Whither Sri Lanka: Calculated witch-hunt against Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces
Posted on June 9th, 2016

Shenali D Waduge

Some events cannot be taken as coincidental especially when it comes from party’s and individuals that previously sneered at the military. Coming into power are people who laughed at the military advances (going to Pamankade and not Alimankade), diminished victories (Thoppigala is just a jungle) and ridiculed the army commander as being not even good enough for the Salvation Army. Be that as it may, Sri Lanka’s Army holds the record for being the only military to defeat an internationally proscribed terrorist movement and the manner that the pride and prestige of the military is being diluted while the sovereignty of the country appears to be also at stake can be seen in rounding up events following January 2015 ‘revolution’.

February 2015

  • Mankulam police division removed
  • 148kg of explosives found in Chavakachcheri area
  • SSP B.R.S.R. Nagahamulla (formerly Direct of Building Division) appointed CID head – former CID Director SSP D L R Ranaweera appointed Director of Research and Planning

March 2015

  • FCID questions ex-chief defence chief staff (Roshan Goonetilleke)

April 2015

  • Ex-senior Sea Tiger cadre Jeyaganesh Murugesu Pakeerathy (41), has French connection
  • President Maithripala Sirisena and the government are seeking British support for the post-war national reconciliation process to woo influential Tamil groups based in the UK.
  • 23 senior police officers transferred

May 2015

June 2015

  • People want army out” – Wigneswaran http://www.dailymirror.lk/75491/remove-army-from
  • Mangala goes for talks with UNSC Resolution 1373 proscribed Global Tamil Forum
  • former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s alleges that the government had removed 59 camps in the North and was in the process of releasing LTTE cadres in custody.
  • US State Dept Country Report on Terrorism 2015 – detailing LTTE’s use of its extensive international contacts and the large Tamil diaspora in North America, Europe, and Asia to procure weapons, communications, funding, and other needed supplies.
  • Staff Sergent R.M Sunil Rathnayake,a member of Army is sentenced to death

July 2015

  • Indian police arrest former militant of the proscribed LTTE and seized 75 cyanide capsules, 300 gm of cyanide, four Global Positioning System sets and seven mobile phones – K Krishnakumar (39), who had served in the LTTE in the 1990s and came to Tamil Nadu in 2009 (Is he one of the 40,000 ‘dead’)
  • 3 Army personnel travelling in a white van arrested – police later claimed they had no political connections
  • Army says its role limited in North – ‘only to demining, construction works and infrastructure development in connection with the resettlement of people.’
  • August 2015
  • C4 revelation that UN plans to make government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) run Northern Provincial Council (NPC) named as ‘implementing partners.’ for domestic mechanism
  • Colonel of the Commando Regiment Major General Prasanna Silva has been removed
  • 6 LTTErs arrested in India
  • The Defence Ministry issued a detention order today to detain and interrogate the four army personnel arrested in connection with the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda. They were arrested and remain in custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). (PTA is used to arrest terrorists – why have intelligence officers been arrested using PTA? – there is no evidence or even body and nothing to prove Ekneligoda was even a journalist)
  • military checkpoint at the Omanthai in Vavuniya
  • Immediately after being made Opposition Leader, LTTE created TNA leader Sambanthan proposes ‘three to five regions’ with maximum power devolved to them taking a good example from India (Sambanthan may have got the sizes of the two countries mixed up?)

September 2015

  • The government has proposed the setting up of a commission for truth, justice, reconciliation and non-recurrence of conflict a la the South African model as one of the two mechanisms to be established as a solution to the national problem. (South Africa had an apartheid problem – whites taking over black lands, Sri Lanka had a terrorist problem, the LTTE terrorists were enemies of all the communities – how can we model our problem on the South African model when even that model has been a proven failure). The other mechanism is establishing an “Office on Missing Persons based on the principle of the families’ right to know, to be set up by Statute with expertise from the ICRC (lets see if even after 7 years the 40,000 dead names can be registered.. so far not even 100 names)
  • Tamil diaspora group calls for ‘internationalised Special Court  for criminal prosecution’
  • Sri Lanka goes and co-sponsors the UNHRC Resolution which names the battle commanders and task force leaders in what is clearly a biased report with just brushing mention of LTTE crimes. The document that contains 20 Operative paragraphs and 23 preambular paragraphs which recommends international judges, defence lawyers, and authorized prosecutors and investigators’. The report says LTTE never used hospitals for military purposes, The recommendations bizarre proposals against a national army (absolutely nothing against LTTE or the LTTE fronts the GOSL banned as LTTE fronts) while the Foreign Minister of SL says that the New US resolution a path breaking success”

