Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa warned that the national security was still at risk due to the LTTE elements which are still active, referring to the recent report by the Counter Terrorism Bureau of the United States.
Rajapaksa pointed out that the LTTE’s international network and its sympathisers remain active even after the war. He had noted this on many occasions after the war, he recalled.
Updating a statement on his Facebook Page, Rajapaksa said that the former government kept utmost vigilance, which prevented the LTTE remnants from posing a serious threat. The fact that no attack has been taken place after 2009 does not mean that the LTTE has totally disappeared, he pointed out. There were still some LTTE cadres who remain committed to its cause and seek ways to resume its struggle for a separate state, he said.
Rajapaksa pointed out that one such attempt was foiled last year and three LTTE cadres were killed.
In such a backdrop, it is sad to note that the new government has started to reduce army camps in the north, Rajapaksa said. On certain occasions, camps in very critical locations were also removed, Rajapaksa pointed out. He stressed that it was a development that can have very disturbing consequences in the future by giving the LTTE a strategic advantage if it tries to actively reorganize.
Rajapaksa requested the government to give utmost consideration to national security.
The full statement is given below
Threat to National Security :
I refer to recent media articles about the Report issued by the Counter Terrorism Bureau of the United States of America. This Report notes that the LTTE’s financial network of support continued to operate throughout 2014, and that 13 of its cadres had been arrested last year in Malaysia.
The fact that the LTTE’s international network and its sympathisers remain active even after the war, has been noted by me on many previous occasions. They remain committed to the LTTE’s cause and constantly seek ways to resume the struggle for a separate state.
Just over one year ago, Intelligence Agencies uncovered a covert LTTE group that was trying to restart violence in the country. Investigations on this group led to a search operation during which three senior LTTE cadres were killed in a shootout. These cadres included a senior intelligence operative of the LTTE and a member of its Air Wing. Their objective was to reorganize the LTTE’s activities in Sri Lanka.
It is disappointing to note that many parties have actively tried to downplay the continued threat posed by the LTTE for various reasons, including political ones. Further, because no major attacks by the LTTE have taken place after 2009, there is a widespread public perception that the LTTE no longer poses a threat to this country. The truth, however, is very different.
It is only because the previous Government maintained utmost vigilance that all attempts by the LTTE to resume violent activities were foiled. While the Government did all it could to ensure the benefits of peace flowed to the people, a very high standard of security was constantly maintained. Intelligence agencies were greatly strengthened, and although a lot of land in the North and East was returned to the public, the military maintained camps in all vital strategic locations. This was essential to prevent the return of the LTTE.
Sadly, I have been informed that the present Government has begun to reduce the number of military camps in the North and East, and has even dismantled some that are in extremely critical locations. This is a development that can have very disturbing consequences in the future by giving the LTTE a strategic advantage if it tries to actively reorganize.
It is my sincere hope that the President and the present Government of Sri Lanka will give utmost consideration to national security, and act with more awareness about this threat. This will be vital if we are to be sure that our nation, which has already been through so much suffering, will never suffer the cruel ravages of war again.
