The horrible military killings at Ratupaswala are nothing but mean and horrible killings. Nothing in the military terminology or strategic manuals could ever justify the horrible acts that happened at Rathupaswala. If there is some decency left in the military establishment in Sri Lanka, the first step that should be taken is to arrest the commanding officers who were in charge of these brutal acts of murder and the assaults committed at Rathupaswala. Nothing less than the immediate arrest of the commanding officers would demonstrate that there is any sanity left in the military system in Sri Lanka. If the President, as the Commander in Chief of the armed forces, fails to have these officers arrested and brought before Court Martial for the horrible killings, he himself would be conniving with those who committed these horrible acts.
Brigadier Deshapriya
The people in the villages in Weliweriya are justifiably angry. The vast number of people that attended the funerals of the people who were brutally killed by the military itself shows how angry these people are. What answer has the government to all these people, as well as to all the people of Sri Lanka, who have seen this unspeakably low behavior of the military officers?
It is perhaps irrelevant to go into the history of the issue relating to the water contamination at this moment. Suffice it to say that people denied of water would rise in revolt anywhere in the world, for water and food are the stuff that people need in order to live. When the water they drink and use for other purposes is contaminated, people’s protests and even blocking roads in order to get attention are fully justified. The government should have acted long before people came to the road; they should have intervened and given people alternate ways to get water before anything else. A government that is not even able to provide drinking water cannot complain about people resorting to protest actions in order to get attention to the most basic of their needs.
However, the immediate issue is the behavior of Sri Lanka’s military under the command of some senior officers, who were sent to the spot to keep peace. What they in fact did is to behave worse than the worst of criminals. The price for their criminal behavior has been paid for by two school children and some others. The kind of injuries on the people who were assaulted by the military show the activity of madmen and not of any disciplined military.
The issue is as to how the Commander in Chief will respond. Will he not immediately arrest the commanding officers? Will he not demand that the commanding officers reveal all the details relating to the shooting? Who did the shootings that led to these deaths? How much ammunition has been issued and how much has been used? Anyone familiar with the military procedure that should have been observed can raise these questions. The question that the Commander in Chief should answer is whether all the soldiers who took part in this horrible crime should be not dismissed forthwith by the military. These are questions that should be answered first.
The question of justice needs to follow. However, any kind of ‘justice’ would be looked at with complete mistrust, and that would be quite justified if the Commander in Chief does not immediately arrest the commanding officers and take steps to bring them under court martial, together with the officers who did the shooting and other acts of violence at Rathupaswala.
*Statement by Asian Human Rights Commission
Park / August 6, 2013
Not only call for the arrest of the commanding officer, the secretary of defense too should vacate his position until a public inquiry is completed.
/
Amarasiri / August 6, 2013
Park,
People are disposable.
Four noble truths.
/
Jim softy / August 7, 2013
Amarasiri:
that is why the NINTH POPE, who was a woman, was dragged along the vatican streets and was killed.
Read the history of the Vatican.
Even her name is not in the history books of Vatican.
/
Ipod / August 7, 2013
‘Arrest The Commanding Officers’
You mean the CANNIBAL BROTHERS & CO.
We need the kill
Youth with the JVP excuse
Tamils with the Tiger excuse
Muslims with the Halal excuse
Natives with the Sinhala excuse
Mahayana with the Theravada excuse
/
Spring Koha / August 8, 2013
Don’t hold your breath!
/
dhammik a / August 6, 2013
dream on!!!!
/
Aney Apochchi! / August 6, 2013
dhammika:
You are right! To expect even elementary decency from the Rajapassas and their acolytes is like expecting ………….(you fill in the blanks)
/
DeecSooppan / August 6, 2013
They say all this bs “protestors attacked with petrol boms some shot” NOPE I DONT BELIEVE IT. Also Dayasiri you FROG you wanted to topple the government and you joined them becuase you got PAID. ANOTHER MONEY HUNGRY BITCH.
/
Wickramasiri / August 6, 2013
The Commander in Chief Mahinda Rajapaksa will not have the courage to arrest the officers concerned. The army has now become too powerful! How ironical!
/
Thiru / August 6, 2013
They are all in it together, if we were to use the terminology used by Rebecca Brooks in News of the World scandal.
They have no choice but continue with their modus operandi! There is no chance of anybody arresting anybody else.
