By Amrit Muttukumaru –
Amrit Muttukumaru
The greater tragedy is that the unspeakable carnage on Easter Sunday (21 April) in three churches and three luxury hotels which so far has led to 359 persons needlessly losing their lives and 500 persons seriously injured could have either been prevented or drastically mitigated. This was only if the political triumvirate responsible for national security (i) President Sirisena – Minister of Defence and Minister of Law & Order (ii) Ranil Wickremesinghe – Prime Minister (iii) Ruwan Wijewardene – Minister of State for Defence had heeded intelligence reports originating from India and the US conveyed to some Sri Lankan government agencies as early as 4 April. This was confirmed to the media by government spokesman and Minister of Health – Dr. Rajitha Senaratne as follows:
(1) Intelligence agencies from India and US had “alerted the Government about threats on possible suicide bombing by Islamic extremists on 4 April”
(2)“first memo was issued on 9 April by Chief of National Intelligence Sisira Mendis to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) including all details of the terrorist group with the names”.
(3) “On 11 April Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Priyalal Dassanayake had written again to all Directors of Ministerial Security Division, Judicial Security Division, Retired Presidents Security Division, Acting Directors of Diplomatic Security Division and Acting Directors of Retired Presidents Security Division to tighten the security of the above mentioned”
To bolster the UNP inspired fairy tale that PM Wickremesinghe and Ruwan Wijewardene, Minister of State for Defence were not in the loop and were ignorant of these intelligence reports and tacitly place the entire political responsibility on President Sirisena, Dr. Senaratne for good measure stated:
i) “failing to alert the Prime Minister’s Security Division was a huge lapse on the part of State intelligence agencies”
ii) “neither Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe nor State Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene had been summoned for any of the National Security Council (NSC) meetings held after the Constitutional Crisis on 26 October last year”
Ranil & Ruwan in Blissful Ignorance?
Although President Sirisena as Minister of Defence and Minister of Law & Order has to shoulder the MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY for preventing the carnage, it is ABSURD to claim that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and Ruwan Wijewardene, Minister of State for Defence were IGNORANT of these intelligence reports for the following reasons:
(1) It is said that PM Wickremesinghe is an inveterate ‘micro-manager’. Hence is it not unlikely that these intelligence reports made available also to (i) Chief of National Intelligence (ii) IGP (iii) Directors of Ministerial Security Division would have escaped his notice?
(2) When Harin Fernando CABINET MINISTER for Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology himself discloses that even his father in hospital was AWARE of some of these intelligence reports, are not PM Wickremesinghe and Ruwan Wijewardene, Minister of State for Defence being ECONOMICAL WITH THE TRUTH by claiming in parliament they were oblivious to these intelligence reports? Have they not misled parliament? Could not the cabinet minister for Digital Infrastructure have sent a WhatsApp message to the Prime Minister conveying the information received from his father? Surely he could have done so with ease from the hospital itself!
(3) Ruwan Wijewardene is also Minister of Mass Media and the son of the country’s largest print media owner. We are expected to believe that he has no sources in either the state or private media who can convey such information to him. His father’s media organization has very skilled investigative reporters who are up-to-date on matters of national security and who pride themselves in having their ear to the ground. They have not tipped him off even to the extent of Harin Fernando’s hospitalized father!
(4) Is it not SHAMEFUL for PM Wickremesinghe and Ruwan Wijewardene, Minister of State for Defence to claim ignorance on the basis they were kept away from meetings of the ‘National Security Council’ for the past 6 months? Why did not these gentlemen who LEGITIMATELY made such a nationwide din in the aftermath of the October 2018 constitutional coup bring the CRUCIAL issue of being kept away from NSC meetings to the attention of Parliament and the people through the media? Is this not a DERELICTION of their national security duties? Could we have a CREDIBLE response from the PM and the Minister? This has even escaped the very knowledgeable political column of the ‘Sunday Times’ owned by his father.
Former Presidents
The belief that no matter who is in political power this country will continue to bleed is apparent when although the security chiefs of former Presidents Chandrika Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa were privy to the intelligence reports of an imminent terrorist strike through suicide bombing, the former Presidents have not made this information available in the public domain. Are we to believe that in this instance too the former Presidents were kept in the dark by their respective security chiefs?
Conclusion
In the context of big power rivalry in the Indian Ocean, the long festering ethnic conflict and the resultant armed conflict coming to a controversial end in 2009, reconciliation issues still festering, extremist groups and hate speech still creating instability, is it not imperative to have competent professionals of proven experience with HUMANE values and integrity to guide the security of this country?
Was it not PM Wickremesinghe himself who appointed his first cousin Ruwan Wijewardene to the crucial position of State Minister of Defence at the inception of the yahapalana government in January 2015?
Is not Ruwan Wijewardene’s claim in Parliament that the Easter Sunday carnage in Sri Lanka on 21 April was “in retaliation to the Christchurch attack in New Zealand” not plausible in the context of the ‘Christchurch attack’ taking place as recently as 15 March? New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has lost no time in pooh-poohing this contention.
