club’s official starter most efficiently.Going back to the Courts, the case in which Obeyesekere was pitted against H.J.C. the leader on the Criminal side, was one in which a fairly elderly man was charged with rape.

Clean rider

The Judge was Mr. Justice Akbar who spent all his leisure in communion with the Deity. Even when he traveled in his rickshaw from his home to Hulftsdorp he used to read the Koran, and when the jury retired, Akbar would be praying in his room hoping their verdict would be correct. In this particular case, the salacious details must have been absolutely abominable to a man of Akbar’s temperament.

The accused was found guilty and he staggered as the maximum sentence was awarded. I believe it was 15 years’ rigorous imprisonment. H.J.C. Pereira pleaded hard for a remission and said that the man would never complete the sentence. Akbar was adamant. “Try to do as much of it as you can,” he said and went back to the Koran in his chamber.

(Excepted from The Good at Their Best first published in 1977)

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Features

Misinterpreting President Dissanayake on National Reconciliation

Published

19 hours ago

2026/02/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

President Dissanayake

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been investing his political capital in going to the public to explain some of the most politically sensitive and controversial issues. At a time when easier political choices are available, the president is choosing the harder path of confronting ethnic suspicion and communal fears. There are three issues in particular on which the president’s words have generated strong reactions. These are first with regard to Buddhist pilgrims going to the north of the country with nationalist motivations. Second is the controversy relating to the expansion of the Tissa Raja Maha Viharaya, a recently constructed Buddhist temple in Kankesanturai which has become a flashpoint between local Tamil residents and Sinhala nationalist groups. Third is the decision not to give the war victory a central place in the Independence Day celebrations.

Even in the opposition, when his party held only three seats in parliament, Anura Kumara Dissanayake took his role as a public educator seriously. He used to deliver lengthy, well researched and easily digestible speeches in parliament. He continues this practice as president. It can be seen that his statements are primarily meant to elevate the thinking of the people and not to win votes the easy way. The easy way to win votes whether in Sri Lanka or elsewhere in the world is to rouse nationalist and racist sentiments and ride that wave. Sri Lanka’s post independence political history shows that narrow ethnic mobilisation has often produced short term electoral gains but long term national damage.

Sections of the opposition and segments of the general public have been critical of the president for taking these positions. They have claimed that the president is taking these positions in order to obtain more Tamil votes or to appease minority communities. The same may be said in reverse of those others who take contrary positions that they seek the Sinhala votes. These political actors who thrive on nationalist mobilisation have attempted to portray the president’s statements as an abandonment of the majority community. The president’s actions need to be understood within the larger framework of national reconciliation and long term national stability.

Reconciler’s Duty

When the president referred to Buddhist pilgrims from the south going to the north, he was not speaking about pilgrims visiting long established Buddhist heritage sites such as Nagadeepa or Kandarodai. His remarks were directed at a specific and highly contentious development, the recently built Buddhist temple in Kankesanturai and those built elsewhere in the recent past in the north and east. The temple in Kankesanturai did not emerge from the religious needs of a local Buddhist community as there is none in that area. It has been constructed on land that was formerly owned and used by Tamil civilians and which came under military occupation as a high security zone. What has made the issue of the temple particularly controversial is that it was established with the support of the security forces.

The controversy has deepened because the temple authorities have sought to expand the site from approximately one acre to nearly fourteen acres on the basis that there was a historic Buddhist temple in that area up to the colonial period. However, the Tamil residents of the area fear that expansion would further displace surrounding residents and consolidate a permanent Buddhist religious presence in the present period in an area where the local population is overwhelmingly Hindu. For many Tamils in Kankesanturai, the issue is not Buddhism as a religion but the use of religion as a vehicle for territorial assertion and demographic changes in a region that bore the brunt of the war. Likewise, there are other parts of the north and east where other temples or places of worship have been established by the military personnel in their camps during their war-time occupation and questions arise regarding the future when these camps are finally closed.

There are those who have actively organised large scale pilgrimages from the south to make the Tissa temple another important religious site. These pilgrimages are framed publicly as acts of devotion but are widely perceived locally as demonstrations of dominance. Each such visit heightens tension, provokes protest by Tamil residents, and risks confrontation. For communities that experienced mass displacement, military occupation and land loss, the symbolism of a state backed religious structure on contested land with the backing of the security forces is impossible to separate from memories of war and destruction. A president committed to reconciliation cannot remain silent in the face of such provocations, however uncomfortable it may be to challenge sections of the majority community.

