KAMALIKA PIERIS

General C.S. Weerasooriya ’s memoir, ‘Duty and Devotion’ (2024) records certain valuable observations about the conduct of the Eelam war in Sri Lanka .Weerasooriya   had a successful career in the Sri Lanka army and  retired as  Commander of the Army in 1998. He participated in the Eelam war, in various locations, and in various operations during his time in the army.

The Eelam war   was a civil war, conducted with the objective of partitioning Sri Lanka, a long standing sovereign state with a proud history. This war, described idiotically as terrorism, was   engaging in high treason and should have been treated as such. Winning this war should have been given the highest priority because the first duty of a government is to protect its borders .Instead the Eelam war was given very low priority and treated as a nuisance rather than a serious threat to the country.

This essay contains extracts from Weerasooriya’s’ observations on the Eelam war, as he saw it. These extracts show the conceit, ignorance and utter indifference of the Sri Lanka government to the vital matter of the Eelam war.

 EVENT 1

 President Premadasa who became President in 1989 did not attend Security Council meetings but he engaged in secret talks with the LTTE, who were put up at Hilton hotel. No one from the security forces could attend these talks. Apparently LTTE had promised that they would look after the security of north and east in return for reduction of our troops, said Weerasooriya in his memoirs.

Thereafter, in 1990, Minster ACS Hameed had visited Trincomalee base. He had by then visited Jaffna and Kilinochchi, where, at the demand of the LTTE Hameed had proposed the reduction of the troops in army camps.  Accordingly the strength of the Point Pedro, Kokavil and Mankulam camps had been drastically cut.

Here he was now, in Trincomalee with a LTTE delegation of Anton Balasingham, Mahaththaya, Yogi and a few others, wrote Weerasooriya.  Minister Hameed was met by Rear Admiral Clancy Fernando and Weerasooriya. Minister Hameed   said that the LTTE had demanded that the troops in Trincomalee be drastically reduced. Hameed proposed that all the army camps in the east coast from Pulmoddai onwards to be moved to Seruwawila.

Weerasooriya had refused to do so, pointing out that if they did so, they were handing over the whole east coast to the LTTE. East coast residents would have no military protection. Hameed was quire agitated, wrote Weerasooriya. After many unsuccessful attempts at persuasion he had gone away sayingI will report that you are not cooperating.  You have no option but to follow the President’s instructions”. (p 185)  

EVENT 2

In 1993   the Ministry of Defence wanted the three service commanders to recommend a strategy to finish the war. The service commanders proposed that the country be put on a war footing.  They wanted several more infantry battalions be raised, so that the east would not be depleted at the cost of operations in the north. They wanted artillery and armor regiments to be equipped with modern weaponry. Intelligence to be centralized under one head. The international    network of the LTTE be broken and capability of Special Forces be improved.

Weerasooriya was to present the programme. Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister was to preside. Weerasooriya had not spoken for more than two or three minutes when the Prime Minister got up and walked out of the conference room, wearing an annoyed expression mumbling I have no time to waste, listening to this rubbish.”

Prime Minister was persuaded to return. Weerasooriya was asked to just give the plan and requirements and leave it at that. In the end Prime Minister authorized 10,000 more men and left the room. This was just a drop in the ocean, said Weerasooriya in his memoir.  It was not going to make any difference (p 208)

EVENT 3

On 4 July 1996 Minister for Education Nimal Siripala de Silva together with an entourage from his Ministry arrived in Palaly unannounced. It transpired that he had arranged with the local education authority to distribute school uniforms and books in a ceremony in Jaffna town. Weerasooriya had told him that it was still dangerous to visit Jaffna. Also there was no time to clear and secure the area for a high profile visit. But he would not be dissuaded from proceeding. I have the blessing of the President, he said, I did not announce my arrival as I wanted it to be a surprise.”

 Brigadier Hamangoda had been informed however, and had made the necessary security arrangements. Weerasooriya had the Palaly Jaffna road secured and the Minster went ahead with his programme. The programme was completed without incident.

  The Minister and his delegation should then have returned to Palaly, but there was a sudden change of plans. The Minster had accepted, on the spur of the moment an invitation by the Head of the Building Materials Corporation in Jaffna to visit his   branch.  As they approached the Building Materials Corporation building,    a woman dashed out and blasted herself. Brig Hamangoda, Ranjit Godamuna, who was chairman of Cement Corporation and the out rider were killed instantly along with 26 others in this blast. Minister escaped with minor injuries.  This tragedy was completely uncalled for, said Weerasooriya. We lost a valuable brigade commander and Corporation chairman. (p 235)

EVENT 4

In 1999 When Jayasikuru failed, a court of inquiry was held. It decided that Security Force Commander of Vavuniya, two divisional commanders and a few others were guilty of negligence and weakness in command which resulted in the failure of the operation. President Chandrika was adamant that the services of all those guilty be terminated with immediate effect, without pension benefits.

Weerasooriya wrote in his memoirs that the court had ignored the constraints under which the troops worked at that time. There was a severe shortage of men, materials and equipment which they had repeatedly asked for but were not given.

Weerasooriya   met with President many times over the matter. He told her that these were senior officers who had fought in the frontlines   for many years and who had many operation victories under their belts. They had won many accolades and medals. There were others who had never been exposed to war but who were rising in the ranks, safe in Colombo. Chandrika was adamant, they will still be sacked but with pensions. So, I had to tell these officers who had risked life and limb in the war that their services were no longer required. (p 264)

EVENT 5

The 50^th anniversary of the Sri Lanka army was celebrated on a grand scale in October 1999. This celebration was a massive one spread over ten months. There were Parades, searchlight tattoo on three consecutive nights, sports events, a grand banquet for 500 officers and their wives and the launching of a souvenir. (P 260)

But items needed for the war were not provided, not even essential items of clothing and footwear. There was a shortfall of troops, lack of equipment, battle weariness, and low morale. The army was told that there was no money and told not to ask for any. Army was left to fend for itself. Repeated requests for more effective, modern artillery such as multi barreled rocket launchers, more sophisticate air craft and navel craft fell on deaf ears in the year 2000, Weerasooriya noted. (End)