October 2015

  • CID to inspect Giritale Army Intelligence Corps Camp re the ‘journalist’ Ekneligoda case (he is neither a journalist and there is no dead body either)
  • PM says government planning to create a new judicial structure to inquire into human rights violations.
  • Hitherto unknown ‘war crimes witnesses’ likely to testify before proposed court – Weliamuna (what kind of joke is this? Weliamuna says some of those who complained regarding accountability issues here to UNSG Ban Ki-moon’s Panel of Experts (PoE) on the condition of anonymity are likely to give evidence before the proposed domestic mechanism with foreign participation.)
  • Four former security forces’ commanders and a retired Major General who were appointed to Sri Lankan missions overseas were questioned by The Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) over their involvement in politics – General (retd) Shantha Kottegoda,  Air Chief Marshal (retd) Jayalath Weerakkody Admiral (retd) Wasantha Karannagoda Admiral (retd) Thisara Samarasingha Major General (retd) Jagath Kumara Wijesiri (please note they are not the first former defence chiefs to get diplomatic appointments – in fact just weeks later yahapalan appoints Major General Ubaya Medawela as the Military Adviser at the Office of the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York)
  • Paranagama Commission rejects Darusman findings – Commission says LTTE which killed majority of Tamil civilians during the last 12 hours of the final stage of the war. The report “rejects the suggestion that civilians were either targeted directly or indiscriminately by the SLA as a part of an alleged genocide plan.” “The Commission finds that the Darusman Report, as well as other reports, have taken a particularly narrow and restricted view of the obligation upon the GOSL to prosecute international crimes.” The report says, “The LTTE was principally responsible for the loss of civilian life during the final phase of the armed conflict through their actions which included taking 300,000 to 330,000 civilian hostage, implementing a strategy of killing Tamil civilians to suit their military aims, using civilians as a strategic human buffer leading to considerable loss of civilian life, using hostages to dig trenches and build fortifications thereby exposing them to harm, sacrificing countless civilian hostages to keep the LTTE leadership in power, arming hostages and forcing them into the front line leading to the deaths of large numbers, forcing a great number of children to man the frontlines; deliberately preventing civilians, under their effective control, from fleeting to areas away from the fighting and executing civilian hostages for attempting to escape their captivity; shelling civilian hostages in order that the LTTE might assign those deaths to the SLA for media purposes to provoke international humanitarian intervention; placing their heavy weaponry amid civilians making it inevitable that there would be civilian casualties; killing civilians through the use of suicide bombers; placing mines and other explosive devices that resulted in civilian deaths; causing the deaths of civilians who drowned in an attempt to flee their LTTE captors; and adopting a practice whereby a significant number of its cadres fought in civilian clothes, thus blurring the distinction between combatants and civilians inevitably leading to civilian deaths.” “Commission is of the view that the principal reason for the loss of civilian life during the final phase of the war was the hostage taking and use of human shields by the LTTE.” http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=133868 / http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=134038
  • TNA MP Mavai Senathirajah said today that his party would be compelled to form a separate Tamil State with the help of the international community if any party resolved to form a Sinhala dominated state

November 2015

  • A pro-Sri Lankan Tamil activist who hurled a slipper at former National Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan in Chennai. Incidentally his name too is Prabakaran
  • navy commander Jayantha Perera questioned by the PRECIFAC on the floating armoury belonging to Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Ltd.
  • 31 ex-LTTE detainees were released by Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya (11 Nov)
  • hartal campaign organized by the TNA in several towns in the Northern Province, launched by shop owners and other service providers demanding that all Tamil political prisoners be released (can someone please tell TNA that LTTE are not political prisoners)
  • The Dead and Missing Persons Parents Front (DMPPF) handed over a report to the visiting members of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID)
  • Plans to abolish the Prevention of Terrorism Act with one modelled on the Patriot Act of the United States (must we copy everything the West does?). EU is also demanding GOSL to repeal PTA (do we demand EU to remove their laws?)
  • Extraordinary gazette notification issued lifting ban on several outfits and individuals who had been banned under UNSC Resolution 1373 as LTTE fronts. The de-listed organizations are: Global Tamil Forum (GTF); British Tamil Forum (BTF); National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT); Tamil Youth Organization (TYO); World Tamil Coordinating Committee (WTCC); Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC); Australian Tamil Congress (ATC); Tamil National Council (TNC). http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=136394
  • Former Navy Commanders Admirals Jayanath Colombage and Jayantha Perera have been summoned by PRECIFIC for the purpose of recording their statements over allegations of fraud and corruption at the Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Ltd.
  • Posters put up in Jaffna university premises requesting everyone to celebrate LTTE s Mahaviru day that falls on November 27
  • The Madras High Court on Thursday had permitted the Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam (DVK) to hold a meeting to commemorate ‘Heroes Day’ in remembrance of slain LTTE cadres

