By Lal wijenayake –
Lal Wijenayake
Lot is spoken about the 30 year old conflict which is popularly known as the war and the heroes behind the defeat of the LTTE militarily. Every leader of our country during the 30 years has contributed in some way towards the defeat of the LTTE militarily. It was like getting the opposite team balled out in a cricket match to win the match. Fortunately for President Rajapaksa, he took the last wicket and when looked superficially he has the right to claim that he won the match for the team. That is what is happening today. But if one sits down and think deeply about the 30 year war, one would have many things to ponder about.
JR signed the Indo – Sri Lanka agreement and pitched India (which supported the LTTE at one stage) against the LTTE. He successfully deprived the LTTE of the base that they had in India and made India too hot for the LTTE. This led to the series of events that ultimately led to the LTTE being banned in India.
President Premadasa adopted a somewhat different strategy to weaken the LTTE. It is now clear from the available documentation that he tried to weaken the LTTE by making use of rival groups within the LTTE, specially the ‘Mahaththaya’ group.
President Chandrika Kumaratunga while sincerely offering a political package to the Tamil people and even approaching the LTTE leadership, did much to strengthen and modernize the security forces to enable it to face the developing military situation.
General Fonseka, undoubtedly the most dedicated commander of the Army we had and who meant business and was not distracted by politics or personal glory and /or privileges has on many occasions in public appreciated the support given, during President Chandrika Kumaranatung period to improve the fighting capacity of the security forces.
Now it is forgotten that it is during her period that the most difficult military operation to capture Jaffna from the LTTE was successfully concluded. This was an important turning point in the task of defeating the LTTE militarily. Capture of Jaffna deprived the LTTE the most important administrative and military base to carry out its offensive against the security forces. The fall of Jaffna brought about demoralization among the LTTE fighters and skepticism of success among its supported within and outside the country.
This military offensive was the most important military victory in the fight to defeat the LTTE militarily.
President Wijetunge during his short term in office was able to liberate most parts of the Eastern Province from the control of the LTTE.
During the two year period that Ranil Wickramesinghe was Prime Minister, he tried to find a political solution with the support of the International Community. The ceasefire brokered by the International community and the events that led to the LTTE going back on the agreement entered into with the government on the peace process and their hard-line stance exposed the LTTE internationally. That finally led to the LTTE losing the sympathy that the LTTE was drawing from the International Community and finally led to the isolation of the LTTE internationally, which was an important factor which ultimately led to the support the Sri Lankan Government got from the United States, India, and other countries. This support was a major factor that led to the weakening of the LTTE militarily and ultimately to its isolation and defeat.
There were two other factors that should not be forgotten in any discussion on the military victory over the LTTE. One is the role played by Lakshman Kadirgamar, Foreign Minister in the President Kumaratunga regime. His intelligent, well studied and polished diplomacy helped the international community to understand the nature of the LTTE movement and its aspirations. He was able to convince them that the LTTE is a threat not only to our country but to all countries in the region and in fact the whole world. His diplomacy was a turning point in the way that the international community perceived the LTTE movement and its aims and its so called aspirations.
The other factor that helped the President to capture the last wicket was the massive buildup of support among the international community towards countries fighting against terrorism, after the terrorist attack in USA, and the threat of such attacks throughout the world and more specifically in the western world. The realization by the powerful nations in the international community that terrorism cannot be fought in each country in isolation but has to be a global effort beyond national boundaries was a significant fact that led to the military support that helped our courageous security forces led by Sarath Fonseka under President Rajapaka’s regime to defeat the LTTE militarily and in fact to eliminate the LTTE.
*Lal Wijenayake – Chairman,Standing Committee on Rule of Law of the Bar Association
Rajash / November 26, 2014
Lal Wijenayake – Chairman,Standing Committee on Rule of Law of the Bar Association – you are a clown and a disgrace to hold this office and comapre the 30year of brutal war to cricket match, a gentleman’s game.
“It was like getting the opposite team balled out in a cricket match to win the match”
you mean bowled out ? or are you playing with your balls
What is this “Standing Committee on Rule of Law of the Bar Association”
I am sure the spokesman for the BASL will make some commnets here.
