Yoshitha Rajapaksa and Charles Anthony Prabhakaran – Upul Joseph Fernando

Yoshitha

( Prabhakaran with Charles Anthony)

03/02/2016

A glance at a decade in the past records that Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, Yoshitha joined the Sri Lanka Navy in December 2006. When Yoshitha joined the Navy, Mahinda proudly announced that unlike other world leaders, he had given his son to fight the war to protect the country. The Maha Sangha was full of praise for Mahinda hailing him as a true patriot. When Mahinda gave his son to the Navy, Prabhakaran’s son, Charles Anthony was already fighting the war against the Sri Lankan troops in the jungles of Vanni. Prabhakaran put his son into action when Mahinda launched a do or die battle following the breakdown in peace talks through Norway mediation. It was reported that Charles Anthony rendered yeoman service to the LTTE being in charge of LTTE air strikes.

According to a recent confession by Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP, Charles Anthony had spoken to KP and had requested him to take his father, mother, sister and the younger brother to a safe location overseas. Charles Anthony had reported to KP that his (Charles Anthony’s) father, Prabhakaran had turned down repeated requests by him (Charles Anthony) to leave the North and seek safety overseas. However, Prabhakaran’s determination to stay in the battlefield in the face of defeat with his son Charles Anthony fighting the war demonstrated the commitment of Prabhakaran to his organization. Finally, the military found the body of Charles Anthony killed in the war.
In contrast, Mahinda used the issue of giving Yoshitha to the Navy for political gains. Yoshitha was never sacrificed to fight the war to save the country. The whereabouts of Yoshitha during the war was unknown. There was no sign or indication that Yoshitha ever stepped into the territory of the war. After the Maithri-Ranil Government was set up, a three-member committee was appointed to inquire as to what Yoshitha did during that period. When the findings of that committee are analyzed or scrutinized closely, it is clear that Prabahakaran though being a terrorist leader had not betrayed his community. Contrary to the stand of Prabhakaran, Mahinda’s bogus patriotism is crystal clear when the findings of that committee are read.

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