Anyone can complete a war spending huge money...
UNP Parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella speaking to LAKBIMAnEWS said that none of the UNPers undermined the war victories at any point of time. This sounded suprising to us -- and we asked him about it...
By Shyamajith Fonseka
What is the UNP stance regarding the victory against the LTTE?
We greatly appreciate the phenomenal effort made by the three armed forces that joined hands in order to bring about this victory. I must say that the UNP was always against terrorism and we fully appreciate the fact that the LTTE has been finally decimated. We have no necessity to sympathize with them as they have killed a number of senior UNP politicians. We lost the 2005 presidential election because of the support LTTE gave the government to come to power. The government on the other hand, has resorted to all types of things under the guise of the war: killing opposition politicians, journalists, abducting prominent personalities etc. We urge the government to take steps to once again establish the rule of law and order in the country. I wish to also say that the 17th Amendment is observed in the breach.
The UNP has blasted the military operation on many occasions. This has been going on from the time Toppigala was liberated, although you now say that the UNP was in favour of the war effort?
I don’t agree with you. We didn’t blast the military operations at any time. But you must understand that there is a big difference between military operations and government ‘operations’. We have clearly opposed the dirty tactics adopted by the government under the guise of the war. We can’t accept the irresponsible behaviour of the state media and even some of the other private media. We never got a single chance on state media to explain our position with regard to the war. We were completely boycotted by almost all radio channels and even the newspapers in the past three years. The media turned out to be solely the government’s propaganda machine.
Whatever you may now say, it has been proved in no uncertain terms that you made a comment saying “every donkey can carry out a war”. What have you to say?
I wish to categorically state that at no point of time did I ever mention a single word about the three forces at the press conference where I am supposed to have mentioned about the forces --- and about any donkey being able to carry out the war. The state media willfully distorted my comments and gave it a twist. The media telecast an edited version and used only two words of which I spoke. I have stressed that bringing about peace is more difficult than fighting a war. Anyone can complete a war by spending huge amounts of money. But establishing peace is more difficult. Now there is a huge challenge the government is faced with, in establishing peace in a post war situation.
It is reported that Ravi Karunanayake also undermined the military operations and made it known in parliament, and his comments (alimankada/Pamankada) are now stuff of lurid legend
I can’t comment on Ravi’s statements.
I am trying to clarify a point. You must answer my question. I want to know whether the media was responsible in manipulating some of the statements made by the UNPers .If this is the situation isn’t it disadvantageous to the party ?
I was not in parliament at the time Ravi Karunanayake is supposed to have made this statement.
But you must have seen it on TV?
Yes my view is that the state media has deliberately distorted that statement. They telecast such statements in order to hit at the UNP. I can assure that not a single UNPer would have undermined the war effort. The state media and some private media have edited our official statements; thus discrepancies have obviously crept in distorting the official statement. For instance they edit our 30 minute statement to two or three second clips. Then they manipulate it against us. This is very unfair by us.
Your leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has made some controversial statements with regard to the war. He once said that “Toppigala was only a jungle.”
Yes he did say that Toppigala was a huge expanse of jungle, but he has never undermined the war victory. He said that since Toppigala was a jungle, it was deserted, and even General Sarath Fonseka admitted that in a TV interview. The government does not permit us to talk about the war. It is as if the war is the sole prerogative of the government.
Earlier you said that the government allowed the LTTE to flee from the Eastern province to the North with their weapons. What do you say today?
No I deny it. I said that LTTE cadres fled from the Eastern province due to the suppression of our armed forces. All of us knew that the LTTE has fled from their territories due to heavy attacks by the troops. That’s what I said, nothing else.
What is the UNP’s share in the victory?
I have to say that the LTTE’s downfall came with Karuna Amman’s pullout. Karuna opened his mind after the CFA in 2000. From then on Karuna was agitating to move out from the LTTE But we couldn’t use that Karuna factor to our advantage because our government collapsed soon after. Fortunately for this government, the Karuna factor was put to good use.
There are ample accusations that the UNP assisted the LTTE to gain ground after the CFA in 2000? What is your view?
Some people accuse the UNP of committing this crime but that is not true. The LTTE in its thirty year history became strong under various presidents. It is unfair to point an accusing finger at only the UNP.
Do you believe that democracy is practised to the fullest extent in this country?
I don’t dispute the fact that democracy has not been fully observed but you tell me which government that has been or is in power practices democracy? Anyway in this case there is a valid excuse because they were fighting a ruthless terror outfit. Even during the Second World War democracy went to the dogs. But we urge the government to establish democracy as soon as possible.
