Malin Abeyatunge

The long speculated news is out now that Lt.General Sarath Fonseka has given his resignation from his post ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Chief Defence of Staff (CDS) and that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has accepted it. Well, itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s your fundamental right to choose what ever you want as a career and purely a personal matter. I am sure the people of Sri Lanka has no qualms about it butƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  would not like to see you falling from anƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  esteemed position you held as the Army commander and then CDS ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to just an insignificant person.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sir, there is no other army general compared to you in our recent history. You are a brave officer and a gentleman. YouƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  have saved the country from scourge of LTTE terrorism. Of course, there are many other contributory factors like right political leadership by the President, right strategy by Defence Secretary, the skilful and precise Navy and Air force operations, STF, Police force and theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  people of the nation who morally supported. Mr.Gamini Gunewardena (Ex-DIG) in his article in the Island on 12/11/2009 quite rightly pointed out the INTERGRITY of the top hierarchy of the Government and the Forces is another contributory factor. In the peoplesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ mind you are a war hero and should be treated as a national treasure. When LTTE was defeated, the people were rejoicing of the victoryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  praising your gallantry and courage. The nation owes you a great deal for leading the war against terrorists and crushing LTTE military operations conclusively. BUT the recent rumors of you being considered as the common candidate from the opposition mainly comprise of non-patriotic UNP who handed over a defacto regime with borders to LTTE by infamous CFA is not a big surprise as UNP is desperate having lost all the elections. ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s premature for me to say anything since you still have not accepted the invitation by the UNP new alliance. However, if you accept to contest Presidency as their common candidate, it is appalling and regrettableƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  for a true patriot like you who once said that Sri Lanka belongs to the Sinhala Buddhists and other minorities should learn to live with the Sinhalese. ArenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t you ashamed to accept invitation from the people who told you that you are only fit for salvation armyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ many other humiliating and insulting remarks like Thoppigala is only a rock, Alimankade-Pamankade,Killinochchi and Medawacchi, any fool can fight a war made by those very people who are leading the New UNP Alliance. How are you going to compromise your good values with them when you have been insulted like this?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I wrote an article titled Maj.Gen (retd) Janka Perera commits Hara kiri (The Island-7/7/2008). I summed up the article with the following paragraph. QuoteƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Rtd Janaka Perera made the biggest mistake in his life by getting into politics more so by joining UNP-the party who sold part of Sri Lanka to LTTE through CFA. He has committed a har-kiri and he will soon be forgotten as a war hero and a gentleman ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Unquote ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sadly, within a couple of weeks, he ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ his wife with many others paid the price of their lives at the hands of a LTTE suicide bomber.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dear Sir, I will have to tell you the same thing to you now. You are committing a hara-kiri by joining the UNP lead unpatriotic front to contest as President. Like Late Major General Janaka Perera, you are also one of the three prime targets of LTTE (LTTE suicide bombers are still at large in Sri Lanka and they will strike at theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  least expected place and time) namely President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and YOURSELF.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  We respect you; we admire your courage; we acknowledge you as a skilled war strategist and we do not want your life also to be ended like Late Maj General Janaka Perera. So, please think wisely before accepting the UNP-New AllianceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s invitation as common candidate for Presidency and not to fall prey to RanilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cunning tactics.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The New UNP Alliance

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ You sir, do not need to be a rocket scientist to assess the people representing the new alliance which you will be asked to represent. The UNP lead by Ranil has lost all the elections since 2001. Rauf Hakeem as the hat turns (Thambige thoppiya wagey) will change his colours for his personal benefit. DonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t forget the infamous Hakeem -PrabhakranƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  meeting at LTTE Headquarters. JVP as a party has lost its credibility and its voter base over the years has been dwindling. Then the waley wal nathiƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  bankrupt politician Mangala Samaraweera who even does not want to contest his former electorate Matara atƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a General Election ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ but prefer a seat in the national list. Then, the one man showƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Mano Ganeshan with no voter base except for a few Tamils in Colombo District. If you decide to join this front with no voter base and expect to win the presidency, sir, you must be day dreaming. You ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ know that Sri Lankans forget the past very easily. Likewise, the people will very soon forget you if you make the wrong decision.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ GREEN CARD MANIA

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s surprising to see many Sri Lankan politicians are chasing after the Green Card Mania. Among them were Lt. Ge. Sararth Fonseka and Gotabaya Rajapaksa. I cannot fathom why people of such status are kneeling down to get the Green Card. If you sir, go to live in States, you will be just another insignificant number or person among a population of 308 million as at 2009. You may be known to about 80% of our population but you will be known in the States to a few for wrong reasons. Surely, I do not think that Barack Obama will recall theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  army commander in Afghanistan and hand over the billet to you, sir.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ IS IT A CIA PLOT?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The story goes thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  you wanted the Green Card to be processed. But it appeared thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  some State Authority was trying to black mail you to speak against our Defence Secretary for war crimes by dangling the Green Card carrot. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Thank god that you did not fall prey to that trick. We remember the International coup de tat launched by the westerners led by David Milliband and Hillary Clinton by first bringing a motion against Sri Lanka for the UN Security Council which they miserably failed. This attempt by the State Authority may be an extension of the same international coup de tat. Can any one rule out that this a not CIA plot with the connivance of boot licking westerner Ranil? It is impertinent to question, however what if all powerful Executive Presidency brings a law tomorrow that any one who holds allegiance to two countries (Dual citizenship) is prohibited from contesting Presidency or General Elections, what will be your position if you have dual citizenship?.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dear Lt. General Sarath Fonseka, we still hail you as a hero. You will be disappointing and breaking the trust of millions of Sri Lankans if you decide to contest against President Rajapaksa. Before you commit for anything drastic in the political arena, think before you leap. Although you have been a strong soldier, there were times you have been naƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚¯ve like a child when you were not aware that your own favorite cook was planning to bump you off. You may be naƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚¯ve again if you accept the invitation from the UNP led new alliance for the candidature of Presidency. In the political arena, I donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t think you have the political experience or acumen like our President (just as much President RajapaksaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  has no experience to go to the war front to fight) . There is no doubt that you are going to loose so that Ranil can come back and say ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ that he did not loose but it was Sarath Fonseka who lost. Let me reiterate the fact what I told about late Maj Gen. Janaka Perara and that you are also committing hara-kiri if you join the UNP-new Alliance ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to come as their candidate for Presidency.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Malin Abeyatunge

Melbourne

14/11/2009