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Email / November 26, 2014
Not in any way agreeing with the LTTE rump Rajash, must point out obvious holes in Wijenayaka’s attempt to rewrite history:
1. JR’s invitation to India ended in disaster with India running back home with tail between legs, after loosing 2000 soldiers;
2.Premadasa not only gave weapons to rival grops, but also gave weapons to Prabhakaran, to be used against the Indians;
3. Chandrika (and Ranil) handed over the country to Solheim to keep arming and financing the LTTE while discouraging the govrenent to fight;
4. Military commanders only carry out political orders, and Denzil Kobekaduwa and Anuruddha Ratwatte also did good service before Fonseka.
Efforts like these, by people like NGO (Bar Association) [Edited out]
But they can’t be allowed to rewrite history to benefit their US and British masters.
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Rajash / November 26, 2014
Thanks for agreeing with me.
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Thiru / November 26, 2014
Rasiah,
Almost 99% of the Sinhalese (including the SLFP, UNP and the Maithiripala faction) supported state terrorism and will not allow the Sinhalese war criminals and genocidiares (whom they consider as war heroes!) to be tried in international tribunal as the UNP declared in parliament recently.
They compete each other bashing Tamils in whatever way they can to come to power and bash further again. This is their game of politics.
If the new rulers also start with such a mind set, do you think the Sri Lankan state and its rulers will ever come out of criminality against mankind?
Sri Lanka with the present Sinhalese political mentality will never be respectful of the rule of law.
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Dude / November 26, 2014
Fact is that there are NO war Heros – ONLY TERRORISTS in today’s world!
Set a thief to catch a thief – the saying goes.
Set a Terrorist to catch a Terrorist. Mahinda Jarapassa is a Terrorist, just like Prabakaran. Only Jarapassa is a STATE TERRORIST while Prabakaran was a non-state terrorist.
Everyone’s hands are bloody. There are NO “war heros”! Only Terrorists who fight terrorists…
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Rajash / November 26, 2014
Thiru
I completely agree with you. For the Sinhala people killing Tamilks is a game of cricket
Whether it’s Srisena or Dudley, or SWRD or JR or CBK or Ranil or Mahinda. They all wanted power and Tamil bashing is the road to Power. Now they are beating the dead tiger.
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truth / November 26, 2014
There is another opinion about the 30 year war. The war was created by the Sinhalese politicians, escalated by the Sinhalese politicians and ruthlessly finished by the Sinhalese politicians, with a lot of death and destruction. Unnecessary loss of life, limb and property at a colossal cost!! They were competing each other in tormenting the minorities!!
This could have been solved years ago amicably without outside interference and without so much life and property on both sides. But people who were in power amassed illegal wealth in arms deal, commissions, the so called ‘rebuilding, reconciliation’ etc.
Worse thing is Sri lankan society on both sides lost their values. Most of them have learnt to stoop to any level to earn money and perks. We lost the empathy towards each other. People are finding it difficult to trust in each other.
There is no point in calling Sri lanka as “2500 year old civilisation” or erecting Budhist temples in every nook and corner when the essence of humanity is lost in the society. Majority of Sri Lankans, specially who wield power has turned into a ruthless, murderous people.
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bo / November 26, 2014
Don’t mix Buddhism with politics. Politicians world over have used their religions to control people, and in Sri Lanka too religions are being used by politicians and crafty writers either to emotionally black mail people into inaction or to grab power.This writer does the same. All boils down to one thing: greed, power and desires to control other people.
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RuwanL / November 26, 2014
what you are saying is “half truth” Not only the Sinhalese politicians the Tamil politicians equally contributed to the loss of life and the ultimate war. Some of you openly admired the “boys” rebelling and taking arms against the government. I use to live in Wellawatte 40 years ago and I could remember groups of Tamil gentlemen walking on the beach admirably talking about “Our boys” Remember when you are pointing your finger three fingers are point back at YOU! We all contributed to what happened. We can solve this problem only if we identify ourselves as Sri Lankans. The race should be secondary!