UNP Parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella speaking to LAKBIMAnEWS said that none of the UNPers undermined the war victories at any point of time. This sounded suprising to us -- and we asked him about it...
What is the UNP stance regarding the victory against the LTTE?
We greatly appreciate the phenomenal effort made by the three armed forces that joined hands in order to bring about this victory. I must say that the UNP was always against terrorism and we fully appreciate the fact that the LTTE has been finally decimated. We have no necessity to sympathize with them as they have killed a number of senior UNP politicians. We lost the 2005 presidential election because of the support LTTE gave the government to come to power. The government on the other hand, has resorted to all types of things under the guise of the war: killing opposition politicians, journalists, abducting prominent personalities etc. We urge the government to take steps to once again establish the rule of law and order in the country. I wish to also say that the 17th Amendment is observed in the breach.
The UNP has blasted the military operation on many occasions. This has been going on from the time Toppigala was liberated, although you now say that the UNP was in favour of the war effort?
I don’t agree with you. We didn’t blast the military operations at any time. But you must understand that there is a big difference between military operations and government ‘operations’. We have clearly opposed the dirty tactics adopted by the government under the guise of the war. We can’t accept the irresponsible behaviour of the state media and even some of the other private media. We never got a single chance on state media to explain our position with regard to the war. We were completely boycotted by almost all radio channels and even the newspapers in the past three years. The media turned out to be solely the government’s propaganda machine.
Whatever you may now say, it has been proved in no uncertain terms that you made a comment saying “every donkey can carry out a war”. What have you to say?
I wish to categorically state that at no point of time did I ever mention a single word about the three forces at the press conference where I am supposed to have mentioned about the forces --- and about any donkey being able to carry out the war. The state media willfully distorted my comments and gave it a twist. The media telecast an edited version and used only two words of which I spoke. I have stressed that bringing about peace is more difficult than fighting a war. Anyone can complete a war by spending huge amounts of money. But establishing peace is more difficult. Now there is a huge challenge the government is faced with, in establishing peace in a post war situation.
It is reported that Ravi Karunanayake also undermined the military operations and made it known in parliament, and his comments (alimankada/Pamankada) are now stuff of lurid legend
I can’t comment on Ravi’s statements.
I am trying to clarify a point. You must answer my question. I want to know whether the media was responsible in manipulating some of the statements made by the UNPers .If this is the situation isn’t it disadvantageous to the party ?
I was not in parliament at the time Ravi Karunanayake is supposed to have made this statement.
But you must have seen it on TV?
Yes my view is that the state media has deliberately distorted that statement. They telecast such statements in order to hit at the UNP. I can assure that not a single UNPer would have undermined the war effort. The state media and some private media have edited our official statements; thus discrepancies have obviously crept in distorting the official statement. For instance they edit our 30 minute statement to two or three second clips. Then they manipulate it against us. This is very unfair by us.
Your leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has made some controversial statements with regard to the war. He once said that “Toppigala was only a jungle.”
Yes he did say that Toppigala was a huge expanse of jungle, but he has never undermined the war victory. He said that since Toppigala was a jungle, it was deserted, and even General Sarath Fonseka admitted that in a TV interview. The government does not permit us to talk about the war. It is as if the war is the sole prerogative of the government.
Earlier you said that the government allowed the LTTE to flee from the Eastern province to the North with their weapons. What do you say today?
No I deny it. I said that LTTE cadres fled from the Eastern province due to the suppression of our armed forces. All of us knew that the LTTE has fled from their territories due to heavy attacks by the troops. That’s what I said, nothing else.
What is the UNP’s share in the victory?
I have to say that the LTTE’s downfall came with Karuna Amman’s pullout. Karuna opened his mind after the CFA in 2000. From then on Karuna was agitating to move out from the LTTE But we couldn’t use that Karuna factor to our advantage because our government collapsed soon after. Fortunately for this government, the Karuna factor was put to good use.
There are ample accusations that the UNP assisted the LTTE to gain ground after the CFA in 2000? What is your view?
Some people accuse the UNP of committing this crime but that is not true. The LTTE in its thirty year history became strong under various presidents. It is unfair to point an accusing finger at only the UNP.
Do you believe that democracy is practised to the fullest extent in this country?
I don’t dispute the fact that democracy has not been fully observed but you tell me which government that has been or is in power practices democracy? Anyway in this case there is a valid excuse because they were fighting a ruthless terror outfit. Even during the Second World War democracy went to the dogs. But we urge the government to establish democracy as soon as possible.
