Mahinda Rajapakse is a name that should remain for ever respected, honoured and written in gold in the pages of History..
Posted on June 27th, 2016
By Charles.S.Perera
Yo appaduṭṭhassa narassa dussati
Suddhassa posassa ananganassa
Tam eva bālaṃpaccheti pāpaṃ
Sukhumo rajo paṭivātaṃ va khitto (125 Dhammapada)
Like fine dust thrown against the wind, evil falls back upon that fool who offends an inoffensive, pure, and guiltless man.
If Sri Lanka government seeks the applause of USA and the west Sri Lanka can be sure to remain undeveloped and dependent on USA and the west. That is what had been the foreign policy of the USA and the West. We saw how USA Ambassador Robert O’Blake, UK and French Foreign Secretaries, Hillary Clinton reacted to progressive development plans, and Sri Lanka’s economic development under Mahinda Rajapakse.
Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickramasinghe are already caught in the tangled political net of USA and the West, Ravi Karunanayake the Finance Minister will never be able to produce a people friendly budget to ease the economic burden of the people with a rising high cost of living. Mangala Samaraweera as much as Ranil Wickramasinghe have been adopted the lapdogs of USA and the West.
USA presented its resolution against Sri Lanka in Geneva before Sirisena-Ranil government was formed , to make governing difficult for the former President Mahinda Rajapakse. Every Sri Lankan who suffered under terrorism for 30 odd years knows that the military operations against terrorism were a necessary evil, to bring peace and security to Sri Lank and its people. USA too new that terrorism cannot be handled with velvet gloved hands, and a war against terrorism has to be fought with utmost severity even at risk to civilian lives.
USA and its allies used the NATO forces against their terrorists outside their own countries thus without risk to their own people, and caring very little for the loss of civilian lives in those countries they selected to devastate with bombs and canon fire. Later on they turned their guns and bombed countries to remove lawful governments, killing thousands of civilians. USA tortured captured civilians both in Abu Grahib prisons and Guanano Bay Camps.
But why are UN and great Human rights activists Silent? Why is there no resolution presented at UN Human Rights Council in Geneva against USA and its allies for violation of Human Rights and war crimes ?
No one thought of passing a resolution in the UN Human Rights Council against the USA and its allies calling for accountability and for war crimes. Therefore the countries which voted the USA ‘s resolution against Sri Lanka for the violation of human rights and war crimes in the elimination of terrorists in Sri Lanka are guilty of the murders and atrocities committed by the Tamil terrorists against the people of Sri Lanka.
Therefore, Sri Lanka in the elimination of terrorists had not committed any war crime. Any civilian deaths in that necessary war against terrorism, was collateral. However, those unfortunate civilian deaths saved thousands of civilian deaths if the terrorism was allowed to continue without military intervention. Hence, no one-USA or the West has the right to come forward now to call for accountability or accuse the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka for war crimes.
We may as well ask the USA and its allies to pass any resolution against Sri Lanka and that Sri Lanka will not accept those resolutions valid as long as USA, which has violated human rights, committed war crimes, and did not respect the sovereignty of States like Pakistan to trespass into it by force to murder a residents of that country, is called to account and answer for the crimes it has committed against nations.
If not Sri Lanka should leave the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, which has accepted a resolution against Sri Lanka which rightfully eliminated terrorism, by USA which is a country guilty of human right violations and war crimes and therefore USA has no right what so ever to accuse Sri Lanka for similar crimes, and pass any resolution against it.
It was stupid that Mangala Samaraweera’s over-enthusiasm on being the Foreign Minister of Sirisena-Ranil-Chndrika government that he embraced the USA anti Sri Lanka resolution as if it was a God’s gift. Not stopping at that Ranil Wickramsinghe sponsored the resolution against his own country.
Can we call these men Ranil Wickramasinghe , Mangala Samaraweera and Maithripala Sirisena-who did not speak out against sponsoring the USA Resolution against Sri Lanka patriot of Sri Lanka ?
USA and the West treating this Yahapalanaya Government of Sirisena and Ranil submissive and acts with an unquestioning obedience has not even withdrawn the anti Sri Lanka resolution which they were using as a means to change Rajapakse Regime” of Sri Lanka.
The State Department of USA on the advice of its Assistant Secretary of South Asia Robert Blake who was a friend of Sri Lanka Terrorist Prabhakaran and Tamil Selvam, and sympathiser of the Sri Lank terrorists, took punitive action against the President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapakse for going ahead with the military operations to eliminate terrorism against the advise of the State Department of USA.
Why should the world accept USA as a global policeman, acting as if it has the right to decide on the internal policies of any Sovereign State in the world?
USA has never t acted in the interest of any developing country. USA takes action against countries in its own interest. This can be stopped only by the UNO with a proper leadership- with the Secretary General of UNO being a politically neutral person who cannot be manipulated by USA. Ban ki Moon cannot unfortunately be accepted as an independent Secretary General of the UNO . He acts in the interest of USA and the West.
If President Mahinda Rajapkse had listened to USA at the the time, and instead of military operations against terrorism had rounds after rounds of peace negotiations with the terrorists, there would still be terrorism in Sri Lanka, and our people would have continued to be murdered and massacred in thousands.
If the American State Department would look at this probability with intelligence they will undoubtedly realise that the number of deaths of civilians in the actual elimination of terrorists( which it says 40 000, going by the Darusman Report) in May, 2009,would be comparatively insignificant.
The people of Sri Lanka are therefore grateful that the President Mahinda Rajapksa did not listen to the USA State Department and instead carried on with the military operations until the complete elimination of terrorism.
