Hizbullah’s connection to NTJ – Sumanthiran
Posted on April 24th, 2019
ANANTH PALAKIDNAR & METHMALIE DISSANAYAKE Courtesy Ceylon Today
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian, President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran said today (24) that Eastern Province Governor M.L.A.M. Hizbullah’s alleged connections to the National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) must be investigated along with all connections this group has had with various other politicians and previous defence officials.
Sumanthiran was addressing the Parliament on the Easter Sunday carnage.
He said: The Muslim people, to their credit, have repeatedly complained about these miscreants. Years ago, Muslim groups raised the issue of radicalisation with Government Intelligence officials, and appealed that steps be taken to halt this process. Further, in 2017 itself, they even held a demonstration in Kattankudy and asked that Zahran (suspected Leader of the NTJ) be arrested. I must, in this respect, commend the brave conduct of Minister Kabir Hashim, who has set a great example for all of us. There are many serious questions that are being asked about Hizbullah and his connections to the NTJ. This must be investigated along with all connections this group has had with various other politicians and previous defence officials.”
Meanwhile, TNA Leader R. Sampanthan, speaking in Parliament on the same day, said that there should be an investigation to determine whether there was a foreign link in the recent terror attacks.
He also said that an independent investigation should be carried out to find out why the authorities failed to act to prevent the tragedy when they had all the intelligence information.
Findings of this investigation should be made public because people deserve the truth,” he said.
Another important question is why the terrorists chose Sri Lanka for this attack. Is it that we are divided politically? Is it that we are weak in the economic perspective? We should find out that as well. We should turn this situation around. This Parliament unanimously agreed to pass a new Constitution. We should go forward with that for the sake of our country. We shouldn’t be a divided country. We should be united. For that a new Constitution should be implemented. Then everyone will feel that Sri Lanka is going on a new path. So everyone should commit to achieve that. Otherwise we won’t be able to survive. We should keep to our commitment without any interruption,” he said.
April 24th, 2019 at 1:56 pm
A list of 160 terrorists found, but no arrests made
The Island
April 24, 2019, 6:53 am
By Hemantha Randunu
The State intelligence agencies had gathered information about 160 National Thowheed Jamath members who had been trained by terrorists, but it had not been possible to arrest them as there had been no orders from higher authorities, according to sources.
Investigations had revealed that a group of persons, who had undergone training previously had trained the suicide cadres who carried out the Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels.
The investigators had not received orders from higher authorities to make arrests while the probe was on though information about the terrorists had been conveyed to the Defence Ministry and the police, sources said.
The information about the Islamic extremist group was elicited following a raid on a training facility of the terrorist group on a 75-acre coconut plantation in Wanatavilluwa, in January.
Several persons responsible for destroying some Buddha statues in Mawanella were arrested by the CID, last December, and their arrests led the police to the Wanathawilluwa training facility. The investigators acted on an SMS received by one of the suspects to trace the camp.
The CID recovered about 100 kilos of powerful C4 explosives, six gallons of nitrogen and 99 detonators buried on the plantation, on January 16.
Investigations revealed that the members of the terrorist group had been trained in weapon handling in carrying out bomb attacks.
Leader of the NTJ, Sahajan Hashim, had visited the training facility frequently and conducted lectures to the new recruits, sources said, adding that bombs had also been manufactured at the camp.
April 24th, 2019 at 2:52 pm
Sampanthan wants a “new constitution” solely to realize his EELAM dream and not because of ANY CONCERN for the UNITY and INTEGRITY of Sri Lanka.
Sampanthan and Sumantiran are the SAME LTTE SNAKES who met with and URGED foreign leaders to FORCE Sri Lanka to DIVIDE and DISINTEGRATE itself into ETHNIC Bantustans creating MULTIPLE BUREAUCRACIES within the country PERPETUALLY at odds with each other.
If a SINGLE NATIONAL Govt divided INTERNALLY between an Executive President and an Executive Prime Minister cannot ASSURE the SAFETY of our citizens, it would be ASININE to create more Sub-National Govt Entities and DEVOLVE MORE POWER to them compounding the difficulty and incompetence further.
The Eastern Province Governor Hisbullah is ALREADY being accused of aiding and abetting Muslim terrorists within his fiefdom. It is only a matter of time before C.V. Wigneswaran follows suit in the Northern Province to resurrect an EELAM with a revived LTTE!
STOP THIS DEVOLUTION & RECONCILIATION MADNESS NOW!
REPEAL the 13th Amendment, DEMOLISH the Provincial Councils, and institute DIRECT GOVERNANCE by the National Government thus STREAMLINING and INCREASING the EFFICIENCY of Sri Lanka’s governance while paring bureaucratic costs.
I have OFTEN ADVOCATED a return to a form of the Old Government Agent system, with District Governers APPOINTED by the National Government put in charge of Regional Administration and REPORTING DIRECTLY to the PRESIDENT!
The Easter Sunday DISASTER highlights the dangers of DIVIDING EXECUTIVE POWER between an Executive President and an Executive Prime Minister.. It was a DISASTER waiting to happen!
Sri Lanka should RETURN to the PRESIDENTIAL system of Government that existed before the Yamapalanaya REDUCED the powers of the Executive President and TRANSFERRED them to an INCOMPETENT UNPATRIOTIC Prime Minister!
Furthermore, STRENGTHEN the Executive Presidency FURTHER, and ELIMINATE the post of Prime Minister COMPLETELY! The Speaker of the House is SUFFICIENT to conduct the business of the House of the Parliament!