Governing public officials

POLITICIANS in Sri Lanka are well-known for taking things too far. The latest incident was by Deputy Minister Palitha Thewarapperuma, who is reported to have attempted to hang himself from a ceiling fan in a classroom at the Meegahathenna Primary school in protest against the non-admission of 10 students. 

His attempted suicide came after he staged a hunger strike outside the school from Monday. The Deputy Minister’s behaviour is disturbing on several grounds. His actions as a public servant are reprehensible and the example he is setting students is also disgraceful. Public responses to the report have varied with some calling for disciplinary action for politicians that misbehave while others have lambasted the media for carrying pictures of Thewarapperuma attempting to commit suicide. Others have attempted to understand the situation of the Deputy Minister’s mental status and pointed out that at no point is it justifiable to carry photos of an attempted suicide. 

The situation is made even more sensitive by Sri Lanka’s consistently high suicide rates that have long been a problem without a solution. For many years the country has been ranked in the top five among 172 countries in suicides by annual reports released by the World Health Organization (WHO), throwing a disturbing light on a massively complicated issue.

Sri Lanka had a shocking 28.8 suicides for every 100,000 people in 2014. The most suicide-prone countries were Guyana (44.2 per 100,000), followed by North and South Korea (38.5 and 28.9 respectively). Sri Lanka narrowly avoided becoming the third highest country by the thinnest of margins, highlighting the urgent necessity of bringing this massive social problem onto the discussion platform. The report said a person commits suicide every 40 seconds somewhere in the world, an avoidable tragedy that fails to grab attention because of taboos and stigma. The same reasons are found in Sri Lanka, where suicide and contributory factors such as depression and poverty are not brought under the microscope. The absence of positive publicity and empathy along with an inclusive, well-funded and long-term assistance program is also worsening the situation.

In the South-East Asia region, the estimated suicide rate is the highest compared to other regions. Suicide rates show a peak among the young and elderly. Most suicides in the world occur in the South-East Asia region (39% of those in low- and middle-income countries in South-East Asia alone) with India accounting for the highest estimated number of suicides overall in 2012. Suicide by intentional pesticide ingestion is among the most common methods of suicide globally, and is of particular concern in rural agricultural areas in the South-East Asia region.

Follow-up care by health workers through regular contact, including by phone or home visits, for people who have attempted suicide, together with the provision of community support are essential because people who have already attempted suicide are at the greatest risk of trying again. In such a scenario, reducing stigma and providing the environment for these people to lead normal lives is essential. Sri Lanka as a WHO member State has committed to work towards the global target of reducing the suicide rate in countries by 10% by 2020. Making a mockery of a serious issue by a public official should not be tolerated unless of course, he is serious in his attempt, in which case treatment is the best course of action. Sadly, empathy and understanding are in short supply for the rest of the people who turn towards suicide and their pain should never be used to gain cheap publicity.