Was it not President Sirisena who recently appointed Hemasiri Fernando his Chief of Staff as Secretary, Ministry of Defence? Prior to this under the yahapalana government he was successively Chairman, People’s Bank and Chairman, Board of Investment.
Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando in relation to the Easter Sunday carnage has reportedly told the media:
“Defence Ministry never expected an attack of this magnitude except for some isolated incidents in certain places”
On the subject of the intelligence reports he has reportedly stated “information received was unclear”
The bottom line is that like everything else in this country be it the egregious bond scam, accountability for alleged war crimes particularly during the final stage of the armed conflict, alleged corporate crime which include the pumping and dumping of company shares, no political leader, state official or corporate bigwig will ever be made truly accountable. This will inevitably apply to the crime of dereliction of duty leading to the needless deaths of 359 persons and the resultant chaos to their families due to the Easter Sunday carnage. Of course off and on there will be some cosmetic accountability for public consumption.
Kumar David / April 25, 2019
Why the writer did not include the President on the list of those responsible for dereliction of duty (as per headline) is a complete mystery to me! References to Presidential failure is weak in this article which smells of partisan motives in SLPP-UNP infighting, and written in the interests of the former.
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Amarasiri / April 25, 2019
Amrit Muttukumaru
RE:Easter Sunday Carnage & Abdication Of Responsibility By PM & State Minister
“Defence Ministry never expected an attack of this magnitude except for some isolated incidents in certain places”
“On the subject of the intelligence reports he has reportedly stated “information received was unclear”
“The bottom line is that like everything else in this country be it the egregious bond scam, accountability for alleged war crimes particularly during the final stage of the armed conflict, alleged corporate crime which include the pumping and dumping of company shares, no political leader, state official or corporate bigwig will ever be made truly accountable.”
Thanks for the article. A land like no other, where the president, prime minster and the state minister takes no responsibility- The Teflon Politicians..
Nobody is responsible. Only the terrorist suicide bombers, who are dead, are responsible. but there are 359 innocent dead.
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nimal fernando / April 25, 2019
Mr W.A. Wijewardena in his recent column said the following,
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“Germany in 1933 when Adolph Hitler was voted to power through popular ballot”
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and from something I’ve read before I could vaguely remember he never got a clear majority through popular ballot.
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I went and read Wikipedia to find out what cunning methods Hitler used to come to power; especially how they used the burning down of the bundestag. It was very interesting reading indeed.
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I hope the democratic forces will wake up in time and see the peril we are in right now. ………….. as usual Ranil will still be fast asleep when it hits the fan ……… and will go back to coffee-drinking with the dictators again as if nothing has happened.
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Just like in this unspeakable tragedy ………. it’s the ordinary people who will pay the biggest price ………. not the pols.
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If you want to trade-off freedom for a government’s “selective-security” ………. be my guest
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I am just warning out of the kindness of my heart (Native Vedda you better believe) ………. I’ve no vested interest one way or the other …….. my boat sailed away from the shores of the resplendent isle decades ago ……….
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I had foresight ………. gotta at least give me that :))
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Rajash / April 25, 2019
yes indeed…..bloody pathetic …..that after a carnage like this …people are playing political games…..
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I challenge Amrit Muttukumaru to meet face to face the grieving people who have lost their loved ones …blown away by bombs that the politicians could have stopped
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Sarrij / April 25, 2019
The infighting between the President and the PM is common knowledge. Don’t forget that S L is the Banana Republic.
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nimal fernando / April 25, 2019
“Why the writer did not include the President”
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Ah! the million dollar question!
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Even after the unspeakable carnage these are the impartial/truthful “intellectuals” our nation has to live with.
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They are now coming out of the woodwork.
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Raman / April 25, 2019
The great Amrit did manage to get in a couple of lines about the “bond scam”. Let’s give him credit for that. Wonder how much Sirasa is paying?
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Justice & Fairplay / April 25, 2019
Nimal, you call this bloke an impartial intellectual?
I knew you had a great sense of humour but not as intense as this!!!??
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K A Sumanasekera / April 25, 2019
Poor Response Mate….
Obviously you haven’t read it all…
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Sinhala_Man / April 25, 2019
Maybe.
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None of us can keep track of all the hush hush things going on. I agree that we must check facts, but at the same time, it is true that we can’t delay commenting until their effectiveness is lost.
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I know “nimal” only from his excellent comments. He lives somewhere abroad.
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https://groundviews.org/2019/04/23/massacre-of-the-innocents-whereto-from-here/
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One factual mistake: The Zion Church is not Catholic. On the other hand, theCatholic Church close by may have been the original target, but it looks as though the service there had already finished.
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It is important that we don’t go beyond what we personally know.
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Bruno Umbato / April 25, 2019
why the writer not include
Kumar David is complete mystery to me.
The guy who is in the forefront of regime change hoodwinking foolish sri lankans especially sinhalese budhists (like Madullawe Sobitha himi) by putting forward the abolition of the presidency as the single issue for elections. Any body who has a iota of brain cells could see the reasons what happened. From day one of this ‘yamapalanaya’ regime, the defence apparatus especially ‘intelligence unit’ was dismantled left and right to satisfy separatists and minority racist politicians. They dismantled one of the best intelligent branch of defence forces in any where and any time in the world within few months. Where were you, Kumar? Planning for the revolution of workers?
