GL, the political weathercock
30 September 2016
Former Minister Prof. G.L Peiris has taken up cudgels on behalf of our security forces these days. Peiris claims that our war heroes are going to be compromised through an alleged reversal of the Sinnarasa verdict. He also seems to say that they (war heroes) would be an endangered species once foreign judges are brought down to sit in judgement over them. Peiris who had been a regular caller on the Malawatte Mahanayake is not convinced on the advise proffered by the prelate to fellow JO comrade in arms Wimal Weerawansa that the President and the Prime Minister had assured him that nothing of the kind is being contemplated. He (Peiris) also said that there is also already a mechanism to lodge anonymous complaints against the war heroes. The former law professor’s, concern for the war heroes is touching indeed but for the fact that in a different avatar he didn’t give a tuppence for the safety and security of the country’s war heroes.
Peiris was a powerful Minister in the UNP government when he led a delegation to conduct talks with LTTE representatives in world capitals. Rightly or wrongly these parleys were dubbed ‘peace talks’. The UNP government may have had a genuine feeling that these talks would succeed, given that it was underwritten by the Co-Chairs and, what is more, in anticipation of the US 4.5 billion dollars aid promised if the talks bore fruit. The rest, as they say, is history. But Peiris, now taking a holier than thou stance, is the last person who can claim to speak on behalf of the security forces. He cannot take the position now that there is a foreign conspiracy to punish our security forces when these were the very foreign forces that comprised the Co-Chairs when he led the government delegation for ‘peace talks’.
It was the perennial accusation of the then Opposition that the compromises arrived at these ‘peace talks’ were heavily weighted in favour of the LTTE. His current boss Mahinda Rajapaksa was among the most vociferous critics of these ‘peace talks'. That he (Rajapaksa) too continued for a while from where Peiris left off is entirely another matter.
Peiris, who now laments the fate that awaits our war heroes at the hands of foreign powers, nevertheless, soldiered on, jetting from one world capital to another to hold discussions with the Tiger representatives that included Anton Balasingham, Pulitheevan and Rudrakumaran. That was only for starters.
One of the conditions laid down by the LTTE at these ‘peace talks’ was that the security forces should be confined barracks leaving the LTTE cadres free movement to do, what they called, political work. GL as the chief government negotiator had no qualms of agreeing to this condition that compromised the honour and stature of our security forces, a much worse ignominy than being taken before the Hague for war crimes. Peiris may now claim that he was doing the bidding of the government. But given his hardline position adopted now, on behalf of the war heroes, what the good professor should have done is tender his resignation.
Peiris, who is today weeping buckets for the dire fate awaiting our war heroes at the hands of foreign judges, maintained a deafening silence when the war winning army commander was summarily thrown behind bars by a local kangaroo court. Prof Peiris speaking to the media, referring to the demand of the Chief Minister Wigneswaran to evict the security forces from the North and put a halt to Buddhist shrines being built in the North stated no one would have dared to make such statements under the Mahinda Rajapaksa rule.
But he conveniently forgot to mention how his former boss took to his bosom an LTTE mass murderer who was not only responsible for the gunning down of a bus load of novice Buddhist monks and the massacre of 600 policemen but also the attack on the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the holy of holies of the Buddhists.
Peiris, who today has posited himself as the virtual spokesman of the security forces, kept mum when the Milennium City Long Rangers safe house harbouring intelligence officers who provided vital information to the security forces that saved many of their lives, was raided and the whole operation exposed. How many members of the forces perished subsequently, as a result of this betrayal, one can only guess. One cannot also recall Peiris making even a murmur of protest when the LTTE positioned their heavy artillery within the range of the Trincomalee harbour, in Manirasakulam, that gravely endangered national security, about which, Peiris today is showing great concern.
The former Minister, as all Sri Lankans by now know, is a ‘seasonal’ politician or what is known as a weathercock. He keeps changing and shifting positions depending on whose side he is on. It is no secret that GL was entertaining hopes of entering Parliament on the UPFA National List and in fact made overtures to the present government after the general election. Had he been accommodated there is no doubt that the former law professor, who had earned the sobriquet kokatath thailaya (the oracle) would certainly have been singing a different tune today.
Peiris was a powerful Minister in the UNP government when he led a delegation to conduct talks with LTTE representatives in world capitals. Rightly or wrongly these parleys were dubbed ‘peace talks’. The UNP government may have had a genuine feeling that these talks would succeed, given that it was underwritten by the Co-Chairs and, what is more, in anticipation of the US 4.5 billion dollars aid promised if the talks bore fruit. The rest, as they say, is history. But Peiris, now taking a holier than thou stance, is the last person who can claim to speak on behalf of the security forces. He cannot take the position now that there is a foreign conspiracy to punish our security forces when these were the very foreign forces that comprised the Co-Chairs when he led the government delegation for ‘peace talks’.
It was the perennial accusation of the then Opposition that the compromises arrived at these ‘peace talks’ were heavily weighted in favour of the LTTE. His current boss Mahinda Rajapaksa was among the most vociferous critics of these ‘peace talks'. That he (Rajapaksa) too continued for a while from where Peiris left off is entirely another matter.
Peiris, who now laments the fate that awaits our war heroes at the hands of foreign powers, nevertheless, soldiered on, jetting from one world capital to another to hold discussions with the Tiger representatives that included Anton Balasingham, Pulitheevan and Rudrakumaran. That was only for starters.
One of the conditions laid down by the LTTE at these ‘peace talks’ was that the security forces should be confined barracks leaving the LTTE cadres free movement to do, what they called, political work. GL as the chief government negotiator had no qualms of agreeing to this condition that compromised the honour and stature of our security forces, a much worse ignominy than being taken before the Hague for war crimes. Peiris may now claim that he was doing the bidding of the government. But given his hardline position adopted now, on behalf of the war heroes, what the good professor should have done is tender his resignation.
Peiris, who is today weeping buckets for the dire fate awaiting our war heroes at the hands of foreign judges, maintained a deafening silence when the war winning army commander was summarily thrown behind bars by a local kangaroo court. Prof Peiris speaking to the media, referring to the demand of the Chief Minister Wigneswaran to evict the security forces from the North and put a halt to Buddhist shrines being built in the North stated no one would have dared to make such statements under the Mahinda Rajapaksa rule.
But he conveniently forgot to mention how his former boss took to his bosom an LTTE mass murderer who was not only responsible for the gunning down of a bus load of novice Buddhist monks and the massacre of 600 policemen but also the attack on the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the holy of holies of the Buddhists.
Peiris, who today has posited himself as the virtual spokesman of the security forces, kept mum when the Milennium City Long Rangers safe house harbouring intelligence officers who provided vital information to the security forces that saved many of their lives, was raided and the whole operation exposed. How many members of the forces perished subsequently, as a result of this betrayal, one can only guess. One cannot also recall Peiris making even a murmur of protest when the LTTE positioned their heavy artillery within the range of the Trincomalee harbour, in Manirasakulam, that gravely endangered national security, about which, Peiris today is showing great concern.
The former Minister, as all Sri Lankans by now know, is a ‘seasonal’ politician or what is known as a weathercock. He keeps changing and shifting positions depending on whose side he is on. It is no secret that GL was entertaining hopes of entering Parliament on the UPFA National List and in fact made overtures to the present government after the general election. Had he been accommodated there is no doubt that the former law professor, who had earned the sobriquet kokatath thailaya (the oracle) would certainly have been singing a different tune today.
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