In prelude to final victory

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE

President Mahinda Rajapaksa had a strong vision to bring a lasting peace to the nation, even before he was appointed President. This was clearly spelled out in his election manifesto Mahinda Chintana. He reassured his stance on peace soon after taking oaths as the new President. He said that he would ensure a democratic nation with social justice.

“Frankly, I contested this election to build a better Sri Lanka. For that I need everyone’s support,” a delighted Rajapaksa said soon after his victory and appealed to all parties to support the nation-building programme and establishment of lasting peace in the country.Living true to his word he invited the North East political parties for talks in Colombo and in Norway and as usual the LTTE played the waiting game, the old tactics.

Subsequently with the Peace Process breaking down, the LTTE adopted a new approach by closing down the Mavil Aru Dam in the Trincomalee district on July 20, 2006 that feeds 15,000 families and denying 30,000 acres of paddy crops much needed water.

Closing of the sluice was also to put pressure and test the nerves of the Sri Lankan government and international community. This resulted in the government being forced to lead a humanitarian operation to open the sluice gates and securing the area.

This was followed up by victories in Thoppigala and the entire Eastern Province, Vanni operation that led to the liberation of Mannar, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, which included the opening of the A-9 highway upto Jaffna and finally the no-fire zone and the entire country also leading to the deaths of all LTTE leaders including Velupillai Prabhakaran.

This is a brief look at what the President said about the conflict Jan 25, Colombo: 2007. Launching a 350-million dollar irrigation project in Moragahakanda in Matale.“Terrorism that many once swore cannot be defeated is now crouching in fear because we faced up to that challenge. Our security forces have the ability, will and strength to defeat terrorism. Trust in them, for they have proved it in the East.”

“I believe very strongly that the most powerful weapon against communalism is being fair and doing justice by the innocent Tamil people. If not, the cruel forces of communalism can completely destroy the great Sri Lankan civilization. We should understand this danger very well.”

Independence Day 2007

COLOMBO: President Mahinda Rajapaksa fervently appeals to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to join hands with the Government to liberate innocent Tamils in the North and East from the bondage of LTTE terrorism. President Rajapaksa recalled his appeal made at the Independence Celebrations last year, that the country should stand united to achieve the noble objectives of the Sri Lankan nation.

He said the Government had painstakingly reached a common understanding among all political parties and other forces and strived to establish a new political order that would work towards the nation’s well-being, regardless of the existing disparities among them. The positive result is that a new political thinking had already emerged.

The President said that to date, the TNA has not entered into a dialogue or understanding with the Government. “It is only by joining with us that the innocent Tamil people of the North could be liberated from terrorist intimidation and the misdeeds of violence, and the North could be emancipated.The President stressed that the most reliable weapon against terrorism was to do justice by the innocent Tamil people, and he was also confident that the Sinhala people in the South were prepared for it.

We are not ready, he said, to give into the bloodthirsty demands of the LTTE.

The President pointed out that their zeal and gigantic commitment to peace which had been amply proved and time tested, led the Security Forces to liberate the innocent Tamils taken hostage and used as human shields by the LTTE who were pursuing their savage demands. The Security Forces” valiant efforts deserved the salute of the nation, on this honoured day.

September 16, 2008

Expressing confidence that the military would completely crush the LTTE rebels soon, President rules out talks with the Tamil Tigers.

During a meeting with foreign journalists at Temple Trees, President Rajapaksa said: “The time for talks was over, the only option left for the rebels was to put down their arms and surrender.”

2008 Independence Day

The Government’s commitment is to proceed as a single and unitary state, with a solution based on experience and what could be implemented in the land without opting for experimental solutions, President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared.

“This practical solution is to bring the provincial administration closer to the people, within the framework of our Constitution,” President Rajapaksa said, in his address to the Nation at the 60th Independence Day ceremony.The President vowed to liberate the North from the clutches of terrorism and also provide a political solution and bring political freedom to the people there.

President Rajapaksa stated that the Security Forces have achieved unprecedented victories against terrorism. The Eastern Province has been liberated from the clutches of the terrorists, who have been confined to one and a half districts only.

“There was also the belief that identifying as terrorists, those who kill the Sinhala people by the thousands, would lead to dangerous consequences.