December 2015

  • Former President Chandrika says the Special Court will examine actions of main line of command and not soldiers who were only carrying out orders.
  • Government considering a general amnesty for LTTE cadres in custody
  • Former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse warns against releasing remaining hardcore LTTE cadres http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=136681
  • Government forcing new constitution ignoring mandatory steps spelt out in Chapter 12 of the Constitution(article 83) which requires 11 provisions plus a two-thirds majority and a referendum.
  • Family members of Army intelligence officers who were arrested and detained under the PTA in connection with the disappearance of journalist” Prageeth Ekneligoda today requested the government to release their loved ones similar to the way in which ex-LTTE detainees were released.  http://www.dailymirror.lk/99645/army-intelligence-officers-as-done-t

January 2016

  • TNA and the SLMC are seeking consensus on proposed new Constitution and electoral reforms
  • GLPieris gives why the new constitution is flawed – http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=138870
  • Recently deproscribed LTTE front Global Tamil Forum urge UN to ensure foreign judges’ participation in war crimes investigation
  • Who exactly is heading the country? The President says investigation should be internal and indigenous while the Prime Minister says war crimes probe will have foreign component. Then a few days later he denies saying so.
  • Prime Minister gets tough with media accusing them of promoting racism “You don’t talk big because your hands are not clean. What are all doing with regard to racism? I mean all newspapers. I am asking the electronic and print media. What do you have to say about the incident at the Homagama Court? Write an editorial, if possible, on the Homagama incident.”

February 2016

March 2016

  • Fonseka says Rajapaksas had no say in making battlefield decisions” http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=142174 (and Fonseka is now in Government)
  • Sampoor navy base vacated
  • 32-year-old Edward Julian alias Ramesh arrested under PTA as he was fleeing the Jaffna peninsula after Chavakachcheri police found a suicide jacket, four claymore mines, three parcels containing about 12 kilos of TNT, two battery packs as well as 100 rounds of 9mm ammunition in his house in the Meesalai area. (why are Sri Lanka’s intelligence officers arrested under the same PTA?

April 2016

May 2016

June 2016

  • The government has rescinded a directive issued by the previous government in March, 2011 meant to deprive those who had obtained/sought political asylum overseas from visiting the country
  • Office of Missing Persons to receive US, NGO support
  • The bizarre drama starting out with the Muslim Chief Minister of the Eastern Province publicly degrading a naval officer in uniform which led to the military taking a bold stand as a result of which the Eastern Commander was transferred and replaced with a former Naval officer who had been a US embassy employee and had returned to Sri Lanka before the elections and had been reinstated above all other rear admirals and now placed as Eastern Naval Commander. The drama obviously was pre-planned and an infamous false flag. http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=146423
  • Orders from higher powers force Eastern Naval base to invite the Eastern Province Chief Minister to a meal thus humiliating the Navy further.
  • The arrest of intelligence officers for ‘allegedly’ killing some man who is projected as a journalist but even people who had been in the journalist field has not known, heard or seen at any press conference. These officers are being kept without any evidence being presented and has crippled the country’s intelligence network which greatly helped neutralize the LTTE.
  • A ‘sudden’ fire at the Sri Lanka ammunition factory in Kosgama, Avissawella which even the LTTE could not destroy. A crime is solved by listing the beneficiaries. Ammunition destroyed means, new ammunition is needed. Who will Sri Lanka have to go to purchase these ammunition? US or India, probably we will end up getting sub-standard weaponry as has been supplied by UNP governments in the past!

