Someone had to say it

The past week wasn’t about scandals or stats. It was about who gets protected, who gets punished, and who’s expected to swallow it quietly. From abuse caught on camera to borders that don’t open equally for everyone, the pattern stayed the same. Let’s get into it.

Power, Phones, and Public Humiliation

If there’s one thing some people still believe in this country, it’s this: humiliate first, worry later. In Borella, a businessman thought it was perfectly acceptable to strip a woman who worked in his home, film it, and circulate the video like it was some kind of group chat entertainment. When it blew up, he did what men like him always do: hopped hotels, tried to disappear, assumed money and connections would cushion the fall. They didn’t.

Around the same time, another case surfaced in Jaffna. Different setup, same rot. A former lover, intimate photos, WhatsApp groups, and resentment dressed up as revenge. Again, the logic was simple: If I’m hurt, I get to hurt you publicly.

This isn’t about phones. Or technology. Or social media going too far. This is about power. About people thinking they get to strip someone of dignity because they’re angry, rejected, richer, louder, or convinced they’ll get away with it. What’s rare, and worth noting, is that they didn’t.

Two cases. Two sets of arrests. No philosophical debates. No both sides. Just consequences. And honestly? About time.

Last Word: Humiliation isn’t a power move. It’s a crime. And finally, it’s being treated like one.

The Passport That Keeps You Waiting

Sri Lanka’s passport is ranked 93rd in the world for 2026. And if you’ve ever tried to travel with it, you already know what that means. It means forms. It means waiting. It means proving you’ll come back, won’t overstay, won’t work illegally, and won’t embarrass anyone while you’re there.

We don’t experience passport rankings as numbers. We experience them as embassy queues, rejected visas, and that one auntie who knows a contact who definitely doesn’t help. Our passport doesn’t open doors. It knocks softly and waits to be ignored.

Yes, it’s technically an improvement. A glow-up from the absolute depths. But let’s not confuse “slightly less bad” with “good.” Twenty years ago, this passport didn’t come with a side of suspicion. Now it comes preloaded with doubt, paperwork, and the assumption that you’re about to overstay, overwork, or disappear into the shadows of Heathrow.

And none of this is because Sri Lankans are untrustworthy. It’s because years of economic chaos, political circus acts, and international side-eye have turned an entire population into flight risks on paper.

So when people say, “At least we’re climbing,” sure. But climbing out of a hole someone else dug for you isn’t progress. It’s survival.

Last Word: Our passport didn’t get weaker. Our reputation was dragged down with it, and we’re the ones still standing in line.

Until next week, accountability shouldn’t depend on status, passports, or power, but somehow, it always does.

- Rihaab