Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (Retd) Sarath Weerasekera said that Sri Lanka is the only country which has comprehensively defeated the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world.
The Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer said other countries must understand “my terrorist today may be your terrorist tomorrow.” Therefore, terrorism is not a norm of local or regional, and it is transnational and global.
There has to be a concerted effort on the part of the international community to address this menace. It is unfair for the UK led Core Group to embarrass us. He said, “Where were these so-called human rights organisations and Core Group countries when 300,000 Tamil people were kept as a human shield by the LTTE? Have they objected when 3,000 child soldiers were recruited by the LTTE?”
Excerpts
Q: JVP MP Vijitha Herath said that the egg-throwing attack targeting JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake was a politically motivated and organised attack. Would you like to comment?
A: The Police have started investigations regarding this. We vehemently condemn these types of attacks. This is not what should happen in a democratic country. Everybody should be able to express their views freely. We may have political differences and ideas. However, I will not allow law and order to be breached.
I have already given strict instructions to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to take firm action against all the culprits. They are in remand custody at the moment. We don’t know who has instigated the attack.
Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has also written to the President requesting a swift investigation into the attacks as his name had also been allegedly mentioned. He even condemned the attack at the Cabinet meeting. We will not permit to sweep this incident under the carpet.
Q: Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has said that they are left with no alternative but to turn to the international community to seek justice for victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Your comments?
A: With due respect to the Cardinal, I must mention as far as the Police is concerned, they have conducted investigations and submitted facts to the Attorney General (AG). He has already filed cases against the culprits. There are about 27 cases filed in several High Courts countrywide. With regard to 24 main culprits including Naufer Moulavi, there is a Trial at Bar appointed and the case is being heard daily.
We have done our best. I don’t know why there is a necessity to go to the international community, but anybody is free to do so. I must respectfully inform the Cardinal as far as our investigations are concerned, the Police have conducted investigations. They are watchful on extremists. We have arrested almost all the suspects who are directly involved in the Easter Sunday attacks. If somebody is talking about the Presidential Commission, it has mentioned the names of some people including former President Maithripala Sirisena for the Attorney General to take action.
It is up to the AG to take action regarding those who have been implicated in the Presidential Commission report. There were several committees and investigations conducted in connection with this incident such as the Parliamentary Select Committee, Presidential Commission, Sectoral Oversight Committee as well as investigations carried out by the CID and Terrorism Investigation Division (TID). The cases have been filed following the recommendations by these committees.
About one month ago, there were nine cases filed at five High Courts including Kandy, Kurunegala, Puttalam and Kegalle.
Several other cases have also been filed. That means all the people who are connected to this incident directly and indirectly have been taken into custody. The AG has filed cases against them. It is up to the judiciary to punish the culprits. When things are going on like this, what is the necessity for anybody to complain? It is the former Yahapalana Government which is held responsible for those Easter Sunday terror attacks and not the present Government.
Q: Concerns have been raised over the ongoing investigations into the detection of a grenade at All Saints’ Church in Borella recently. What is the progress with regard to the investigations?
A: The investigations are going on. We have found who was instrumental in the incident and took that hand grenade. However, the church is finding fault with the Police for apprehending a Tamil person who works in the church. For example, the Police went there and conducted an inquiry.
When we inquired about the CCTV cameras, we could see that person was taking the hand grenade and keeping it on the altar. The bomb had been adjusted by removing its pin. When we checked his room, cello tapes used to rap the bomb were found, and he was arrested by the Police. However, all the suspects arrested will not be found guilty. All the suspects arrested will not be released. We have only arrested a person with suspicion. Nobody can say it is wrong to arrest somebody with suspicion. We have not concluded the investigations. Therefore, it is wrong to level allegations against the Police.
When the backups were brought to the Police and investigations were commenced on January 11, the name of another person in connection with the incident was exposed around 9.30 am on the same day. As a result, the Police investigations were reversed back four to five days. Otherwise, we would have found all the details about the incident. When this incident was revealed in the media, it got delayed for us to apprehend the culprits. When a crime is exposed by the media, the culprits can vanish.
Q How is the Government’s readiness for the upcoming UNHRC sessions in Geneva?
A: It is obvious that we have been deliberately targeted by the UNHRC. All these started as a result of the Report of the OHCHR investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) in 2014. Then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Al Hussein had been given the investigation powers, and he charged us based on eight accounts.