High-minded leadership

The controversy regarding the president’s Independence Day speech has also generated strong debate. In that speech the president did not refer to the military victory over the LTTE and also did not use the term “war heroes” to describe soldiers. For many Sinhala nationalist groups, the absence of these references was seen as an attempt to diminish the sacrifices of the armed forces. The reality is that Independence Day means very different things to different communities. In the north and east the same day is marked by protest events and mourning and as a “Black Day”, symbolising the consolidation of a state they continue to experience as excluding them and not empathizing with the full extent of their losses.

By way of contrast, the president’s objective was to ensure that Independence Day could be observed as a day that belonged to all communities in the country. It is not correct to assume that the president takes these positions in order to appease minorities or secure electoral advantage. The president is only one year into his term and does not need to take politically risky positions for short term electoral gains. Indeed, the positions he has taken involve confronting powerful nationalist political forces that can mobilise significant opposition. He risks losing majority support for his statements. This itself indicates that the motivation is not electoral calculation.

President Dissanayake has recognized that Sri Lanka’s long term political stability and economic recovery depend on building trust among communities that once peacefully coexisted and then lived through decades of war. Political leadership is ultimately tested by the willingness to say what is necessary rather than what is politically expedient. The president’s recent interventions demonstrate rare national leadership and constitute an attempt to shift public discourse away from ethnic triumphalism and toward a more inclusive conception of nationhood. Reconciliation cannot take root if national ceremonies reinforce the perception of victory for one community and defeat for another especially in an internal conflict.

BY Jehan Perera

Features

Recovery of LTTE weapons

Published

19 hours ago

2026/02/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sri Lanka Navy in action

I have read a newspaper report that the Special Task Force of Sri Lanka Police, with help of Military Intelligence, recovered three buried yet well-preserved 84mm Carl Gustaf recoilless rocket launchers used by the LTTE, in the Kudumbimalai area, Batticaloa.

These deadly weapons were used by the LTTE SEA TIGER WING to attack the Sri Lanka Navy ships and craft in 1990s. The first incident was in February 1997, off Iranativu island, in the Gulf of Mannar.

Admiral Cecil Tissera took over as Commander of the Navy on 27 January, 1997, from Admiral Mohan Samarasekara.

The fight against the LTTE was intensified from 1996 and the SLN was using her Vanguard of the Navy, Fast Attack Craft Squadron, to destroy the LTTE’s littoral fighting capabilities. Frequent confrontations against the LTTE Sea Tiger boats were reported off Mullaitivu, Point Pedro and Velvetiturai areas, where SLN units became victorious in most of these sea battles, except in a few incidents where the SLN lost Fast Attack Craft.

Carl Gustaf recoilless rocket launchers

The intelligence reports confirmed that the LTTE Sea Tigers was using new recoilless rocket launchers against aluminium-hull FACs, and they were deadly at close quarter sea battles, but the exact type of this weapon was not disclosed.

The following incident, which occurred in February 1997, helped confirm the weapon was Carl Gustaf 84 mm Recoilless gun!

DATE: 09TH FEBRUARY, 1997, morning 0600 hrs.

LOCATION: OFF IRANATHIVE.

FACs: P 460 ISRAEL BUILT, COMMANDED BY CDR MANOJ JAYESOORIYA

P 452 CDL BUILT, COMMANDED BY LCDR PM WICKRAMASINGHE (ON TEMPORARY COMMAND. PROPER OIC LCDR N HEENATIGALA)

OPERATED FROM KKS.

CONFRONTED WITH LTTE ATTACK CRAFT POWERED WITH FOUR 250 HP OUT BOARD MOTORS.

TARGET WAS DESTROYED AND ONE LTTE MEMBER WAS CAPTURED.

LEADING MARINE ENGINEERING MECHANIC OF THE FAC CAME UP TO THE BRIDGE CARRYING A PROJECTILE WHICH WAS FIRED BY THE LTTE BOAT, DURING CONFRONTATION, WHICH PENETRATED THROUGH THE FAC’s HULL, AND ENTERED THE OICs CABIN (BETWEEN THE TWO BUNKS) AND HIT THE AUXILIARY ENGINE ROOM DOOR AND HAD FALLEN DOWN WITHOUT EXPLODING. THE ENGINE ROOM DOOR WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED LOOSING THE WATER TIGHT INTEGRITY OF THE FAC.

