President under pressure over Defence Secretary’s ‘war heroes’ remarks

By Gagani Weerakoon-JAN 27 2019

President Maithripala Sirisena was still hero-worshipping his Philippines counterpart Rodrigo Duterte when he vowed not to change the decision to impose capital punishment for drug traffickers while declaring the National Drug Prevention Week at the Vidyananda Maha Vidyalaya, Mulliyawalai, Mullaitivu.
As the President was speaking in the North, his Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando was attending a felicitation ceremony organised by his alma mater Nalanda College, Colombo at which he dropped a bombshell.

Noting that no military personnel is above the law of the country, Fernando said that if any soldier commits a crime, he will be tried before a court of law and meted out maximum punishment.

“The day a war hero goes and commits murder, he is no longer a war hero. He is then only a murderer. He has to be brought before Sri Lankan law and given maximum punishment in Sri Lankan Courts,” he said.

The Defence Secretary was basically setting the pitch to declare that 11 military personnel who were involved in a brutal murder that shook the country in the recent past will be prosecuted within next two weeks.

 “Once this happens, the so-called Diaspora that accuses the Sri Lankan Government of doing nothing against military personnel, who had acted in an unacceptable and ruthless manner, will have no more to say. We also urge them to provide us with proof against any military person who is alleged to have violated human rights or conducted himself in a cruel manner, so that we can take legal action against them,” he further said.

He also said that the Government has decided to suspend all licences issued for 9mm pistols and revolvers with immediate effect.

“There are about 4,700 such licences issued but there is no proper method to ascertain on what basis those were issued. All such licences will be suspended and new licences should be obtained from the Ministry of Defence from tomorrow (Wednesday 23), by producing the weapon to the Defence Ministry,” he added.

According to Fernando, only about 1,000 licence holders have the weapon in their possession.

“The rest of licence holders do not have the weapon with them. We have received information that some individuals keep around 17 pistols and revolvers in their possession. A recent intelligence report indicated that most of these weapons are now with underworld and the licence bearer is paid about Rs 50,000 per each day such weapon is kept with underworld figures. This is extremely dangerous and alarming situation,” Fernando noted.

There have been six incidents of shooting, in the first three weeks of 2019, in which four persons were killed.

However, according to political sources UPFA parliamentary group, especially those who were in the Joint Opposition, have expressed their concerns over Fernando’s remarks.

Several MPs including Wimal Weerawansa have brought the matter up with the President and called for an inquiry on Fernando’s remarks stating this will result in alienating Sinhala Buddhist voters from the party.

It is highly unlikely that Defence Secretary Fernando made such explosive remarks without having any evidence in hand or without the knowledge of Commander-in- Chief, President Sirisena.

The wedding  

Youngest son of Opposition Leader and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa , Rohitha Rajapaksa (Chichi) tied the knot with his long-time girlfriend Tatyana Lee at a simple yet elegant wedding ceremony at Rajapaksa’s home in Weeraketiya.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe being the guest of honour made the wedding more political than private. Wickremesinghe flew to Weeraketiya in a helicopter after attending to official work in the morning at Temple Trees. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s biggest critic who often engages in scathing political attacks on him, Minister Mangala Samaraweera too, accompanied Prime Minister Wickremesinghe in the chopper to the wedding with his colleagues Ministers Sagala Ratnayake, Kabir Hashim and Ranjith Maddumabandara.  Minister Malik Samarawickrema did not attend the wedding due to a confusion over the invitation and Minister Lakshman Kiriella too, remained in Colombo as he had to perform his duties as the Leader of the House in the absence of the Prime Minister.

Social media went viral with photos leaked from the wedding and each photo followed with political memes created.

The guests were welcomed with thembili (king-coconut) and herbal drinks (belimal and ranawara) which were followed with a vegetarian lunch. The dishes, desserts and sweets were all made by neighbours in Weeraketiya village giving an exciting experience to those who were from the cities and especially to invited foreign dignitaries.

Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa had been in-charge of the king-coconut counter where he was seen encouraging guests to drink.
UPFA MPs Wimal Weerawansa, Dullas Alahapperuma, Mahindananda Aluthgamage and few others reached the counter and were teasing about the new role Gotabaya had undertaken.

When Aluthgamage invited him for a group selfie while having thembili, Rajapaksa (Gotabaya) had quickly grabbed a king-coconut and posed for the picture prompting Aluthgamage to say: “Oh, now you too acts like politicians and pose.” Rajapaksa too, responded teasingly that he was getting into the mode.

Even though the family was present during the Poruwa Ceremony, Basil Rajapaksa was not seen around. While many wondered what led to his absence, he made a late appearance. He (Basil) was also seen as attesting witness at MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena’s daughter’s wedding on the same day which was held at the Shangri-la Hotel in Colombo.

U.S. Naval base  

JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake on Tuesday (22) in Parliament questioned if the Government by bringing in naval ships and aircraft into commercially active locations are planning to enter into an agreement named SOFA (State of Forces Agreement) with America. He questioned the stance of the Government on the threat posed to our national security as a result.

Ratnayake’s question follows remarks made by General Secretary of the SLFP, Dayasiri Jayasekara on the 18 January raising concern over U.S. military activities taking place in Sri Lanka.

He added that soldiers and military equipment will be brought into the country through this agreement. He further said that the immunity enjoyed by US diplomats in Sri Lanka will be extended to these soldiers as well.

