'LTTE was biggest security threat in post independence SL'

Sarath MALALASEKERA

The book titled "The dream State of Prabhakaran" - The Rise and Fall of the LTTE authored by former Inspector General of Police Dr. Mahinda Balasuriya has identified terrorism unleashed by the LTTE as the biggest security threat to Sri Lanka during the post independence period, said University Grants commission chairman Prof. Gamini Samaranayake delivering the keynote address at the launching of the book at the Senior Police Officers' Mess on Monday.

Prof. Samaranayake, who was the chief guest at the launching ceremony of the book, said the author has analyzed the role of India and Norway and very briefly the role of the Media in the chapter, the socio-economic and political impact of the conflict. It is the only terrorist organization which killed many national and regional political leaders in the modern world.

The policy of counter action of the government from the begining to the end of the conflict which gives insights to the obstacles in addressing insurrection and terrorism and lessons learnt are implicit and sometimes explicit. Prof. Samaranayake emphasised that the gist of the argument of the book is in the context of terrorism, at the expense of civil liberty.

'The State is held accountable to fulfilling the rights of the many rather than a few who deny the rights of the many. This is the dilemma that we are facing as the rights of a few who denied the rights of the many are not held accountable instead the reverse to happening'. Prof. Samaranayake quoting Prof. Rohan Gunaratna, an international expert of the subject, said that he has given an insightful foreword to the book.

Inspector General of Police N K Illangakoon, Prof. JSK Jayasekera, Associate Prof. Lakshman Alles, Media Centre for National Security Director General Lakshman Hulugalla, Dr. Nimalasiri Wickremasinghe, Senior Officers attached to the Indian Embassy and Police Officers also participated.