Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday: Loopholes in Hamsa Asad Maulana allegations against Maj. Gen. Suresh Salley
Posted on September 4th, 2023
Shenali D Waduge
Every year when it gets closer to Geneva Sessions, expect a blockbuster thriller to become breaking news”. Keep this in mind for 2024 Sept/Oct too. As expected, 2023 breaking news” is by UK’s private funded broadcaster Channel4.
An article by Catherine Philip ” Rajapaksa officials ‘linked to Easter Sunday Sri Lanka bombs’ prior to the release of a new C4 video raises some questions.
Sri Lankan officials loyal to the Rajapaksa family were complicity in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings” – can she name these Sri Lankan officials”.
Who is this Channel 4 whistleblower? He is one Hamsa Asad Maulana, the newest of Channel 4’s stars. Remember C4’s previous star witness Vany Kumar (she had 4 names Dr. Tamilvani, Damilvany Kumar, Damilvany Gnanakumar & Vany Kumar).
UK Guardian reported that she came to Sri Lanka on 28 February 2009 & headed for Vanni calling the British media & not her family. She even claimed blood was mixed with water & given to patients but Dr. Shanmugarajah treating patients inside the conflict zone categorically denied any patients undergoing surgery without anesthesia. Eventually, it turned out that Vany was a member of TYO & had been a translator for LTTE.
Damilvany Gnanakumar witness of Sri Lanka war – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOqLmYxIDlg.
http://www.sinhalanet.net/ltte-member-vany-kumar-how-many-ltte-terrorists-have-become-witnesses
Therefore the credibility of Channel 4’s star witnesses on Sri Lanka is highly questionable.
Nevertheless, let’s see what their latest catch has to reveal.
He is Hamsa Asad Maulana or M. Mohammed Hanzeer
The question of Maulana’s integrity was first highlighted in an article appearing in September 2008/Sri Lanka Guardian. The article claims that as media director of TMVP and spokesman for Chief Minister Pillayan he had released statements that were false & even conflicted with police accounts. http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2008/09/pillaiyan-damns-karuna-and-high-noon.html
In a latter article the Sri Lanka Guardian alleges Hamsa to be complicit in extortions, hostage ransoming, enlistment of child soldiers. What a colourful past. https://slguardian.org/tag/mohamad-hanzeer/
He had first traveled to India in 2021, then to France but had been denied visa by UK. Why did he have to flee Sri Lanka in 2022? Should we be surprised that he is another Nandani type asylum seeker spinning a new story to win asylum as did Garnier Bastians. These stories put Hollywood blockbusters to shame!
Easter Sunday massacre took place in April 2019.
The article states that Maulana set up a meeting in 2018 between a senior military intelligence official Suresh Salley & Islamic State-affiliated bombers.
Maulana/C4 will have to explain where this meeting was held in 2018 – in Sri Lanka or overseas? From end 2016 to end 2019 Salley was not in Sri Lanka & he was serving as a diplomat.
Hamsa claims The meeting finished, Suresh Salley came to me and told me the Rajapaksas need an unsafe situation in Sri Lanka, that’s the only way for Gotabaya to become president,” – where was this meeting that Suresh came to meet Hamsa (was it in Sri Lanka or overseas & when, can this be proved?
The author claims Salley was promoted head of military intelligence after Gotabaya Rajapakse became President.
This is also wrong. Salley was not appointed as head of military intelligence. He was appointed head of State Intelligence Services. Another error in the story.
The article claims the 2nd whistleblower to be an unnamed senior government official – has he got asylum too? How easy to be spilling anything for asylum if it gels into a political agenda!
Can the author explain how military intelligence ‘thwarted’ police investigations before & after the bombings.
Many may not be aware that there were 2 Presidential Commissions & 1 Parliamentary Select Committee to investigate Easter Sunday attacks. The Parliamentary Select Committee appointed on 22 May 2019 & handed its report on 23 October 2019 & is available to the public. The Malalgoda Committee Report handed on 10th June 2019 was not made public. Then on 22nd September 2019 another Presidential Commission of Inquiry was appointed. That report was handed on 1st February 2021. All 2 Commissions/1 Committee were appointed by President Sirisena. The final Commission report identified President Sirisena & then PM Ranil Wickremasinghe as people responsible for the failure to prevent the Easter Attacks.
Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has ordered former President Maithripala Sirisena, four other officials and the State to pay compensation totalling 311 million rupees to victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 269 people.
Former police chief Pujith Jayasundara and former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director Nilantha Jayawardena 75 million rupees each, former Defence Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando 50 million rupees and former Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) Sisira Mendis 10 million rupees as compensation.
Did Maulana complain to the Commission against Salley?
Maulana’s bluff is further exposed.
Maulana claims Pillayan had met the bombers while in prison. Pillayan was in prison from 2015 to 2020 December. Exactly, who are the bombers who were in prison with Pillayan? How could Salley engineer their release when during this period he was not holding a portfolio in the military & was stationed overseas.
Can Maulana prove with call logs that he received a call from Salley on the morning of the Easter Sunday bombings? Can this call be verified by authorities?
Channel 4 has been nice enough to contact Salley & obtain a statement & include that in the conclusion.
However, anyone not following the story will undoubtedly fall for the snippets of allegations dropped hoping to cause ripples. The strategy is clear, using a man wanting asylum in UK, attempts are being made to throw mud & divide the Muslims & Catholics and thereafter build up anger at multiple fronts. All these are generally timed ahead of Geneva sessions and earmarked for a looming election round the corner.
It also throws innuendos at India and we see a buildup of some form of cold war between US & India as well. Onward to another regime change operation.
Be that as it may, Channel 4 is an entity that makes money from broadcasting productions by private parties. Therefore, Channel 4’s ethical journalism is at question. It is a pity that the Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry has failed to counter the false propaganda since defeat of LTTE in May 2009, as a result decorated military officials have been unfairly targeted & ridiculed internationally with fabricated allegations presented as found guilty.
The citizens of Sri Lanka must realize that if not for those that safeguard this nation, we would become like all of the illegally invaded & occupied nations in peril today. Unity amongst the communities is essential during these trying times, when efforts are afoot to divide us using our own traitors. Never forget, it was our war heroes who defeated the most ruthless terrorist outfit, the countries that seek revenge are those that covertly helped LTTE. Do not allow paid agencies to disturb the harmony we enjoy because disharmony is nothing we can defeat easily.
The war heroes did their duty, where politicians failed it is up to the public now to ensure that the nation is held together without political agendas & propaganda dividing us.
We await another C4 fairytale in 2024.
Shenali D Waduge