The Foreign Interference (January 2015- June2016)

  • New war crimes campaign backed by some British MPs gets underway
  • UK govt. urged to take up ban on Diaspora groups with SL
  • Modi tells Sri Lanka – Modi: ‘Go beyond 13A’
  • US calls for the release of ‘political prisoners’ – in other words the release of hardcore LTTE cadres (200) LTTE cadres are not POWs and cannot be referred to as political prisoners.
  • Senior U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, ranking member, Senate Judiciary Committee on June 9, 2015 had called for  international bodies, such as the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in war crimes investigation process, to provide technical assistance as well as substantive input and help with ‘prosecutorial’ work, evidence-gathering, and judicial decision-making
  • UN calls for hybrid court in Sri Lanka (firstly UN has still not answered how a personally commissioned UNSG report became the foundation of UNHRC Resolutions and extensively used by the UNHRC head in oral/written reports, moreover what prima facie evidence is in the report to claim war crimes … when witnesses can be kept hidden for 20 years there is no limit to allegations that can be built against a targeted country… moreover all of UN’s hybrid courts have been proven failures – colossal waste of money, time and only a means for those involved to get rich)
  • Motoo Noguchi – a top international prosecutor from Japan to visit Sri Lanka.
  • UN Human Rights Chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein justifying the OISL report recommendation for a hybrid special court to address accountability issues in Sri Lanka, said the domestic judicial system is not equipped to conduct an investigation into the crimes listed in the findings (this was a slap on a sovereign nation for which the yahapalan govt just kept mum as usual) UNHRC head had no grounds to make such a statement and should have been taken to task for it http://www.dailymirror.lk/89441/sl-judicial-system-isn-t-equipped-to-probe-war-crimes-zeid
  • A team from the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) headed by its Vice President, Bernard Duhaime arrive for a 10-day-visit to facilitate investigations into issues related to disappearances. The WGEID only visits countries following invitations by their governments. Its representatives had visited Sri Lanka thrice previously, in 1991, 1992 and 1999. It had, so far, submitted 12,341 cases on enforced or involuntary disappearances to the government and the government had clarified and solved 6,590 of them. Most of the unresolved cases, about 4057, had taken place in the 1980s and 1990s,” (so where is this 40,000 name list???)
  • United States Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Samantha Power arrives for 3 day visit to Sri Lanka
  • UK govt that refused to give military support to end LTTE says that UK will provide sterling pounds 6.6milion over 3 years to support reconciliation, military reforms (very fishy) and displaced persons. UK voted against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC and has been calling for not only hybrid courts but UK’s Opposition leader is saying he would help create self-determination for Tamils
  • British Defence Adviser in New Delhi will concurrently function as non-resident military representative for Sri Lanka
  • international coalition led by Britain to help new government. UK commits Rs. 15 million to support Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption project. (UK ranked most corrupt country in the world J)
  • 6 US envoys had visited Sri Lanka during the past four months – US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal, US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, United States Secretary of State John Kerry, US Under Secretary Thomas Shannon and US Assistant Secretary for Democracy and Human Rights and Labour Tom Malinowski were among those arrived in Sri Lanka
  • US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence (DASD) for South and Sout Eeast Asia Dr. Amy Searight arrives to examine the future role of Sri Lankan security forces
  • Indian interference in internal affairs – One-time Indian High Commissioner to Colombo Gopalkrishna Gandhi yesterday accused the previous government of having executed LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s son during the final phase of the Vanni offensive in May 2009.
  • Indian interference – SL drops plan to buy Chinese fighter aircraft assembled in Pakistan due to Indian pressure
  • Britain wants Lanka to implement Geneva Resolution before June Minister of State for Asia Hugo Swire
  • Regular arrivals of Indian military vessels to Sri Lanka (by air & sea)
  • Norway the nation that openly sided with the tigers returns to do reconciliation
  • Return lands US tells Sri Lanka
  • EU denies hand in National Security Act replacing PTA (when they deny there’s always some truth)
  • Canada publicly called for an immediate end to military celebrations – Canada welcomed the current Administration’s efforts last year to shift from a celebration of Victory Day to a Day of Remembrance (Canada is party to illegal military interventions of US/NATO)
  • United States government has eased military trade restrictions imposed on Sri Lanka for over eight years

Don’t you have questions?

