Falsehood will be laid to rest - Defence Secy

Sandasen MARASINGHE

*Allegations aimed at discrediting Sri Lanka

*Fails to bear scrutiny

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said that the falsehood created by the LTTE’s international propaganda machinery together with some in the Tamil Diaspora will be laid to rest with the publication of the Humanitarian Operation Factual Analysis enabling the world to conclude beyond any doubt that the humanitarian operation was just. He made this observation at the launching ceremony of the report titled Humanitarian Operation Factual Analysis July 2006 - May 2009 at the Hilton Hotel yesterday.

The Defence Secretary said that the purpose of this report that has been compiled by the Defence Ministry is to set out the factual background and operational context, which brought peace to Sri Lanka by liberating the people from brutal terrorism of the LTTE in May 2009, against which baseless allegations have been leveled.

Defence Secretary Rajapaksa in connection with one such allegation that Security Forces killed or gravely mistreated the civilians who surrendered to the forces, questioned as to why they level false allegations to a government that extended care to even the families directly linked to the LTTE, former LTTE cadres themselves and even the parents of LTTE leader Prabakaran, and that of the so called LTTE political wing leader Thamil Chelvan and the leader of the Sea Tiger wing Soosai.

The Defence Secretary also said that these distorted allegations have been repeated loudly and repeated often by parties with vested interests, but it is not an accusation that stands up to scrutiny. He added that the sole purpose of these allegations is to discredit Sri Lanka and disrupt the prevailing peace in the country.

He also said that it is extremely unfortunate that there are some who get swayed by such malign and absurd accusations instead of paying attention to the facts. He added that they have got carried away by the media hysteria generated by LTTE apologists, and have neglected to verify the true picture for themselves.

The Defence Secretary said that by the end of the humanitarian operation, more than 11,000 LTTE cadres surrendered. “Five hundred and ninety five child soldiers who surrendered were reunited with their families within one year, while over 6,100 adult cadres were rehabilitated and released by June 2011.” He added that most of the remaining cadres were undergoing further rehabilitation programmes and will be reintegrated to society when they are ready.

External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris also spoke. Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, ministers, members of parliament, ambassadors and high commissioners, secretaries to ministries, Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonetileke, Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, Air Force Commander Air Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama and Navy Commander Vice Admiral Somathilake Dissanayake also participated.