KAMALIKA PIERIS
Pub 14.11.18 Rev 15.11.18
The Yahapalana government elected in 2015 is Sri Lanka’s very first puppet government. Analysts were quick to spot this. Lasanda Kurukulasuriya asked in 2015 ‘is Lanka being micro managed from afar. In 2016, the media said, ‘Yahapalana is acting on a preplanned scenario.’ ‘Government is following a foreign agenda.’ The public agreed. ‘Certain countries were exploring every possible political avenue, by hook or crook, to topple Mahinda Rajapaksa and to install a puppet regime to achieve their goals,’ said S. Akurugoda. Ranil was acting according to the dictates of the western masters, said Vasudeva Nanayakkara.
If Yahapalana is a puppet government then who is pulling the strings? It is the United States of America, chorused analysts. The USA favors the creation of democratically elected puppet regimes, which will thereafter act on behalf of the USA, explained Tissa Vitarana. Sri Lanka will be a puppet of the USA like the Philippines, he added. Yahapalana government, is a ‘fully pro-Washington regime’, said Tamara Kunanayagam. The regime change of 2015 was to secure for USA, through a puppet Prime Minister, the strategic prize of Trincomalee, said Dayan Jayatileke.
Tissa Vitarana stated that the Yahapalana conspiracy started in London with America and Delhi joining in. The people involved were Chandrika, Ranil and Mangala and they had worked on it for 18 months. This was reported by Ashok Mehta in Hindu in January 2015, said Vitarana. Maithripala was brought in, in the last two months. Sirisena will find that he cannot control the process, those forces are too powerful, observed Vitarana.
The general election was held on 8th January 2015. The results were announced on 9th January at around 8 am and Sirisena was sworn in as President on the same day at 6.20 pm. This was therefore a very hurried swearing in. We saw on television, an uncertain Sirisena, guided along by Chandrika Kumaratunga. A few minutes after Sirisena took oaths as President, Ranil Wickremasinghe was installed as Prime Minister, despite the fact that there was a sitting Prime Minister. This was noted by the watching public and put aside for future use. We could not hear what Ranil Wickremasinghe was swearing to.
The plan was that Sirisena would thereafter abolish the Presidency and hand over executive power to Ranil as Prime Minister. This was reported by Chandraprema as early as November 2015. In 2018, Rajiva Wijesinha confirmed this. While he was ‘heavily involved in preparation of the manifesto for the 2015 Presidential election’ he was told that it had been agreed that the presidency would be abolished and power transferred to the Prime Minister within a day if Maithripala Sirisena were elected.
On 28TH April 2015 Parliament passed the 19th amendment to the Constitution. It was passed unanimously. According to the 19th amendment, the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe could not be removed and Parliament could not be dissolved for the next four and half years.
The 19th amendment was brought in solely to keep Ranil Wickremasinghe as Prime Minister and keep the UNP government in place for the full period of five years. Recently, it was found that the clause saying ‘Parliament cannot be dissolved for 4 ½ years’ was not in the original draft sent to Supreme Court for clearance. It has been added on later.
The UNP, utterly pro USA, held the ruling position in Parliament. Other key positions were given to the two political parties which were loyal to USA, namely, the TNA and JVP. The Speaker refused to recognize the ‘Joint Opposition’ which had over 50 SLFP MPs as the Opposition. Instead the position of Leader of the Opposition was given to R. Sampanthan of the TNA which had 16 MPs. The JVP which had six MPs was given the position of Chief Opposition Whip. The result was a Yahapalana Opposition as well as a Yahapalana government, said critics.
The TNA which is the main ‘opposition party’, votes with the government and cooperates with it, inside and outside Parliament, hooted critics. R. Sampanthan, the Leader of the Opposition voted with the government at the 2016 Budget debate. This was the first time an opposition leader has voted in favor of an annual budget of any government in Sri Lanka, said critics. Sampanthan is making history as a unique Leader of Opposition, anxious to save the government from being ousted.
The Tamil National Alliance is definitely anti Mahinda Rajapaksa .They will not support Mahinda Rajapaksa under any circumstances. A four-member TNA delegation led by its leader R. Sampanthan made this position clear to President Sirisena. The JVP which is a CIA outfit is working in tandem with the UNP and TNA. This was seen in Parliament when it assembled on November 14, 2018 after the interim court order. Sumanthiran wanted the standing orders suspended, the Speaker agreed and JVP then came in with a resolution against Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The Yahapalana puppet government is wholeheartedly supported by the ‘minorities’, the Tamil, Muslims and the estate Tamils. This became clear In November 2018, when 13 Fundamental Rights petitions challenging the President’s decision to dissolve Parliament were filed in Supreme Court. These petitions had been filed through Tamil National Alliance leader R. Sampanthan, UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauf Hakeem, All Ceylon Makkal Congress Party leader Rishad Bathiudeen, Democratic People’s Front and Tamil Progressive Alliance leader Mano Ganeshan and five others.
