By Charles.S.Perera

Sunday Leader is best known for its attacks on political leaders and specially against the present government leadership. This trend of the Sunday Leader has a long history. It culminated in the murder of its then Editor Lasantha Wickramatunga.

His death had not the time enough to be regretted, bemoaned, lamented and grieved as it was made an occasion to, bring out hatred , curses and accusations some most deplorable in the haste to put the blame on those the Sunday Leader always condemned, the President, and the Army, accused of having a hand in the brutal murder of the late editor.

The body of the late Editor of the Sunday Leader was made a political spectacle by the Opposition with a procession carrying political slogans shouting epithets of hatred. His death was also made a beacon of the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the UN, Forum for the Freedom of the Press, and the rest of the cavalcade of vengeful international human rights activists, to focus their wrath on the President of Sri Lanka and the Armed forces that was giving the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”heatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to their much pampered Prabhakaran and his terrorist cohorts.

The matter had been lying low as the more important issue of terrorism was being decided by the government attempting to eliminate it, and the international community, and the human rights activists that bloomed like mushrooms after the rains, to save it, seeking to give it a further lease of life.

With the end of terrorism, the local and foreign forces, waiting for a chance to bring the government and its brave forces to disrepute, as a revenge against the elimination of terrorism, which had been for some a magic hen laying golden eggs, and for others an occasion to build new political alliances to defeat the aims of the President Mahinda Rajapakse and his government to continue on its path of progress.

The former USA Ambassador to Sri Lanka who was known for his sympathies to Sri Lanka, who now as the US Assistant Secretary for Asia, gathered persons and Associations of pro terrorist anti government expatriates, to make a strong report against Sri Lanka to the US Congress, while the European Union threatened the Government of Sri Lanka with the refusal of GSP+ grant.

In the meantime the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”canardƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ against the Defence Secretary, by Frederica Jansz of the Sunday Leader has been timed to appear just at this time to create a difficult situation to the Government, rather than to the candidate opposing the President Mahinda Rajapakse at the Presidential election. The Sunday Leader had an old grudge to be settled with the President Mahinda Rajapakse , his Government , the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse and the Government Forces.

After the defeat of the terrorists, the vast network of the terrorist activists spread across the world had to be systematically disabled , and this work had been undertaken by our very able Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse.

The International Community appears to have been all out to discourage these activities. The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”canardƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ initiated by the Sunday Leader, and the Channel 4 jumping in to the cavalcade, appear to be a part of this international involvement against the Government of Sri Lanka, to help the remnants of the Sri Lanka terrorism among the Tamil expatriates which may be gathering force with the help of the International Community to stage a reappearance in another form, to set up the Tamil Eelam and divide Sri Lanka.

The International Community had it seems been preparing the ground for decades through out the existence of terrorism in Sri Lanka, and now after the end of terrorism at Nandikadal, for a final show down with the President Mahinda Rajapakse and his Government

The Sonali Wickramatunga apparently hiding in some country in the West , to escape death from the murderers of her late husband, who she appears to think are waiting to assassinate her, seems to have played a part in the International ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”projectƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. In her Western sojourn she may be scheming to cause maximum damage to those who she thinks had assassinated her late husband.

She says in her message to the Asia Media Forum in accepting the 1st Asia Media Award for Press Freedom on behalf of her slain husband Lasantha Wickrematunge “For myself I can only but implore you as a fellow traveller with all the emphasis at my command to see through the face of democracy painted by President Mahinda Rajapakse and the government, to the failing democracy of Sri Lanka ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦..ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Sunday Leader was not a National paper with any sentiments of patriotism but anti Sinhala Buddhist , and thus seeking division of the Communities. Sonali Wickramatunga had also said in a message to the Asia Media Forum that ,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ We only advocated a peaceful solution. We were only against a country bombing its own civilians, (as well as the violation and abuse of thousands of innocent civilians, and the idea of a Sinhala Buddhist state to the exclusion of othersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢

The Sri Lanka Armed Forces did not bomb the civilians or even the areas inhabited by the civilians, throughout its military operations against the terrorists. The President or his government never stood for a Sinhala Buddhist State, and looked after the welfare of all Communities living in Sri Lanka and worked towards a Nation without Communal differences.

It was only the ilk of the Sunday Leader and Lasantha and Sonali Wickramatunga who had worked to create in the minds of the International Community, and those of the anti Sri Lanka foreign human rights activists, that the government of Sri Lanka stood for an anti-Tamil Sinhala Buddhist State. Hence the ethnic problem they keep on harping.

This makes one think that there had been a foreign plan aided and abetted by the local anti-government elements to bring disrepute to Sri Lanka and break up the country between the Tamil terrorists and the Sinhalese with the help of the International Community.

It was not possible during the military operations against the terrorists. And after the elimination of terrorism these local and foreign forces are making other plans to break up the country.

Therefore , the breaking up the strong and popular ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”trioƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ – the Commander in Chief, the President Mahinda Rajapakse, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, and the Commander of the Armed Forces Sarath Fonseka, that led the Armed Forces to victory over the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”invincibleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ terrorist force, by luring one of them- the General Sarath Fonseka away, to oppose his very companions who traversed along with him the difficult path to victory over terrorism, had certainly not been of Sarath FonsekaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s own making, but only an episode in a well planned strategy.

It may be the work of competent forces that paved the way for the breakup, and tempting offers that made a friend, an enemy.

Under the circumstances Fredirica JanzƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-canardƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of the shooting of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…” white flag holding terroristsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ by Brigadier Shavendre Silva on the instructions of the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse seems a well prepared ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-time bombƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to cause the maximum damage to the President Mahinda Rajapakse just when the Presidential election campaign was taking off.

Unfortunately for the perpetrators and the schemers the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-time bombƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ backfired, putting Sarath Fonseka in a worst position. But his connivance with the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-canardƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ remains an acceptable possibility, given the fact that he had neither categorically denied making the statement to the Sunday Leader, nor has he asked the Sunday Leader to withdraw the statement on pain of legal action.

The Sunday Leader has perhaps vindicated the suspicion of the murder of its late Editor by the Government and its Armed Forces by its ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”canardƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of the shooting of the white flag holding terrorists seeking to surrender to the government Forces on the Instructions of the Defence Secretary.

The International Community may probably recommend the Sunday Leader for another award by the Asia Media Forum, and another by the UNESCO for promoting peace.