Commending Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera’s article on Terrorism, local cinema and treason - 13.03.07

LA PEIRIS

Highly commendable of Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera to give sound advice to citizens who pretend not to know the "reality" of terrorism and to speak up for the honour and integrity of his fellow armed services personnel. Asoka Handagama, Vimukthi Jayasundara and some film producers, journalists have never had the courage to venture into the battle front to serve, see or appreciate the courage and valour of armed forces personnel who face hardship and danger every minute of their lives.

Our armed forces personnel are professional soldiers, and sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers of Sri Lankan people. Asoka, Vimukthi or others would never depict their mothers or sisters as people [sinhalese culture] who copulate with other men whilst their husband's body is still in the house! Mothers and wives, of these soldiers are the ones to carry the scars of war, bringing up children on their own, without love or support of their loved ones. How then does Asoka, Vimukthi have the nerve to generalise an isolated incidence [maybe their warped imagination] and depict these brave personnel, who safeguard our lives and sometimes pay the supreme sacrifice of their life for us and their wives in this vile manner?

Some people suffer physical and moral degradation in their daily life. There are mindless individuals [armed forces, LTTE], groups [LTTE], in any society in the world. This is not confined to the armed forces personnel of Sri Lanka. The soldiers are ordinary human beings. There are instances where even the most disciplined, battle hardened professional soldier loses his common sense in the heat of battle.

It is great for Sri Lanka to have Asoka’s and Vimukthi’s to do interesting films justify and bring credit to the film industry. But they must not misuse the freedom they enjoy and publish anything detrimental to the good name of the people or the country. Asoka and Vimukthi are guilty of supporting terrorists to achieve their objectives unknowingly [morons] wittingly [contemptuous traitors].

Asoka and Vimukthi owe an apology to the Sri Lankan armed forces personnel and people of Sri Lanka. They should use their knowledge, skill and experience to produce a film, depicting the valour, the courage of parents who give their blessings to their off-springs, the wives who suffer and bear the pain and heartaches of their loved ones in the battlefront for months and years, the pain and suffering of their families on their sad and untimely deaths. The endless waiting they endure in getting the meagre compensation to survive due to administrative apathy!