You would never stop innovating new ideas, new methods to send Sri Lanka down the drain so that separatists and other terror groups have a field day. Your motives are clear for any 2 year kid. Problem is that srilankan fools especially sinhalese budhists would never understand your motives. In that sense, you are lucky and you even might succeed though your ‘ego’ project, the revolution would never succeed for million years.
Long live Kumar. Project to send Sri Lanka down the drain is well and live even though the revolution is ‘bit’ far.
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Emil van der Poorten / April 25, 2019
Kumar:
I share your sentiments with regard to this sorry mess which has made the entire Sri Lankan nation the victim.
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RuwanL / April 25, 2019
Kumar,
Its a good article as most of the previous articles blamed only the President! It is a shame that the PM and the government including the president say that they were not informed as Kiriella said yesterday that Indian Foreign Ministry informed them that there was an imminent attack. I am sure Indian Foreign Ministry didn’t contact our intelligence service but would have passed the message on to our Foreign Secretary! The truth came out from our Defense Secretary who said that they never expected such a massive attack! THE TRUTH IS THE PRIME MINSTER, THE PRESIDENT AND THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT ANTICIPATE SUCH A MASSIVE ATTACK!!
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Rajiv Tennekoon / April 25, 2019
Kumar David,
I believe the entire government, President included, should resign immediately.
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Justice & Fairplay / April 25, 2019
Very well said, Kumar David.
Amrit Muttukumaru has yet again illustrated how partisan he is, which is why he will not be taken as an influential writer by the intelligent readership.
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Amrit Muttukumaru / April 25, 2019
Kumar David
I am surprised that a man of Kumar David’s professional background has been ‘short circuited’ by my article. He is looking for NON-EXISTENT ‘partisan motives’. In this connection, he refers to the omission of President Sirisena in the ‘headline’. My response is as follows:
1) The title to an article is chosen to reflect the THRUST of its content. The thrust of my article is not on President Sirisena’s UNDOUBTED culpability. It is focused on the attempt made by the Prime Minister and State Minister of Defence to EVADE their share of the responsibility.
2) I have clearly stated in my article:
“Although President Sirisena as Minister of Defence and Minister of Law & Order has to shoulder the MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY for preventing the carnage, it is ABSURD to claim that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and Ruwan Wijewardene, Minister of State for Defence were IGNORANT of these intelligence reports”
3) There is no way President Sirisena can ‘abdicate’ responsibility in his capacity as ‘Minister of Defence and Minister of Law & Order’
4) NOWHERE has President Sirisena stated he is not responsible. The ‘Daily Mirror’ today (25 April) reports:
“President Maithripala Sirisena is reported to have informed Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and IGP Pujith Jayasundara to resign from their offices”
5) On the other hand Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister and Ruwan Wijewardene, Minister of State for Defence have done their damnedest to DISTANCE themselves from responsibility for the carnage. They have even MISLED Parliament in this connection.
6) It appears it has ESCAPED Kumar David’s notice that I have even FAULTED former Presidents Chandrika Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa as follows:
“The belief that no matter who is in political power this country will continue to bleed is apparent when although the security chiefs of former Presidents Chandrika Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa were privy to the intelligence reports of an imminent terrorist strike through suicide bombing, the former Presidents have not made this information available in the public domain. Are we to believe that in this instance too the former Presidents were kept in the dark by their respective security chiefs?”
Come, come Kumar David – for whom are you holding a brief? Your slip is showing!
Amrit Muttukumaru
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Justice & Fairplay / April 25, 2019
Amrit Muttukumaru perhaps may want to kindly explain why, there was no handing over of the responsibilities of the Minister to his Deputy, while the President was away from the island?
Is that also Ranil’s fault, or that of the Dy Minister?
Whatever the thrust Amrit Muttukumaru’s article may contain, it is clear he has been more severe on the Prime Minister and the Dy Defense Minister than the person handling the subject – the President.
If he were to remove his tinted glasses and view his own work again, things might appear a lot clearer.
And with Sarath Fonseka free and available, is it Ranil’s fault that Fonseka isnt in charge of the job he is quite expert at?
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Justice & Fairplay / April 25, 2019
Whatever the thrust of Amrit Muttukumaru’s article may be, it is clear he has been more severe on the Prime Minister and the Dy Defense Minister than the person handling the subject – the President and Head of State. If he were to remove his tinted glasses and view his own work again, things might get clearer.
While there is no doubting that Ranil and the Dy. Minister of Defense should have kept parliament briefed of the unsatisfactory state of affairs which prevented their participation at Security Council meetings, or even complained to the President direct, the major thrust of Amrit’s article should have been directed at the person who handles the subject single handedly; and who failed to appoint another to the post, in his own absence from the country..
The reference and twist given to Harin Fernando’s father’s casual remark as a statement of fact is ample evidence to the bias in this writer’s thinking.