That is for violation of humanitarian laws and human rights laws. During the tenure of the former Yahapalana Government, then Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera accepted that with appreciation and co-sponsored the infamous 30/1 resolution against us which was based on the OISL report. That is why I went to Geneva on my own accord with the help of the Global Sri Lankan Forum and local patriots and gave solid information by rebutting all these charges leveled against us within a very limited time that I was allocated.
I submitted reports compiled by six world renowned ‘war crime experts’ such as Sir Desmond de Silva QC, Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, Prof. Michael Newton, Prof. Michael Crane, Rodney Dixon QC and Major General John Holmes. They have given clear reports that we have not committed any ‘war crimes’. Then why only this type of attitude is towards us.
For example, Army Commander General Shavendra Silva, Major General Chagie Gallage (Retd) and Major General Udaya Perea (Retd) are denied their visa. What are the charges against them? What is the legality and logic behind it? That is very wrong.
We have rejected several reports sent by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet. We must continue to reject these allegations with facts. We are the only country which has comprehensively defeated the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world. All these countries must understand “My terrorist today may be your terrorist tomorrow.”
Therefore, terrorism is not a norm of local or regional, and it is transnational and global. There has to be a concerted effort on the part of the international community to address this menace. It is unfair for the UK led Core Group to embarrass us in this manner. I can remember when I was in Geneva, then UK Prime Minister Theresa May said that she will go to the extent of even amend the human rights laws when it comes to the protection of her soldiers fighting against terrorism.
This is how some of these Western Leaders act. You can’t justify terrorism and you have to crush it. That is why there is peace in the country. Where were these so-called human rights organisations when 300,000 Tamil people were kept as human shield by the LTTE? Where were the UK and the Core Group countries at that time? Have they objected when 3,000 child soldiers were recruited by the LTTE? What did they do? As the Public Security Minister, I would like to say this is very unfair. We must not allow this to happen, and they can’t bully us like this.
Q: Some international media have speculated that Sri Lanka is heading towards a food crisis. Is there any truth in this?
A: There won’t be any food crisis in the country. We are an agricultural country. If we grow something, definitely it grows. Our country will never face any food crisis. Action has been taken by the ministries to address this issue. It is also discussed at the Cabinet meetings every time.
Q: UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that Sri Lanka should seek IMF assistance to overcome the current economic crisis in the country. Has this matter been discussed at the Cabinet?
A: That is entirely up to the Finance Ministry. They are the ones who are handling the economy. They know better than anybody else. If we take money from the IMF, we have to follow certain guidelines.
We are subjected to very strict restrictions and conditions. We have to come to a compromise and see whether we are subject to those conditions and go to the IMF or we stand on our own and try to manage our economy. The Finance Minister will take a decision regarding that.
Q: Sri Lanka marked the first anniversary of its state Covid-19 vaccination drive on January 29. How do you view the success of our vaccination program?
A: We are one of the very few countries which have successfully controlled the Covid-19 pandemic, even better than the developed countries. Even though we are not producing the Covid-19 vaccine, nearly 100 percent of the target population has been vaccinated with the first dose and 94 percent have received the second dose.
Over 5 million people have received the booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. The credit must go to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who has personally taken that initiative to protect the lives of our people. The people must appreciate that. I don’t see any of the Opposition parties appreciate the move. The lives of the people are more important than anything else. The credit must go to the President for taking such an initiative.
The President along with other institutions has been able to manage the pandemic well. We are among one of the first five countries which have successfully conducted the vaccination program.
Q Is there any issue within the Government as some coalition party leaders express contradictory views to the media?
A: They are different political parties. They have the freedom to express their views. But when it comes to decision making, they all must support the decisions by the Government. Until such a decision is taken, they are free to criticise or express their views. That is true democracy. The President has given that freedom to everybody.
However, once a decision is taken, everybody must abide by that because that decision is taken after taking into consideration all the facts.
If somebody doesn’t want to adhere to those accepted norms, they can quit the Government and do so. There is no threat to the stability of the Government. Everybody should extend their support to the Government.
Then only we can successfully move forward as we have planned. We have a few more years to go. As the President said at the inauguration of the second session of ninth Parliament, within these three years, we must try to do whatever which had been neglected to do during the past two years due to the pandemic.