Vernon Botejue Senior Attorney at Law

It is extremely distressing and regrettable, to note, under caption UPFA Govt. a threat to peace-loving people – Sajith” an article published in the Daily Mirror at page A4 of Wednesday August 20, 2014

The news report elaborated; the people in the country were totally confused as to from whom Sri Lanka should be saved, when all Ministers and the President go round the country saying that the country has to be saved from ‘extremists and anti-nationalists’ requesting to help the government to eradicate them. UNP stalwart, Hambanthota District Parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa said.”

On scrutiny of the reported utterance, of the UNP stalwart Sajith Premadasa, that The people in the country were totally confused as to from whom Sri Lanka should be saved,” it is self evident that total confusion reigns supreme in Sajith’s own mind and not in the mind of the people in the country as alleged by him in his speech as reported in the news item under reference in which he himself says all ministers and President Rajapaksa say the country has to be saved from ‘extremists and anti- nationalists”.

‘Extremists’ are persons who deny and eschew the rule of law and the democratic way of life and governance. The anti-nationalists are those who are citizens of a nation who act in an unpatriotic manner against his or her own nation and her flag. Poet Sir Walter Scott refers to them Breathes there the man with soul so dead/ who never to himself hath said/ this is my own, my native land.”

In the eye of the Supreme Law the Constitution of Sri Lanka, a citizen who belongs to whatever race or creed, Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Moor or Burgher including the LTTE terrorists who act in an unpatriotic and treacherous manner fall into the anti-nationalist group and most certainly they are a serious threat to the sovereignty of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka as all citizens of Sri Lanka owe allegiance to the Constitution and the national flag and the national anthem of Sri Lanka. Our Superior Courts have consistently held that a citizen may change his nationality but not his race.

Tamil diaspora

It is no secret that the LTTE terrorists who escaped and fled the country now enjoy the freedom of asylum and hospitality of certain foreign states with the help and co-operation of the so called Tamil diaspora resident therein.

In Canada, Great Britain, USA, France and Germany and in certain states manipulated through bribery and corruption to extend hospitality to them and become hostile to Sri Lanka as evidenced by the wrongful and illegal conduct in trumping up or supporting false and fabricated charges of war crimes and violations of human rights against Sri Lanka before the UNHRC Geneva that has no rights whatsoever or jurisdiction to inquire into or investigate such charges under any law against the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka an independent sovereign state and member of the United Nations entitled to equal status with other members under the Charter of the United Nations.

This writer has repeatedly expressed this legal opinion in the Ceylon Daily News available to readers per internet.

Adverting to the utterances of Sajith Premadasa, in particular to his allegation that the people in the country were totally confused without any exception prompted this writer to join issue with this young politico, the son of an illustrious father for whom this writer had great respect that he publicly expressed in his communications – the late President R. Premadasa.

Global community

In the premises, it is not irrelevant to the current issue, for mention herein that the late R. Premadasa himself had his own political opponents and critics, that late President Premadasa valiantly fought back in his rise to the top.

One of such allegations, by his critics was that after he succeeded late President J. R. Jayewardene, that he President R. Premadasa provided arms to the LTTE terrorists, who were waging a war against the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, to attack the purported Indian Peace Keeping Forces.

In the North and East of the country, however that finally caused the Indian Government to withdraw the IPKF back to India – that this writer deemed was expedient and necessary in the greater interests of the independence and sovereignty of Mother Lanka.

It was President J.R. Jayewardene then leader of the UNP who was compelled to sign the pact with Rajiv Gandhi under threat of an invasion of Sri Lanka and surrender to a peaceful invasion of the country by permitting the Indian Army to keep its forces in Sri Lanka under the guise of maintaining peace in the North and East of the country against the war that was being waged by the LTTE terrorists to carve out a separate Elam State.

Certainly at that point of time, opinion was divided on the issue of the purpose and presence of the IPKF in the North and the East of Sri Lanka. Critics of President R. Premadasa alleged that he was wrong, while others complemented the President that he got rid of the millstone tied round the neck of our motherland – derogatory to the territorial jurisdiction and sovereignty of Sri Lanka and in truth, fact and reality, was undoubtedly beneficial to the terrorists who strengthened its position in the territory illegally held by them during this period in the North and East of Sri Lanka.