Actually, it is not Kumar David’s slip that is showing!
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LEELAGEMALLI / April 25, 2019
HI,
Who is telling the truth ?
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Quote
“President Maithripala Sirisena is reported to have informed Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and IGP Pujith Jayasundara to resign from their offices
Unquote
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Just now I listened in the news that Hemarsiri Fernando has not been requested to resign….. What has the President been doing ? He does not seem to take any actions why ?
Hemasiri says that he has worked 99% correct… how come ? he seems to have the temerity to share his thoughts yet today…see.. how these buggers are upto.
We perfectly know that bugger et al… prevented the most valuable information being passed to the President and PM.
Who is lying here ? WHo is telling the truth ? Why do they seem to be playing with NATIONAL security this way ?
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Amrit Muttukumaru / April 25, 2019
Kumar David
I am surprised that a man of Kumar David’s professional background has been ‘short circuited’ by my article. He is looking for NON-EXISTENT ‘partisan motives’. In this connection, he refers to the omission of President Sirisena in the ‘headline’. My response is as follows:
1) The title to an article is chosen to reflect the THRUST of its content. The thrust of my article is not on President Sirisena’s UNDOUBTED culpability. It is focused on the attempt made by the Prime Minister and State Minister of Defence to EVADE their share of the responsibility.
2) I have clearly stated in my article:
“Although President Sirisena as Minister of Defence and Minister of Law & Order has to shoulder the MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY for preventing the carnage, it is ABSURD to claim that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and Ruwan Wijewardene, Minister of State for Defence were IGNORANT of these intelligence reports”
3) There is no way President Sirisena can ‘abdicate’ responsibility in his capacity as ‘Minister of Defence and Minister of Law & Order’
4) NOWHERE has President Sirisena stated he is not responsible. The ‘Daily Mirror’ today (25 April) reports:
“President Maithripala Sirisena is reported to have informed Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and IGP Pujith Jayasundara to resign from their offices”
5) On the other hand Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister and Ruwan Wijewardene, Minister of State for Defence have done their damnedest to DISTANCE themselves from responsibility for the carnage. They have even MISLED Parliament in this connection.
6) It appears it has ESCAPED Kumar David’s notice that I have even FAULTED former Presidents Chandrika Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa as follows:
“The belief that no matter who is in political power this country will continue to bleed is apparent when although the security chiefs of former Presidents Chandrika Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa were privy to the intelligence reports of an imminent terrorist strike through suicide bombing, the former Presidents have not made this information available in the public domain. Are we to believe that in this instance too the former Presidents were kept in the dark by their respective security chiefs?”
Come, come Kumar David – for whom are you holding a brief? Your slip is showing!
Amrit Muttukumaru
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JD / April 25, 2019
One of the Suicide bombers has been one of the two culprits arrested over the vandalizing of the MAwanella Buddha Statues. Bur, they had been released that was what a powerful Muslim politician wanted. Yet, Ranil in Mahanuwara said he had instructed IGP to investigate it and take full action. So, Maithripala sirisena has listened to Ranil and his UNP cabinet and wants IGP to resign. Maithripala sirisena could not handle Ranil and his bond Scam gang of politicians. Now Maithripala went to Singapore and that talk is behind.
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Rohan mallaigama / April 25, 2019
Sri Lanka need to adapt Donald Trump policy when it comes to the Sri, lanka border protection. Mercy fighters could be the next.
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Sapumal / April 25, 2019
Ruwan Wijewardhene is a good man .he is not a corrupted, ignorant politician. But there are thing people can do and cannot do.As far as he get good secretary he is ok to do any kind of administration.Otherwise he is good to go for a Banis eating competition at Awurudu festival season. I am not rude to him.But deputy minister of defense is a hugh responsibility. He is not capable and knowledgeable to handle it.
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Sinhala_Man / April 25, 2019
Thanks, Amrit Muttukumaru, for putting all this with commendable bluntness. All these guys should resign immediately. The blood of the murdered is upon them.
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One thing alone could be said in their favour. They prevented a backlash on the Muslims. Ths we should appreciate. JRJ did not take similar action to protect the Tamils in 1883.
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I will expand on this later.
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Analyst / April 25, 2019
Sinhala_Man
I commend you for commenting on JRJ and his no action Pogrom 1983( not 1883 )!!
Thanks for atleast recognising now when it’s too little too late.
Who ever they’re and whatever they’re , All are God’s children.
We’re here only for a short while, approximately from 1 – 100 years may be……ones life span??
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soma / April 25, 2019
” JRJ did not take similar action to protect the Tamils in 1883.”
You know Sinhala_man this along with the Jaffna library are the main motivations for the Tamils to be staunch UNP supporters and their guardian angels. Such is life.
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Soma
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Kalu Nangi / April 26, 2019
Sinhala_Man,
I give you credit to that statement totally.
While there were politicians wanting to fans the flames of communal disunity and create another “1983 ethnic cleansing”, the Government headed by RW (the so-called Bondscam Ranil) took the initiative to nip it in the bud stressing on the need to maintain peace and communal harmony.
