Stop protests in residential areas

On Tuesday, a group staged a protest in front of the private residence of Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma. The protesters were led by New People’s Front leader Sugeeshwara Bandara, a one-time coordinating officer to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The protesters called for Suriyapperuma’s resignation over the missing $ 2.5 million. Soon, another group arrived at the scene, leading to an altercation with Bandara, and he and his supporters ended up being pelted with cow dung. The other group were supporters of the Government. In all this, the Police were mere spectators.

Since the attack, many in the Opposition have condemned the attacks and expressed anger at the Government. While attacking unarmed protesters needs to be condemned, the threatening tone of the Government supporters is also a dangerous trend. Despite this, there are serious questions as to why Sugeeshwara Bandara and his group thought it fit to protest in front of a private residence when they could have done so in front of the Finance Ministry in Colombo.

Let’s look at what transpired during the 2022 Aragalaya period. The then SJB MP Hirunika Premachandra was largely responsible for starting the trend of taking crowds near the private residences of people, including those who have no role in public life, which culminated in many houses being attacked and set on fire. She began the protests near the private residence of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and then moved to Anuradhapura, where she led a mob to attack the house of a person by the name of W.M. Gnanawathi, alias Gnanakka, who is said to have been the astrologer of President Rajapaksa. She was a private citizen of this country, and no one has the right to lead a mob to attack the home of a private citizen. If the law has been violated, the Police are there to act. In Premachandra’s case, her fake bravado eventually cost her a seat with people rejecting her at the last Parliamentary election.

Then there was the mob attack on the house of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Encouraged by certain media institutions and individuals, a mob that had gathered near Wickremesinghe’s residence set his house on fire, destroying it. This was followed by a large number of houses of other politicians and their supporters being attacked or burnt down.

Now take the case of Finance Ministry Secretary Dr. Suriyapperuma. It is true there are calls for him to step down, and these are reasonable given the massive lapse at the Ministry which has led to $ 2.5 million being transferred to a fraudulent account. But that does not mean any political party or group can protest in front of his private house, in which his family members would also be living. Every citizen has the right to live in peace and safety in the sanctity of their home, without mobs gathering in front of their homes and behaving like thugs. Residential areas are meant for residents to live peacefully without their lives being disrupted in this way.

If Sugeeshwara Bandara wants to protest, he can do so in front of the Finance Ministry or the President’s Office. How would Bandara feel if mobs gathered in front of his private house, acted like thugs, scared his family members, including children, and left them traumatised?

This bad precedent started during the Aragalaya period must be nipped in the bud. 

The Police should have acted promptly to remove the protesters for breaching the peace in the area. Next time, residents of such areas may themselves chase off such political actors. Protesting is a democratic right, but it should not disrupt the lives of private citizens of this country.