SPUR blames UNP for security lapses

In a hard-hitting letter issued yesterday the Australian-based Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights (SPUR) has blamed the Ranil Wickremesinghe regime for lapses in security that led to the assassination of many defenders of the nation, including Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

SPUR President, Dr. Dasarath Jayasuriya said in the open letter: "It is rather deceitful for the UNP to lament the shortcomings or lapses of security for VVIPs when they played into the hands of the murderous LTTE having signed a flawed MoU, by dropping the guard through the removal of checkpoints, thereby allowing these terrorists to move in their pistol gang, suicide bombers and other assassins into all parts of Sri Lanka.

"Needless to say that the Nation's security was further compromised by the UNP administration which blew the lid of the LRRP unit, resulting in the brutal hunting down and killing of key security intelligence personnel by the LTTE."

Here are excerpts from the open letter sent to the UNP:

"We refer to the belated statement issued by the United National Party and welcome the condemnation of the assassination and the emphasis on the need to speedily bring the perpetrators to justice.

However, we find it deplorable that the UNP thought it fit to give any credence whatsoever to unfounded perceptions to the effect that the late Kadirgamar had been sympathetic to the Karuna Group, thereby making him a target of the dastardly Tiger Terrorists.

Is the UNP attempting to give voice to Tiger opinion and indirectly justify such actions by this terrorist group ? Whereas the whole nation was aware that long before the split within the LTTE, these terrorists had vowed to eliminate all of the moderate Tamil leaders including the late Kadirgamar as traitors to their separatist cause of breaking up Sri Lanka by force of arms.

The UNP has today become the least trusted party in the country. We call on the UNP to mend their ways and refrain from making utterances of a hurtful nature especially when the nation is bidding farewell to a deeply respected patriotic leader whose integrity was beyond reproach."