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Analyst / April 25, 2019
Nevertheless not a Single Parliamentarian big or small showed up in obvious places where the innocent people were herded in to be slaughtered.
Wondered whether it was just by accident or by the full knowledge of tittle tattle of the secret memo which had been flying around apparently for 2 weeks before the attack on the imminent danger to the country’s 5* hotels and the churches.
I thought the problems between the Muslims and the Buddhists were in high boil and not between the Muslims and the Christians??
Was it a Conspiracy theory to bring the dead LTTE alive for obvious reasons by certain Racist conspirators got backfired??
Nothing seem to add up. Innocent Tamil worshippers were targeted again for what??
Now the country had gone back in 20 years .
When the leader , the man in charge of Law&Order and in charge of the security of the nation was trying to deny the knowledge of the national threat , how anyone can believe ??
The person has been proved Untrustworthy many a times within the past year!!
Is the PM and his cabinet are doing only a lip service but nothing else recently ?? Oh ! yes !! attending weddings of the political enemies broods as well ??
Those are perks comes with the job.
Were they ALLOWED TO MAKE ANY DECISIONS AT CRITICAL TIMES FOR THE NATION AND ITS PEOPLE???? Or There only for the namesake as PUPPETS?
Now The blame game can be easily shoved up on these PUPPETS faces( the PM and the cabinet)
If their “Wings of Powers ” had been clipped by their Master !! Then nothing they could have DONE….FULL STOP..
This was a marriage of convenience but no commitment no love.!!
The Guilt should affect all those who avoided the danger zone knowing full well of the nation’s threat will give nightmares forever.
This is a national disaster due to the INEFFICIENCY AND ARROGANCE OF THE TOP PERSON AND THE RIGHT HANDS entangled in a coalition government where there’s no trust between themselves.
The peoples sufferings continues…
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Sisira Weragoda / April 25, 2019
Amrith
My intention is not to insult you not you have insulted the intelligence of the readers. Your partisan write up (As Kumar David correctly pointed) is deplorable. You are not fit to be in our forum.
Why are you naive to the the unconstitutional reaction of members of Security Council (Hemasiri F , Pujitha J etc) when PM convened Emergency Sec Council Meeting. By writing this type of Bullshit concealing, what you are capable of writing.
PM or Ruwan W cannot act with such fools MS as President Head of State, Defence Minister.
Talking to MS is is like “Meeharakage Pire Hakuru Patawanawa Wage”
If you could recollect 1962 Ceylonese coup d’état attempt, first info came from
“As the coup leaders met to finalise plans, the prime minister was visited by her nephew Felix Dias Bandaranaike and two senior police officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), DIG S. A. Dissanayake and SP John Attygalle (both would later become IGPs) who informed the Prime Minister about an attempt to take over the Government by a coup by certain army, navy and police personnel according to information received. They had earlier informed IGP M. F. W. Abeykoon about the possible coup, who due to the seriousness on the situation notified Felix Dias Bandaranaike, the Minister of Finance and Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and External affairs. A meeting was held at the minister’s residence at 7.00pm where the police officers gave the minister all known information. The minister wanted to act fast to stop the coup and left for the Prime Minister’s residence, Temple Trees with the two CID officers.[citation needed]
The information came from SP (Colombo) Stanley Senanayake (would later become IGP), head of Police in Colombo, who after being taken into the confidence of the coup leaders had informed his father-in-law, SLFP MP and party secretary(I doubt whether he was Party Sec) Patrick de Silva Kularatne, who in turn notified the CID.[citation needed]” From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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JD / April 25, 2019
Once the Carnage happened, it is no point of summoning Tri forces chiefs to Temple Trees. That is something else. who knows Ranil was preparing for a Coup when the President was away. For example asking Tri forces cheif to arrest the President and declare curfew or Martial LAw.
There are so many things happened that concern NAtional SEcurity. Now nothing was allowed, there is nothing more to address National Security than this.
Some one say, foreign Intelligence agency did it with the help of Terrorists.
ISIS is paid Terrorists. they are bought and not made because of other reasons.
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Kalu Nangi / April 26, 2019
If you say ISIS are paid Terrorists, then the only person who would benefit from this carnage and who could have paid them to do this, is the one who wants the minorities to stop voting for the UNP candidate at the Presidential elections in a few months time. This is what happened when the Tamils were prevented from voting by MR when he released funds to the LTTE,
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/wikileaks-basil-conceded-pre-election-contacts-with-the-ltte/
http://www.dailymirror.lk/dbs-jeyaraj-column/ltte-enforced-boycott-lost-ranil-the-presidency-in-2005/192-55079
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shankar / April 25, 2019
full responsibility has to be taken by the president because he tucked all the relevant portfolios under that white lungi he wears.Even if ranil and ruwan knew about the information given by the indians they would be under the impression that the president is taking needed action on it.The bloody IGP also should have discussed the matter with the army commander who was blissfully unaware.
