Ranil Wickremesinghe, Al Jazeera, and Bimal Rathnayake: A Study in Hypocrisy
On March 6, Al Jazeera’s Head to Head aired an interview between journalist Mehdi Hasan and former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The episode, later released on YouTube, purported to hold Wickremesinghe accountable but exposed Al Jazeera’s own double standards in the process. Hasan, known for his aggressive questioning, selectively framed issues while sidestepping contradictions in Al Jazeera’s own editorial approach. Wickremesinghe, for his part, resorted to his usual evasions and half-truths, failing to address Sri Lanka’s pressing concerns with any real accountability. Meanwhile, Bimal Ratnayake capitalized on the moment, spouting empty rhetoric to the media without offering meaningful critique. This analysis unpacks the hypocrisy, deflections, and theatrics at play, questioning the credibility of all three actors in this political spectacle.
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any political party, and my views are solely my own. This piece aims to independently and critically analyze events and individuals without bias towards any community or political affiliation.
Ranil Wickremesinghe: Karma is a Bitch!
Although Ranil Wickremesinghe achieved much for the country prior to the economic crisis and played a key role in stabilizing the economy afterward [Source: Colombo Telegraph], his reputation as the architect and mastermind of the Batalanda Detention Centre—widely regarded as a torture chamber—continues to haunt him. He may have escaped justice by the grace of former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, despite her reportedly uncovering his direct link to the mass grave in Sooriyakanda, Embilipitiya [Wikipedia Link]. Yet, the skeletons in his closet resurfaced during the Al Jazeera interview. While many blamed his poor performance on being ill-prepared and undiplomatic, in my view, it was simply a case of karma catching up with him. Many Sri Lankans who watched the interview praised Mehdi Hasan for his aggressive line of questioning. However, I have a case to make against Al Jazeera as well.
Al Jazira: The Epitome of Biased Journalism
While Al Jazeera claims to be an independent media outlet, it is actually state-funded by Qatar and serves as the official “laundromat” for the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. According to Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his defense, despite a two-hour interview, only a 45-minute edited version aired, cutting out content that didn’t align with their agenda. During the interview, they went to great lengths to meet the agenda of the LTTE Diaspora, with former LTTE members in the audience, including Madura Rasaratnam whose spouse, was an advisor to the late Anton Balasingham.
Despite a two-hour interview, only a 45-minute edited version aired, cutting out content that didn’t align with their agenda.
Ranil Wickremesinghe
The former president was repeatedly interrupted, and many questions were either personal attacks or absurd. In my opinion, the most striking moment of the interview was Hasan’s audacity in demanding a personal apology for the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks—while Al Jazeera remains deafeningly silent about the brutal beheading of 70 Christians in the DRC on February 13th, 2025, an atrocity carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces, an ISIS affiliate [Full Story]. Neither the BBC nor CNN has reported on this massacre. Ironically, Frances Harrison—a former BBC Sri Lanka correspondent—was on the panel. In that moment, Al Jazeera revealed itself not as a beacon of truth, but as the epitome of selective, biased journalism.
Note: On May 7th, 2025, The Tamil Guardian published an article titled “Ranil Wickremesinghe blames ‘Pro-LTTE’ panel as he flounders over Al Jazeera interview.” The reporter mentioned that the former president claimed Madura Rasaratnam’s husband was an advisor to the late Anton Balasingham. However, neither The Tamil Guardian nor Rasaratnam has denied this claim.
Bimal Ratnayake: The king of Capitalizing
In Sinhala, we have a proverb: “ඌරො කැකුණ තලන කොට ඇටි කුකුළන්ට රජ මගුල්,” which literally translates to, “When the swine chew the kekuna, the Greater Coucals get a king’s feast.” The kekuna flower (Canarium Zeylanicum) produces seeds that swine crave. When chewed, it releases an aroma that lures snails from their hiding spots—only for them to be devoured by Greater Coucals. I bring this up in response to Bimal Rathnayake’s derogatory comments on Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Al Jazeera interview. (Frankly, had it been Anura Kumara Dissanayake in that seat, the outcome wouldn’t have been much different.) It’s clear that members of the ruling party are exploiting this disgraced interview as a distraction from the real problems people are facing. Bimal, buddy, thank God I didn’t vote for your party. Unfortunately, 6.8 million did—and now you have a duty to deliver. Stop gaslighting and honor the people’s mandate.
Wrap Up
This interview raised more questions than it answered. What exactly did Ranil Wickremesinghe hope to achieve by appearing on a show titled “Who Broke the Country?” that barely stuck to the theme? While he acknowledged that war crimes occurred during the final stages of the conflict, he was frequently interrupted before he could expand. Al Jazeera’s inclusion of individuals linked to the LTTE and its silence on the recent massacre of 70 Christians in the DRC by ISIS affiliates undermines its claims of impartiality. The selective outrage is telling. Bimal Ratnayake’s post-interview commentary added little value, serving more as a distraction than constructive critique. Instead of addressing real issues, political actors continue to play games. The Sri Lankan public deserves truth, consistency, and leadership—not deflection, theatrics, and biased storytelling masquerading as journalism.
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