  • Why is a government releasing hardcore LTTE cadres while using Prevention of Terrorism Act to arrest and keep imprisoned the country’s intelligence officers accusing them of killing a man who is not even a journalist and there is no body even to claim crime?
  • Why has the government removed the security of the 2 main players responsible for ending terrorism when caches of arms, ammunition, suicide vests and re-arrest of LTTE cadres signal their lives will be at stake
  • Why has the government diluted a war victory when West and Allies continue to celebrate World War 2. The former President and Defense Secretary had not even been invited for the official war heroes ceremonies.
  • Why are officials of foreign organizations given unfettered access to military establishments (nowhere in the world does this happen)
  • Will US allow anyone to commemorate Osama bin Laden or Al Qaeda? Why is Sri Lanka allowing such even inside Jaffna university
  • Why has the govt simply deproscribed LTTE fronts just to please a handful of people these fronts are closely associated with?
  • Why are so many foreign envoys visiting Sri Lanka and issuing demarches on items which strictly come under the purview of the internal affairs of the sovereign country
  • Why is the government taking the stand that only Tamils are victims – why is the govt not speaking for the victims of the rest of the country who are over 85% of the population?
  • Why is this government ready to crucify the war heroes who sacrificed their lives to liberate this country – not a word has come from the government calling for accountability of LTTE crimes from all living supporters including LTTE diaspora groups that provided material, money, procurement and campaigned amongst foreign nations to support LTTE.
  • Why is the government not questioning the legality of the UNHRC/UNSG reports and resolutions – these have no mandate of the UNGA or the UNSC
  • Can we trust nations with forked tongues? Have we forgotten the damage colonial Britain committed against Sri Lanka and now they are returning to dangle 6 million pounds to reform the military and turn our war heroes into wimps.
  • Creating of wimps in the military subservient to the West and puppet local leaders is the ‘reformation’ taking place both in the armed forces and police – all war heroes have been denied service extensions so that they will lose institutional backing and the government is being asked to change the country’s laws so that these gallant war heroes will become easy prey.
  • The manner foreign nations are interfering is blatantly clear – they want to play a role in all of the new offices being created so that they can plug their people and run the country like a colony. All laws are being changed so that these too would fall in line to their agenda. The constitution is being made by treacherous citizens who will agree to put their name to any change that would end up with Sri Lanka virtually becoming another Philippines.

Is this where people want Sri Lanka to end up? Do we as a nation have no national pride? While other nations are trying their best to maintain their country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity we have a bunch of politicians and others on foreign payroll lining up to hand over every inch of Sri Lanka to foreigners including our sovereign rights too… this hand over turning us to virtual slaves is the real crime against humanity.

Shenali D Waduge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfNE-gWVB9U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amFKXPN3R3k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fkBT1pBPyU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_U8QR8BcYw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JTHgVat1n0

 

3 Responses to “Whither Sri Lanka: Calculated witch-hunt against Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces”

  1. Ananda-USA Says:
    June 9th, 2016 at 7:56 pm

    Shenali …. Api Sinhala Bauddayanta hondata mathakai mey magodi!

    ……………………………..

    Alimankada Yanawa Kiyala Pamankadai Yanney!

    Kilinochchi Yanawa kiyala Medawachchiyatai Yanney!

    Thoppigala maha loku wanayak … ekey kawuruth naha

    Onama Gonnekta Yuddey Dinnanta Puluwan!

    Mey Yuddaya auvurudu 30 kalaya thura Sampurnayen Asaarthakai!

    ……………………..

    Meywa eda kiwuwey yuddayata ley binduwakwath puja nokorupu, kotinta rata bedadenda hadapu, varthamana rajaye amaathywarayo!

    Mey BORU KIYANA DESHADROHINTA ayi apey Sinhalayo balayata pathkaley?

    Avurudu THIHAKA dirga kalayak thura api windapu duk vedana Aurudiu PAHAKIN AMATHAKAWELADA??

  2. Fran Diaz Says:
    June 10th, 2016 at 10:56 am

    Shenali,
    Thank you for this list !

    We have two more Questions :

    *. Why isn’t the all powerful Yahap removing the 13-A ?
    *. Why isn’t the same Yahap enacting the 6-A ?
    *. Why are the Yahap people not asking for the official removal of the Vadukoddai Resolution (1976) for Eelam using violence ?

    ————-

    Those who molly-coddled LTTE Terrorism of near 30 yrs with five rounds of failed talks, while killing & torturing protestors from the Sinhala/Buddhist side (JVP) twice without any talks held, are in power today !

    Those who removed Terrorism for the greater good of all in Lanka are made to look like the faulty people !

    At present, Sri Lanka on the whole is made to look like some sort of Failed State by those who condoned Terrorism !
    Another Question : to what purpose ?

  3. Fran Diaz Says:
    June 10th, 2016 at 10:57 am

    Change to we have THREE more Questions :

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