By Shamindra FerdinandoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Courtesy Island.lk

April 16, 2013, 10:09 pm

UPFA MP Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, yesterday said that the terrorist attack on the Boston marathon was the first attack on a sporting event in the world since the assassination of her husband, Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, as he was about to flag off a marathon at Weliweriya, Gampaha on the morning of April 6, 2008.

The Weliweriya blast claimed the lives of 12 persons, including Minister Fernandopulle, who held the highways and road development portfolios at the time of his demise and athlete K. A. Karunarathne, the former national and South Asian gold medalist. Among the wounded were a number of children.

In a brief interview with The Island, Dr. Fernandopulle stressed that the Boston attack was a grim reminder that terrorists could strike in any country, regardless of its political and military might.

The Gampaha District MP pointed out that the international community had reacted angrily to the latest terrorist outrage with the US vowing to track down those responsible. But unfortunately, Western powers had conveniently ignored the Weliweriya suicide blast, she said, adding that the Colombo based international media and a section of the local media, too, failed to highlight the LTTE taking advantage of a sports event to eliminate a high profile target.

An irate MP pointed out that those demanding accountability on the part of the government for alleged atrocities committed during the conflict had been silent on sordid LTTE operations.

Responding to a query, the MP said that until the government had eradicated the LTTE leadership in May 2009, attacks on civilian targets had been a common occurrence. Those who had been preaching to Sri Lanka on democratic rights and free and fair elections had never condemned the LTTE when it targeted political rallies, political events and prevented Tamil speaking people from exercising their franchise, the MP said. It would be pertinent to mention that since the governmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s triumph over the LTTE, there hadnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t been a single terrorist attack, though some predicted the LTTE could wage a guerilla campaign for many years. Those shedding crocodile tears for LTTE combatants and Tamil speaking civilians had been mum during the reign of LTTE terror, she said.

Dr. Fernandopulle contested the last parliamentary polls in April 2010 on the SLFP ticket. She represents the Katana electorate, previously nursed by Jeyaraj.

MP Fernandopulle said that those who had carried out the Boston bombing would have reached their target as ordinary civilians. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-May be they were there as spectators or perhaps as competitors. What we have to realise is that even the best of security measures in place can be manipulated by those masquerading as civilians. We experienced on many occasions the horrors caused by terrorists in disguise. They were never in uniform during clandestine operations in the city and its suburbs,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Dr. Fernandopulle said. Referring to the Weliweriya blast, Dr. Fernandopulle said that the suicide cadre had been in civilian attire.

Commenting on US Ambassador Michele SisonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s recent address to the Colombo based Foreign CorrespondentsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ Association, Dr. Fernandopulle said that the US envoy had quite rightly acknowledged that the US was suffering due to terrorism. Sison was quoted by a US embassy as having said: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We, too, have faced terror. We know how it can tear at the very fabric of state and society.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Unfortunately, the US had failed to realise that some of those demanding a war crimes inquiry against the government had been directly supportive of the LTTE throughout the terror campaign, Dr. Fernandopulle said.

Sri Lanka had never been an issue at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions until the conclusion of the conflict, the MP said. Had the LTTE somehow managed to survive the military offensive, Sri Lanka would never have been the subject of discussion at Geneva, Commonwealth or any other international forum, she said. In fact, those who had sided with the LTTE during the conflict were now campaigning against the country both here and abroad.