When ordinary citizens are brought before the law it is seen as a stigma, and shame. Times out of number, when officials are caught out -either embezzling funds, accepting bribes or any other offences; when produced before the court, these individuals tend to cover their faces in shame.  
But the same cannot be said of our politicians. Being arrested seems to be akin to a badge of honour to these dishonourable persons who grace the highest legislative body in our country. Just the other day, we were regaled with pictures of a particularly rowdy former minister smiling proudly as he was being led away to remand prison. He stands accused of fraud among other charges. 
On earlier occasions, we have seen other members of Parliament holding up their manacled arms as if they had just won an Olympic Gold medal or a Nobel Prize. One of those nefarious individuals was imprisoned on Contempt of Court charges. 

A thread these ex-parliamentarians have in common is their attempt to portray themselves as victims of political vendetta and make themselves out to be heroes. The shame, is that they appear to be successful in their efforts. After all, they keep getting elected to power no matter what crimes they have committed. 
It was not long ago we saw another of these rowdy elements attempting to assault the then Speaker of the House along with other rowdies like himself. One of these ‘gentlemen’ even threw chilli powder in the Speakers face.  
He ended up being re-elected and appointed to a ministerial post! What examples  are we  holding up to the next generation of our people? To make matters worse, the same batch of delinquents are continually re-elected by thoughtless voters. 
The political scenario today has changed. Tired of leaders who ruined the country, they elected to parliament a president with around twenty  years experience as an elected parliamentarian.  
Since then a fresh wind has swept the country. An ex-minister who was remanded a couple of days ago did not suddenly fall ill and need hospitalisation. A welcome change. One can hardly forget times when parliamentarians committed murder, ‘fell ill’ and did not spend a day in remand custody.  
At the upcoming parliamentary elections the president’s party is expected to win 
a majority in parliament. It is at this critical juncture, the US issued travel advisories to its citizens against visiting Lanka, having discovered a credible terrorist threat to Israeli tourists in the Arugam Bay area. Several Western powers and Russia followed the US lead.  
Israeli tourists began entering our tourist market after past President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited Israel inviting them to invest here. Initially small numbers of Israelis visited Arugam Bay. Unnoticed they set up tourist businesses in the area in collaboration with locals.  
In time the number of Israeli tourists grew. Within a short time Israelis became the largest number of tourists in Arugam Bay. They were looked on favourably by locals. Even the setting up of a Chabab (Jewish Synagogue) did not arouse antagonism in the area.  
In this atmosphere, it is perplexing as to how credible terrorist threats to Israeli tourists in Arugam Bay area were discovered.  
The fact that the discovery of the threat came a day after the Sri Lankan government changed its stance re-signing a motion sponsored by Chile condemning Israel’s declaring UN Secretary General persona no grata is suspicious. 
Earlier the government had refrained from signing the motion. Even India refrained from signing the document. However, the brouhaha which arose when media revealed Lanka had refrained from signing the document, led the government to ask Chile to add its name to the list. 
A former Foreign Minister has said a particular big power had been pressurising him to refrain from backing anti Israel motions brought before the UN. That big power wanted Lanka to simply refrain from voting. 
Tourism is literally the backbone of the Lankan economy fighting to recover from a situation of bankruptcy. A hit on the tourist industry is akin to a knockout blow to our tourist industry.  
It looks like another instance of arm-twisting to make a smaller country fall in line with big-power requirements. 
President Dissanayake will be forced to stare down this reality.