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thamizh / April 25, 2019
while people are busy passing the blame and shifting responsibility around, the US is busy setting up military base in the island, intensifying the cold war against China, even setting their foot in Hambanthota port belonging to China, holding joint exercises with the sl military. is it a coincidence that wherever the US sets its foot, there is a crisis? war on terror was used as a pretext to invade middle east and the country that exports wahabi islam, saudi arabia, remains a close ally of the west. one cannot help but to believe that the recent attacks will be used to distract the general populace from the geopolitical manoeuvrings in the island. with respect to the islamic extremist groups, they did not bud yesterday. they were in the making for long time. in fact, sl govt played a role in their growth, especially in the east, for their political gains and to divide and rule the Tamil speaking populations. it was not just an intelligence failure that was not acted upon.
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kebab / April 25, 2019
Sapumal you say that Ruwan Wijewardena , the undeserved beneficiary of his birth, is a good man .
There are millions of good men in Sri Lanka who don’t get the opportunity to become ministers like him.
He is reinforcing a repeating Sri Lankan theme. Family member of Ranil, inherited wealth, old Royalists ,just given positions in the UNP and made Minister even over more capable people.These guys are butterflies just sucking what they can based on family theory
As soon as UNP came into power in 2015 (hiding behind Sirisena!) , repeating what JR did for Ranil in 1977 , Ranil made Ruwan deputy Minister of Defence. Soon after that a scandal broke out that Ruwan had given a lucrative defence contract to his girl friend whose father was chairman of a Finance company. Ruwan had to resign .
This is Ruwan’s second inning as Minister.
As to Sirisena, he does not claim to be all knowing. He is not accused of having being an accomplice in fleecing the Central bank of the country !
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Mallaiyuran / April 25, 2019
We earnestly believe when NJT’s activities were reported to the Trio(Ranil, New King, Old King), they quickly held secret meetings (Younger Brother Prince personally met Ranil), re-loaded it over the Tamil Churches for the purpose to teach a lesson to IC and thus protect Old King. This was the advertisement behind the “Coup on the New Year “(April 15th Coup). They had the original date changed & even provided alternate date for terrorists – i.e. Easter Sunday. If there is an enemy of Lanakwe and he/she wants to attack Lanakwe, it is not 7% Christian’s Easter, but 91% Sinhala Tamil New Year. In that day, the entire Island turn out to be a target. (Further on New Year day, that day Aanduwa had increased the security Alert).
Trio, Everyone on the cabinet and all important Officials did know what was going to happen. If not that not believable story at all.
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Native Veddah / April 25, 2019
My late grand mother Ran Menika told me in a dream that this attack is a reprisal for all ‘Radical Buddhist’ BBS actions I have commented previously under 2000 pseudonyms in this forum.
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The Retd. Major General Shamal has commented that my late grand mother was the ‘plaything’ of my Dutch-Belgiq-Jew Hamu grand father whose grave is still being visited by the lightening gods.I accept the Major General’s point, but the dream needs to be taken seriously.
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As a foreigner sitting on stolen land, I can advice the Sri Lankans that ISIS is not as bad as the BBS.
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Native Vedda / April 25, 2019
Native Veddah The Impostor
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Well I can see how limited your creative abilities are.
Go find your own unique pseudonym.
This Journal Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us (Native Veddah).
Please quit.
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“As a foreigner sitting on stolen land, I can advice the Sri Lankans that ISIS is not as bad as the BBS.”
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When did you discover?
Have you done a comparative study of two evils?
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nimal fernando / April 25, 2019
Cool down real Native ……. no one can impersonate you. You are in-impersonate-able! :))
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Everyone knows that.
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Native Vedda / April 25, 2019
nimal fernando
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Motivational speakers say we must assert ourselves if we are to progress in the elbowing society and be part of the rat race.
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I am just asserting for the sake of asserting though I am not sure why.
Sorry if I have over done it.
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Matilda Ellepola / April 25, 2019
yeah.. Make Gnanasara the next state Minister of Defence, the bugger will definitely do a better job than this baby faced Ruwan W,. Shame on man.!
BTW., so Gnanasara is the smart ass, who pretended this Jihardist factions way before 2013. I hate that guy though he may become a hero for some Sinhalese in this present context.
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nalmen / April 25, 2019
only weak leaders would allow themselves to be excluded from security council meetings without making a hue and cry about it
if the ministerial security was informed why did they not tell the ministers whom they had to to protect
if the defence sec and igp knew how is that their head did not know
these are 3 matters which baffle me
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V.Lekamge / April 25, 2019
The IGP, the online Daily News of 25.04.2019, says:
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundera in a letter addressed to Defence Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando said he received confidential intelligence documents warning of a possible suicide attack on April 9.
In another para below:
The IGP had sent the copies of the letter to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya,
Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa
and the Secretaries to the President and the Prime Minister.
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kolla / April 25, 2019
People must wake up to to the deviousness of Ranil and the Chairman game played by these so called Colombo elite.
Just like what MR did with every bank, Ranil also brought in his relative Athukorala, a retired banker as Chairman NDB. Athukorale is an old, ineffective but decent man. NDB went on, no thanks to the old fashioned chairman who just enjoyed his perks .Today all banks are struggling under Ranil policies ! Our banks have lost nearly 50% of their value !