This writer complemented President R. Premadasa in a written message to the President and added that his Excellency’s initial R” should stand for Redeemer” of our motherland – Sovereignty” of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

Reverting to the news report under reference, it is recorded, Mr. Premadasa said the government must take the responsibility for the negative image it has created among the global community by deceiving them all the time”. Undoubtedly a very serious and defamatory accusation to be made by a citizen of Sri Lanka.

But it certainly exposed the power hungry bankrupt politician, by his treacherous outburst of adoration for the hostile Global Community is supporting the vanquished LTTE terrorist gang, the most ruthless known to the world, to stage a come back, reminding one of the colonial era, when boot licking was the order of the day for enjoying colonial government patronage and perks.

The news report continues, Mr. Premadasa said, The government attempts to prevent an international investigation against Sri Lanka but it will not succeed as the global community has firmly decided to go ahead and frame war crime charges against Sri Lanka.” This opinion publicly expressed by the UNP Stalwart Sajith Premadasa is certainly twinned with the desire that exposes the hidden object behind it.

Harrowing tales of death and destruction

That the main opposition political party the UNP is ready, willing and able to support the militarily powerful members of the global community to achieve for his political party through the bullet what his party has failed to achieve up to date through the ballot.

People of Sri Lanka remember the fate of Iraq: The combined armed invasion executed by Britain and USA: The arrest and mock trial of the Head of State and his illegal execution by hanging. That has resulted in harrowing tales of death and destruction that continues even today unabated according to news reports.

The citizens of Sri Lanka have not forgotten the unbearable suffering, death and destruction caused by the LTTE terrorists for over three decades; and certainly owe a great debt of gratitude to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the gallant members of the armed forces who vanquished the terrorists now endeavouring to stage a come back with the support of the anti-nationalists and certain members of the international community hostile to Sri Lanka.

On scrutiny of the utterances of Mr. Sajith Premadasa, Quote The government attempts ………………..will not succeed as the global community has firmly decided to go ahead and frame war crime charges against Sri Lanka.” The UNP stalwart Sajith agrees with this utterly illegal and foul action of the global community.

Thus it is self evident that Sajith’s wish and desire – is the unkindest cut of all – to betray the tried and trusted leader of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa that is akin to the great betrayal reported in the Bible of Jesus Christ by Judas Iscariot for thirty pieces of silver. The task is to incite and agitate the global community to act firmly and frame war crime charges against the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa who saved our motherland from the scourge of LTTE terrorists and eradicated them root branch and tree from the soil of Sri Lanka; not to pave the way for power hungry politicians to establish puppet regimes in Sri Lanka to please the global community as desired by Mr. Sajith Premadasa.

Restoring peace and harmony

Most certainly President Mahinda Rajapaksa is eminently qualified and deserving to receive the Noble Peace Award for 2009 for vanquishing terrorism and restoring absolute peace and harmony not only in the whole island of Sri Lanka but also in the SARC Region.

This writer firmly believes that the patriotic citizens of Sri Lanka will never allow or condone at any cost, power hungry politicians to realize their dream through the bullet not the ballot.

On weighing and evaluating the thrust of the speech of Sajih Premadasa an irresistible and reasonable inference that may be drawn is that Sajith falls into the group of anti- nationalists like his party comrade from Matara Mangala Samaraweera who has publicly proclaimed that he will testify before the illegal UNHRC.

This writer has in his previous publications in the Ceylon Daily News (available to interested readers per inter net) his legal opinion – that the UNHRC is only a subsidiary body of the UNO and a forum for discussion but has no legal authority or jurisdiction to inquire into or investigate or even refer charges to a war crimes tribunal or the ICJ under the provisions of the UN Charter – that confirms that Sri Lanka is an Independent Sovereign State enjoying equal Sovereign Status and no other member of the UNO has any right or authority to interfere in her internal affairs.