/
Thiru / August 6, 2013
“Arrest The Commanding Officers’ – AHRC”
The commander in chief, the defense secretary, the 53rd? division and it’s command are allegedly involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war in 2009. It is a well known fact now. How can any one of them point the finger at another without the fear of spilling the beans? So the game goes on and on – scratching each others back.
Expecting anything sensible to be done by them is in vain.
I think these high-handed actions will go on till the gory end.
/
crazyoldmansl / August 6, 2013
Basil you idiot. The commission will find that the diaspora poured acid into the wells in the area and set up a peoples struggle with the help of the catholic church.
This was the LTTE rump in action.
/
James / August 6, 2013
An unfortunate incident has taken place …
therefore an inquiry is been held by several different intitutions…
Why is everyone so negative … in a “democratic” country there are systems and due process so let the due process take place and let the people know what the final outcome is..
The people who are making comments of arrest, resignation and other are no better than those who they are finding fault with.
/
Park / August 6, 2013
“Democratic Country”, which one Sri Lanka? Do you know what Democracy is James? At least Google the word “Democracy” and see what it means and then compare that to what is prevailing in Sri Lanka. Then you may be educated.
/
Wickramasiri / August 6, 2013
Please write and let us know when the “due process” results in a conclusion and what the outcome is. Please follow up strongly.
/
gamini / August 6, 2013
‘in a “democratic” country there are systems and due process so let the due process take place and let the people know what the final outcome is’.
James what you say is very true with regard to a Democratic country. Can you honestly and truthfully say Sri Lanka functions as a Democracy anymore under a Tsunami Fund Embezzler? Wat are the systems and due processes the MR govt. have adopted with reference the murders of Sheik Khuram? Madawela – PC member Kelaniya? Bharatha Lakshman? Freetrade Zone Employee? Lasantha Wickrematunge? Prageeth Eknaligoda? just to mention a few.
Please do not try to defend when some wrong is done. Also post comments for the sake of posting with no Logic, reasoning or understanding issues in the first place. Thank you.
/
mahela / August 6, 2013
Welikada Prison Massacre, Kahawatte murderds, Thangalla Murder/ rape case, DIG contract Killer, Colombo Harbour warhouse two Billion rupee loss sabotage fire, Colombo Kachcheri Fire,Deraniyagala tea estate murder,
http://www.ft.lk/2013/07/09/american-tea-firm-threatens-to-leave-over-estate-superintendents-murder
Many missing Journalists, reporters and ex. security and police personnel and VIP’s etc.
Still on record and looking for answers.
/
Native Vedda / August 7, 2013
mahela
The people are accustomed to blaming the state and its rulers for everything that goes wrong in this island.
You failed to mention the world’s humongous humanitarian operation to liberate Tamils from LTTE terrorists in 2009.
Surely you appreciate Mahinda clan’s leadership in the largest ever hostage rescue operation in which not a single innocent civilian was killed.
/
mahela / August 8, 2013
Native Vedda,
Is it why they barricaded the whole wanni and made it out of bounds for anybody after humaniterian and rescue operations.
Where are over 100,000 missing dead boddies burried.
Why were the refugees were kept inside Barbed wire fenses and not allowed International Inspectors and aid groups to have access to them.
Is the Humanitarian Operation the new word for mass Genocide….
Yes Humanitarian Operation came to Weliweriya last week.
/
Native Vedda / August 8, 2013
mahela
“Why were the refugees were kept inside Barbed wire fenses and not allowed International Inspectors and aid groups to have access to them.”
Why did you expect International Inspectors and aid groups to have priority access to those victims when their elected MP’s were denied the right to meet their people?
/
Silva / August 8, 2013
Mahela,
“..Yes Humanitarian Operation came to Weliweriya last week..”
In Rajapaksha Sri Lanka every heinous crime is a Humanitarian Operation! Rajapakshas will erect a water tank in Weliweriya area, pump in some dirty water to the affected households and would call it Rajapaksha Special!!!! The bloody fools in the country would gasp in owe and wonder and would run to the polling booth and vote for the Rajapakshas!!! This is the low level of uneducated bastard majority as well as of the Rajapakshas and their henchmen in the country!!! I wish this country remained a colony under British! None of the nasty things wouldn’t have happened then. You know, development is a very dangerous and destructive thing for the fool. For example, loudspeaker was a breakthrough discovery in electro-magnetism and audio technology. But look what the uneducated Buddhist monks in the country have done with it! They are causing a great noise pollution all over the country! None of the people who listen to what these temple loudspeakers blare would understand what Buddha said.