Once Yahapalana government was installed, the US moved in and took control of the administration and the economy. Secretary of State John Kerry, arrived in triumph, followed by Nisha Biswal, his assistant. US involvement in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs, constitution reform, the UN HRC resolutions and the armed services training is no secret, observed Ladduwahetty. When ordinary citizens went to open Fixed Deposits they were asked ‘are you a citizen of USA’
UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, a former US Assistant Secretary of State arrived in Sri Lanka in 2018. Feltman is a neo-conservative hawk, who has been involved in breaking up sovereign states into ethnic enclaves. Within the UN, he is also responsible for a team working on arrangements promoting federalism as a response to ethnic minority grievances, said critics.
The US recently admitted the release of millions of USD in support of projects in Sri Lanka, in response to a query raised through Freedom of Information Act. The report said USD 40 million had been released from Complex Crises Funds (CCF) in support of governance, rule of law and economic reform in Sri Lanka. The same report said Sri Lanka received CCF amounting to USD 13,589,951 in 2015.
The Center for International Development (CID) of Harvard University took over economic planning. Executive Vice President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) visited Sri Lanka in October 2018. OPIC is the U.S. government’s development finance institution. OPIC said it came to promote U.S. investment in the region and strengthen cooperation with regional allies. OPIC wanted American companies given the opportunity to compete for government tenders in Sri Lanka. OPIC also wanted to invest in Sri Lanka‘s ports.
The US 7th fleet came visiting, and had training session with Sri Lanka navy. These joint operations and military exercises, where ships planes, ground forces and special ops take part, are actually practicing for war, said TIME. They are executing defined war plans. President Maithripala Sirisena on a visit to South Korea, in association with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, strongly condemned North Korea testing long-range ballistic missiles.
Other western counties linked to the USA were also active. The ambassadors of UK, France, European Union, Germany, Netherland, Italy and Romania were present at a high level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe to discuss the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, anti-terrorist legislation, extensive amendments to the Public Security Ordinance.
Yahapalana government was given the deadly task of totally annihilating the sovereign state of Sri Lanka and its people. Yahapalana was expected to weaken the central government, weaken the economy and create a restless population so that the west could intervene.
Yahapalana is also planning to shrink the Lankan state by selling the country’s lands and ports. Recently, a Gazette gave 8 acres of land in Colombo to a foreigner, added a critic. Yahapalana plans to sell off or give on long lease, swathes of this small island thereby effectively shrinking Sri Lanka as a sovereign state, confirmed Dayan. What remains of the shrinking State will be converted into a repressive State, said Tamara Kunanayagam.
The first task of the puppet government was to deliver Trincomalee to USA. ‘Yahapalana plans to give Trincomalee as a military base to the USA,’ warned Vitarana. For the first time after British colonial rule, a foreign base is being established in Sri Lanka he said. We will become part of the chain of military bases, which has been established by the USA worldwide, patrolling the Indian Ocean for them at our expense. Trincomalee will be a beachhead in the Indo-US axis against China. A beach head is a position from which an attack can be launched.
Yahapalana also plans to give a part of Sri Lanka to India. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe plans to create a Tamil Nadu-Trincomalee-Vavuniya axis, said Dayan Jayatilleke. He knows full well the implications of what he is planning. Ranil Wickremasinghe said at an election rally in Vavuniya in February 2018, ” the rapid development of neighboring Tamil Nadu, and the development of the Trincomalee area will empower the island’s North and East, including Vavuniya.
Yahapalana plans to allow foreign companies, to buy land in the North-East, said Dayan. Indian and Tamil Nadu companies would buy land and this would create a de facto Tamil Eelam or a Greater Tamil Nadu. The North and East will be converted either into a separate state, or annexed to India. India’s border will shift from India into this island itself. India has launched a housing project in Trincomalee and is reconstructing the railway line from Talaimannar to Medawachchiya reported the media. India will also fund Palaly Airport, inaugurating direct air links from South India to Palaly and Batticaloa.
On the 26 of October, 2018, President Sirisena removed Ranil Wickremasinghe and appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister. The public who had yearned to see Ranil go and Rajapaksa come back, lit crackers and cheered. Ranil Wickremasinghe refused to accept his dismissal and stayed on in Temple Trees. He invited the ambassadors of EU, USA, India, Japan, Australia and Canada for a discussion at Temple Trees after he was deposed as Prime Minister.
Then he wrote to the ambassadors of USA, UK, Germany France, Norway and Italy, on the letter head of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, saying that he sought their cooperation to protect Sri Lanka and its peace. He said, please consider the possibility of deploying UN Peacekeeping Force here, and let me know. A photo of this letter is available on Lankaweb (https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2018/10/31/call-for-ranil-to-be-indicted-for-high-treason) .