Hence the former President Mahinda Rajapaks, his government and his Armed Forces are guiltless of the accusations made against them by USA in its infamous resolution passed at the UNHRCouncil in Genevca.
America true to its regime change mania in the developing countries, saw a politically strategic danger in the excessive closeness of China with Sri Lanka of Mahinda Rajapakse. America knowing the strategic importance of Sri Lanka to control the south and checkmate any developments that would be a danger to its assumed leadership in the south seas, was planning to take measures to change President Mahinda Rajapakse goverment in Sri Lanka.
They began by encouraging their Local Agents Ranil Wickramasinghe, and Chandrika Kumaratunga to create an uprising of people against the Government in line with the Arab summer that ousted the Presidents of Egypt and Tunisia.
Ranil and his UNP tried their best to make issues with the murder of the editor of Sunday leader Lasantha Wickramaratne, and using the funeral of a Tamil member of UNP assassinated by the LTTE, and again on army shooting at the manifestation in Rathupusellawa, and with the shooting of the strikers manifesting in the industrial zone, but none of these attempts of the UNP leader were successful to raise the people against the President Mahinda Rajapkse.
The President Mahinda Rajapakse is so popular amoung the people that they would not rise against him and his government. The people were willing to suffer the burden of a rising cost of living rather than change the government of Mahinda Rajapakse for that.
Finally American State Department unable to find a means to oust the government of Mahinda Rajapakse, arranged for Ranil Wickramasinghe the leader of the UNP a scholarship in the Massachuset University of Technology to follow a course on How to Change Governments.” It was then that the USA State Department, and the CIA may have worked out a plan along with Ranil Wickramasinghe .
The plan was to accuse the President Mahinda Rajapakse , his family and all those connected to him as having misappropriated State funds for their personal use. They saw that it will go down well with the people as Sri Lanka was receiving millions of dollars for various projects of development undertaken by President Mahinda Rajapakse’s Government, and one can be made to suspect that there may be some truth that some of the money from the billions the government is receiving may have found their way into the pockets of those in power.
It was no secret that the Ministers Ravi Karunanayake, and Karu Jayasuriya and others in the UNP Government of Ranil Wickramasinghe of 2002, and even the President Chandrika Kumaratunga are known to have made financial gains when Sri Lanka was getting comparatively less money from the sale of Sathosa by Ravi Karunanayake, illegl transfer of state land for private Golf Course – Waters Edge by Chandrika , and signing a cotract with Agrekko Ltd for a financial deal without Treasury or cabinet approval by Karu Jayasuriya.
Even G.G.Ponnambalam was accused of taking commissions on a agriculture Tracks deal.
The people may therefore begin to doubt, they-USA regime change group , CID and Ranil had argued, that there may be some truth about the hue and cry raised against Mahanda Rajapakse and the Ministers of his Government to have misappropriated from the vast sums of money pouring into the country.
That was how the accusations of bribery and corruption and stealing of state funds for personal use , having foreign Bank Accounts and money laundering etc.,against the Rajapaksa family and Directors, of various Companies that thrived under President Rajapakse, came about.
There may have been some who made money during the Presidency of Mahinda Rajapakse, but certainly not the President Mahinda Rajapakse and his family. Mahinda Rajapakse could not have carried out the Mahinda Chintanaya if he was syphoning off funds for his personal use.
Mahinda Rajapakse would surely not have resorted to misappropriating state funds as he knew that he would be at the centre of an inquiry by any future government of an opposition party coming into power. Further more Mahinda Rajapakse would not have stooped to any corrupt activity as he would have liked to have a clean name as an incorrupt and an honest leader, as he was trusted, loved and dear to his people.
However that scandal raised by UNP and the JVP worked to a certain extent to change the attitude of the people against President Mahinda Rajapakse, but a greater number of intelligent people knew that if state funds were misappropriated in large sums the Sri Lanka would not have seen such extensive development to the country, which was fighting a costly war against the terrorists, and at the same time developing the country as it had never been developed before.
During the Presidency of Mahinda Rajapakse the whole of Sri Lanka was a huge construction sight”. There was work being carried out everywhere, in the south, north, west and east of Sri Lanka. Highways were being built , bridges were being opened, hospitals, school, power houses, harbours, and airports were being built. There was work and development in progress according to the billions of funds pouring in from China, Japan,IMF, etc.
This false accusation of corruption against Mahinda Rajapakse and his family had gone to such an extent that even some media thought to be respectable try to maintain their respectability by not completely denying such false rumours of corruption, but keeping the doubt open sort of in case ?”…….
The Island of 8 June,2016 in its Editorial Vili Lajja” says:
The Rajapaksa government was castigated—and rightly so—for wasting public funds to maintain the ostentatious lifestyles of its politicians and their backers. Those at the levers of power changed last year but one sees no difference between the previous regime and its successor anent spending sprees; they are tweedledum and tweedledee in that respect. The government has demonstrated once again that it does not hesitate to act out of expediency rather than principle to safeguard its political interests.”
How can the Island compare this government of Sirisena-Ranil which has done absolutely nothing since 8th January, 2015, but dragged the country backward, compare it to Rajapakse Government, which contributed positively to Sri Lanka from 2005 to 8 January,2015.
The Island adds, for wasting public funds to maintain the ostentatious lifestyles of its politicians and their backers”
Their lifestyles may have changed but they also helped the country to develop allowing the people to have a better standard of living. Ostensible life style was also the result of a higher standard of living.