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Spark / November 26, 2014
The reference to “boys” started after the 1983 riots. The LTTE “boys” also gained immense strength after 1983. Repeated riots of 1956, 1958, 1977 and 1983 where Tamils were selectively targeted by Sinhalese thugs supported from the highest authorities in power. It is not a secret in 1983 that Sinhalese had a field day looting, killing, maiming, murdering innocents Tamils while the state machinery (comprising mainly of Sinhalese) and the public (comprising again mainly of Sinhalese) watched with tacit support and with an inner feeling of happiness and contend that they are “teaching these demalus a lesson”. Until now, not one Sinhalese has been arrested and prosecuted for all these years of riots, in fact some of these thugs and criminals even managed to obtain government jobs given the credentials of their involvement in the riots. Just an example is where MP Lalith Athulathmudali granted jobs to many of the rioters with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. This murderous carnival went on for 10 days and only stopped only due to international concern and pressure. Then comes the LTTE after 1983, with a specific purpose of getting a separate State and creating a defense force to protect Tamils. That was a slogan that went well with the injured and battered Tamils who found that they could never trust their own government. Then commenced the Diaspora consisting of Tamils who had lost everything leaving the island for more safer pastures. It is the Sinhalese who created the diaspora and no one else. Each act committed by the LTTE against the government was cheered by Tamils due to obvious reasons. If the Sinhalese were to change their position and become Tamils, they would have doen and felt the same way.
Verbally stating “Race should be secondary” is familiar trick of the Sinhalese. Today MR refers to the national flag as the “sinha Kodiya” referring to the Sinhalese insignia instead of calling it the Sri Lankan flag. Just yesterday, another highly educated Sinhalese MP Harsha De Silva stated that “We will not allow any government leader to be tried before war crime tribunals” on the basis where he further states “I am a proud Southerner. I will not betray my country. I am a Sinhalese”. So according to this educated fellow, even if MR is a war criminal, he should not be punished because he only arranged the killing of Tamils which is allowed. Therefore, the law that was maintained on all of the earlier ethnic riots will not change as long as the perpetrators and criminal acts are committed by Sinhalese. This is the shamelessness of Sinhalese Culture and it could be better described as a bastards culture.
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truth / November 26, 2014
“Boys” came into the picture after 1983. You have conveniently forgotten about the period 1950s. Have you read Tarzie Vitacchi”s “Emergency ’58”? Have you forgotten what they did for the Satyagrahi’s at the Galle Face Green?
Boys came into being after the STATE VIOLENCE became intolerable!! If the Tamil grievance were settled in time, we would not be in a position now.
Tamils were begging and pleading, tried everything legally and peacefully possible, but it was only met with guns, bombs, murders, arrests, rapes, arson and broken promises. You cannot deny history in this modern age. You are just pretending! You think by repeating lie several times, it will become truth. May be Sinhalese “some what succeeded by telling lies” because they have the “state power” to “buy” people and “silence people”!!
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Anpu / November 26, 2014
30 year war… based on available published estimates, minimum casualties are put at: killed (100,000), maimed (30,000), widowed (85,000) and also large scale destruction of infrastructure.
Sad tale of Sri Lanka Tamils that started six decades ago is continuing; currently the Sri Lankan Tamils are experiencing additional militarization, marginalization, sinhalicization and colonization of their homeland, since the end of military conflict on 18 May 2009, which need to be halted!
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Kumar / November 26, 2014
Anpu,
Why didn’t you respond to this guy?
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/tna-needs-to-ensure-that-its-program-is-not-hijacked-by-hardliners/
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Uthungan / November 26, 2014
I think this is a measured and objective analysis in cricketing parlance by an important member of the BASL to illuminate the fact that by fortuitous MR won the war against the LTTE which is actually the truth.
That MR has taken the credit for defeating terrorism is a truism everyone acknowledges in Lanka.
But the problem here is that when he arrogates to himself all credit for winning the war, that things get stale and insipid, when one considers the treatment that was meted out to General SF and the lack of appreciation or respect for those countries in the international community which helped to win the war, to takie their advise on reconciliation and rehabilitation of the traumatised Tamil community which was held captive by the LTTE for three decades.