/
Silva / August 9, 2013
Sorry, not “owe” but “awe”.
/
srilal / August 6, 2013
James,
“therefore an inquiry is been held by several different intitutions”
First get your grammar right , above sentence is in passive voice (present continuous), so it must be ” BEING” not been ! Secondly yes in a democratic country due process takes place, question is , would you consider SL as a democratic country , if yes please tell Zimbabwe a democratic country for you ?
Only government paid stooges and its lackeys believe there will be an impartial inquiry, every one else knows the final out come before it starts.
/
James / August 12, 2013
Srilal – thank you for correcting my grammar… my spelling is even more atrocious
/
Chandra / August 7, 2013
James
I admire your confidence in the GOSL, that the systems and due process takes place and the people find the final outcome.
Perhaps, you would like to mention one “incident” when the due process of the law was adhered to and the people get to know the final outcome.
James- Need i say dont hold your breath.
/
Anura Mendis / August 10, 2013
In 2009 the angulana police illegally arrested 2 youth and subsequently murdered them.
4 of them including the OIC got the death sentence
There is your one instance there are many more.
/
James / August 12, 2013
Hi Chandra – you are quite right as well as some others who have commented … I do not plan on holding my breath… neither do I want to be the arm chair judge, jury and the excutioner
The situation has gone from bad to worse, with the help of the weak opposition .. Politically the citizens are still not mature in understanding the election process. We elect uneducated legislators how can we expect anything from them ?? Knowly we elect criminals .. how can we expect justice ??
We have People stand for election hoping to make money and for the perks of the office and not to serve the nation
Till we learn to vote responsibly we will continue to have these issues where Former DIG is a murder, the army shoots and kills its citizens, MP are drug dealers & deal in illegal trade and known associates of the underworld, so on and so forth.
This is the Sri Lanka we have today
/
Garusinghe / August 6, 2013
According to the constitution Jarapaksa I mean the Para-sident cannot be arrested. Arrest or not the punishment is guaranteed for the kalakanniyos
/
Kaliamma / August 6, 2013
Democratic Country !!!
You got to be dreaming
/
Taraki / August 6, 2013
We all have ideas about what should be done and who should take responsibility. In reality nothing will be done, a commission of enquiry will be appointed and the matter will fade away. Isn’t that so?
Isn’t that what happened when a mentally ill man was beaten and drowned by the police in Colombo; when 15 students were murdered in Trinco; when those Red Cross volunteers were killed….
Nothing will change until there is a general election or a revolution.
/
Pasel / August 6, 2013
You will hear the next news is the army officer promoted to a ambassador and escape the punishment this is the SL government tactics
/
Silva / August 7, 2013
This incident is the prototype of the Welikada Prison fiasco which was conspired and enacted by the Gankabarayos to secure the escape of murderers, convicts, suspects etc. that are acolytes and proxies of the Gankabarayos. They had committed innumerable crimes and murders on behalf of the Gankabarayos and since Sirani B had fallen off with them they feared their crimes will be divulged or extracted by the law enforcement authority of the country. The regime had rehearsed the plot several times by sending police/armed forces to the prison to search for drugs and other prohibited artifacts. The prisoner riots were a staged artificial maneuver and a considerable number of inmates were massacred to carry out the rescue of the regime happy convicts.
In Rathupaswala there were two containers of “sprits” that were used to produce illicit liquor by the factory owners which was done with the connivance of Gankabarayos. A worker in this factory stole some of the spirit and sold to a local illicit moonshine seller who produced a multitude of arrack and sold to villagers. But since he could not get the mixture right 20 of them who drank the concoct died! That pimp Mernyn first tried to hoodwink the protestors and then take the two containers out but failed. He then abused the people in filth and threatened them and told the police and army to “to whatever they liked to them”! That was that, what they liked to do to them-reenactment of Operation Nandikadhal where unarmed protestors whose inalienable birth rights had been violated were shot at in a shooting frenzy! And while the people were fleeing the scene to save their lives the two containers were taken out and transported to another “Rajapaksha den”!
It is claimed this factory has been there for 20 years out of which for 16 years they have dumped and discharged the poisonous waste into surrounding environment. First they discharged them to paddy fields but when problems arose they sold some of them to farmers as manure! When several of them became ill and died after handling this “manure” they found an unprecedented and hitherto not done by any human on this planet which is to dig a huge tube well claimed to be 100-200 feet deep and dumped the obnoxious poisonous waste direct into the Water Table of the earth!!!!!