The media cannot deny, that the people lived well under the Presidency of Mahinda Rajapakse. It was a time when the government needed more money to spend both for the war against Tamil terrorists and develop the country. Yet the people were not neglected. The Private sector too developed allowing their employees to have a better wage. The government employees were also well paid and the university graduates were provided employment.
It is therefore wrong to try to please the gallery by saying that some of he money may have been siphoned off by the Rajapakse family to live an ostensible life style. It is a lie and scandalising the name that should remain respected, honoured and written in gold , for had it not been for Mahinda Rajapakse, we do not know for how long the people of Sri Lanka would have suffered under control and fear of terrorism.
There is no Yes and But”, because that is a fact. Those who deserve respected should be respected, is inculcated into us as Buddhists.
We cannot expect such refinement from Tamils and Muslims, one worshiping mythical Gods, and the other a God non- existent, who are late comers to Sri Lanka trying to take over the whole place, like the proverbial camel allowed to shove its head into the tent.
June 27th, 2016 at 7:10 pm
Well said Charles ….. agree with you completely!
BTW, the REAL meaning of the BREXIT is that Britons have wised up and are saying “We will not allow Foreign Camels to stick their snouts into the British tent!”
Patriotic Britons were prepared to pay a economic price now to rescue their nation from a foreign yoke in the longer term.
Likewise, it is long past the time for Sri Lankans to yell out loud “We will not allow Foreign Camels to stick their snouts into Sri Lanka’s tent!”
What is good for the British Goose should be just as good for the Sri Lankan gander!
If a temporary economic decline is the price we Patritic Sri Lankans must pay to secure and preser e our nation’s independence and sovereignty in the long term …. we are prepared to pay that price.
Sri Lankan Patriots have always been ready to pay such a price through millenia in the history of our Motherland hallowed by the blood, tears and bones of our revered ancestors!
June 28th, 2016 at 3:15 am
Charles,
Thank you so much for speaking out the truth.
———
True Patriots of Lanka MUST keep up the Democratic fight to save the Nation from being fragmented per wishes of ex-Empires & neo-Colonists. It is the most worthy battle that MUST be won on a forever basis.
Switzerland (a landlocked country surviving through two world wars in Europe), & Sri Lanka (a ‘sea-locked’ island), are in similar plights. Switzerland has managed to survive despite two World Wars, both of which started in Europe.
June 28th, 2016 at 7:53 am
Mr. Perara has written some facts which I myself wanted to write myself on President Mahinda Rajapakse. (Well, I cannot think anyone else as the President of Sri Lanka, but MR.) The Western plots to bring down MR from power apart, as a Tamil from Jaffna, (though I live in another country at present) and having many of my close relatives who had been caught up in the war zone during the final stages of the war, I know most of the deaths occurred due to the folly (or rather a ploy) of the LTTE who really trapped the people in war zone with double purpose, 1. to use them as human shields, and 2. in case there were to be a large number of killings which was inevitable, then LTTE would be able to show it to the world as Government atrocities on Tamil people and use it for propaganda purpose to carry on with their goal of an illusory ‘Tamil Eelam’. But fortunately for the country of Sri Lanka in general, and the Tamil people who live in Sri Lanka in particular, the President was firmly determined to eradicate terrorism in Sri Lanka and actually liberated the people from the clutch of terrorism, particularly the Tamils there. I personally learned these facts from those who got trapped by the LTTE and the threats they faced from the LTTE for years. One of my prayers each and every day is that MR to have good health and longer years of life so that he would be able to lead the country again with the same vigour and devotion (for the country)
June 28th, 2016 at 9:24 am
Does anyone know what happened to the regular commenter, Lorenzo, who contributed massively to bring this yahapalana government.
June 28th, 2016 at 11:35 am
Yes, Vyasan …..
Let us pray that MR will be able to lead our motherland again as ONE INDIVISIBLE Nation of ONE INSEPARABLE People sharing ONE INDOMITABLE National Destiny with EQUAL RIGHTS for ALL of our citizens irrespective of their ethnicity, religion, language, caste and sexand EQUAL RESPONSIBILITY to love, defend, protect and foster our Motherland against all its external and internal enemies!
In UNITY lies STRENGTH!
June 28th, 2016 at 3:08 pm
Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa is a true born patriotic leader tempered through the current political system. Unlike some others who are made out of the foreign Anglican mold, Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa has deep rooted social and cultural values of our mother Lanka. Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa provided strong patriotic political leadership in the fight against separation of our country. Any unbiased person will agree that there was hardly any political mistake in that endeavour.
In the last 40 years no other country where terrorism exists have they been able to eradicate terrorism. The most memorable historical factor was winning the war against terrorism. The joint effort of the Armed Forces under the able directives of the Defence Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the leadership of President Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa was able to rescue mother Lanka from the evils of Terrorism.
All Sri Lankans must remember that if not for Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa our country will be in disaster.
Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa is a simple very humble person and a true vegetarian.
Only correct decision Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga made during her tenure was to make Lakshman Kadirgamar the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka.
President Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa made such a decision with the appointment of Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the Secretary Defence. But, unlike the voluntary 2nd Lt Anuruddha Ratwatte, who accepted a Generalship and wore all kinds of uniforms and ridiculed the three forces, Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa a battle hardened soldier decided to be a civilian Defence Secretary.
It was a time the Sri Lankan forces had lost heavily men, equipment, morale and the propaganda war to the LTTE. The army could not even recruit adequate soldiers. Using his skills, Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa started the Defence website which became an instant hit. With the Api Wenuwen Api campaign Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa boosted the morale of the forces and the masses and people started to rejoin the army in large numbers.
There was a time when the Army failed to attract even 2,000 to join the army. But, it was Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa morale booster where he created welfare funds, housing projects for the forces, schools for their kids, proper place in the society which saw large numbers joining three forces and the police.