It is of note that instead of seeking the support of his own people when removed as Premier, Ranil Wickremasinghe turned to his mostly Western friends and allies, said Tamara Kunanayagam. The intention was to agree on a narrative that helps legitimize external intervention, she said.
The change of Government in Sri Lanka, following the unceremonious sacking of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe by President Maithripala Sirisena, has given rise to a crescendo of alarmist commentary in the Western media said Palitha Kohona. No other country appears to have generated so much interest in the west . One after the other, the Western media outlets have taken a critical approach to the change and have begun to characterize the replacement of the Prime Minister as a Crisis.”
This ‘crisis’ brought out into the open the countries which were loyal to USA. Several European countries came out in open support of Ranil Wickremasinghe .These countries had never complained about the Bond scam, or the postponing of elections. When Ranil Wickremasinghe was removed as Prime Minister they rushed in, said observers contemptuously.
The EU Heads of Mission as well as the Ambassadors of Norway and Switzerland resident in Colombo issued a statement saying. “The Ambassadors of the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, United Kingdom, as well as the Ambassadors of Norway and Switzerland wanted a vote in Parliament to decide who the Prime Minister was.”
Canada issued a separate statement. “Canada is very concerned by the recent events in Sri Lanka and is closely monitoring the situation. A number of countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, European Union and several other European countries, Australia and India have expressed concern over the sudden transition of power by President sacking Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointing former president Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister, concluded Canada. Australia said it is seriously concerned at reports that the opportunity for a confidence vote will be denied when Sri Lanka’s Parliament reconvenes. UK Parliament said that they recognize Ranil Wickremasinghe as Prime Minister.
Ambassadors of EU, UK, Canada, and Germany had also met the Speaker and warned of the unfriendly situation the country could face over the unexpected transfer of political power. ’ There was also a comment that the crisis could lead to a “bloodbath” on the streets if Parliament does not hold a vote soon. The Speaker’s Office said that the Speaker had urged the delegation not to take action against Sri Lanka. Speaker told the media that he saw nothing wrong in meeting diplomats.
USA which was so brash and confident in 2015 has turned cautious within Sri Lanka . The acting US Ambassador together with the Head of the Political Division in the embassy had met with Speaker. They said they were surprised at the developments and they were watching. In Washington, the spokesman for the Secretary of State was evasive when asked whether USA would take action on the coup. The spokesman replied that the United States believes the determination should be made in accordance with the Sri Lankan law and due process. But others were more extreme. Samantha Power, former US representative at the UN, said USA should suspend aid and impose sanctions.
The US embassy was however, quietly working with the public. There was a meeting of trade union leaders and US Embassy’s Economic and Commercial Officer at the Colombo office of the Solidarity Centre, a US- based labor rights group. US Embassy officials had wanted to ascertain the view of the unions on the present crisis. After this meeting one trade union issued a statement saying the country was slipping into anarchy and urged the authorities to call a Parliamentary election.
Japan is USA’s military front in Sri Lanka. Japan knows that the pro-USA puppet government will continue. Japan said it plans to further expand defence cooperation and exchanges with Sri Lanka. Japan’s activities will move from navy to the Army and Air Force. Sri Lanka is a maritime country located at a strategic point in the middle of the Indian Ocean sea lane. Therefore Sri Lanka is important for Japan to maintain and promote our foreign policy. Sri Lanka is important for smooth operations of the Japan – Self-Defence Forces (JSDF) since ships and aircraft of JSDF make frequent port calls in Sri Lanka.
There were veiled threats too, but they were made abroad. Jeffrey Feltman said at Brookings Institute, said that UN and the International community should intervene to prevent conflict. The International Commission of Jurists had issued a statement saying The Human Rights Council will be watching closely to assess whether Sri Lanka is in breach of its commitments. Any serious threat to progress on human rights accountability will compel the establishment of an independent accountability mechanism.”
Kohona said there was no crisis. Mahinda Rajapaksa ‘s appointment as Prime Minister was a very popular one. Fire crackers exploded all over the country, including in Jaffna. there is little chance of a descent in to violence as anticipated by Jeffrey Feltman. Sri Lanka is the oldest democracy in Asia, the oldest country to enjoy universal adult franchise in Asia, a country that has faced elections on a regular basis and held its course .
It is quite clear that there is a concerted intentional conspiracy to destabilize Sri Lanka, said Rohana Wasala. There is no coming back for this country if it goes through, observed Dayan Jayatilleke. Certainly, Sri Lanka is a resilient nation that has withstood challenges. But Sri Lanka will find that it will not be as easy to get rid of Yahapalana as it was voting it in. USA will not let a country go once it has got its claws into it. Look at Iran. Yahapalana Series One has ended. Await Yahapalana Series Two. It will not be arriving at a cinema close to you. It will arrive with a thud on your front doorstep. (continued)
