Who wants to reduce Sri Lanka’s military & why?
They are known as defenders of the Nation for a reason. They are known as sons & daughters of the soil for a reason. They are one of the 2 key pillars of the Nation for a reason (the other pillar being the Buddha Sasana). They are the first to come forward when the Nation is in trouble when others betray the Nation or cowardly hide in fear. They are the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka & the Nation owes much to them for bravely sacrificing their lives & limb to safeguard & defend the Nation 24×7 whatever the weather & whatever the condition. Who wants to make the Nation vulnerable & prone to enemy attacks by reducing the strength of the armed forces?
It is not a coincidence that the very players that helped terrorists & terrorism over the years are the one’s now launching campaigns to reduce the military, using media to instill public sentiment to support their goal.
Tamil militancy was initially birthed in & by India, later adopted by Western geopolitical interests but defeated by Sri Lanka’s military in May 2009. Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces are the World’s ONLY National Army to defeat a terrorist movement.
It was India who prevented the capture of Prabakaran in May 1987. Had he been captured all the people, Prabakaran & LTTE killed since May 1987 would have been saved & living, including Rajiv Gandhi!
Uniltaral declaration of independence was declared in the India-merged NorthEast province in 1990, resulting in the annulment of the merger, LTTE assassinated leaders of the other Tamil militant groups India trained & thereafter LTTE carried out a contract killing on Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 & Sri Lankan President R Premadasa in 1993. During this period the Western stooge Anton B referring himself as “ideologue” of LTTE, with his wife training kidnapped Tamil kids as child soldiers. Norways Eric Solheim even shed some tears at his funeral.
After the opening of LTTE’s international head quarters in London, numerous LTTE fronts started operating from Western capitals, it was clear LTTE had got adopted to fulfill western interests.
Noteworthy is that the majority of LTTE fronts existing today are all located in Western countries, happily collecting funds, making profit selling Eelam souvenirs, holding Eelam events inspite of LTTE being banned in these nations. Also noteworthy is that the Wests 3 footsoldiers – the Church, NGOs were all freely operating in the LTTE ruled areas without any issue while Western media made sure every crime of the LTTE was downplayed while taking pains to project the Sinhala Buddhists as some kind of cruel & wicked people.
The conflict was falsely presented as “civil” ignoring that LTTE killed the best of Tamils. It is despicable that some kalu suddas are happy to join these lies for personal perks & privileges.
When LTTE denied water to farmers in 2006, committing a war crime & when the Sri Lankan military was ordered to re-open the sluice gates, it was the LTTE that attacked & asked for its Waterloo. It was the LTTE that kept Tamils as hostages & human shields while the West’s footsoldiers teamed up to demean the humanitarian-military offensive throughout the 3 years in which liberated the East of LTTE in 2008 & thereafter North Sri Lanka in May 2009. The only way the West could respond & take revenge was by using UN/UNHRC to slap Sri Lanka with legally-questionable resolutions while funding LTTE comrades to doctor reports making wild claims.
Be that as it may, inspite of all the bricks hurled at Sri Lanka’s military by these lobbies (western media, Church, western NGOs, civil society, UN, UNHRC, western diplomats etc) the Armed Forces brought to safety 297,853 Tamils while 12,000 LTTE wearing civilian clothing surrendered amongst whom were 594 child soldiers.
The Armed Forces drew up their own rehabilitation & resettlement program returning Tamil child soldiers back to studies, helping them with employment & even encouraging them to pursue their talents. We all fondly recall Gokulan the LTTE child soldier turned singer & the reception he receives by all Sri Lankans.
Sri Lanka is an island. We may not have border issues like other countries. But Sri Lanka being strategically located in between global trade, logistics & defense lanes has made Sri Lanka face no shortage of troubles.
Historically, we faced 17 invasions from South India & 3 Western colonial invasions. Today, invasions have taken a newer form as we see how “displaced” & “immigrants” “human smuggling” “asylum/refugee seekers” are a global trade. This is also complimented with illegal smuggling & illegal narcotics & the newest threat coming from illegal fishing & destruction of Sri Lanka’s marine bed & eco system using internationally banned bottom trawlers. We may need to even add sea pirates to their scope. The defense & security agreements signed in secret has further undermined Sri Lanka’s internal & external security.
Therefore, Sri Lanka’s shores are not safe. Sri Lanka’s Navy must play a pivotal role in keeping Sri Lanka’s territorial seas safe. Not only must Sri Lanka have a strong Naval presence around Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka’s Navy must be continuously trained to be prepared for any eventuality. A Navy cut short cannot be gathered like civilians to address an emergency situation. Same applies to the Army & the Air Force. They undergo training to be prepared for any emergency which do not come announced or given prior notice!
Then we have the quest for separatism & the ideology of separatism still alive & kicking inspite of the defeat of LTTE. The armed forces defeated the terrorists & thereafter it was left for the politicians, the policy advisors, the diplomats etc to defeat the political quest for separatism which they failed to do. In playing footsie with the issue, the separatist promoters aligned with the same footsoldiers that backed LTTE to continue the quest that LTTE hijacked & borrowed to justify their existence internationally.