Many military officers and soldiers who joined hands to defeat the LTTE paid tribute to the Defence Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa for his vision which saved many lives. The Defence Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa took care of the forces like a father would do.
People like Anuruddha Ratwatte, Chandrananda de Silva and Austin Fernando could not tell the difference between a real gun and a toy gun, they could not care for the rank and file. But, Sri Lankan Forces had a man who really knew it, who was there in the heart of the battle field and cared for them.
Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa joined the three forces and the Police together at checkpoints and other areas when dealings with civilians. Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa improved the intelligence service tremendously which was considered very weak at the time.
Let us not forget that Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa had a very tough task after Ranil Wickermasinghe and John Amaratunge’s foolish actions with the Millennium City debacle killed over 60 Intelligence officers of the Sri Lanka Army.
Unlike the previous Defence Secretaries Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa reached out to the masses. Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa always speak from his heart. Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s talks are always very refreshing because he is sincere, frank and honest.
It was no easy task for Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksah to keep together Sarath Fonseka his Army Commander who refused to speak with his old classmate Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda. But, Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa kept them together He deserves a gold medal for it. Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa had to do the balancing act because he was well focused to end terrorism from the island nation.
Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa got nothing to hide. He does not wear a mask. The man who loves Sri Lanka more than he cares for himself. People who criticize him today should know that they have failed to do a millimeter of what Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa has done for Sri Lanka. Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa is a simple but a true hero. His wife Ayoma is also a very simple lady, who stood by him then and now, with all her simplicity. They continue to live that simple life
June 28th, 2016 at 3:14 pm
Having crushed the LTTE’s multi-pronged offensive launched in early August 2006, President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared that he would have the best officers to lead the war against terror. In the wake of the armed forces beating back LTTE offensives in the Trincomalee and Northern theatres, addressing an SLFP convention at the BMICH in the first week of September 2006, he declared that the cast, creed, and race of an officer would be immaterial, as long as they did their duty.
In an obvious reference to SLAF chief Air Marshal Roshan Goonetilleke, the President revealed that some people had objected to Goonetilleke’s appointment as he studied at a particular college. They also pointed out that the officer’s father had been critical of the war effort and was not a Buddhist. The President said: “I consulted Gotabhaya regarding the appointment and he said that particular officer was the best choice and should be given the opportunity to command the service.”
Announcing the liberation of Sampur following a week-long battle at the SLFP convention, the President also referred to the appointment of Maor. General Sarath Fonseka as the Commander of the Army, as he was about to retire (Mahinda says only the best will head the forces––The Island Sept 8, 2006). He told the media at Temple Trees in the run-up to the last presidential poll in Jan, 2010, that Sarath Fonseka’s appointment, too, had been made on the recommendation of his brother, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who was present at the meeting. During the almost three year long offensive there couldn’t have been at least one occasion where President Mahinda Rajapaksa taking a decision regarding security matter without Gotabhaya being consulted. In fact, there has been absolutely no change in the situation even after the conclusion of the conflict.
As troops gradually made headway in the eastern theatre of operations, an influential section within the ruling coalition and the Opposition launched a destabilisation campaign. They triggered chaos inside the ruling coalition causing uncertainty. The political crisis threatened the on-going military action on the eastern front. Defence Secretary Rajapaksa was quick to realise the danger of political turmoil, as he felt the enemy could take advantage of the situation. The Opposition resented the Defence Secretary’s bold statements as regards the political crisis. They accused him of interfering in political issues. But, the Defence Secretary always voiced his opinion much to the consternation of some politicians.
In a brief interview with The Island published on Feb 25, 2007, an irate Defence Secretary lashed out at those undermining the war effort by propagating lies.
The Opposition alleged that government forces were moving into LTTE-held areas in the Eastern Province, while the LTTE was given the opportunity to run the Northern Province. The Opposition claimed that the SLA wasn’t confronting the LTTE, hence allowing large enemy forces to withdraw to the Vanni through the jungles north of Weli Oya. The propaganda operation succeeded to a large extent, with some even within the establishment suspecting significant battlefield victories achieved by the SLA on the Eastern Front. The Opposition sought to discredit the military in a bid to undermine President Rajapaksa and Gotabhaya.
In a front-page story captioned ‘Gotabhaya vows not to be distracted by political chaos with strap line Fresh offensive gets underway’, The Island quoted Rajapaksa as having said: “Absolute rubbish. See what is happening on the ground, not only in the East, but the North as well. We are working to a plan and won’t be distracted by unfair criticism.” The Defence Secretary was responding to Opposition allegations that the SLA was moving into the Eastern Province, while the LTTE took over the Northern Province.
The Defence Secretary said that whatever the Opposition said, the LTTE was on the run. He pointed out the absurdity in Opposition claims in the wake of the LTTE abandoning their important bases in the Eastern Province, leaving behind artillery pieces, mortars and explosives-laden boats. Rajapaksa stressed that squabbling, petty politics and insignificant disputes shouldn’t be allowed to impede the war effort.
In spite of losing some territory, the LTTE still felt that President Rajapaksa couldn’t sustain a major military campaign in the Eastern Province. The TNA believed in the LTTE’s wherewithal to thwart the UPFA’s military as well as political strategies, and the UNP, too, believed that the UPFA would fail on the war front, hence they attacked President Rajapaksa on a broad front. The Colombo based diplomatic community and the NGO circuit, too, believed that the government couldn’t sustain the offensive much longer as a massive LTTE onslaught was imminent. Even the destruction of the LTTE’s floating warehouses on the high seas didn’t influence their thinking. They believed Sri Lanka’s streak of luck would be short-lived.
