S. B. DISSANAYAKA IS MAKING THE UNITED NATIONAL PARTY AS HIS LATEST PLATFORM TO CRUSADE AGAINST “WAR”

By Walter Jayawardhana

A leading anti-war crusader of the Kumar Rupasinghe group and the National Organizer of the United National Party, S. B. Dissanayaka in an obvious reference to the victories of the armed forces in the East said land won by war would not last long.

He was quoted as saying, “in earlier instances when the Sri Lankan forces were able to take control of LTTE held areas it did not last long.”

S. B. Dissanayaka for many months in collaboration with former husband of Sunethra Bandaranaike, Kumar Rupasinghe attempted to launch anti-war demonstrations in Colombo but they did not succeed.

The non-government organizations that were financing Kumar Rupasinghe are now backing Dissanayaka to lead the movement. But a rally he organized at Nugegoda was sabotaged by his political opponents and he pointed his finger at government Minister Mervyn Silva.

His opponents charged that their movement was trying to demoralize the contry’s armed forces as fifth columnists in support of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Addressing the UNP convention at Siri Kotha S.B. Dissanayaka said even though it seemed as if the war can be won through military offensive the victories would not last long. His latest attempt seems to be making his position as the National Organizer of the country’s main opposition party to move forward the anti-war movement

The international funds generated by the same NGO’s are now expected to be diverted to S.B. Dissanayaka to strengthen his position in the United National Party.

Addressing the UNP Convention presided over by Ranil Wickremesinghe S. B. Dissanayaka said, ““There are many countries that have won wars, countries like Russia, Ireland, Indonesia but they were all not long lasting. Even in earlier instances when the Sri Lankan forces were able to take control of LTTE held areas it did not last long. But at instances where peace was sought through negotiations it was possible to weaken the terrorists.”

But his critics said it was wrong on the part of Dissanayaka to compare Russia or Indonesia who attached foreign countries to them by military means to Sri Lanka’s situation. Russia in the second world war attached some countries to them and eventually lost them with the collapse of the Soviet empire. But the Sri Lanka problem is a problem created by a feudal lord attempting to attach parts of the country to his private estate, critics pointed out. In any country such feudal lords would be crushed by military means.

The terrorists recruiting children by force indicate the movement lack any popular support and Dissanayaka is misinterpreting the whole situation for his own gains, critics said.

Ranil Wickremesinghe also expressed some other points against the people who conduct the war in the country. He said, “Some people who did not even have a bank account fifteen months ago are now the wealthiest people in the country. It is a fact and known secret that Rajapaksa and company have taken over the whole administrative powers into their hands. It has come to a stage where the war is being waged so that some people in the government can benefit monetarily from the war,”