{"id":50911,"date":"2016-01-10T00:50:50","date_gmt":"2016-01-10T06:50:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=50911"},"modified":"2016-01-09T16:43:08","modified_gmt":"2016-01-09T23:43:08","slug":"let-us-protect-our-war-hereos-from-politically-motivated-harassment-and-show-trials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2016\/01\/10\/let-us-protect-our-war-hereos-from-politically-motivated-harassment-and-show-trials\/","title":{"rendered":"LET US PROTECT OUR WAR HEREOS FROM POLITICALLY MOTIVATED HARASSMENT AND SHOW TRIALS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ranjith Soysa\u00a0<\/strong>International Coordinator Global Sri Lankan Forum<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

05 January 2016
\nIt is a well-known fact that five Sri Lankan Military Intelligence (DMI) officers and soldiers have been taken into custody over the alleged \u2018disappearance\u2019 of media personality Prageeth Ekneligoda in January 2010.\u00a0 Three of them have been held captive since 24 April 2015 and the others from a subsequent date.<\/p>\n

It is ironic that these servicemen who dedicated their lives to defeating LTTE terrorism are been detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and are being subjected to harassment by a CID team led by SSP S Abeysekera It is reported that the CID officers have even approached the wives and other family members of the detained officers and soldiers to apply further psychological pressure with the objective of exacting \u2018confessions\u2019 that would satisfy their political masters.<\/p>\n

The main objective of the detention and mental torture of the Military Intelligence personnel seems to be an attempt to force them to sign \u2018confessions\u2019 that the former defence secretary Mr Gotabhaya Rajapakse ordered the abduction and elimination of Ekneligoda.\u00a0 This harassment is compounded by these personnel not being paid their salaries since they were taken into custody.\u00a0 One soldier has reportedly succumbed to this pressure and has been released since.\u00a0 A media commentator has aptly said that the CID officers are acting like the LTTE intelligence chief Pottu Amman.<\/p>\n

With reports emerging that Ekneligoda himself was not a mere journalist but a political activist who had contacts with undercover LTTE operatives, it is imperative that the Police carries out an unbiased investigation rather than a political witch hunt. \u00a0\u00a0The DMI personnel must also be paid their wages and entitlements unless otherwise justified by the decision of a court of law.<\/p>\n

The case of the DMI operatives is also being used to satisfy those who wish to see a weakened Sri Lankan state and an ineffective defence force.\u00a0 In a paper presented to the US Institute of Peace (USIP) on the 1st<\/sup> of December 2015, the Sri Lankan Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam boasts that \u2018Four members of the Sri Lankan military, two Lieutenant Colonels and a Sergeant and a Corporal, were taken into custody for alleged abduction, unlawful detention and murder of Prageeth Ekneligoda after a painstaking investigation.\u00a0 The legal proceedings against them are underway\u2019.\u00a0 This statement by the Ambassador suggests that these servicemen and others like them could be subjected to \u2018show trails\u2019 and denied natural justice.<\/p>\n

The handling of the current investigation strongly parallels the infamous Athurugiriya Millennium City betrayal of 2001 when a small group of politically backed police officers exposed a top-secret undercover military operation and triggered the deaths of a large number of Sri Lankan security personnel including Tamil and Muslim operatives who were systematically picked off by the LTTE.\u00a0 It is no coincidence that many of the present crop of political leaders were also in power during the Millennium City episode.<\/p>\n

The incumbent government which came into power promising \u2018Yahapalanaya\u2019 (good governance), rule-of-law and democracy based on the Latimer House principles have made a complete mockery of their promises by the long-term detention and harassment of service personnel.\u00a0 This act not only breaches the fundamental tenets of good governance and democracy but also endangers national security by demoralising members of all branches of the Armed Forces.<\/p>\n

All Sri Lankans would remember the long period during which they lived in fear in the face of Tamil Tiger terrorism.\u00a0 At that time, the odds were stacked in favour of the LTTE which had its own network of informants, undercover terrorists and suicide bombers.\u00a0 The operational wings of the armed forces and Police were heavily dependent on the critical information furnished by the dedicated members of their intelligence wings who took great personal risks in the cause of the nation.<\/p>\n

We therefore request the people of Sri Lanka and its professional, trade union and other non-government organisations as well as politicians to voice their opinion through the media and agitate in public to stop this vengeful and unlawful harassment of the defence force personnel who were honoured in the not too distant past as the heroes who protected the Nation from the separatist terror of the LTTE.<\/p>\n

ALL OF US OWE A HUGE DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.\u00a0 SO LET US STAND TOGTHER TO DEFEND THE DEFENDERS OF THE NATION FROM SELF SEEKING, VINDICTIVE POLITICIANS AND THEIR HAND-PICKED OFFICIALS WHO ARE WILLING TO SACRIFICE THE COUNTRY\u2019S HARD-WON PECACE AND LONG-TERM SECURITY TO PACIFY ANTI-NATIONAL FORCES.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ranjith Soysa<\/strong><\/p>\n

International Coordinator<\/p>\n

+61 3-97957143<\/p>\n

ranjiths@spur.asn.au<\/a><\/p>\n