COLOMBO President Ranil Wickremesinghe did play a role in breaking the LTTE.
Like the Venerable Thero’s statement – it is touted as one the most pivotal turning point in ending the war in 🇱🇰.
However, he did not do it alone and it was for a VERY different purpose. Both which ONLY he and I know well.
The purpose of breaking the LTTE was very different to the result.
It was done in the context of the time (2004), and with no intention to marginalize any ethnicity, but with a broader view of the nation.
Also, this was well before any Rajapaksa came into the picture.
The purpose was to continue the peace talks & achieve a political solution to the conflict.
Working closely with him on this, I know very well that he was fully committed to ensuring that the dividend of peace will be shared by all ethnicities in 🇱🇰 equally.
When signs of dissension arose within the highest ranks of the LTTE, he entrusted me with the sole task of covertly working to manage it quietly so that it would not affect the peace process for the betterment and safety of the country and its citizens.
He was a visionary ahead of his time, and clearly saw that any result of the military conflict, be it a victory or loss would never result in a lasting peace for Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, Malays etc alike.
He saw it as an overall loss for the nation overall.
For someone involved in this task with him, I’d seen my share of war firsthand by representing Batticaloa, one of the worst war-torn districts. My constituents lived in fear & poverty everyday.
A lasting peace was not just a dream, it was absolutely necessary for survival.
While we covertly managed the situation well – the LTTE did split & weakened significantly.
We expected that this would trigger them to continue the talks and come to a political settlement, avoiding bloodshed for both sides.
Ranil Wickremesinghe was unequivocally committed to this.
However politics took precedent shortly thereafter, with snap general elections being called, and Presidential elections shortly thereafter, which led to the entry and rise of the Rajapaksas.
Things changed. Ranil Wickremesinghe lost the Presidential election in 2005 by an extremely narrow margin of just 180,000 votes!
This was solely due to the LTTE’s forceful prevention of voters in the North & East from going to the polls on Election Day.
The LTTE was fearful of the rising tide of support of Tamils and Muslims in the North & East for Ranil Wickremesinghe, who viewed him as the sole candidate capable of preventing war and bringing about a lasting peace through a political solution, one which I too resonated.
In an ironic contradiction, while the people of the North & East did not want war, the LTTE did.
They did not want Ranil Wickremesinghe to take the helm as they feared him as a threat to their cause of domination, a far cry from the rhetoric that we see from the Rajapaksa faithful now.
The pulse of the people, the stance of the LTTE and the occurrences of the time are all well documented for reference.
The narrative then changed quickly. The Rajapaksa brothers picked up from where we had left off, and the rest is history.
The Rajapaksa propaganda machine made the war victory likened to the second coming of King Dutugemunu, and the chances of attaining true reconciliation and peace amongst the affected communities that was well within our grasp, diminished completely.
The role that Ranil Wickremesinghe and his band of committed citizens played towards attaining a lasting peace was downplayed, sidelined and not taken into account.
Majoritarian politics did not permit it.
Along the way, those involved in this sensitive exercise were betrayed, lost their lives or very nearly did (including myself), for the sake of political survival.
Now, however we have come full circle.
We are where we are as a direct result of ethnocentric and majoritarian politics and rampant mismanagement.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has an uphill task ahead, but nevertheless he came to office with a golden opportunity which none of his predecessors had before, albeit the sliver that Mahinda Rajapaksa had in post-war 2009 – which was ruined.
He has the sole ability to revive & regain Sri Lanka, not just economically, but to also reset its fragile social fabric inclusively and with the cooperation and participation of every single citizen.
One which I know very well he genuinely set out to do several years ago.
He does however, have to navigate delicately, particularly taking into account the current Parliamentary composition of an overwhelming majority of MPs with dwindling or non-existent political capital.
He should however, never discount the fact that he can count on the support of an entire nation if he outlines his intentions and plans genuinely and shows that he is committed to the goal.
He has the recent events of this year as a prime example – an entire nation thirsty for change, along with the many examples including our collective effort 18 years ago of a committed group of citizens to forge a lasting peace in 🇱🇰 amongst all communities.
To do it Mr. President, you need to show us citizens that you are committed to the cause.
This may very well be the last chance of a lifetime to finish what we started, not just for you Sir, but for every single one of us!”
