In response to our yesterday story “Dayan Reveals Gota’s Post-Conflict Homeland Security Plan; Gota And Israel Behind BBS’ Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes” Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka has sent the clarification below:

Dear Uvindu, I read the report and listened once again to the video. I do not retract one word or comma of what I said at the time. However, there is no statement in either my speech or the video which says that “Gotabhaya is behind the BBS” or is in any way “responsible for the BBS”! That’s a tendentious interpretation, or, to put it more simply, spin. I criticized Gotabhaya for his stand on the BBS and his presence and speech on the occasion. I also exposed the Zionist influence in postwar Sri Lanka (especially the state), attacked its unjust and counterproductive character, criticized those in power who were fellow travelers (including Gotabhaya at that time) and exposed a congruence or parallelism in the several strands of Islamophobia that were raising their ugly head.

Your (revived) report also proves that at a time when no one — including today’s Yahapalana heroes–had the guts to criticize Gotabhaya who was at the zenith of his power, openly and on the record, I did so.

It is precisely as someone with those credentials and that legitimacy that I openly advocate that Gotabhaya be our next executive President. At the time that Gotabhaya was very much part of the solution (during wartime) I supported him, even when I dissented — and we clashed sharply–on Gaza. Then, when he became part of the problem (postwar) I criticized him. Now when he is the last best hope I see to overcome this utter degeneration and decadence under the Ranil-CBK government, I support him. 

Let me go further: I think Gota has changed considerably for the better since 2015, but even if he hasn’t, he is ten thousand times preferable to Ranil and his gang of traitors who want to sell out the North and East and the country’s economy as a whole to India and especially the Southern Indian states, while selling our strategic national assets to any and every country and privatizing the state.

This is the worst, most dangerous, most unconscionable government I have seen in my country in my lifetime. Whatever their past and present errors, only Mahinda as Prime Minister and Gota as President can get us out of this deep, stinking pit, and put us back on track. 

Editor’s note: We acknowledge that Dayan never specifically utters the words “Gotabhaya is behind the BBS”. Similarly, although he insists that he “had the guts to criticise Gotabaya”, he does not not do so by name. Instead he couched it with innuendo. He says “a top official” ” the brother ” etc. he doesn’t even name Gnanasara; instead he uses the term“අඥාණ නිස්සාර පුද්ගලයෙක්” (a man called Agnana Nissara). In that vein, yes, he does not specifically use the name of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

“Recently a man called Agnana Nissara අඥාණ නිස්සාර පුද්ගලයෙක් , said ‘if Rauff Hakeem tries to make Maligawatta a Gaza, we are ready to be an Israel’.  I have no intention of defending Rauff Hakeem’s politics; nevertheless it is difficult to see these things as accidents. Prior to that (Gnanasara’s statement), ‘the High Official’ went for an opening, it is not the picture taken that is important, but the speech he made there. He said that no one should be afraid (of the BBS), and that we should support its work and that what they do is important work.” Jayatilleka says.

Our story said, ‘Gota And Israel Behind BBS’. Dayan does not deny the other part which also includes the statement that ‘Israel Is Behind BBS’. In his speech he said these anti-muslim sentiments started after “the top defence official” accepted the Israeli government’s Post-Conflict Homeland Security plan.

To any rational reader with a basic understanding of the Sinhalese language and innuendo, the reference must be clear. We invite our readers to watch the video below and decide for themselves if Gotabaya was the reason for the rise of extremism among the majority: