No room for LTTE again in the country:

Security Forces deployed to wipe out drug menace and underworld – Defence Secretary

Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in a recent wide ranging interview with ITN, reiterated the Government’s commitment to wipe out the drug menace and protect the country’s sovereignty from internal and external threats.

The Government would not leave any room for terrorism to raise its ugly head again and the Security Forces would remain eternally vigilant in this regard, Defence Secretary Rajapaksa stressed.

The focus of the interview was on the drug and underworld menace, which the Defence Secretary pledged to wipe out with the same commitment shown in the elimination of terrorism from the Motherland. He said that there would be no room for the use of illegal weapons, which are also being tracked down.

“The law enforcement authorities are dedicated towards cracking down on illegal drugs, narcotics and illegal weapons. Many operations have been undertaken to arrest many underworld gang members and also seize their weapons. The country’s Security Forces including the Army and the Navy, and also especially trained troops have been involved in these operations.”

Massive operation

The police have focused special attention on preventing crime Security Forces wiped out LTTE terrorism from the country

He told the ITN interviewer that the law enforcement authorities were prepared to face the challenge of eliminating illegal drugs, narcotics and illegal weapons from society. They were already engaged in these operations on a massive scale, including the seizure of narcotics stocks.

He insisted that the Government has deployed all its capabilities to eradicate the drug menace and underworld gangsters in the country and a massive operation is in progress to eradicate the underworld and the drug mafia.

“I can assure you that just as we wiped out LTTE terrorism from the country, we would eliminate the underworld and also wipe out the drug menace. I have no doubt that the Forces and the Police would succeed in this endeavour.”

Asked about the allegations made by the Opposition with regard to the recent incident in Mulleriyawa, Defence Secretary Rajapaksa rejected these accusations and pointed out that the opposition is always engaged in spreading false propaganda about the degradation of peace and law and order in the country.

“Now the country is experiencing rapid economic growth. The crimes that prevailed during the conflict period have been gradually decreasing after 2007. The police have focused special attention on preventing crimes,” he added.

He charged that some elements that are unable to bear the victory of the UPFA Government at all three rounds of local polls are engaged in tarnishing the image of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and himself.

Referring to the Mulleriyawa incident, he said “the unfortunate killing of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra is an adverse outcome of the preferential vote system which causes rifts among candidates in the same party. It is not fair to put the blame on the Government regarding this incident”.

He said that certain elements were trying hard to turn public opinion against the Government over the killing of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.

“Forces opposing the country’s development in the aftermath of the defeat of terrorism are behind this dirty game of levelling baseless allegations against the Government. This is purely political mudslinging by disgruntled opposition elements’,” he emphasised.

Rejecting all accusations made against the Government, he dismissed reports that family members or Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra himself had requested additional security.

Plenty of opportunities

“No request has ever been presented to me or to the President to provide additional security to Premachandra. He functioned as an Advisor to the President at the President’s Office. He thus had plenty of opportunities to ask for security from the President if he so desired. But there was no such request from him at any time.”

The Defence Secretary recalled that Premachandra was given necessary security and vehicles while engaging in duties in this important post.

The Defence Secretary also rejected charges that he provided more security to Parliamentarian Duminda Silva. He explained: “Silva was given security appropriate for a Parliamentarian. There were 12 security officers and three police officials who provided security to this Parliamentarian.

“Two of the MSD personnel were on leave at the time of the incident. Only two automatic weapons were provided. No Defence Ministry vehicles were provided to MP Duminda Silva.”

He denied that Duminda Silva was a ‘Monitoring MP’ to the Defence Ministry. He said that the Government only decided to appoint two Parliamentarians as supervisory MPs for the Urban Development Authority which comes under the purview of the Defence and Urban Development Ministry. Silva was thus acting in that capacity. At no time was he a Defence Ministry monitoring MP.

Parliamentarian Duminda Silva was entrusted with the responsibility of supervising the Government’s program of building housing schemes in the North and Central Colombo areas for slum dwellers in the city. Silva did not feature in any matter related to the defence of the country.

He said that his connection with Silva was only on an official basis as Silva was involved in the urban development projects and close to the people of many areas in Colombo. He could explain the true picture of the Government’s development and housing programs to the people. It was a purely official relationship.

The Defence Secretary added that the Government would let the law take its course in the Mulleriyawa incident. “There will be no hesitation whatsoever to impose proper punishment on the offenders of the Mulleriyawa incident. The truth behind this incident will be revealed shortly.”

The Defence Secretary added that the law enforcement authorities have already arrested almost all the suspects involved in this incident. He said two suspects who left for India hours after the murder were arrested by Indian authorities at his request. “We personally contacted Indian officials to seek the arrest of the suspects who had fled to India and we did not go through the diplomatic channels.”

The Defence Secretary stressed that he had ordered a full scale investigation into this murder. “The Government wants to ensure a full and independent inquiry. It will explore all avenues to arrive at the truth and mete out justice.”

Rule of Law

Denying an allegation made by the Opposition that law and order does not prevail in the country, the Defence Secretary stressed that the people are experiencing freedom and the Rule of Law in the country after a lapse of almost 30 years. The Rule of Law is prevailing in the country after 30 years and people can travel to any part of the country at any time.

“We appointed Minister Keheliya Rambukwella as the Defence Spokesman during the height of the humanitarian operations to disseminate accurate news to the world in the face of misinformation being propagated by our opponents,” he added.

He said Minister Rambukwella did not go beyond what he was entrusted to do and did not meddle in the affairs of the military.

“Security implications must always be considered because sections of the Diaspora supportive of the LTTE were financially powerful and LTTE remnants were also trying to regroup overseas. I am dedicated to safeguard security and hard-won peace in the country. The Defence Ministry is ready to counter false propaganda carried out by pro-LTTE groups here and overseas.

There will be no room for the LTTE to raise its head again in the country. We work day and night to prevent the LTTE from ever coming back. It is a major challenge,” he said.