M. A. ChandraratneƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Courtesy The Island

April 18, 2012, 6:18 pm

Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Defence Secretary, recently stated that there were thousands of LTTE cadres still at large with caches of arms and explosives dumps hidden in the former war zone and that the threat of terrorism still persisted, to some extent. It was reported recently that about 150 LTTE cadres who had undergone training in India had returned to Sri Lanka and that only three of them had been arrested after they had killed a former LTTE cadre.

After ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”The IslandƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ reported this news, the Indian High Commissioner made a feeble attempt to deny Indian involvement, but your paper deserves commendation for the manner in which you stuck to the correctness of the report. Since the days of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, India always denied the presence of training camps in India, despite the fact that their own newspapers published photographs of such training camps.

That countries like the US, UK, Australia and other countries of the European Union have been making plans to punish the Sri Lankan government for not following their orders is well known. The resolution at the Human Rights Council against Sri Lanka was the first step. Knowing that the resolution would be passed, they had already set in motion a plan to tarnish the image of the Sri Lankan government here and abroad. For such plans to succeed, they need the help of anti-government forces in this country and we have enough traitors who are prepared to sell the country to earn a few dollars. We have an opposition which is a shame to any country. Our history is full of such traitors, who betrayed the country.

The Government has to consider the present situation in Sri Lanka against this background. It is the modus operandi of these countries to make use of the existing situation in a country for their benefit. It is possible that these countries may be financing forces which are against this government, to create a chaotic situation. The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”abductionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of Premakumar Gunaratnam is one example of the methods that anti-Sri Lankan forces adapt to embarrass and discredit the Sri Lankan government. Wide publicity was given here and abroad about this disappearance, while the Australian High Commission kept silent. They knew that he had a passport in the name of Noel Mudalige and what is more, this passport was with the Australian High Commission. Then he appears at the Colombo Crime Division Headquarters and makes a statement in the presence of the Australian High Commissioner. If he was ill-treated in any way, he could have said so in his statement, without any fear, as the Australian High Commissioner was present. He had stated that he was treated well. The Australian High Commissioner considered Gunaratnam, a man with a criminal past, as a very important person. Otherwise, she could have sent some embassy official without taking the unprecedented step of going to a Police Station herself, on behalf of a man with a dubious past.

Gunaratnam, as soon as he arrives in Australia tells a different story. According to the Australian media, Gunaratnam claims that he would have faced certain death, if not for AustraliaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s intervention. He has further stated that he was abducted by Sri Lankan government forces, blindfolded and tortured. Now countries like the US, UK and other countries of the European Union, backed by the LTTE rumps, can go on the rampage.

This is not the first time that persons who have ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”disappearedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ have made their appearance. In every case, countries like the US, Canada, the UK and Australia have helped them to continue their fight against their motherland. All such people are living under false names and have in their possession several passports. The government must at least now investigate the role played by these foreign missions in helping criminals to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”disappearƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ at will.

M. A. Chandraratne