When you set on fire an entire jungle or cut an entire population of trees in a jungle or even carry out sand and clay mining it causes no destruction to the precious resources of the earth at the level this heinous crime has caused to the earth. This years long contamination would not be removed from the Water Table even for centuries, some claim! This is what these Madamulana bloody bastards, uneducated and uncultured as they are, have do to us, to this country, to the earth, to the water, to the nature, to the life on earth!!! This is a crime no one has ever done before! I do not know whether the “law books” in the world have prescribed any penalty or punishment for this type of crime because it is never heard of before! This is a crime not only against humanity but against life, against earth, against nature! All those who were responsible for this, the Rajapakshas, the Dammika Perera, the factory workers, those officers in the environmental authority, Pradeshiya Saba, Health Officers et al who obtained bribes and were privy to this crime must be punished with the worst kind of punishment to set an example to others too who would be thinking of waste dumping in the Rajapaksha lines!
The world environmental bodies, Greenpeace Movement, UN and the like must intervene forthwith with this horrendous situation here and take steps to prevent recurrence of same. The only way to do this is to arrest the Rajapakshas, the murderers in their Gal Quarry Army and Pimp Police on charges of crimes against humanity, war crimes, environmental crimes and dismantle this regime and let a new democratic government come into being. That is the only thing the international community can do if they are at all serious.
/
Kalu Nangi / August 7, 2013
Thank you for enlightening the People…..This is a most heinous CRIME.
There will be retribution and we shall await that day!
/
mahela / August 8, 2013
Silva,
Thank you for bringing us these how illicit Rajapakse Mafia cartel operates.
We already know that Rajapakse Mafia business cartel has monopolised the Drug, Cocain, Ganja, Kasippu and Casino business in Sri Lanka.
They murdered and made the rivals disappear and now in control 100%.
These two containers could be part of that Illicit spirit containers that custom seized recently and then suddenly released.
Also it say’s that after Duminda’s return the drug business and drug use has increased in Kolonnawa. A large number of Kolonnawa and surrounding areas underground criminal gangs are into this Rajapakse drug mafia operation.
Very soon they are monopolising the Beef, chicken, Pork and goat business industry in Sri Lanka.
Halal and banning of cow slaughter and prohibition of meat are just the outside face saving show off cover up.
This is Rajapakse criminal Gang Military dictatorship and state terrorism.
/
Rakesh / August 7, 2013
Callum Mcray, Here is your chance! This is where you can produce your next film to depict to the world the crimes committed by the Rajapakshas! There will be lines and line of people who would describe the massacre committed by the Rajapaksha mercenaries!
/
kk / August 7, 2013
invitation is not enough spend more money from what you earn legally and illegally
/
Priya / August 7, 2013
Well people of Sri lanka have to decide whether they want to be under the murderous regime who can on one hand offer lotus flowers to buddha statues and from the other can spread bullets to kill innocent school children.Those poor parent havent broght up children to be slaughtered by murderess camouflaged in army uniforms.This is a total disgrace to the law abiding soldiers who sacrificed their valuable lives for the decades of war.We should sent this murder regime home and elect a law abiding government and should not let them off the hook after this crime.After all they are responsible for this crime and they should be punished.
/
Spring Koha / August 8, 2013
Priya,
Day by day, the people of SL are deciding and voting with their feet. Never mind our Tamil, Muslim and Burgher compatriots who were driven away, now more than at any time, our Sinhalese are taking flight, so much so that today there are more Singhalese in Europe than there were europeans in SL during the 450 years of colonial rule. And the exodus doesn’t look like abating.
/
Native Vedda / August 9, 2013
Spring Koha
“Never mind our Tamil, Muslim and Burgher compatriots who were driven away,”
This applies to my people as well.
What did make you to omit our plight?
/
Native Vedda / August 9, 2013
Priya
“Well people of Sri lanka have to decide whether they want to be under the murderous regime”
Next time around, the people being stupid will elect their representatives who are likely to be more murderous than murderers before them.
/
Dhaksha / August 7, 2013
Just like after the horrible attacks on Churches, Mosques, and Muslim business, once again the despicable rajapaksa and company limited, are silent on the massacre in Weliweriya. Silence speaks volumes where the rajapaksa’s are concerned. They behave like they do not exist at time like this, they are noticeably silent, not condemning, nor speaking out against brutal violence against helpless civilians. The silence is deafening, and leaves us only with one conclusion.
/
Kalu Malli / August 7, 2013
Issue an open international warrant on every officer that took part in the Weliweriya terror campaign.