What they didn’t realise was that the SLA was preparing to open a new front west of Vavuniya even before the successful conclusion of its campaign in the Eastern Province. The Army chief, Lt. Gen. Fonseka strongly felt the need to sustain maximum possible pressure on the LTTE in both provinces. Forces had faith in the Sinha Regiment veteran and his capacity to prosecute a ground offensive under extremely difficult conditions. Veteran of many a battle, Lt. Gen. Fonseka pushed for a all-out war on many fronts in the Northern theatre. Nothing would have contributed to that strategy more than opening a new front, thereby compelling the LTTE to commit some of its best units to confront the SLA. Fighting the LTTE on multiple fronts wouldn’t have been realistic unless the government increased the SLA’s strength. The President authorised the increase in the SLA’s strength so that the army would have the much needed flexibility. By March 2007, the SLA was ready to launch the newly raised 57 Division with the intention of liberating Kilinochchi. Before discussing progress on the Vanni front, it would be important to examine the political challenges faced by President Rajapaksa.
The entire war effort could have collapsed if the President didn’t overcome political obstacles in his path. The President to a large extent depended on his brothers, Gotabhaya and Basil, to ensure political stability, prompting the Opposition to call the ruling coalition ‘sahodara samagama’ (a company comprising brothers).
Having won the Nov. 17, 2005 presidential election by a margin of about 200,000 votes thanks to the LTTE-TNA combination depriving the main Opposition candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe of the Tamil vote, the LTTE resumed major attacks in the first week of Dec. 2005. In January 2006, the LTTE destroyed an Israeli built Shaldag class Fast Attack Craft (FAC) off Trincomalee and in April, May and Dec targeted, Lt. Gen. Fonseka, ‘Pearl Cruiser’ carrying 700 officers and men and Gotabhaya, respectively.
Had the LTTE succeeded in executing any one of them, Sri Lanka’s war on terror could have suffered irrevocable damage. The LTTE launched eelam war IV in the first week of Aug 2006 but quickly lost the initiative. By early Feb. 2007, the military campaign in the Eastern Province reached a decisive stage, with the SLA readying to open a new front in the Vanni theatre.
The Defence Secretary in late Jan. 2007 indicated the government’s intention to continue with the offensive. Having visited newly liberated Vakarai, one of the strongest LTTE bases in the Eastern Province, the Defence Secretary said that the on-going successful military operations would influence further military action. The LTTE was in disarray and couldn’t carry out a phased withdrawal. They fled, leaving a vast quantity of equipment, including two 152 mm artillery pieces, one 120 mm mortar, two 12,7 mm anti-aircraft guns (Forces’ success in the East to influence further military action––The Island Jan 25, 2007).
An influential section within the SLFP initiated its destabilisation bid. The then Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who had played a pivotal role in helping Prime Minister Rajapaksa to secure the PA presidential election candidature, opposed the President’s political and military strategies. Samaraweera challenged Rajapaksa much to the chagrin of the Rajapaksas. After consulting those close to him, the President, in early Feb. 2007, warned the rebellious members to fall in line or face the consequences. The President felt that failure to act swiftly and decisively could cause a political turmoil. Basil, too, accepted the urgent need to arrest the situation, while Gotabhaya asserted that the delay to ensure political stability could be an impediment to the on-going military campaign. Some government members, including several vociferous supporters of the Rajapaksas remained silent as they felt the battle for supremacy in the SLFP could go either way. No one wanted to take chances. The rebellion was gathering momentum. Then on Feb 8, 2007, the President gave an dire warning to the ginger group. Addressing a group of newly appointed electoral organisers at Temple Trees, he emphasised that he wouldn’t allow any group within the SLFP to challenge his authority. He warned that he wouldn’t succumb to pressure and added that those disgruntled elements could leave the party. The warning was given in the wake of Ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Anura Bandaranaike and Sripathy Sooriyaarachchi skipping an Emergency vote in Parliament. The bone of contention was the President accommodating a group of UNP MPs among the government ranks to strengthen his position in Parliament, due to the JVP spurning his invitation to join the government. Basil played a pivotal role in enticing Opposition members to join government ranks.
At the behest of the SLFP leadership, Ven. Vatinapaha Somananda thera, on behalf of the All Island Clergy Association urged the President to take punitive action against those who skipped the Emergency vote. The stage of was set for a critical phase of an operation targeting dissidents.
