Army to be led to a new era - New Commander

by Shanika SRIYANANDA

The new Army Commander Lt. General Jagath Jayasuriya spelling out his new vision - ‘to further transform the Sri Lanka Army into a highly trained, motivated, and disciplined professional force which is well organised and structured to suit both the current and future requirements of the country, said that the Army would work hand in hand with the government in its massive reconstruction initiatives to develop the areas once held by the LTTE terrorists.

The Army Chief thanking the political leadership given to end the Eelam War IV said he hoped that the Army would get the fullest political support in future. Listing out his priorities, he said apart from assisting the development of the North, the Army would give priority to the welfare of the disabled soldiers, “I would follow my former Commander’s policy of stopping corruption, waste and irregularities in the Army”, he said.

Being the youngest Army Commander of the Army’s 60 years old history, Lt. Gen. Jayasuriya said that as he is commanding an Army with a large majority of young soldiers he wanted to harness their energy to develop the country. We have to remotivate them to take up other challenges of national importance as well, he added.

The 19th Army Commander of the Sri Lanka Army in an interview with the ‘Sunday Observer’ said that he was the happiest and luckiest Army Chief in the history of the Army as he got his appointment at a time when the country is heading for a new era. “Thanks to the dedication and commitment of General Sarath Fonseka the Army was able to secure a triumphant victory”, he said.

Following are the excerpts of the interview:

Q: In the aftermath of defeating a 30 year old terrorist war, what would be the priorities of the Army?

A: Though the battle against terrorism is over there are lots of other areas that need be given attention. One is general welfare of the soldiers and the other major area that I want to touch upon is, the welfare of the disabled soldiers. As you know there are thousands of disabled and wounded soldiers who need care. They need assistance and I would introduce some programs to secure their future.

Q: You have come straight from the field and how long will it take you to identify your priorities?

A: Yes, it’s a leap forward! Since I came straight from the field to this chair I have to study the role of general administration. Normally, the Army Commander is appointed when he is holding the post of Chief of Staff or the Deputy Chief of Staff. First I have to get used to these activities before listing down the immediate priorities of the Army.

Everything would be in order within a few days!

Q: Your appointment came as a surprise move and how did you feel when you got the news first?

A: Yes, it was a great surprise for me because I came to Colombo from Wanni for an urgent meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and finally I ended up here as the Commander of the Army. However, I am proud to be the 19th Army Commander of this country and I must be thankful to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa for their choice. And I personally believe that I was chosen for the top post considering my contribution to the Eelam IV war as the Security Forces Commander Wanni. This is mainly on merit basis and If I were to come through the normal procedure I would become the Army Commander in 2010.

I also pay my gratitude to General Sarath Fonseka who commanded the war for over three years and seven months and brought it to its ultimate end with total victory within two years and 11 months! We were able to defeat the LTTE, which was supposed to be invincible, mainly due to his great leadership and commitment. I am so proud to be part of the team under his leadership. I was able to give my fullest support to General Fonseka during his tenure, to win the war.

Now I am saddled with a great responsibility to lead the Army to a new era. I believe that this is a new era and I am ready to lead the Army to have the expectation of the government fulfilled.

Q: Are there any senior military officers who had an influence on your life to enable you to become a good Commander?

A: Yes, I thank the former top military icons like Maj. Gen. Denzil Kobbekaduwe and Lt. Gen. Rohan Daluwatte. I was the Adjutant to the former during the Eelam war II. I was his staff officer during the operation to rescue the Jaffna Fort in which General Fonseka and Defence Secretary took part. I was with Gen. Daluwatta during the Riviresa Operation. Their guidance helped me to reach high and still I am following some of the lessons that I learnt from them.

Q: Can you tell more about the welfare programs that are to be designed for the disabled soldiers?

A: These disabled young soldiers have sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the country and we as a nation need to look after them well. I always feel that we have not done enough for these young soldiers who fought to end terrorism.

