The Sri Lankan formula to Defeat Separatist Terrorism

by Ranjith Soysa

(January 07, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka (SPUR) humbly salutes the decisive political and military leadership of Sri Lanka, the bravery, commitment and sacrifices of its Defence Forces, and the determination of its people for collectively defending the identity, territorial integrity and the Unitary status of the country.

The heroic battles to liberate major sections of sovereign Sri Lankan territory which had been illegally occupied by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the fall of Kilinochchi, the de-facto capital of the terrorist leader Prabhakaran, will forever be etched in gold in the annals of Sri Lankan history.

President Mahinda Rajapakse and his team deserve a big bouquet of thanks from all patriotic Sri Lankans for saving the country by standing up to the LTTE and its allies. Prior to his election, the LTTE was not only bragging about a de facto Tamil Eelam but strutting around the Western Capitals as fully fledged ‘national’ leaders. The previous Sri Lankan political leadership and the Colombo’s jet-set along with some business leaders were ever willing to provide the LTTE with character certificates for their own political and economic survival at the expense of the Nation. President Rajapakse, a democratic Parliamentarian for over four decades, led the country with unwavering resolve in the face of Tamil Tiger terrorism and the unprincipled guerrilla style tactics of some of his political opponents and racist Tamil and Muslim politicians who were supported by sections of the international community and Non Governmental Organisations who had designs on sharing the ‘spoils’ of Tiger Eelam.

Under the President’s astute and decisive leadership, the Defence Secretary Lt Col (rtd) Gotabhaya Rajapakse ably supported by Service Commanders Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka, Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda and Air Marshall Roshan Goonetileke have meticulously planned a comprehensive strategy to defeat the LTTE. They remind the nation of the valour and intelligence of our warrior Kings and great Military Commanders of the past.

Our capable defence force leaders with the untiring commitment of the rank and file of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Police have methodically cornered the Tiger terrorists whose image was artificially blown up by anti-national propagandists. Like all Sri Lankans, SPUR salutes the heroic achievements of the defence forces and forever acknowledges the tremendous sacrifices made by them in terms of life and limb. The great deeds of our fallen military leaders such as Lt Gen Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Gen Vijaya Wimalaratne, Vice Admiral Clancy Fernando, Maj Gen Janaka Perera, Gen Parami Kulatunga, and the exceptional bravery of servicemen like Capt Saliya Aladeniya, Cpl (Hasalaka) Gamini Kularatne, Col Fazly Lafir, Lt Cdr Jude Lakmal Wijethunge, Lt Col Lalith Jayasinghe and Sgt. Namal Udawatte are already known to the Nation. The commitment and sacrifices of thousands of war heroes, in particular those who have given their lives defending the territorial integrity the country in the battlefields, high seas and the skies of Sri Lanka, will never be forgotten. We also pay a special tribute to the parents and family members of defence personnel, many from the rural areas of Sri Lanka, who have borne a disproportionate share of the human cost of the conflict. Last but not least, the great achievement in the battlefield would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the Sri Lankan people who have endured three decades of LTTE terror without compromising on their commitment to an undivided Sri Lanka where all its citizens can live in peace and harmony.

We thank those patriotic Sri Lankan political parties, their leaders and members for strengthening the political base of President Rajapakse by correctly identifying the Nation’s priorities without concentrating on lesser issues that would have weakened the thrust of the Defence Forces battle with the ‘world’s most brutal terrorist group’. It is necessary to also acknowledge the support received from a number of democratic Tamil Leaders and former Tamil separatist who have now joined the democratic mainstream, proving that the LTTE is not a credible representative of the Sri Lankan Tamil people.

We remember with gratitude the thinkers, writers, reporters, media editors, webmasters, artists and the expatriate organisations who lent their support to counter the vicious anti Sri Lankan propaganda campaign of the LTTE, their fronts, their hirelings in the NGO/INGO circuits, pro LTTE members of the international community, some religious groups and the anti-national media.

The national fight against LTTE was buttressed by the Sri Lankan patriotic groups who not only galvanised the Sri Lankan people by highlighting that the survival of the Nation is a priority, but, also engaged in programs to boost the morale of the defence forces and the public affected by LTTE threats. It with utmost humility that we at SPUR, along with sister organisations in Sri Lanka, Canada, USA, UK, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, UAE, New Zealand, Japan and Australia, supported Mother Lanka by presenting a realistic view of the Nation as opposed to the separatist and terrorist agenda championed by the LTTE fronts and the unsuspecting groups in the foreign countries who were misled. Our organisations were able to raise the public awareness within expatriate Sri Lankan communities and also contribute towards the welfare of defence staff and their families as well as those in threatened villages.

It is not out of place to refer to the unfortunate but scurrilous attacks carried out by some politically bankrupt members of the opposition and anti-national local media who sometimes even ridicule the leadership of the Defence establishment in an attempt to resurrect the LTTE and achieve narrow political objectives. Others in this category include pseudo religious groups, assorted ‘Peace’ and ‘Human Rights’ NGO’s, foreign funded ‘Policy Centres’ and ‘Foundations’ who overtly and covertly promoted a separatist agenda and encouraged international intervention in Sri Lanka. Tamil racist politicians of the TNA and some aligned to mainstream opposition parties openly championed ethnic separatism, flouted Sri Lankan laws and spared no efforts to mislead the overseas Tamils to raise funds for the LTTE’s war efforts. They also misrepresented the Sri Lankan situation to foreign politicians and sent wrong signals to India specially with the connivance of bankrupt politicians in South India. Some so-called Human Rights and Aid Organisations helped the LTTE in their propaganda war against Sri Lanka while others supplied heavy machinery to the LTTE who used these to built bunds and bunkers which caused great hardship and loss of life to the Sri Lankan armed forces. It is of utmost importance that patriotic Sri Lankans identify these forces which were active locally and internationally to destabilise the Nation.

SPUR recognises that the cornered Tigers backed by its fanatical Diaspora supporters and assorted ant-Sri Lankan lobby groups, are still capable of the most violent acts of terror in a desperate grasp for its unattainable goal of an ethnically cleansed separate State of Tamil Eelam. However, like all Sri Lankans, we are confident that our heroic Defence Forces who are still engaged in intense combat under the most adverse weather conditions will finally eradicate the LTTE menace in the near future. SPUR also strongly supports the Sri Lankan Government’s call for the LTTE to release all Tamil civilians held captive as human shields and to lay down arms to avoid further destruction and loss of life.

We trust that President Mahinda Rajapakse and his Government will have the strength and the wisdom to make use of the historic opportunity created by the selfless sacrifices made by the members of the armed forces and the millions of Sri Lankans to usher in an era of peace, economic stability and social upliftment for the entire Nation

SPUR, as an organization that supports peace and human rights for all citizens within a Unitary Sri Lanka pledges its wholehearted support to the task of building a strong, peaceful and democratic Sri Lanka. - Sri Lanka Guardian