While beleaguered UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was fighting to reassert his authority in the wake of a powerful section of the UNP parliamentary group throwing its weight behind President Mahinda Rajapaksa along with the SLMC as well as the CWC, which contested the parliamentary poll (April 2004) on the UNP ticket, the President stripped Samaraweera and Bandaranaike of their ministerial portfolios. The President bluntly told the SLFPdissidents to continue their campaign sans ministerial portfolios. A visibly upset Anura Bandaranaike called for CBK’s support to go on the offensive. He called CBK to join a media briefing in Colombo aimed at targeting the Rajapaksa brothers, in spite of him being warned not to cause further problems. The President sent a message to Bandaranaike through business tycoon Harry Jayawardena, a mutual friend, not to side with Samaraweera. Bandaranaike was warned to keep his distance from Samaraweera. CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman quickly realised that the dissidents’ move could end up in a catastrophe. Thondaman rushed to President Rajapaksa to reaffirm his support. Having sacked those who challenged his authority, a confident Rajapaksa on Feb 11, 2007 left for the Maldives on a three-day state visit. The President invited three UNP defectors, Milinda Moragoda, Prof. G.L. Peiris and Rohitha Bogollagama to join his delegation for talks with Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. The decision to go ahead with an overseas visit highlighted his confidence in Gotabhaya and Basil (Anura wants Chandrika to battle Rajapaksa brothers; SLFP seeks more UNP crossovers and MR confident dissidents helpless, leaves for Male––The Island Feb 11, 2007)
Much to the surprise of Bandaranaike, Samaraweera and Sooriyaarachchi, those who had been in touch with them and pledged their support for the attack on the Rajapaksas remained mum. The President’s decision to strip dissidents of ministerial portfolios wrong-footed them all. The JVP on Feb 11, 2007 issued a statement criticising the President’s move against Samaraweera and Sooriyaarachchi. The JVP politburo didn’t refer to Bandarnaike. The JVP alleged that the President was targeting some of those who had supported his presidential bid, while embracing those undermined him. The SLFP leadership asked the JVP to mind its own business. Among those who publicly supported the Rajapaksas move against rebels within days after them being stripped of portfolios were ministers Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Pavitra Wanniarachchi, Dilan Perera, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Sarath Amunugama and Jagath Pushpakumara (JVP sheds tears for Mangala and Sripathy, silent on Anura with strap line Mind your own business-SLFP––The Island Feb 12, 2007)
Although the JVP strongly backed Prime Minister Rajapaksa’s presidential election campaign in Nov 2005, the President couldn’t have forgotten how the JVP almost succeeded in blocking him from being appointed the Prime Minister immediately after the April 2, 2004 parliamentary polls. The JVP pushed for the appointment of Lakshman Kadirgamar as the Prime Minister of the UPFA government. The JVP proposed that if Kadirgamar wasn’t acceptable because of his ethnicity either Anura Bandaranaike or Maithripala Sirisena should be the next Prime Minister. The JVP went to the extent of making it a condition for its continued support. Due to its unexpected success in securing 39 seats, the JVP was in a position to exert pressure on the SLFP leadership. The JVP did everything possible to undermine Rajapaksa, particularly during Opposition protests against the UNP signing the Ceasefire agreement with the LTTE, in Feb 2002. The JVP always considered Rajapaksa a serious threat to their future political plans. Having undermined Rajapaksa for years, the JVP had no option but to support his presidential bid in Nov 2005, but refused to support him in parliament, thereby created uncertainty. Realising the danger, the President quickly reached an agreement with the UNP as early as Feb 2006. A section of the UNP considered the president’s move as an admission of weakness. Within weeks after signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by SLFP General Secretary Minister Maithripala Sirisena and UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickrema, the UNP boasted that the UNP would form a government in April 2006. The President responded by enticing a section of the UNP parliamentary group to join him.
June 28th, 2016 at 3:16 pm
Please read the following:
courtesy of Reuters
“The news about the killing of Prabhakaran sparked mass celebrations around the country, and people poured into the streets of Colombo, dancing and singing. Looking back at the war General Fonseka made two insightful observations that must surely resonate in the minds of military strategists dealing with terrorism and insurgency in other parts of the world. The first is on the commitment of the political leadership to eliminate terror. Eelam IV war began as a poll-promise. President Mahinda Rajapaksa rode to power four years ago vowing to annihilate the LTTE. In the early hours of Tuesday the fight for Eelam, a separate homeland for the Tamils in Sri Lanka, begun in 1983 ended in a lagoon, the Nanthi Kadal. Velupillai Prabhakaran’s dead body, eyes wide open, top portion of the head blown off, the thick bushy moustache in place, was found in the lagoon by the Sri Lankan forces looking for remnant LTTE stragglers.
In the President’s Office in Colombo officials talk about the ‘Rajapaksa Model’ (of fighting terror). “Broadly, win back the LTTE held areas, eliminate the top LTTE leadership and give the Tamils a political solution.” Sunimal Fernando, one of Rajapaksa’s advisors, says that the President demonstrated a basic resolve: “given the political will, the military can crush terrorism.” This is not as simple as it sounds. Like most poll promises he did not have plans to fulfill his promise to militarily defeat the LTTE. Eelam I to III were miserable failures. So the ‘Rajapaksa Model’ evolved, it was not pre-planned.
FIRST FUNDAMENTAL: POLITICAL WILL
The first fundamental of this approach was unwavering political will. Rajapaksa clearly conveyed to General Sarath Fonseka: “eliminate the LTTE.” To the outside world he conveyed the same message differently: “either the LTTE surrenders or face, their end.” Rajapaksa instructed the Sri Lankan Army that their job was to fight and win the war. At whatever cost, however bloody it might be. He would take care of political pressures, domestic and international.
General Fonseka commented: “It is the political leadership with the commitment of the military that led the battle to success. We have the best political leadership to destroy terrorism in this country. It was never there before to this extent. The military achieved these war victories after President Mahinda Rajapaksa came into power. He, who believed that terrorism should and could be eliminated, gave priority do go ahead with our military strategies. And no Defence Secretary was there like the present Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa who had the same commitment and knowledge on how to crush the LTTE. Finally, they gave me the chance of going ahead with the military plan.”
SECOND FUNDAMENTAL: GO TO HELL
Following from the first, the second principle of Rajapaksa’s ‘how to fight a war and win it’ is telling the international community to “go to hell.” As the British and French foreign ministers, David Miliband and Bernard Kouchner, found out during their visit. They were cold shouldered for suggesting that Sri Lanka should halt the war and negotiate with the LTTE. As Rajapaksa said during the post-interview chatter “we will finish off the LTTE, we will finish terrorism and not allow it to regroup in this country ever; every ceasefire has been used by the LTTE to consolidate, regroup and re-launch attacks, so no negotiations.” Eliminate and Annihilate – two key operational words that went with the “go to hell” principle of the ‘Rajapaksa Model’. After Colombo declared victory the Sri Lankan Army Commander Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka used words used by Rajapaksa. That the SLA will not allow the LTTE to “regroup”.