/
Peter / August 7, 2013
“The question of justice needs to follow.”
Hahahahaha – that’ll be the day!!!
/
Jayantha / August 7, 2013
This Butcher Brigadier Deshapriya is a Genocidal criminal, a mass murderer and a human rights violater.
[Edited out]
He should be arrested and brought before International criminal court to face charges.
Also Defense Seretaty should be brought before International criminal court to face charges.
It’s time to send the Crazy Psycho lunatic Mass Murderers to Hague.
/
kk / August 8, 2013
What about your god Velu, we will send you to Hague on behalf Velu
/
Jim softy / August 7, 2013
Arrest The Commanding Officers’ – AHRC”
It is Like the Mahinda Rajapakse said yes to LLRC.
Do it and get screwed.
/
Peace Lover / August 7, 2013
Where is the carboard patriot Leela (K A Sumanasekera) comments now?
maybe he is busy looking to buy the contaminated lands of welweriya and have a proposed housing complex there hahahahahahaha
/
muji / August 8, 2013
Please don’t blame our KING. it is a part of Mahindha Chinthana.
Lets see how long
/
Wyatt K / August 8, 2013
This is a disgrace and Rajapaksa and his family should be run out of the country and sent to North Korea where they can have a government more to their liking…
/
qassim ben qassim / August 8, 2013
[Edited out]
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.
For more detail see our Comment policy
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/
/
kk / August 8, 2013
Brigadier Deshapriya
We salute you for eradicate LTTE terrorist from our land
/
gamini / August 9, 2013
kk the day you are eradicated by Deshapriya there will be none to salute. Remember that well. Unless we all salute.
/
Hopeless / August 9, 2013
Hey people wake up and accept the fact that we are under military rule behind the facade of a democratically elected president! Elections are only a stage play as most of our people are fools who fall for the lead actor/actors. However, what goes around comes around and we have to wait for that time as Sri Lankans forget so easily when given a bath packet and a bottle of arrack. Also dont forget the Raja-Passas have put fear into the masses and is that not enough?
/
Silva / August 9, 2013
Let this message be brought to every nook and corner of the country: parents, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters and friends, if your loved one is in the army recall him at once, order him to abandon this bloody shameful job which is now misused to protect the criminal Rajapaksha family in the country who are destroying this sacred land of ours which has been safeguarded for thousands of years by our forefathers. When the military might of the Rajapakshas is drained out and when that military personnel intermingle with the civilian forces there will be no one to protect the despot and his despotic journey will quickly come to an end.
/
Silva / August 9, 2013
Does anyone have an idea how to remove the contamination from the water table in the area, at least try to do something?
I have a suggestion. Dig a huge deep well in the factory site and secure its banks against collapse by building protecting walls. Lay a pipeline from it to the sea. Pump out the contaminated water that get collected in the well. This will have to be done for a long time may be. Especially during the rainy season we can sort of rinse the ground soil in the area. Any ideas?
/
Ranjith / August 12, 2013
AHRC
Pl check the other side of the story before jumping to conclusions. Otherwise you will look bloody fools.I understand some of the RED chaps were sacked at the factory for selling METHONEL from factory illegally without knowing the gravity of it. So many people in the area died.
Pleae get a translation of todays DIVAINA article by Manoj Abeydeera to study all aspects of the case. We cannot allow JVP thugs to run this country by thuggery. No factory should be allowed to be closed without proper investigation.
There can be some mis handling of the issue by the Govt. I happened to read the `DIVAINA` Sinhala newspaperr today. An article was the3re where the writer gives a full scale report on what happened.
You cannot close a factory just because some REDS want to do. Hayleys had got the factory established in 1994 after all approvals from Environment & BOI. Why did this contamination start. Because few months ago the company threw out 120 REDS for indiscilpine. They had surrounded the factory with the workers inside & was trying to burn the factory. Is this proper. Then rods were closed and traffic was disturbed and vehicles had to rustify for ocver 3 days. This is all REDS work.
That writer says that name `RATHUPASWELA` name was given to the area because the soil is RED. Agriculture Dept recommends pineapple cultivation there due to this low PH content.
This looks a planned attack by the REDS because of the grudge with company.
Petrol bombs that were brought for the destruction of the factory was thrown at the Forces. Govt. should catch hold these fellows and punish them legally.
Reds creat a mayhem and then run away bcause they plan the escape. Way side innocent people get into the catastrophy.
/