-Written by a Staff Writer
(Lanka-e-News -04.Feb.2025, 11.30 PM) As Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe prepares for a high-profile appearance on Al Jazeera’s Head to Head in London, there’s a question that needs answering. A question that has lingered in the shadows for decades.
Mr. Wickremesinghe, did you personally intervene to secure a presidential pardon for Gonawala Sunil, a convicted criminal sentenced to 10 years in prison for the brutaly raping of a 21-year-old woman in 1978?
Gonawala Sunil was no ordinary convict. A notorious underworld figure, he wielded significant political influence despite his criminal past. More troublingly, he was an associate of the young and ambitious Ranil Wickremesinghe, then a rising star in the political ranks and the favored nephew of then-President J.R. Jayewardene.
The story goes that Sunil, a Goawal Sunil –Justice of Peace by background, was convicted in 1978 for a heinous crime—raping a young woman named Margaret in Kadawatha. The legal system did its job, sentencing him to a decade behind bars. But justice, it seems, had a short lifespan.
By 1981, just three years later, Sunil was a free man. How? Because of a presidential pardon that allegedly had the fingerprints of Ranil Wickremesinghe all over it. Reports suggest that Wickremesinghe personally lobbied his uncle, President Jayewardene, writing letters and making multiple visits to ensure Sunil’s early release.
The question now echoes across the decades: Why did Wickremesinghe fight to protect a convicted criminal?
Was it a case of political favoritism? Was it a calculated move to secure loyalty from a dangerous ally? Or did Wickremesinghe simply not care about the dignity and rights of women in Sri Lanka at the time?
The 1970s and 80s were a dark time for women’s rights in Sri Lanka. Crimes against women were often brushed under the rug, and powerful men operated above the law. If Wickremesinghe did indeed play a role in Sunil’s pardon, it reveals a troubling pattern—one where political connections mattered more than justice.
Today, women’s rights activists in London have an opportunity. With Wickremesinghe set to appear on Al Jazeera’s Head to Head, they should take to the streets and demand the truth. The UK government, Al Jazeera, and the international community must ask:
⋆ Did Ranil Wickremesinghe personally request a pardon for Gonawala Sunil?
⋆ Why did a convicted criminal serve only three years of a 10-year sentence?
⋆ What does this reveal about Wickremesinghe’s commitment to justice and women’s rights?
This is no longer just a Sri Lankan issue—it is an international one. When world leaders engage with Wickremesinghe, they must acknowledge his past actions. If he protected a criminal once, can he be trusted today?
Mr. Wickremesinghe, history does not forget. The women who suffered injustice in Sri Lanka in the past are no longer voiceless. They demand answers. And this time, they won’t be ignored.
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by (2025-02-04 19:27:04)
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