THIRD FUNDAMENTAL: NO NEGOTIATIONS
Naturally, the third fundamental was no negotiations with the LTTE. “The firm decision of the political hierarchy not to go for talks with the LTTE terrorists until they lay down arms had contributed significantly to all these war victories,” affirms Fonseka. But this meant withstanding international pressure to halt the war, the humanitarian crisis spawned by the war and the rising civilian casualties. Rajapaksa did all of this by simply ensuring ‘silence’ and information blackout under which the war was conducted. Rajapaksa’s biggest gamble was to give the military a free hand, shut the world out of the war zone.
When the United Nations, US and European countries raised concerns of high civilian casualties, Rajapaksa, said that the international community was “getting in the way” of Sri Lanka’s victory against terrorism. “We knew that the moment the military is close to operational successes, there will be loud screams for the resumption of the political process of peace negotiations. But there will be no negotiations.” That was the rock solid stand taken and communicated by Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to all visiting dignitaries and diplomats.
FOURTH FUNDAMENTAL: REGULATE MEDIA
With just one version of the war available for the media to report, the Sri Lankan government ensured an unidirectional flow of conflict information. The information put out by the LTTE’s official website, TamilNet, could not be independently verified on the ground because access to the war zone was regulated and controlled. This was a vital fourth principle in the strategic matrix of the Rajapaksa model.
“Presidents Premadasa and Chandrika Bandaranaike gave orders to the military to take on the LTTE. But when success was near, they reversed the orders and instructed the military to pull back, to withdraw from operations because of international concerns about the humanitarian crisis and civilian casualties. So we had to ensure that we regulated the media. We didn’t want the international community to force peace negotiations on us,” says a senior official in the President’s office who wishes to remain anonymous.
FIFTH FUNDAMENTAL: NO CEASE-FIRE
Rajapaksa’s brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who consistently maintained that military operations would continue unhindered. “There will be no ceasefire,” was Gotabaya uncompromising message. The clear, unambiguous stand enabled other prominent personalities in the Rajapaksa cabinet to speak in a uniform voice. “Human rights violations during war operations and the humanitarian crisis that engulfs civilians caught in the cross fire have always been the trigger points to order a military pull-back,” asserted Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister for Human Rights and Disaster Management. “The LTTE would always play this card in the past. They would use the ceasefire to regroup and resume the war.”
President Rajapaksa was clear that he did not want to go down that route. That was the traditional way of fighting the LTTE – two steps forward, four steps back. The Rajapaksa brothers’ commitment to a military solution was cast in stone. And it was anchored in a deft political arrangement. But first it is important to reveal the idea behind the political arrangement. “It was to ensure that there would be no political intervention to pull away the military from its task of comprehensively and completely eliminating the LTTE,” says a senior official in the President’s Office. “Prabhakaran was aware of the political contradictions in Sri Lanka and so was confident that the SLA will not indulge in an adventurous, all guns blazing, a full onslaught against the LTTE.”
SIXTH FUNDAMENTAL: COMPLETE OPERATIONAL FREEDOM
Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s appointment to the post of Defence Secretary was made precisely to break this political logjam. Gotabaya had a military past. He had taken voluntary retirement from the SLA. He had retained his long standing friendship with Lt General Sarath Fonseka. Gotabaya met Fonseka and asked him, “can you go for a win”? The battle-hardened veteran said “yes, but you will have to permit me to pick my own team.” Gotabaya and Mahinda agreed. “We will let the military do its job, while we hold the fort, politically,” they told Fonseka. This deft political arrangement worked because both, Gotabaya and Fonseka, were recruited and commissioned into the army at the same time.
This is the team Fonseka handpicked by August 2006 – Major General Jagath Dias, commander of the 57 Division, Brigadier Shavendra Silva, commander of Task force One also the 58 Division (the SLA formation that has recorded the maximum victories against the LTTE), Major General Nandana Udawatta, commander of the 59 Division and Major General Kamal Gunarathne and Brigadier Prasanna Silva, commanders of the 53 and 55 Divisions respectively. Their task was to recapture 15,000 square kilometers of area controlled by the LTTE. The defection of LTTE’s Eastern chief, Karuna, helped the Army take over Batticaloa, Tamil Tigers’ eastern stronghold on July 11, 2007.
By the time of LTTE’s defeat in the East, the 57 Division under the command of Major General Jagath Dias started military operations north of Vavuniya. Eighteen months later, in January 2009, the 57 Division marched into Kilinochchi, the head quarters of the Tamil Tigers. Parallel to this the Task Force One (58 Division) under Brigadier Shavendra Silva achieved stunning success moving from Silavathura area in Mannar in the west coast, capturing Pooneryn and Paranthan. These troops then swiftly recaptured Elephant Pass, linked up with the 57 Division and further moved to Sundarapuram, Pudukudiyiruppu and finally the eastern coast of the country. Meanwhile, the 59th division of the Army, commanded by Major General Nandana Udawatta opened a new front in Welioya area in January 2008 and within a year marched into the LTTE’s administrative hub, Mullaitivu. Finally, troops from 53rd, 55th, 58th and 59th bottled up the LTTE in along a small patch of eastern coastal land in Mullaitivu and killed the top leadership, including Prabhakaran.