The so called UNP strongman John Amaratunga’s son in law Dinesh Weerakody however became chairman of a bank through Rajapakses. Dinesh used to play badminton with Namal at the army sports complex when Rajapakses used army assets like private property.
Then when the UNP came in to power Dinesh wrote a biography of Ranil ! Weerakody also became a Chairman of yet another bank, this time sponsored by Ranil ! Weerakody is also a director of the notorious Access Group.
Soon after Ranil came to power in 2015, Sagala Ratnayake’s brother Kavan was appointed chairman Lake House.After two years Kavan was made chairman Tourism Board. Now Ranil has appointed Kavan Ratnayake chairman NDB bank !
MR bad, Ranil better ?
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Sunil de Silva / April 25, 2019
The country and the international community would inevitably be concerned with the question whether the inhumane bombing of innocent victims could have been averted. In fact a Presidential Commission has been entrusted with the task.
It is however important to note that intelligence information often flows from sources which would dry up if too intense probing reveals the identity of the informants placing them at fatal risk. Redacting names would not suffice as the nature of the information could alert those implicated by the likely springs of information.
We hope those conducting the probe keep concerns for the safety of the informants in the font of the questiong
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chiv / April 25, 2019
Amit it is time to get your facts right. The information on the mastermind was provided as early as in 2018. In Feb information was provided with specific names, NIC details and the group details.I myself a common man living outside of Lanka had read about a threat in Feb through social media. There are enough details within , showing MS took every efforts in obstructing PM (not an excuse for RW) and Defence authority to keep them out of it. This is called as willful negligence, obstruction and enabling the perpetrators. So please do not F–K around with facts.SF says it takes almost 7 to 8 years to plan such attack.Are you kidding. Stay to your subject which is economics and leave this to others.
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Sunil J Dahanayake / April 25, 2019
The main problem in Sri Lanka is that the Sri Lanka has political families and professional politicians. But they are not honest professional, hard working managers.
First Group, Colombo elite, based on their family backgrounds, they go to the Parliament and get the Ministerial positions. But they are not well educated and professional experience. The other group coming to Parliament is village “Rasthiyadu Karayas” and they have ample time to do politics and but all other village educated kids do not come in to politics. In the JVP, the full-timers who engaged in the politics are not the best brains of the Universities.
The first group, Colombo Elite, are the leaders of political parties. In one way, their ancestors were ass licking people of Colonial Masters. Therefore, they try to maintain their old status quo. But all these groups do not have the brains to develop the country. It is time that we need to get rid of these Professional Politicians and the country should be managed by professional managers.
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JD / April 25, 2019
Some Journalist should ask Ruwan Wijewardane (Is he the Media minister too, then he is used to Drugs too). who told him that the attack was in revenge for what happened in NEW Zealand mosques. Because, some one else says a different story.
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chiv / April 25, 2019
Amit now I heard MS claiming to be in dark regarding the threat because he was wearing “shades” and earphones while holidaying in Singapore. What a comedy. There is a threat reported almost a year ago with numerous warnings closer to the fateful day, with details of names, NIC infor, addresses, name of the group and whereabouts. And the president ,PM, defence ministry and other shitheads claiming not having a clue. That too coming from a shit hole country which boast holding annual conferences on “how to eradicate GLOBAL terrorism”??????, initiated by the war crime Guru GR, where foreigners pay a hefty fee to listen to our retards. I am curious who will preside the next conference?????? What Lankans actually need is a crash course on “EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS”. Where are our regular counter terrorism pundits ??? The ilk of DJ,Laksiri Uncle, Rohan Gunaratna, Rajeeva ?????? Are they still in shock???? or in their usual DENIAL. I will like to hear some alternate facts from these shit heads.
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Dcn / April 25, 2019
This article isnnot telling the truth properly but trying.to whitewash.some whilst trying to pass the.buck to the P.M. & ,Dy.Minister for Defense. There were further articles on.This subject defining weak areas were earlier published in the CT. Trying to do politics with criticising P.M.is deplorable when so many are dead and many families hurt. This is a serious lapse in the management of this important area which should be improved immediately in the interest of human beings in this country including the visitors.
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Keynes! / April 25, 2019
Amrit,
Lloyd Fernando of Planning & Marga fame says, “good governance is the governance of governance.” What do you think of this pukka statement?
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paul / April 25, 2019
Its like the Imam who said “Yes we must be moderate, we must even be moderate in our moderation”
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Ugly American / April 25, 2019
Mr. Muttukumaru,
You hit it on the head sir!
Living in the US for the past forty some years, tens of thousands of people I came into contact with, came to know Sri Lanka. Some of them visited Sri Lanka along with me or on their own. My Inbox is willed with messages from all those who knew me, messages of sympathy, sorrow, solidarity and support.
I am certain, every single Sri Lankan who left it’s shores, now living in different parts of the world has a similar story to tell. So far I have responded to about half of those who sent me messages, I have a sizable number left to finish.
