Rajiva Wijesinha

“ In such a context SLDF, if it is sincere in its criticism of the LTTE, should be glad that at last Sri Lanka has a government which is willing to take on the LTTE, and ensure that the terrorism SLDF attacks is crushed. At the same time no credit is given for the manner in which the Karuna faction, consisting of many individuals brutalized from childhood by LTTE practices, have now been brought into the political mainstream and are participating in electoral politics, something the LTTE always eschewed. ”

“ Without making odious comparisons, we must realize that slowness in what is often considered a model of justice, and what seems comparative impunity, as in the Abu Ghraib cases, are part and parcel of a system that insists on particular procedures and high standards of proof before conviction. ”

“ Certainly no government facing such power has as good a record as the Sri Lankan government and its armed forces, and the failure to appreciate the great regard shown for civilians, as compared with what occurs in conflicts elsewhere, it most regrettable. ”

“ The assertion of SLDF that authoritarianism is on the rise suggests complete ignorance of the current situation as well as of the sufferings of the past. First and foremost, the country has independent courts which have not hesitated to give verdicts against the government, in particular with regard to human rights applications. ”

“ Though the action might seem harsh, it must be seen in the context of bombs that had exploded and information received about the infiltration of the city by several suicide bombers. The ultimate responsibility of a government must be to all its citizens. Given a Supreme Court that has often found against the government, it may be assumed that generally the government does not violate fundamental rights, and that is will stand corrected when any agent does. ”

“ Failure by the State to address the grievances of minorities The second paragraph asserts that, following the abrogation of the Ceasefire and the subsequent pulling out of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, there has been a marked increase in the terrorizing of Tamil and Muslim communities. This smacks of wishful thinking, in a context in which repeated terrorist attacks have led to the deaths of dozens of Sinhalese civilians, though in at least one case a Tamil schoolboy was killed along with his Sinhalese mates when they were victims of a suicide bomber at a railway station. ”

“ The current government is determined to remedy the situation, and though many areas are still risky for return, it is hoped that soon these displaced persons will be restored safely, if they wish it, to their places of origin.
SLDF again propagates the LTTE myth that the closure of the A9 southward from Jaffna is a horrendous act of the government. That had to be closed because the LTTE, disguised as civilians, launched attacks on troop forward lines, in gross violation of the Ceasefire. No government can permit such risks to be repeated. ”

“ Shortcomings are not targeted specifically at minorities except in terms of information that must be acted upon in the context of terrorism, as to which precautionary measures are essential if the population at large is not to suffer. The incidents to which SLDF draws attention in Para 9 confirm the determination of the government to operate according to the law in enforcing security. ”

“ Arguments regarding the positive nature of these proposals are available elsewhere, but meanwhile it is absurd that the SLDF does not realize that these proposals will ensure the ‘substantial devolution of power to the regions’ that it advocates, and that such power will be available to areas in the North and East, that have not had elected representatives exercising any powers in those provinces for several years. ”