The decision to bring Fonseka out of retirement paid off because he was a hardcore advocate of military operations to crush the LTTE. With rock solid political backing Fonseka was able to motivate his troops and officers to go all out without fearing any adverse consequences. It’s not surprising why Eelam IV turned out to be a bloody and a brutal war. “That there will be civilian casualties was a given and Rajapaksa was ready to take the blame. This gave the Army tremendous confidence. It was the best morale booster the forces could have got,” says a Sri Lankan minister who wishes to let this quote remain unattributed.
Is it any surprise, therefore, that LTTE wanted to assassinate Gotabaya in 2006? Prabhakaran knew that if he could assassinate Gotabaya then the carefully constructed political-military architecture pushing the war operations forward would have been gravely undermined. Gotabaya escaped the assassination bid and the rest as the cliché goes, is history.
So even though Gotabaya came into the political set up virtually out of nowhere, he quickly became the bridge-head between President Rajapaksa’s government and the military. The Rajapaksa brothers fused political commitment to a pre-set military goal. “He (Gotabaya) was embraced and accepted by the military and his was a legitimate voice in the
Army,” said a senior official in the President Office. Gotabaya communicated the military requirements to the government – men, material and weapons.
His brother and head of the government, President Rajapaksa, ensured the military got what it wanted. He in turn instructed Gotabaya to tell the Army to go all out and get on with the task. The sixth fundamental of the Rajapaksa Model also had a clause – Basil, the youngest of the Rajapaksa brothers. “Neither Mahinda nor Basil saw their brother Gotabaya as a political threat to their political aspirations. So they gave him a free hand.” More importantly, Basil was used by President Rajapaksa for political liaison, especially with India.
SEVENTH FUNDAMENTAL: ACCENT ON YOUNG COMMANDERS
The other critical element was empowering young officers as GOCs to lead the battle. “I did not select these officers because they are young. But they were appointed as I thought they were the best to command the battle. I went to the lines and picked up the capable people. I had to drop those who had less capacity to lead the battle. Some of them are good for other work like administration activities. Therefore, the good commanders were chosen to command this battle.
I thought seniority was immaterial if they could not command the soldiers properly. I restructured the Army and changed almost all the aspects of the organization. I made the Sri Lanka Army a more professional Army. Everybody had to work with a sense of professionalism.”
Eighth Fundamental: Keep Your Neighbors in Loop
The seventh fundamental was India and an unsigned strategic partnership agreed by New Delhi and Colombo. India played a crucial part in the Sri Lanka military operations by providing intelligence and other kinds of tactical support. “The moral support, whatever support India gave us, is what they should have given to us. It is their duty to help us in this stage,” is President Rajapaksa’s rather candid admission of the Indian involvement. “I can’t demand, I shouldn’t demand anything from a neighboring country. I request.” The first significant request from Colombo was naval intelligence and intelligence on the movement of LTTE owned merchant navy vessels.
The 15,000 sq km area controlled by the LTTE in northern Sri Lanka known as Vanni was cut off from all land access. The A9 Colombo-Jaffna road ran through it. But in the Southern end was the Vavuniya frontline at Omanthai and in the North beyond the Elephant Pass was the northern frontline. The only way for the LTTE to get its supplies, weapons and other essentials was through the sea route. It had eight ‘warehouse’ ships, vessels that transported “artillery, mortar shells, artillery shells, torpedoes, aircraft, missiles, underwater vehicles, diving equipment, radar, electro-optical devices and night vision equipment.” These ships would travel close to the Sri Lankan coast but beyond the reach of Sri Lanka’s coastal Navy. War material from these ‘warehouse’ ships would be transported into smaller boats protected by Sea Tiger units, which would then make its way to the Sea Tiger bases. This is how the LTTE sustained itself for decades and continually upgraded its conventional military capability through funding provided by the Tamil Diaspora.
India played a crucial role in choking this well established supply line of the LTTE. This enabled the Sri Lankan armed forces on the ground to make rapid advances. The Sri Lankan Navy led by Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, executed a maritime strategy based on intelligence on LTTE ship movements provided by India. In 2006 the SL Navy had tremendous success when, based on Indian intelligence, it launched operations to destroy six LTTE warehouse vessels. Subsequently, by 2007, two more were destroyed, which completely disrupted the LTTE’s supply line. Some LTTE warehouse ships were located at about 1700 nautical miles, south east of Sri Lanka close to Australia’s exclusive economic zone. SL Navy clearly does not have this capability and this shows how deep and extensive intelligence sharing between India and Colombo have been ever since 2006.
In a recent interview to the Jane’s Defence Weekly, Admiral Karannagoda said, “It was one of the major turning points in the last 30 years of the conflict. That was the main reason why the LTTE are losing the battle, we did not allow a single supply of replenishment ship to come into (Sri Lankan) waters over the last two and a half years since 2006.”
In the final analysis the Rajapaksa model is based on a military precept and not a political one. Terrorism has to be wiped out militarily and cannot be tackled politically. That’s the basic premise of the Rajapaksa Model.
June 28th, 2016 at 5:10 pm
Raj,
Lorenzo has temporarily gone into hiding and is waiting to emerge when the Patriots have forgotten his destructive antics, to once again lead the Patriots like lemmings over the cliff to destruction on the rocks below, just like the Pied Piper of Hamlin!
I have confronted him in many guises on many fora in decades past …. and it has always been the same devil in disguise!
When he resurrects himself he will be accompanied by a band of adoring avatars who will provide the supportive quorum for his own discussions with himself!
And many Sinhala Modayas will be deluded into aidinh and abetting this long term mole to spread his xrstructive misleading anti-national propaganda!