While doing this I am crying and also hiding my head in shame. All those people you pointed out in your article is equally responsible for letting us all down. There is NO lesser or greater degree of culpability. EVERYONE is EQUALLY guilty. Look at the picture of the lady on the ground in front of the church, wailing and crying her heart out in desperation, helpless, for the loss of someone or all in her family lost in the dastardly act.
I am hiding my head in shame, unable to tell those sending me messages of sympathy, the kind of dysfunctional government and callous indifference on the part of the lawmakers that contributed to this massacre of innocent souls.
I feel restricted, because in a family, we don’t wash dirty linen in public.
The fabric of Sri Lankan family has been systematically torn apart by every single government that governed from 1948 up until now. What has happened here is as a result of cumulative actions by lawmakers for the past seventy years.
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Native Veddah / April 25, 2019
CT regulars. Please note tht the mayhem created by this bombing, as Archbishop Ranjith has pointed out, is helpful to the NGOs and globalisation agenda. Therefore we should temper our condemnation of it.
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The first thing PUK Ranil Hamu did was to beg for ‘international assistance’. (He also pleads or that when he is constipated). Now that the FBI and MI6 are here to ‘help’ us, as the Archbishop said, their fingers will be up Ranil’s ass quicker than he can say umph! Then he will think all our troubles are over. But the Zionist hymies of the FBI and MI6 will only work to aggravate this mIslamist menace so that they can exploit the divide.
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paul / April 25, 2019
Fake Veddah, you fool nobody. You can’t even spell Vedda the way the Real Vedda spells it. To call you a cretinous arsehole would be insult all the genuine arseholes that run the country, so I will refrain.
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SPECTATOR / April 25, 2019
Amrit’s articles have been banned by the Wijeya group. They have led to a currently ongoing defamation case.He has a score to settle with Ranjit Wijewardena. Hence the attack on Ruwan. This article would never have appeared if Wijeya group published his articles.
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Adrian / April 25, 2019
Amrit is 1000% correct
The first, the INALIENABLE, duty of powerful officials is the duty to safeguard the lives of citizens.
The PM and his first cousin, the Deputy Minister of Defence, claimed that the President continuously shut them out of meetings devoted to the country’s security which by definition involves the protection of all Sri Lankan citizens. In other words, they were prevented from doing the most important part of their job but continued to collect their salaries and enjoy the perks of office while not discharging this solemn duty.
If they were honest and decent people, they had 3 options:
Publicize this dysfunctional situation so that the people would not assume that their security was in good hands;
Seek to impeach the moron who occupies the presidency;
Resign.
They did none of the above and hundreds were slaughtered like sheep in Mecca.
The only option now for the PM and his cousin is No. 3.
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Fred / April 25, 2019
In the aftermath of the Easter Sunday tragedy there has been no shortage of statements by various concerned parties, each with a predictable spin designed to protect the author’s own skin. And you’d have to be very clever or very foolish to determine who is saying the truth (and the whole truth). The President claims no one told him (Haven’t we heard that plea before?) as does the PM. On the other hand, we had UPFA MP Kumara Welgama tell parliament that “the intelligence units have sent the warning, which the police had forwarded to the Personal Security Officers of all MPs. So they knew. Now there is no point in playing the blame game and doing politics using this tragedy”. But one thing is clear – there has been a monumental stuff-up at the highest level, in the way the information received from the Indian Intelligence Services was handled. I suppose intelligence reports are useless if the recipients lack the intelligence to make proper use of them. Take, for instance, the IGP who is reported as having written to the Defence Secretary yesterday (?) saying how he had received confidential intelligence documents warning of a possible suicide attack, on April 9, and forwarded them on the same day with “necessary orders and instructions” to various DIGs etc, some 7 or 8 in number, categorising the letter as “Secret” and “Top Priority”. You cannot but ask why something so crucial and considered “Secret” should be conveyed by letter, which was bound to be seen by more people than the addressees. And given the urgency with which the matter should have been handled, and the small group involved, should the IGP not have asked the addressees of the letter to a meeting at his office where the matter should have been discussed in person and plans to deal with the threat, discussed?
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Mallaiyuran / April 25, 2019
Is anybody know what the path the official communication of an emergency warning has to take place so Ranil can feel satisfied and say ” Yes, it has reached me”. Please, I prefer a flowchart, because other methods are too complicated to me. If the flowchart going to be in more than 300 words of CT’s limit, please save it somewhere externality and give me the connection so here I can Read it.
(During height of waterboarding discussions Clinton was asked if that was moral. He said torture like waterboarding shouldn’t have any place in civilized human activities. But there still the question of what to do when the time bomb is ticking remains open”. Ranil seems to be having the question replied to Clinton. “Just tell them you didn’t get the note, what the heck are supposed to do if somebody didn’t pass you the note?” A word of Wise: God did not bring you with diaper or pants to this world; it is because to remind you that if you feel shame when your pants falls down, then you are not fit to live in this world. Otherwise, don’t doubt of his capability to wear a diaper, cover your shame and bring you here.” )
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