(Opinion by SLB)
A suicide jacket, a stock of explosives and ammunition found in Jaffna today has given birth of scare-mongering stories in media fulled by alarming statements and tweets by Rajapaksa group.
Speaking at a press conference Rajapaksa loyalist Prof. G,L Peiris has said that “according to the information they received, the explosives were prepared to being sent to a place in Wellawatte. This incident should not be considered as an isolated incident. The people should know the absolute truth regarding this incident.”
Rajapaksa’s eldest son, who is under investigation for money laundering was quick to tweet saying that the cache is a sign of the resurgence of the LTTE and that there is no case for lowering vigil.
If it's not a threat to national security, then to whom is it a threat? What must be their motivation? #SriLanka https://t.co/AoBeVrd2pZ
— Namal Rajapaksa (@RajapaksaNamal) March 30, 2016
This is a totaly irresponsible statement. Without any confirmed information Peiris says that “the explosives were prepared to being sent to a place in Wellawatte”. There is no information that this explosives were intended to sent to any where.
Police has gone tot this house upon a compliant by neighbors that the husband has beaten the wife and he may be involved in drug business; the person who has been arrested had beaten the wife and she had run out and called for help, according to our information. This led the police to raid the house.
The suicide jacket was wrapped in Sinhala news papers of 2006 0r 2007 our sources say. The Sinhla language newspapers are visible in the photos as well. The explosives had been hidden in a cupboard build in to a wall of the house.
This is not the first time explosives are found in the former war zone in recent times and it is too early to make any conclutions.
Ada Derana: Suicide jacket, claymore mines recovered from Jaffna
Police officers discovered a suicide jacket, 4 Claymore mines, 3 parcels containing around 12kg of TNT, 2 packets of 9mm ammo (100 bullets) and 2 battery packs used to detonate the claymore mines.
It is suspected that the explosives and other equipment had been hidden in the area during the war.
Police had reportedly raided the house on a tip-off that the owner had in his possession drugs and marijuana and during the raid the suspect had fled the area.
Further investigations are being carried out to apprehend the suspect and regarding the discovery.
Threat to national security- Joint Opp.
While urging the Government to launch an impartial investigation into the recovery of a suicide jacket and explosives in a house Vallakulam, Chavakachcheri Last night, the Joint Opposition today said that these kinds of incidents could cause a threat to the national security.
Speaking at a media conference in Borella, Prof. G.L.Peiris said the Government was attempting to hide the truth behind the scene to the public.
While claiming that these kinds of incidents could cause a threat to the national security, he requested the Government to stay vigilant and give priority issues pertaining to the national security.
Prof. Peiris said according to the information they received, the explosives were prepared to being sent to a place in Wellawatte. “This incident should not be considered as an isolated incident. The people should know the absolute truth regarding this incident.
“Therefore the Government should not conceal the truth. However, we noticed the Government had published false amounts of explosives found in Chavakachcheri. We urge them to find those who involved in the incident, the purpose of them and whether this was just one incident in a planned network,” he said.
Former Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that the national security could not be handled properly because many officers of the Intelligence Service had been jailed over various allegations. (Piyumi Fonseka)
Daily Mirror
Recovery Of Arms Cache May Impair De-Militarization Of North Lanka
By PK Balachandran | ENS
COLOMBO: The accidental discovery of an arms cache, including three parcels of TNT and a suicide jacket, in a house at Chavakachcheri in Jaffna District on Wednesday, may hinder the demilitarization of the Northern Province which is one of the major post-war demands of Sri Lankan Tamils and which was promised to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) by the Lankan government headed by President Maithripala Sirisena.
Opponents of demilitarization like MP Namal Rajapaksa have already tweeted that the cache is a sign of the resurgence of the LTTE and that there is no case for lowering vigil.
Recently, President Sirisena himself said that the separatist “Eelam” mindset is still prevelant among the Tamils, but he was quick to add that the only way to neutralize it is the promotion of reconciliation.
The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government is keen on demilitarization to the maximum extent, and has got the army, navy and air force to vacate hundreds of acres of land in favor of their former civilian owners.
But observers say that the military may not be entirely with the government in this.In fact, Maj Gen.Chaggi Gallage had an open spat with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera at a meeting he had with troops at the army base in Palaly. He was transferred for “insubordination”.
After the war ended in 2009, and especially after the exit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa in January 2015, the military has lost much of its power and influence.Despite assurances by Sirisena and Wickremesinghe, the military top brass are not convinced that they will not be tried for war crimes by an international judicial mechanism set up by the UN.
In this context, incidents and discoveries showing resurgence of the LTTE, are expected to restore the relevance of the military in the affairs of the nation and prevent the government from bowing to the diktats of the West and the UNHRC.
ENS
No threat to national security- Def.Sec
The discovery of a suicide kit and explosives in Vallakulam, Chavakachcheri wasn’t a threat for the national security, Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi said today.Addressing a press conference, Mr. Hettiarachchi said there’s a huge gap between the national security and the discovery of such explosives.
He also said there could be such items, which had been abandoned and gathered during the war period.
“Discoveries of such guns and explosives are frequently reported to us from these areas during the past years. Especially the Police are carrying out investigations regarding them and it is a responsibility of them to solve such issues. The defence forces won’t work on such matters,” he added.
He said the Defence Ministry’s responsibility was to estimate and validate the threat to the national security after obtaining such reports from the Police.
“If the Police were in need of any support from the defence sector, we are ready to help them,” he added. (Kalathma Jayawardhane)
Daily Mirror