Opinion:

'No force can reverse Lanka's military victories'

By K.M.H.C.B. Kulatunga

Exactly six years ago – on December 14, 2008, President Mahinda Rajapaksa made a fearless statement which no other Head of State of our country had made before.

Speaking at the annual War Heroes Commemoration ceremony of the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment at the Regimental Headquarters in Ambepussa, President Rajapaksa said that no force could reverse the country’s military victories and the forward march to crush terrorism.

He said that no force on earth could reverse the unparalleled victories achieved by the Security Forces against the LTTE as they are engaged in a battle against terrorism, setting an example to the entire world without facing a single drawback since the Mavilaru battle to the Wanni liberation operation.

“I don’t think there is a single battle in the world parallel to the battle fought by our Security Forces at present in which they secure victory after victory without facing a single drawback,” the President had told the gathering at the ceremony held six years ago.

Prosperity

He said the forward march of the valiant troops could not be stopped by the chemical weapons, air raids, earth bunds and monsoon rains. The common masses of the country show their affection and love towards these War Heroes in whatever possible way they can, but some media personnel publish articles discouraging and de-motivating Security Forces personnel.

The President had said that the common masses of the country have realised the genuine objectives of the Government in launching the battle against terrorism, adding that the Government’s objective is to bring prosperity to the North in the same manner it had done in the East.

In less than six months’ time after that bold statement, the Security Forces vanquished the LTTE leadership at Nandikadal lagoon on May 18, 2009 to liberate the country from the clutches of the LTTE terror.

Ever since the start of three decades of the LTTE terror in early 80s, there had been many military offensives to crush the Tiger terrorists. But none of them could be continued to a finish due to international pressure.

Even the most notable one under the leadership of General Denzil Kobbekaduwa had a premature death as the then political leadership succumbed to international pressure.

Dialogue

But the 2005 November Presidential election paved way for a new era in Sri Lanka history with President Mahinda Rajapaksa becoming the fifth Executive President of Sri Lanka.

He initially followed his predecessors by inviting the LTTE to the negotiating table after the Tigers had welcomed the election of the President with a series of bomb explosions. President Rajapaksa first sought to have a dialogue with the LTTE and demonstrated his sincere interest in finding a peaceful settlement to terrorism which had ruined the country and halted its forward march.

After a couple of rounds at the negotiating table, the LTTE walked off. Weeks later, they Tigers closed the Mavil Aru anicut and deprived farmers in the area of the basic need of water.

It was then that the President thought enough is enough and that he must answer the LTTE in the best 'language' they knew. That gave birth to the world’s largest human rescue mission as the Security Forces embarked in the humanitarian operation in the North.

There was no turning back. Having liberated the entire Eastern Province, the Security Forces turned towards the North and completely crushed the Tiger power. Most Opposition politicians laughed at the President’s decision, stating that wiping out LTTE terrorism would never be possible.

Morale

But President Rajapaksa firmly believed that LTTE terrorism should be defeated militarily and that our Security Forces were capable of accomplishing that gigantic task. He did everything possible to boost the morale of the Security Forces, gaining countrywide motivation to inspire the true sons of our soil. The President provided both morale and logistical support to the Security Forces and shielded them from international pressure.

Several leading countries in the world with superior military might had warned the President to halt the military offensive but he did not care two hoots for those calls. There was no looking back since the day the Mavil Aru operation was launched, until Velupillai Prabhakaran and his goons were killed at the Nandikadal lagoon on May 18, 2005.

When President Rajapaksa first assumed duties exactly nine years ago, the masses requested only one thing in one voice – to crush the LTTE and create a peaceful environment for one and all to live in harmony. None of them ever talked about the abolition of the Executive Presidency, police and land powers, 13th Amendment or good governance.

The dream of the entire nation was to see a peaceful Sri Lanka. Now that President Rajapaksa had accomplished that task under his political sagacity, some opportunistic Opposition politicians feel that it was nothing spectacular and that it was the duty of President Rajapaksa to defeat LTTE terrorism.

