Rajiva Wijesinha

“ Over the last week the Liberal Party of Sri Lanka has been subject to a spate of attacks by those who are irritated that we continue to support the current government. The attacks now take the form of the claim that we are letting down our Founder, Chanaka Amaratunga, in supporting a regime that is not concerned with Human Rights.
The most sustained attack has come from Basil Fernando of the Asian Human Rights Commission. ”

“ I can sympathize however with those who will not touch anything that is not totally perfect, and who therefore reject both President Premadasa and President Rajapakse, and dream perhaps of a government led by Wickramabahu Karunaratne. Idealism that trumps judgment cannot be condemned, however silly it might seem. ”

“ Basil Fernando however is either cynically hypocritical, or else he has forgotten about Chanaka’s support for President Premadasa, who was not high on Mr Fernando’s list of liberal democrats. Indeed Mr Fernando has told me he had to flee Sri Lanka for his life during what he still considers the UNP reign of terror. Though it is possible that his particular ordeal occurred during President Jayewardene’s term in office, he was certainly hard on President Premadasa too, and never thought evidently of returning to work in Sri Lanka. ”