Image: Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne and visiting Zambian Army Chief Lt. Gen. W.M Sikazwe.
Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne has told the visiting Zambian Army Chief Lt. Gen. W.M Sikazwe that although the Sri Lankan military had completely defeated LTTE terrorism militarily 10-years ago, the challenge of defeating its separatist ideology still remained as some Tamil politicians were attempting to propagate it in the minds of Tamil people.
“The innocent Tamil people who were battered under LTTE terrorism do not want a separate country but some Tamil politicians want devolution of power,” he has said according to the reports Ministry of Defence.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa too opposed any devolution of power to the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka. Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne directly report to President Rajapaksa.
This shows that Sri Lankan Defence Secretary considers the terms separatism and devolution of power on par with each other.
He has further said that the aspirations of the majority of Tamil people were different from the ideology of those politicians.
Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne has made these comments when he met the visiting Zambian Army Chief Lt. Gen. W.M Sikazwe at the Ministry, on 25 February 2020.
Referring to military expertise that used in the final war to end terrorism in the country, he has said the LTTE terrorists were using asymmetric warfare tactics and the Sri Lankan military had to develop its own asymmetric warfare, which reduced the LTTE to merely an ideology after mid-2009.