CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

President MR: We Did Not Vote for You to Turn a Blind Eye to This Continuing Massacre of SLDF Personnel by LTTE Terrorists!

Nithendra Batutuduwage

If I may so say candidly, Hon. Sir, you are turning out to be another character similar to the naïve and weakling, Ranil Wickremasinghe. After all, during the last PE you made some grandiose statements, rightfully so, on how this LTTE terrorist issue should be resolved and you did not mince words in conveying how you would solve it with resolve and strength (admittedly, sadly lacking in the past under CBK and Ranil). However, what is a fact now is that even before you celebrated 100 days in office, nearly 55 SLDF (Sri Lanka Defense Forces) personnel from the Army, Navy and the Police have been killed and another 75 have been wounded (many severely) by the LTTE terrorists - without the terrorists losing more than 5 of their cadres! As someone pointed out recently, within just 5 weeks the LTTE has effectively "neutralized" nearly 130 SLDF personnel without declaring war! Horrific as it may be, one must admit that this is a brilliant piece of strategy on the terrorists' part!

There are children, mothers, fathers and siblings today crying their hearts out in Southern Sri Lanka over the remains - literally in pieces due to the intensity of Claymore mine blasts - of their loved ones. Mr. President, please bear in mind these are the very same people who voted for you - to take decisive and resolute action in solving this LTTE terrorist menace. Judging by the reports, it is apparent that these very same people who brought you into power are now questioning their wisdom of supporting you

Soon as the first Claymore mine was blasted, you should have authorized the SLDF to take swift, decisive, and effective action against the LTTE - of course, without declaring war just like the LTTE! Yes, I believe you missed a golden opportunity when the first Claymore went off, as had you authorized a strong response, it is likely the so called ceasefire guarantors (or co-chairs take your pick, but basically what I call an "empty promise bunch") would have asked the LTTE to cease and desist as they could clearly see the CFA with the LTTE coming apart at seams, by the LTTE "drawing the first blood." Now as it is, they have no worries as in their minds, the CFA is still holding - due to your impotent attitude of taking all the beating without hitting back! This was a serious blunder that is bound to haunt us for a long time to come. One thing you should bear in mind is that the LTTE will not want 24/7 incessant aerial bombing of its proudly displayed (with fully AC'd plush offices etc.) Killinocchi hub, which will result in the LTTE having to go back to the malaria infested Vanni jungles. In that scenario, the LTTE's so called "Police," "courts" and "banks" etc. will all come to a grinding halt and the Vanni population (under LTTE's control) would wonder where the "Lords" went, creating a serious credibility problem for the LTTE! Therefore, any strong response from the SLDF (undeclared of course, just like the LTTE) after the very first Claymore attack would not have made the LTTE go out for an all out war.

Mr. President, when you were in the opposition, you yourself criticized the so called ceasefire (CFA) that Ranil signed with Prabhakaran and that criticism was rightfully so. Under the guise of the CFA, and utilizing the "total freedom" to operate in the GOSL controlled areas that Ranil bestowed upon them, the LTTE carried out a very effective campaign of assassinations that virtually liquidated not only hundreds of opponents, but one of the SLDF's best fighting instruments - the long range counter insurgency squads of the SL Army. It is now known that these squads were imminently poised to take out some LTTE "prize catches" when the new found freedom that Ranil granted allowed the LTTE to counter attack - within the very GOSL controlled areas, including Colombo - and liquidate most of them. Therefore, it is no secret that the CFA was badly flawed and it only favored the LTTE to get the maximum tactical and strategic advantage - the repercussions we see today!

So, what was so special about the CFA in your mind that you have allowed this carnage to continue this far? Surely, it cannot be your regard for it as we all know there was none in your mind (at least you said so, especially said so to get elected). Therefore, the question that now needs an answer is what are you waiting for? LTTE has violated the ceasefire - through this undeclared war - with horrific results and as a counter measure, SLDF must adopt a similar strategy immediately. Of course, the Norwegians and the other so called co-chairs are calling upon you to "act with restraint," and showering praise on you for exercising restraint thus far (empty words), which in my view amount to nothing, except to strengthening the terrorists' hands and encouraging them to go even further.

Mr. President, the pictures I have seen of these massacres are indeed ghoulish. I wonder if you have seen the pictures of the bodies of SLDF personnel blown into pieces and strewn across/over/under the charred out vehicles? Most are in the prime of their youth and judging by their appearances, they have not exactly had a life of comfort, likely rising from the poorer class of our Buddhist Sinhela society. They do not look like boys from St. Thomas College Mt. Lavinia that your own son attended. I truly wonder if you have the regard that you should have for these people - the people who you claimed to represent and sought and received their vote to be where you are today?

Hon. Sir, with all due respect, I suggest that if you cannot do the job, then you should step down immediately and we should go for another PE, whereby likely Ranil (or another from his coterie) will likely win. At least then we know what to expect and there will not be surprises like today!

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