Ajit Randeniya

The current political situation in Sri Lanka is reminiscent of the situation during the first-half of 2009, leading up to the last days of Prabhakaran. The foreign hordes led by Milibands, Kouchners, Hilary Clintons and the EU, and their local agents, were doing their best to try and save Prabhakaran through ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”pressure tacticsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ (allegations of violations of Human Rights and other norms they prescribe for us). As to be expected, those ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”God chosenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ people will never give up on their sinister conspiracies aimed at ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”dividing and rulingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ the world. Their plots are a real test of endurance for developing country leaders and populations. It is just that Sarath Pawnseka has not been blessed with adequate grey cells unfortunately.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Compared to January-May 2009, only the strategies have changed marginally; but the plan remains the same. Wild, unsubstantiated allegations of corruption by the Rajapakse family have largely replaced the previous accusations of creating a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”culture of impunityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, and murders of journalists. Obviously, those accusations canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t be sustained due to the alleged perpetrator, Sarath Fonseka, is now on the side of the foreign-funded fundamentalist ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”ChristianƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ cult who are orchestrating the campaign.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There are other parallels: that twit who goes around as the British foreign minister (he is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”foreignƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ alright!), David Miliband, too is at it again; he has ordered that Sri Lanka ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”mustƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ ensure that all communities are involved in next yearƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s presidential and parliamentary elections.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Then we have J.C. WeliamunaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Opacity InternationalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ asking the government to get its act together. He says that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Sri Lanka’s recovery from a decades-long civil war has been marred by graft, violence and a culture of lawlessnessƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚- he should not think that his carpetbagging tour of US, Australia and Europe earlier in the year went unnoticed.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The prime-movers of the baseless anti- government campaign however, are the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Burgher supremacistsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ at the so-called ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Sunday LeaderƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. PawnsekaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”thoseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ gutless, shameless and stupid claims that appeared on the cult newspaper explained as to why Colombo was rather gloomy over the last couple of weeks; Frederica Jansz has been sitting down and taking notes! Of course, there canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t be sunshine.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Our ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”gutless wonderƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ Pawnseka had his fifteen minutes of infamy when Jansz somehow managed to coax the headline ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Gota Ordered Them To Be ShotƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ out of the idiot who has already revealed his limited proficiency of the foreign tongue. And then, less than 24 hours after his ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”anal saluteƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, Fonseka claims his remarks have been misinterpreted! The episode shows that for once, Ranil Wickremesinghe got it right when he recently referred to Pawnseka as a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”toolƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In his gutless ignorance, Pawnseka has broken the law, violated military ethics, and crucially, has handed the opening the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”international communityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ (of Zionists) were waiting for. With every step along his farcical campaign for presidency, Pawnseka is showing the Sri Lankan electorate that he is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”unwittinglyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ providing them with the foreign named Sri Lankan they were after.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ PawnsekaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s stupid remarks have already caused immense damage to the reputation of clever, patriotic, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”realƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ war heroes of the caliber of Brigadier Shavindra de Silva.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Jansz reported that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-General Sarath FonsekaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦said he had been personally unaware of the Tamils’ attempts to give themselves up. Later I learned that Basil Rajapaska, had conveyed this information to the defence secretary, Gothabaya Rajapaksa, who in turn spoke with Brigadier Shavendra Silva, commander of the army’s 58th division, giving orders not to accommodate any [Tiger] leaders attempting surrender and that they must all be killed.” If this sequence of events is accurate, Pawnseka did not seem to have the confidence of his superiors, and his charges. Probably they knew the man from way back!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The British ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”GuardianƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ newspaper for example, picked up buckets-full from JanszƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s sewer when they reported that: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Common opposition candidate General Sarath Fonseka says Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa instructed a key ground commander in the north that all LTTE leaders must be killed and not allowed to surrenderƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Serious stuff!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ PawnsekaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s crying on Frederica JanszƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s shoulders, in addition to demonstrating his total lack of judgement as to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”who is whoƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in the Sri Lankan media, also puts his ability to influence his sphere of leadership in to question. The Guardian also notes that Fonseka was lying about his whereabouts on May 17, 18 and 19; he told a press conference in Colombo on Sunday that he was in China on these three days. But he appeared on Rupavahini television on 18 May to proclaim victory over the Tigers and to confirm that Prabhakaran had been killed. For HeavenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s sake, tell the truth Pawnseka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ PawnsekaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s backtracking on the content of JanszƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s sewer should not be considered adequate to get him off the hook. If he is truly denying JanszƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s muck, and that Jansz misrepresented what he said, then he needs to sue her. Otherwise the government needs to hold ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”himƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ accountable.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Preferably they should both be charged under the relevant legal provisions; Sarath Pawnseka and Frederica Jansz deserve each other.