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Nathan / November 26, 2014
I am reminded of how a popular Weekly in Nigeria described the reaction of US when it bombed Libya, way back in the Eighties, – USA 2 : Libya 0, as if though it was a game of Soccer.
Lal Wijenayake finds Cricket handy to describe the defeat of LTTE in the hands of the SL military. Match over!
Lal’s Bodyline attack takes me to yester years.
The 1932-33 Ashes series between the United Kingdom and Australia caused such a controversy, it brought the glory of the Gentleman’s game to its nadir.
The series produced a new word – Bodyline. It was a tactic devised by England to negate the genius of the prodigious young talent Don Bradman.
Bodyline not only threatened the tour itself but also the relations between the two nations. Few sporting events have caused such an uproar.
Cricket is game between two XIs.
I should be shocked at the analogy used by Lal to describe how the war in SL was ended. But, I am not!
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D.Nimal / November 26, 2014
The role played by CBK and Lauxman Kadirigaman during War against that LTTE ruthless terrorist outfit has to be evaluated by not in certain on political and war movements but by tactics and strategy political class of their deeds.
Individual certain victories during in diplomatic acts and isolated that pockets of tactical won battles of war by CBK has been noted.
That want decided hero’s of WAR! War is concern that political motivated Eealm need to be totally eliminated of Separatism of LTTE and TNA that undermined and SPLIT SRI LANKAN SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRORITORIAL INTERGRITY IS KEY FACTOR to be DECIDED OF WAR HEROS.
CBK’s leadership during 11 years 1994-2004 and its neo-liberal political class has toe same line of politics had been adopted by UNP and its foreign alliances. CBK leadership of SLFP entirely diverted from national aspirations of politics. She have been that surrender sovereignty rights to Foreign powers which lunch weak and unplanned war against LTTE terrorist outfit during her lost 11 years.
CBK has not realized post war model required keeping the Global capitalism at because it was builds Imperial operated level.
CBK of SLFP not seek reinvented capitalism for a new era in which the new forces of economic-political Globalization she is lack f vision and knowledge as irrospenibily leader of SLFP..
Under her leadership War cannot won by any means. CBK cannot be WAR HERO.
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justice / November 26, 2014
The “30 year war” was the culmination of brutal massacres of tamils in the north and east, commencing soon after independence.
There were more than 160 events.
All were recorded by the North East Secretariat Of Human Rights – NESOHR – available on the web.
The compiler of events was Rev. Fr.X.J.Karunairatnam – who himself was killed by the army.
Lal Wijenaike appears to be wilfully ‘ignorant’ of what the whole country knows.
Why this ‘whitewash’ by a responsible member of the legal fraternity now?
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justice / November 26, 2014
Sorry – forgot to post this :-
https://www.google.ca/?gws_rd=ssl#q=nesohr+massacres
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justice / November 26, 2014
The “30 year war” was the culmination of brutal massacres of tamils in the north and east, commencing soon after independence.
There were more than 160 events.
All were recorded by the North East Secretariat Of Human Rights – NESOHR – available on the web.
The compiler of events was Rev. Fr.X.J.Karunairatnam – who himself was killed by the army.
Lal Wijenaike appears to be wilfully ‘ignorant’ of what the whole country knows.
Why this ‘whitewash’ by a responsible member of the legal fraternity now?
https://www.google.ca/?gws_rd=ssl#q=nesohr+massacres
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Mallaiyuran / November 26, 2014
Sinhala Intellectuals has been playing cricket with Tamils life from 1948. After taking a lesson from JR in 1983, Pirabharan found a way to bat those balls. But, Blake who was not in the Game got into that and destroyed it. Now Tamils in in the open air all’s ball and bomb attack.
Dayan’s best candidate Sajit has challenged that as soon as his party come to power, rest of the diaspora population will be wiped out with the help of the foreign governments’.
Every tom, dick and harry of the oppositions is saying that if King has the files he has to investigate those. Princess is saying when she captures the power she will bring Royal family’s files out. In other works she says she will investigate them. Sajit says everybody involved in the war crime will be fully protected. So King when he has files he has to investigate honestly as per the call of the opposition, but when they get the files, they are insisting that they will play double game. What a dishonest dis-honest team are these goons? All these time Sinhala Intellectual has been trying to fool the Tamils on the CC issue.
