A timely move ahead of Geneva vote:

Chandrika’s letter, a deliberate attempt to sully Lanka’s image

A cross section of Government Ministers who commented on former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s controversial letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa described it as a deliberate attempt to discredit Sri Lanka when various unfounded allegations are being levelled against Sri Lanka by certain international forces in Geneva.

Commenting on former President Kumaratunga’s allegation that the Government’s intelligence services are trailing her, Co-operatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando said that he would call upon the Government to apprehend anyone who poses a threat to national security. We call upon the Government to have a close surveillance over who attempt to destabilise the country’s hard earned peace.

Minister Fernando said even during the 2005 presidential election, Kumaratunga didn’t help President Mahinda Rajapaksa and she extended her support to Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The intention of former President in sending this kind of letter to President Rajapaksa, is to give a message to the international community in Geneva who are trying to destabilise our country.

Even today Kumaratunga appears on behalf of the LTTE. Certain Western countries attempts to destabilise our country and create a situation similar to that of Syria or Libya. The Government’s intelligence services have the right to keep vigil on the movements of former President, Opposition Leader or anybody else if they entertain any any suspicion.

The Minister said we should always give priority to national security. Nobody should be permitted to pose a threat to national security. Therefore, the Government should not only look into the security of the former President, but also be alert on the security of the entire citizenry. The Government won the 30-year-war against terrorism after making many sacrifices.

The former President had held discussions with Opposition Leader Wickremesinghe on religious reconciliation. This is the ideology of LTTE sympathisers. The former President and the Opposition Leader seem to depend on LTTE ideology. Being in the SLFP, Kumaratunga helped Ranil Wickremesinghe when she was the President.

Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that former President Kumaratunga is not concerned about her country. By now any sensible person would be well aware of the international onslaught launched against Sri Lanka in Geneva.

Therefore, any patriotic citizen of this country will not behave in such an irresponsible manner at this crucial juncture. As a former President who has ruled this country, the manner in which former President is behaving is most unbecoming.

Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake said the former President has written this letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the sole intention of adding another allegation against the Government by international forces in Geneva. She may have been influenced by the pro-LTTE Tamil diaspora in France, England and other Western countries to draft this kind of letter.

The entire country knows this is a fully fabricated rumour spread by the former President. We regret this treacherous act by Kumaratunga. It is obvious that she is suffering from some mental illness.

Minister Dissanayake said that the former President is a hypocrite and harbours hatred of the initiatives taken by the Government to defeat terrorism and the massive development drive in the country following the dawn of peace, because she couldn’t fulfill anything during her 11 year rule. Today nobody cares about her.

The former President has close links with the UNP, JVP and the TNA. She also maintains close links with NGOs and other international organisations who attempt to destabilise Sri Lanka. It not only with the TNA, she also has direct links with the pro-LTTE Tamil diaspora.

Even before she came to power, she had contacts with these anti-Sri Lankan elements.

The Minister said Kumaratunga attempts to give a fully distorted picture to the international community that the Government’s intelligence services are following her. When considering the responsibilities entrusted on President Rajapaksa, I don’t think he has even a time to think of the former President or look into her movements. The bounden duty of the President is to ensure the freedom of all citizens including the former President.

Chandrika Kumaratunga’s regime actually ended in 2000, because I as then General Secretary of the SLFP and a group of Government MPs crossed over to the UNP, toppling her Government. She has set a record as the leader who ruled the country with a negative economic growth. When she looks back on her rule, she may be regret it. Unfortunately she has not given up her greediness for power. It is obvious she has engaged in a futile attempt to grab power once again.

Deputy Health Minister Lalith Dissanayake said when the late President J.R. Jayewardene quit his post, he never attempted to sabotage the administration of the then incumbent President Ranasinghe Premadasa. If former President Kumaratunga had a genuine desire to safeguard human rights and ensure religious reconciliation, she should have done it during her regime.

Therefore, this kind of controversial letters with baseless allegations would be ammunition for those who attempt to discredit Sri Lanka at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva. As a former President, she should not have made this kind of irresponsible statements at this most critical juncture.