In short, two years ago, no one believed that terrorists could be defeated. But during the last two years, we made it a reality in our Motherland. We shall continue to defend the majority opinion of the people of this country,” he asserted.

Sunday, February 8, 2009:

Colombo PageNews Desk, Sri Lanka.

Kurunegala: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa reiterating his stand on the war appealed to the LTTE leader and his rebels again to lay down arms and surrender to the forces. Speaking at an election rally in Kurunegala President Rajapaksa said if it does not happen the only option available for the LTTE leader is to jump into the Mullaitivu lagoon.

“At the moment Velupillai Prabhakaran is losing all his properties, including his dreamland in North and also the Eastern Sea,” President added. Claiming that the LTTE had been holding thousands of civilians as hostages, President Rajapaksa appealed to the LTTE leader to release the civilians who are in the grasp of rebel outfit.

At the May Day celebrations 2008

“What is going on in the North is a struggle to consolidate the right to life of the working and innocent people of this country.

It is the responsibility of my Government to resettle as soon as possible, the people who are fleeing from the LTTE and to ensure their right to an unhindered life.

I take responsibility to fulfill the basic needs of not only those who have crossed over but also those who are yet to cross over to Government controlled areas.

“The Tigers are today shooting at Tamil civilians by using weapons purchased from the remittances of the Tamil Diaspora and aid received from foreign powers.

“Those who protest in front of our embassies and stone them as well as the international community should understand this truth.

September 15, 2008

Addressing Sri Lankans at the New York Bauddha Viharaya while on his visit to attend the 63rd UNGA Sessions the President said he would not hesitate to take decisions that have a bearing on the future of the country.

The President said they were able to use the Mavilaru operation as a springboard to rid the entire East of LTTE terrorism. Thereafter, they took steps to restore democracy in the region.

The President observed there were certain organizations that had branded him as a war President. “I am not a warmonger. My aim is to create an environment where the innocent people could live, enjoy the fruits of freedom and democracy. What we are doing by our humanitarian operation is to achieve this objective”.

September 24, 2008

New York: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that his government would be ready to hold talks with the Tamil Tigers only if they decommission their arms and dismantle their military.

Addressing the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, the President said his government would not allow the LTTE, an illegal armed and terrorist group to hold the Tamil community in the North hostage and deny their democratic rights. “Our Government would only be ready to talk to this illegal armed group when it is ready to commit itself to decommissioning of its illicit weapons and dismantling of its military capability, and return to the democratic fold,” President said.

Sri Lanka President repeatedly appealed to LTTE to lay down arms.

November 06, 2008

Although many Governments put forward many proposals from time to time towards achieving peace, the LTTE was not interested in moving away from terrorism. I am sure you would also remember that there was even a Peace Accord that was signed with these brutal terrorists in 2002. It is a known fact that this Accord even acknowledged that the LTTE could administer as per their plans, in the LTTE controlled areas. In the pretext of tsunami rehabilitation efforts the LTTE was in fact consolidating their strength through Tsunami Rehabilitation Committees.

The ulterior motive behind all these attempts was to strengthen as an armed force but not to embrace the democratic process. This situation became uncontrollable and spread outside the North and East, affecting the entire country.

“We are committed to rehabilitate such terrorists and to absorb them to the society as productive citizens.” Therefore, my earnest plea to the terrorists is to lay down arms and join the democratic process, even at this last moment. If not, they would be militarily defeated. Further, we should also take steps to conduct Local Government elections, and Provincial Council Elections in the North.

01 December in Rome

Rome: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa says the Mumbai terrorist attacks should remind everyone about the risk of terrorism and the need for international cooperation to stop it.

Ranil in another secret pact with Prabhakaran JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe in an interview to Lankaweb.com before the Presidential Election allege Ranil has entered into another secret pact with Prabhakaran to obtain votes Question: Ranil Wickremesinghe’s People’s Agenda Manifesto speaks about a balanced de-militarization of the Sri Lanka Army? What are your observations on that? Answer: When you speak about balancing essentially there should be two sides.

In the so-called ceasefire agreement Ranil Wickremesinghe accepted two sides. They are the Government of Sri Lanka governed areas and the LTTE governed areas. The demarcated area for the LTTE has an army parallel with the legitimate armed forces of the government of Sri Lanka. This was something no other UNP President dared to allow officially, at any time before Ranil Wickremesinghe.