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Dr,Rajasingham Narendran / November 26, 2014
MR.Wijenayake,
You have missed narrating the following:
1. How JR and his government sabotaged the 13th amendment and created conditions for the LTTE to fight the IPKF ( the LTTE of course did not want anything short of Thamil Eelam and JR gave it the opportunity to sabotage a solution that would have satisfied the Tamils. The IPKF killed, raped, injured and looted the innocent Tamils as a result). What a dastardly political strategy!)
2. How Premadasa paid millions and supplied weapons to the LTTE that was cornered by the IPKF and gave it an extended life. Premadasa even praised VP as someone who had the skills to lead the Sri Lankan army.
3. How MR bribed the LTTE heavily to thwart the Tamils voting in the 2005 presidential elections and won it as a result.
The seed from which LTTE germinated and grew to become a monster was planted by persons like D.S. Senanayake, SWRD, Sirimavo.
The only leader who had a genuine interest in resolving the issues of concerns of the Tamils was Chandrika Kumaratunge and her efforts were sabotaged by the LTTE, TULF/ TNA and the UNP.
The story has many dimensions and had little that could be called altruistic. It is a story where human aspirations were trampled and trashed by both the Sinhala political leadership and Tamil political/militant leaderships, with scant regard for moral or ethical scruples. Opportunism and short term political gains dominated over concerns for the country and her peoples.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
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Abhaya / November 26, 2014
[Edited out]. last wicket, yeah for sure while the openers and the middle order gifted their wickets for nothing , yeah
Cheers
Abhaya
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Rajash / November 28, 2014
The DRS was banned. So many umpiring errors
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Ambedkhar Reborn / November 26, 2014
Bravo Lal Wijeynayake,
You have shown the illiterates and the morons who claims they are great diplomats, terror and other experts what is Truth based on Dharmapada.
However I strongly believe for your analysis to be complete it has to be read in conjunction with the comments made by ” Truth ” above. It is the other side of the gold coin you have mint above.
I would like to add another feature to this other side to be even more complete.
That is, whether it is industrial action or periodic communal riots , or political agitation by minority, or insurgency by J VP or 30 year civil , or terrorist war by LTTE or the other rebel groups , or state terrorism or aggression by the armed forces who handled them ; the humans displaced, injured, lost their lives all belonged to the so called unified Sri Lanka ‘ citizens, leaving to a side citizenship status like 1st class, 2nd Class and so on based on language and religion.
Will the PhD holders, Professors, Journalists, Clergymen, Politicians and the likes learn anything from the above .
Mother Lanka is crying for a regime change to get out of the current rut and go forward.
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Ken77 / November 27, 2014
First thought which crossed my mind when I read this post and as usual when I hear the ‘CHORUS’ of 30 (THIRTY YEARS) of war when my blood gets boiling is this gentleman Mr. Lal Wijenayake – Chairman,Standing Committee on Rule of Law of the Bar Association failed in Math in his year 5 scholarship exam.
First of all Mr.Wijenayake,could you give the answer to the number you got from:
1.First counting from 1983 to 2009 including the former
2.Second,counting from 1983 to 2009 excluding the former
When you’ve done it you’ll first get the answer to actual years of the civil war.Mr.Wijenayake, don’t parrot the ‘to-the-illiterate’ gallery of this countries lowly and mean politicians’ chorus who will go to any deplorable limit to come to power and remain in power.
And,well said ‘Spark’.Our boys were pushed to the extreme by non other than this countries’ ‘racist’ politicians — from both the ends of the political spectrum — older Indians of this country never forgave G.G for this betrayal of the nearly a million Indian’ civic rights in 1948.
Similarly the politicians not statesmen in May 1948,August 1977 and July 1983 were directly responsible for the war and will not get away from the creator’s judgement.
Finally,Mr.Wijenayake,could you also count the total years from 1948 to 1983 including the former and compare it with the number you got from the first count?
Mr.Wijenayake,if you’re a rational thinking man,you’ll surely realize who suffered the most?
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