Thus, the demands to remove military camps from the North, close down military camps, reduce military was & is part of the quest for separatism as is the newest call to bring a new constitution. All these calls are connected & peddled by the same players that promoted terrorism, separatism & now promoting the complete destruction & annihilation of the Sinhale Nation after targeting the cultural historical heritage, archaeological heritage & erasing the Sinhala culture that the majority & minorities were nurtured in to be replaced with destructive cultures & lifestyles that are breaking society apart in the West.
The bogus claims about “returning our lands” without even a deed is backed by western-funded NGOs & civil society locals & drummed by western media.
Presenting “dead LTTE” as civilians, or runaway LTTE living in western shores as “missing” is another well choregraphed bogey.
This has now materialized further into another bogey with hired theros backing banned LTTE fronts to promote a Himalayan Declaration.
The same team of footsoldiers are cheering this on too.
When we thought we only had Tamil LTTE threat, then came Islamic terror in 2019. This didn’t come as a surprise. The intel units shadowing radical Islamic groups were shut down, radicals were freely allowed to go anywhere they pleased. Warnings were ignored & 260 plus lives were sacrificed for no reason. Now suddenly no one is looking for the maha molakaru!
However, the above should make us understand the need to have a strong intel in the Tri-Forces & Police for the safety of everyone in Sri Lanka. The threat hasn’t disappeared simply because 6 suicide bombers died. Let us not forget LTTE killed virtually every day over 30 years.
Sri Lanka in its 76 years of independence has experienced, 2 insurgencies, 30-year terror, Islamic suicide mission & an economic crisis.
All of these had the involvement of the same players.
These same players are now marshalling together to call for the reduction of the military, closure of military camps in areas where they are demarcating to create the separate state.
It is probably this same team that got the former Army Commander to initiate “Way Forward” proposal to make Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces just 100,000 by 2030. Only those who do not understand the exact nature of the threats Sri Lanka faces, the geopolitical challenges Sri Lanka is a victim of, the neighboring political coups will agree to pruning of Sri Lanka’s military instead of having Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces prepared for any eventuality, including humanitarian.
How many are aware that planes are spraying some substance over Sri Lanka’s skies & this could well be the reason for the unusual rains, flooda, landslide situation & intentional destruction of agri-crops to enable import? In such a humanitarian crisis, who is called in to bring to safety people in danger? Is it not the Armed Forces? Will any of those calling to reduce the Armed Forces come forward to even give a packet of lunch for a victim of landslide, floods or humanitarian disaster?
Was it not the Armed Forces who carried out a superb covid-safety drive? Do people have such short memories or are they naturally ungrateful?
Why do people not realize that a strong-Armed Forces protects Sri Lanka & its citizens at any time? Or do the people who want to prune the armed forces expect foreign troops to land & save them? Perhaps they have forgotten the 3000 rapes committed by the 100,000 plus Indian Army who arrived in Sri Lanka to a garland welcome in July 1987?
It is shameful that some international presenters are also pointing fingers at Sri Lanka’s Army for being involved in agriculture, construction, helping covid etc…
Who is aware that US Army has Agriculture Development Teams that are even deployed overseas, that U.S. Army Corps of Engineers partner with Agricultural Research Service, or ARS, a sub-agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA?
Are you also aware that the U.S. Department of Defense’s manufacturing innovation institute, BioMADE, has released a call for proposals to develop sustainable food and material solutions for military operations through its Sustainable Logistics for Advanced Manufacturing (SLAM) Project.
https://www.army.mil/article/280977/army_partners_with_local_agricultural_group_to_support_community (US Army partners with local agricultural group to support community)
US Army are even building schools & roads – https://www.usar.army.mil/News/News-Display/Article/3121928/army-reserve-soldiers-build-roads-and-community-relations/
Even the Indian Army is involved in construction
Is it wrong only when the Sri Lanka Army is involved in humanitarian missions, agriculture or construction?
Do not allow the same forces that has throughout worked or was hired to destroy or make Sri Lanka vulnerable influence your thinking.
Sri Lanka needs to be kept safe. If Sri Lanka has to cut down costs, there are loopholes that need to be addressed where the money is going out. First on that list is the need to amend the Foreign Exchange Act that was amended in 2017 to allow top businessmen to park their profits overseas without bringing into Sri Lanka. This loss is costing dearly to Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves & ranging into millions. There is no advantage to Sri Lanka or by allowing elite businessmen to park profits overseas. The Armed Forces for the salary they are given at least safeguards the Nation & all of us.
Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces MUST NOT BE DEMORALIZED by the efforts of the same mischief makers against them.
We are PROUD of you & YOU MUST BE PROUD OF YOURSELVES & YOUR SERVICE TO THE NATION.
Shenali D Waduge