THE PROJECTILE WAS LATER HANDED OVER TO THE NAVAL WEAPONS EXPERTS WHEN THE FACs RETURNED TO KKS. INVESTIGATIONS REVEALED THE WEAPON USED BY THE ENEMY WAS 84 mm CARL GUSTAF SHOULDER-FIRED RECOILLESS GUN AND THIS PROJECTILE WAS AN ILLUMINATER BOMB OF ONE MILLION CANDLE POWER. BUT THE ATTACKERS HAS FAILED TO REMOVE THE SAFETY PIN, THEREFORE THE BOMB WAS NOT ACTIVATED.

Sea Tigers

Carl Gustaf 84 mm recoilless gun was named after Carl Gustaf Stads Gevärsfaktori, which, initially, produced it. Sweden later developed the 84mm shoulder-fired recoilless gun by the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration during the second half of 1940s as a crew served man- portable infantry support gun for close range multi-role anti-armour, anti-personnel, battle field illumination, smoke screening and marking fire.

It is confirmed in Wikipedia that Carl Gustaf Recoilless shoulder-fired guns were used by the only non-state actor in the world – the LTTE – during the final Eelam War.

It is extremely important to check the batch numbers of the recently recovered three launchers to find out where they were produced and other details like how they ended up in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka?

By Admiral Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne
WV, RWP and Bar, RSP, VSV, USP, NI (M) (Pakistan), ndc, psn, Bsc (Hons) (War Studies) (Karachi) MPhil (Madras)
Former Navy Commander and Former Chief of Defence Staff
Former Chairman, Trincomalee Petroleum Terminals Ltd
Former Managing Director Ceylon Petroleum Corporation
Former High Commissioner to Pakistan

Features

Yellow Beatz … a style similar to K-pop!

Published

19 hours ago

2026/02/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

Yes, get ready to vibe with Yellow Beatz, Sri Lanka’s awesome girl group, keen to take Sri Lankan music to the world with a style similar to K-pop!

With high-energy beats and infectious hooks, these talented ladies are here to shake up the music scene.

Think bold moves, catchy hooks, and, of course, spicy versions of old Sinhala hits, and Yellow Beatz is the package you won’t want to miss!

According to a spokesman for the group, Yellow Beatz became a reality during the Covid period … when everyone was stuck at home, in lockdown.

“First we interviewed girls, online, and selected a team that blended well, as four voices, and then started rehearsals. One of the cover songs we recorded, during those early rehearsals, unexpectedly went viral on Facebook. From that moment onward, we continued doing cover songs, and we received a huge response. Through that, we were able to bring back some beautiful Sri Lankan musical creations that were being forgotten, and introduce them to the new generation.”

The team members, I am told, have strong musical skills and with proper training their goal is to become a vocal group recognised around the world.

Believe me, their goal, they say, is not only to take Sri Lanka’s name forward, in the music scene, but to bring home a Grammy Award, as well.

“We truly believe we can achieve this with the love and support of everyone in Sri Lanka.”

The year 2026 is very special for Yellow Beatz as they have received an exceptional opportunity to represent Sri Lanka at the World Championships of Performing Arts in the USA.

Under the guidance of Chris Raththara, the Director for Sri Lanka, and with the blessings of all Sri Lankans, the girls have a great hope that they can win this milestone.

“We believe this will be a moment of great value for us as Yellow Beatz, and also for all Sri Lankans, and it will be an important inspiration for the future of our country.”

Along with all the preparation for the event in the USA, they went on to say they also need to manage their performances, original song recordings, and everything related.

The year 2026 is very special for Yellow Beatz

“We have strong confidence in ourselves and in our sincere intentions, because we are a team that studies music deeply, researches within the field, and works to take the uniqueness of Sri Lankan identity to the world.”

At present, they gather at the Voices Lab Academy, twice a week, for new creations and concert rehearsals.

This project was created by Buddhika Dayarathne who is currently working as a Pop Vocal lecturer at SLTC Campus. Voice Lab Academy is also his own private music academy and Yellow Beatz was formed through that platform.

Buddhika is keen to take Sri Lankan music to the world with a style similar to K-Pop and Yellow Beatz began as a result of that vision. With that same aim, we all work together as one team.

“Although it was a little challenging for the four of us girls to work together at first, we have united for our goal and continue to work very flexibly and with dedication. Our parents and families also give their continuous blessings and support for this project,” Rameesha, Dinushi, Newansa and Risuri said.

Last year, Yellow Beatz released their first original song, ‘Ihirila’ , and with everything happening this year, they are also preparing for their first album.