I was not trying to run away - Dhaniz Ali

"Daniz Ali being forcibly evicted from the aircraft where he boarded to fly abroad by immigration and law enforcement officials"

• Had plans to meet human rights groups
• Did not threaten anyone at Rupavahini
• I have no personal links to Namal
• Ranil has instilled fear in people’s minds
• Another major protest expected in 4 months
• Protesters forming pressure group 

September 9 marks five months since the protest campaign to oust the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa began at Galle Face. Tear gas and water cannons being fired on protesters, people storming public buildings were familiar sights during the ‘Aragalaya’ protests. One incident that drew a lot of attention was protesters entering State television and activist Dhaniz Ali being forcibly evicted from a plane at the airport over that incident. Daily Mirror spoke to Dhaniz Ali, who is currently out on bail.Excerpts of the interview

Q:  What is the status of the whole protest movement? We saw a lot during the initial stages, but it seems to have died down now…..

It’s not dead. It’s a different edition that we have started now. The first edition is over. Our main slogan then was ‘Gota Go Home’, so we chased him out. They say he is a former President. He is not a “former President” he is a “President who was chased away”. The people chased him out. 
The protest is continuing, the Aragalaya is continuing. But it is moving in a different form. The Government is engaged in State terrorism. But the Aragalaya is existent; and it is something different to what we have seen in the past. This is a new edition and they will be shocked once it comes blazing from all ends.

Q:  September 9th marks five months since the protest campaign began at Galle Face. The main push was for Gotabaya Rajapaksa to go home and indeed that happened. But there was also a push for a system change. Has that happened?

This is only a start. We know from the past experience, be it after 1988 or after the war, whatever they were trying to do, had never materialized. What we are hoping for, is a change to this 74-year-old system. 
When I was arrested after having boarded the aircraft, the Police, the court and the prison used old laws. We are asking for those old laws be changed.  We want a new Constitution. We are asking for the Executive Presidency be abolished. We want the current bunch of politicians to leave. We are asking for an interim Parliament and not an all-party regime. 

"This is only a start. We know from the past experience, be it after 1988 or after the war, whatever they were trying to do, had never materialized. What we are hoping for, is a change to this 74-year-old system"

Q:  Who is this “we” you are talking about?

The people, I, you and everyone.

Q:  But we don’t see this coming from the “people”. So how can you speak on behalf of them?

I went to Galle Face on my own. Similarly, millions of people voluntarily walked in, to join the protest. We said from the start that there was no leader for this protest movement. The power was with the people. At every election we go and vote for someone. Do we choose those candidates? No, the political parties choose them. But here the people select those who were very active in the protest and who voiced on their behalf.

Q:  How was this selection done?

I don’t know. It happened naturally.

Q:  Why did you become part of the “Aragalaya”? What made you play a key role here?

Purely the anger that I had towards the current system. I was studying in Australia for some time. I was thinking then that this country (Australia) has a better system while my country (Sri Lanka) does not have one. If there was a proper system, we would have been living in our own country, not overseas. A lot of people are migrating. I left Sri Lanka when I was just 19! But I came back with a hope of leading a decent life, as a citizen of this country. 
We have reasonable dreams, such as to own a vehicle, own a house and to go on family trips…. But we are not fortunate to have any of those. Day-by-day what we saw was only struggling. It’s because of the system. Look at the politicians. They travel in luxury vehicles. They travel wherever they want. But we, the people don’t have those luxuries. Our lives are still stagnant.

" I went to Galle Face on my own. Similarly, millions of people voluntarily walked in, to join the protest. We said from the start that there was no leader for this protest movement. The power was with the people. At every election we go and vote for someone. Do we choose those candidates? No, the political parties choose them"

Q:  You have your own business activities. Were you not risking them by getting involved in the protest?

I run an audit firm and it’s a family business. There is an element of risk. My head office is in Kurunegala. I handle the Colombo branch. Yes, there is a risk because this is a start-up. I started this just over a year ago, but last month I was in prison and during the last 4 months I was involved in the protest. I have 1 ½ year-old daughter. I am doing this as a fellow citizen, not for my own benefit. It’s for my child and for the generation that follows. In other words, it’s for everyone.

Q:  Does your family support this decision you took?

Yes, they are supportive. They have some concerns. Other than that they have been fully supportive. When I was in prison by dad travelled daily to see me. My wife is working, so there were no financial issues as such that I am being involved in the protest. 

Q:  When you were fully involved with the Aragalaya, there were photographs circulating of you meeting Namal Rajapaksa. What was your connection with him?

I was the Founder and Executive Director of the Football Academy Association. My dad was a national football player and my brother was in the national squad. So we run an academy and we have a club too. During the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration, I had a few meetings with Namal Rajapaksa, since he was the Sports Minister at that time. There is no personal connection between him and me.

Q:  When you were fully involved with the protest at Galle Face, did you get calls from politicians or others asking you to give up the protest?

You know the history about the “white vans”. But there was a ‘black van’ which was looking for me. That was the very reason that I had planned to leave the country.

"Some wanted Ranil to be President. Some wanted Sajith or Anura Kumara to be President. But we, as citizens made our presence there only to push for a system change. We did not have any hidden agenda. At least 90% of the protesters wanted a true and a visible change"

Q:  But you were seen as a very aggressive and a courageous person. You had this image which we saw on the streets and during the Rupavahini incident. But then we saw you, trying to run away after trimming your beard and changing your personal appearance. Hence the people doubted that you had attempted to flee the country…..