After doing that Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government tied the hands of the Sri Lanka Army. They cannot go to the LTTE controlled areas while LTTE soldiers could travel in the GOSL controlled areas in the guise of doing propaganda work.

They have brought arms and explosives to these areas on numerous occasions. The whole country knows how Ranil Wickremesinghe purposely destroyed the Millennium City intelligence unit of the Sri Lanka Army by falsely alleging them as assassins preparing to kill Wickremesinghe and revealing the names of the officers in the UNP controlled press.

An army with a fully devastated intelligence unit is like a fighting man without a head. They have even recruited pro-UNP journalists in their intelligence activities. In the Muthaliff assassination it was revealed that that one of the suspects was working for the UNP media unit. In short under the ceasefire agreement Ranil Wickremesinghe balanced the armed forces in favour of the LTTE.

Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thoppigala July 17, 2007 comment from Ranil Wickremesinghe and his party spokespersons are quite worried these days about the way in which Toppigala operation was carried out by the Security Forces. Wickramasinghe’s initial position is capturing Thoppigala is useless exercise as it is worthy only for collectors of firewood.

Ranil Wickremesinghe and his associate Lakshman Kiriella, MP for Kandy, came up with another criticism about Thoppigala operation.

They alleged that the security forces allow the LTTE leaders including Ramesh and its cadres to escape from Thoppigala with all military hardware that includes multi-barrel rocket launchers. Wickeremesinghe told the press that this order that the LTTE leaders and cadres should be allowed to escape through arranged route came from Colombo, allegedly from the political leadership of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government

Commenting on the Mahinda Chintana policies, he said though President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave an assurance to work out a political solution within three months upon election to office, the government is now groping in the dark being unable to resolve the problem either through peaceful or military means. This was said shortly after UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that Thoppigala was nothing but a large jungle.The leader of the Opposition in Sri Lanka has described the powerful Defence Secretary as a traitor for leaving the country as war against the LTTE intensified.Ranil Wickramasinghe said Gotabhaya Rajapaksa left Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to live in the United States while the SLA engaged with the LTTE in the North and the East.

He was commenting on alleged threats by the powerful Defence Secretary to journalists and the defence ministry describing those criticise the SLA as `traitors’.“The traitor is the one who resigned from the SLA to leave the country,” the Opposition leader told journalists.

Ranil Wickremesinghe on 10 June 2008. At an Ashtamangalya Prasnam (an astrological pooja in India) Opposition Leader tells the Indian media that Security Forces in Sri Lanka had failed in the war against LTTE terrorism. Wickremesinghe, who did not participate in the Ranaviru Day (War Heroes’ Day) ceremony in Kotte, cited the frequent bomb attacks on civilians as a reason for saying that the war against terror had failed in Sri Lanka. “Whenever there is terrorism, you need a response. But (that) is not (happening) in Sri Lanka,” the Opposition Leader told reporters at the airport on arrival from Coimbatore en-route to Delhi. He said only a political settlement through “credible power-sharing acceptable to all communities” could bring lasting peace in the island.

November 21 2008:

Mangala Samaraweera commenting on the capture of Pooneryn, “The government has been saying in the past couple of days that our security forces have captured Pooneryn area. On most occasions, it was painted as an achievement of the President himself. We must pay our tribute to the heroic soldiers who fought and laid down their lives to recapture Pooneryn area.” “But, 15 years ago, we similarly celebrated the taking of Pooneryn.

This is mentioned in Dinamina. It is an irony of fate that it was captured on 15th November 1993 when D.B. Wijetunga was President, with Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister.”

This government is preparing to sacrifice any number of lives to hide all military losses to cover up its inabilities.”UNP asserted that the LTTE wouldn’t succumb to military pressure and President Rajapaksa, too, would end up a casualty. The UNP’s assertion was reflected by MP Ravi Karunanayake’s damaging statement in Parliament.

As the Army battled the LTTE outside Killinochchi, the outspoken MP said that the government meant Medawachchiya when it talked of taking Killinochchi. Similarly it meant Pamankada when it mentioned Ali Mankada.