MP Jayasekara went on to claim that preparations are underway to give away the East Container Terminal of the Colombo Port in order to please America. He questioned the fate of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity when a naval base is also to be established in Trincomalee.

The US Navy announced in December 2018, the setting up of what it called logistic hub in Sri Lanka to secure support, supplies and services at sea.

Taking advantage of a growing naval partnership with Sri Lanka, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) established a logistics hub in Sri Lanka to receive support, supplies and services at sea.

A C-2 Greyhound carrier onboard delivery aircraft accessed the hub’s strategic location before bringing supplies to John C. Stennis. Established on a temporary basis in the island nation, the hub provides logistics support to US Navy ships operating in the Indian Ocean.

The temporary air logistics hub concept allows for a use of an airstrip and storage facilities to receive large-scale shipments to move out in various directions in smaller shipments, allowing ships to continue operating at sea by receiving the right material at the right place and time. The hub can also be established to provide expeditionary logistics support during humanitarian and disaster relief missions (HADR).

“The primary purpose of the operation is to provide mission-critical supplies and services to U.S. Navy ships transiting through and operating in the Indian Ocean,” said Lt. Bryan Ortiz, John C. Stennis’ stock control division officer. “The secondary purpose is to demonstrate the U.S. Navy’s ability to establish a temporary logistics hub ashore where no enduring US Navy logistics footprint exists.”

The air logistics hub was first operated in August 2018 when USS Anchorage (LPD 23) visited Trincomalee and supported the Essex Amphibious Ready Group as it transited the western boundary of the 7th Fleet area of operations.

“The log hub is a great opportunity to leverage private industry in Sri Lanka to enhance the U.S. Navy’s operational reach,” said Lt. Austin Gage, 7th Fleet Logistics Readiness Cell chief. “We are generating standard operating procedures to optimise our supply chain to be more agile and mobile and utilise strategic locations in the Indian Ocean.”

Building the necessary logistical footprint requires cooperation from all sides of the operation.

“In addition to the deployed team, we have had excellent support from the fantastic professionals at the supporting agencies: Naval Supply Systems Command, Commander, Naval Air Forces, US Embassy staff; this has truly been a global effort,” said Gage. “The Sri Lankan people have been incredibly hospitable hosts as we work on this shared endeavour.”

John C. Stennis Sailors play a major role in expanding the logistics hub concept. Moving forward, the team hopes to set a logistical standard for US Navy vessels operating in the Indian Ocean.

“The cumulative efforts of numerous stakeholders to facilitate the logistics hub in Sri Lanka will pay dividends for all future transiting units in addition to making our Navy more sustainable and a more formidable force throughout the Pacific theatre,” said Lt. Cmdr. Frederick Espy, Commander Task Force 70 Maintenance, Material, Logistics, Readiness representative.

Concerns were raised once again in Parliament in this regard with EPDP Leader Douglas Devananda questioning the Government if there was a move for the establishment of a US military base in Trincomalee, through a special statement.

The Government dismissed the allegations that the United States of America (USA) is planning to set up a military base in Trincomalee saying that US had not indicated any interest or any desire to establish a military base in Trincomalee or in any other part of Sri Lanka.

Leader of the House Minister Lakshman Kiriella said: “Our two countries have an excellent multifaceted bilateral relationship. In a regional and global context, Sri Lanka and the USA are committed to building an open and resilient Indo-Pacific region, where all countries can prosper. We are committed to protect international laws, safeguards and standards, and work to protect the sovereignty of our nations as well.”

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said that those who tried to topple the Government and were unsuccessful now try to spread malicious and false reports. We have already made our stance on the matter clearly. “If anyone wants, we even can give them a debate on the matter as well,” he added.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in an official statement announced the U.S. Navy will perform a transfer operation to move cargo between planes at Bandaranaike International Airport outside Colombo from 21 to 29 January.
 This is part of a larger temporary cargo transfer initiative that promotes Sri Lanka's efforts to become a regional hub for logistics and commerce.  The January transfers will contribute approximately 25 million Sri Lankan Rupees to the country’s economy.

This is the third iteration of the temporary cargo transfer initiative.  It follows two successful transfers that took place in August 2018 at Bandaranaike International Airport and Trincomalee and in December 2018 at Bandaranaike International Airport.

“Sri Lanka's leaders have outlined their vision for the country’s regional engagement that reflects its location at the nexus of the Indo-Pacific and seizes the opportunities that this unique position presents,” said U.S. Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz.  “We are happy to support this vision through a range of mutually beneficial initiatives, such as contracting Sri Lankan services and goods to support U.S. military and commercial vessels that often transit the Indo-Pacific’s busy sea lanes.”

 Under the initiative, several U.S. naval aircraft are scheduled to land and depart from the commercial airport, bringing in a variety of non-lethal supplies.  The supplies will be transferred between planes and then flown to the U.S.S. John C. Stennis at sea.  Supplies may include personal mail for sailors, paper goods, spare parts and tools, and other items.  No cargo, military equipment, or personnel associated with this initiative will remain in Sri Lanka after the completion of the cargo transfer.

U.S.-Sri Lanka security cooperation encompasses a variety of joint exercises and training that has developed the skills and interoperability of both countries.  This cooperation was designed by both countries to address our mutual security interests, such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and maritime domain awareness.