It was not a case that I was trying to run away. I wanted to protect myself. I have a family to look after. You would know that how many journalists had been killed in this country? 

Q:  But you knew the risk that you were taking….. 

I knew there was an element of risk, but I did not want to just give my life over to the authorities. My plan was to go overseas, and attend the international human rights fora and protect all those involved in the protest. My lawyers advised me to leave. The law enforcement authorities have detained Wasantha Mudalige under the PTA. They could have easily done that to me because I am a Muslim. They could easily have said I am a terrorist and would have detained me.
When I was arrested and taken to the Cinnamon Gardens Police station, the senior Police officers there asked me why I was doing this and asked me to give up. I said I was doing this for my country and for my people. The Policemen then told me they were going to try and get a detention order on me so that I might eventually be jailed for two years. But they couldn’t do that because when I was arrested the whole incident drew a lot of
international attention.      

Q:  During the protest at Galle Face, there were allegations that some political parties were involved with some of the groups. When Ranil Wickremesinghe was initially made Prime Minister, we saw some of these groups got themselves detached from the site. There were allegations that SJB, JVP and other parties were involved. Questions were also raised about the funding for the protest…..How do you view this?  

Political parties were not directly involved but their trade unions or youth movements were involved. We don’t deny that. But we don’t represent a political party. And when Gotabaya Rajapaksa left, we did not promote Ranil or anyone else.

Q:  But although you say this was a non-partisan protest, we did see a number of politicians from the UNP, SJB and JVP were making appearances at the protest site?

Yes, but no one invited them, they made their presence voluntarily. Anyone could come there. Some had their own agendas. Some wanted Ranil to be President. Some wanted Sajith or Anura Kumara to be President. But we, as citizens made our presence there only to push for a system change. We did not have any hidden agenda. At least 90% of the protesters wanted a true and a visible change.

"Political parties were not directly involved but their trade unions or youth movements were involved. We don’t deny that. But we don’t represent a political party. And when Gotabaya Rajapaksa left, we did not promote Ranil or anyone else"

Q: The Rupavahini incident placed the spotlight on you. You took over Rupavahini, briefly. Was that necessary?

Wasn’t that necessary….? 

Q:  What right did you have to storm the premises and tell everyone to suspend the broadcast?

What were the rights some sections of people had in the past to set the media institutions ablaze? 

Q: But there is law and order in place to deal with that….

There was an incident where a former Minister went inside the Rupavahini Corporation premises in the past as well. We went inside to have a discussion. They (management) asked us to come in.

Q: But you went inside and demanded that the broadcast be suspended. How can you do that and that was not the way to have a discussion? Weren’t you threatening the staff?

No, I weren’t. The Commandos were there and they would have just kicked me out. I was not carrying a weapon or a bomb.

Q:  But you capitalized the opportunity where the protesters had stormed the Prime Minister’s office on the same day. The security forces were on the back foot. So the crowds stormed Rupavahini and you then went inside…..   

The National television must be an independent station. But, that is being used by politicians and they treat that as their own channel. As citizens we pay taxes for that. It’s owned by us, the general public. If I enter the Daily Mirror office, then that’s also considered a problem in that case! 

Q:  But aren’t setting a bad example? Others too might follow this in the future as well. They might storm public property saying they have a right to do that…..?

Well, this was the first such instance in the world where protesters walked into a State-run television, had a discussion, suspended the broadcast and gave us an opportunity to speak on air. Before this incidence, the protesters stormed the President’s House, Presidential Secretariat and Temple Trees. This was part of a protest; part of the Aragalaya.

Q:  But these people who entered these buildings illegally are now being identified and arrested. Don’t you think had these people known they would be arrested later, would they have entered those buildings? 

No. Everyone came with a different mindset. They wanted to change the system. They did not stop to think what would be the consequence.

Q:  When the military launched an operation to take back the Presidential Secretariat, you did a live broadcast and appealed to the people to come to Galle Face and support the protesters who were trapped there at that time. But no one came….

Well, all the roads were blocked around the Galle Face Green.

Q:  But on July 9, crowds stormed Galle Face. Why there was no similar scenario when the military took back the Presidential Secretariat? Was it out of fear or they had enough?

I think they remember Batalanda torture chamber. We need to take that fear out of them. We urged all the people to come and support us, but they didn’t come because they remembered the torturous incidents. Ranil has instilled that fear in the people’s minds. He is a bad man. We too are bad, but in a good way.

Q:  But we saw several popular figures from the entertainment, sports and business community also taking to the streets, but even they have turned silent….

That’s a phase. The next time when people take to the streets, we would see these individuals coming out in support of it.

Q:  So, you think the same sort of support would be there….?

Within the next four months this will happen. That’s for sure.

Q:  Are you planning to stage some major protests?

The people will take to the streets, so we don’t need to plan anything.

Q:  But are the people now happy with the abundance of fuel and gas they have to move on with their lives?

That’s the issue. We need to change the mindset. That will happen.

Q:   Are those who were involved in the Aragalaya considering forming a political party? 

There are some who may do that. But most of us are working on creating a proper pressure group. We will not get involved in elections or politics.