Asleep

But there had been four previous Executive Presidents before him who had cut a sorry figure against terrorism. Some ungrateful Opposition supporters even go to the extent of stating that defeating terrorism was nothing to crow about and that President Rajapaksa was duty bound to crush the LTTE.

True that he was duty bound to do so as any other Head of State here but all his predecessors appeared to be puppets against LTTE terror. It is unfortunate that some people who had yearned to defeat the LTTE have forgotten the leader who had ushered in peace. Instead, they often get mislead by the lady who was fast asleep when the Security Forces camps in the North were being overrun by the LTTE.

The President's unmatched political leadership and the supreme sacrifices of the Security Forces enabled the crushing of the LTTE. Today, many politicians try to take credit for the splendid military victories.

Former President Chandria Bandaranayake Kumaratunga had said that 75 percent of terrorism was wiped out during her tenure. A few days later, Chandrika openly said that 85 per cent of terrorism was eradicated during her time.

A week later, UNP’s Gampaha District parliamentarian Ruwan Wijewardene said that the battle against terrorism was waged with the military hardware purchased during the previous UNP regime.

Those were deliberate attempts to take the credit that President Rajapaksa deserves. If Chandrika has an iota of shame, she would never have made such a sweeping statement.

But the masses are acutely aware of the person who had paved way for a new Sri Lanka, sans terrorism.

Lust

The UNP-supported Presidential election candidate Maithripala Sirisena is resorting to anything and everything in his lust for power. Capturing power at any cost is his dream.

Thus, he had signed various pacts with unholy elements which threaten to rob Sri Lanka of its hard-earned peace.

Leaders of the so-called joint Opposition had signed different MoUs with different political entities with the aim of winning the presidential election and forming a national government. But as former UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake had said, no one knows the contents of the MoUs. None of the Opposition’s objectives existed at the beginning of the campaign have been met by the so-called common opposition. Most UNP supporters are totally against the party's decision not to field a candidate of their own and support the candidature of Maithripala who is contesting under Fonseka’s old party. Chandrika’s efforts to secure the crossover of 20 government members to the opposition has also failed.

There are serious doubts with regard to the MoUs signed with different extremist groups such as the TNA, JHU and the JVP.

The so-called common opposition will be obliged to satisfy the extremist Tamil groups and the Tamil Diaspora. These pledges are extremely dangerous for national security and the sovereignty of the country. Nobody knows what Chandrika and her cohorts had promised on behalf of Maithripala. The people have a right to know the contents of the secret pacts signed by the leaders in the Opposition parties who have a notorious track record.

Day-dream

The leaders of Opposition political parties and their supporters who yearn of a so-called change should ask one question from their conscience – whether they belong to the patriotic camp or not.

Those who day-dream of a chance should bear in mind that the ‘change’ they opt should be for a better and peaceful tomorrow.

If they really need a change, they are free to do so in a democratic world. But the ‘change’ they opt should be somebody who shows no mercy or leniency to terrorism, somebody who is even harder against the LTTE than President Rajapaksa.

Is there any such leader in the Opposition? Definitely not. In this scenario, the Opposition’s efforts in rallying round a puppet are like embracing terrorism. If one takes a careful study of the leaders backing

Maithripala and have signed the MoU, it is clearly evident where this alliance would head. Chandrika is notorious for doing things to hang on to power at any cost. She even went to the extent of granting a self-governing authority to the LTTE called P-TOMS after the 2004 tsunami.

Ranil’s track record is even worse, having undermined the efforts of the Security Forces and confining them to barracks under his controversial Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) with LTTE with the blessings of Norway.

It is true that Fonseka led the Army during the battle against terrorism. But we now see politician Fonseka and not soldier Fonseka! He now looks at from a different angle in his greed for power and is not the same patriotic Fonseka. Lavish funding has come from the West for their campaign because a few Western leaders daydream of a regime change in Sri Lanka and install a puppet as a leader.

This is where the masses have to be extra careful when they vote on January 8, 2015.