Taking care of them cannot be done alone. They sacrificed themselves to save our nation. This should be a collective effort and the responsibility of the entire nation as well.

Lots of welfare programs introduced by Gen. Fonseka are going on but still there is space to do more to uplift their living standards. Welfare of disabled soldiers is a continuous job and should not be limited to a day or two. As they are disabled we have to look after them throughout their lives. Therefore, it is a great responsibility for each and every citizen to look after them.

Q: Are there any new plans to help the government to expedite its resettlement programs?

A: The Army will provide its support in rebuilding the North. Even at the moment the soldiers are engaged in de-mining, road construction and other development activities. Apart from de-mining, the Army has undertaken a huge task of clearing the North of explosives. This is vital before resettling people. This is going on well and we have already recovered explosive dumps and lots of weapons.

The Army got the sole credit for rescuing a massive crowd of hostages while maintaining a zero casualty rate. The dedication and commitment of Gen. Fonseka to free the Northern people from the clutches of the LTTE was immense. I know how he handled the rescue operation. The political commitment also played a major role in this victory. During the last days of the war President Rajapaksa was calling me every day from Jordan as Gen.

Fonseka was in China and I updated him about the situation. I told him that the final days of the LTTE were not too far!

The Army’s contribution towards resettling IDPs proved a success. We have started assisting the government resettlement programs from the time Nagenahira Navodaya was launched and now it is the Uthuru Wasanathaya in which the soldiers are involved with.

Lots of development activities are going on with new roads and bridges being constructed.

The Sri Lanka Army, which brought freedom and peace to the country is proud to be a part of the Government’s development programs. The Government wants to give 100 percent priority to resettle IDPs as it is a costly affair for the Government to feed and look after such a massive IDP population. Hence our aim is to support the Government to achieve this goal as soon as possible. The army engineers have already been deployed in the North to do the infrastructure development such as construction or renovation of roads and bridges.

Q: Nearly half of the Army’s strength comprises youth, who used to fight throughout day and night. Are there any plans to keep them occupied?

A: Yes, the number-wise, Sri Lanka Army has expanded very much. Over 80,000 had been recruited to end the war. Fighting is over and now we have to do lot of things to keep these young soldiers occupied. They need to be taught the general traditions and procedures of the Army.

Another main task is to mould the Army to suit to the next 20 years. This can be achieved through training. Therefore, several training programs with recreational activities have already been introduced. They need a change! These young soldiers were motivated for fighting to defeat terrorism but now they should be motivated towards other aspects so that they can continue to be good soldiers in the coming years.

Q: During Gen. Fonseka’s tenure the Army was ranked the ‘world’s best Army’ in the context of crushing terrorism. How do you plan to maintain this reputation?

A: Yes, through discipline and professionalism! I want to maintain that reputation and I also intend to give them a professional training for the betterment of their career. Military training that suits the future will be introduced. More training centres will come up. Those who fought in the battlefront need to pass their expertise to others. I know that other countries like to learn lot about fighting terrorists, especially small group operations and night fighting.

Q: How do you see the political commitment during the Eelam War IV?

A: The Army had the political blessings throughout the Operation and both the President and the Defence Secretary were fully committed to end terrorism in Sri Lanka. They gave their fullest support and were a tower of strength for the military to secure the final victory.

I hope that the Army will get the same political support in future as well.

Q: Do not you think that your ‘trade mark’ smile will be a hindrance to be tough as the Army Commander?

A: I am a very sincere and good-hearted man. Every body will get the proper justice and equality when dealing with their matters. Nobody has to worry. I am always a good listener. I would listen first if any body comes with a problem.

I am not a man who takes unilateral decisions but one who takes multilateral decisions! I am approachable at anytime. I talk to and smile with ordinary soldiers. That is my style of leadership and it has proved a success upto now. I hope it will produce good results in future too. I hope I will be able to treat everyone equally.