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| Colombo security chief fired; Navy No. 2 bypassed
The assassination of former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar on August 12 jolted a nation and its security establishment. Even President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Minister of Defence and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, felt the need to crack down on armed groups, including Tiger guerrillas, prowling freely in the city and suburbs not to mention other parts of the country. If she had stoutly withheld pressure from senior security forces officers earlier, within hours of Mr. Kadirgamar's killing she invoked provisions of the Public Security Ordnance to declare a State of Emergency countrywide. This was amidst rising public fury that the security establishment had offered the valuable life of Mr Kadirgamar on a platter to the guerrillas, The Security Forces, the Police and even public officers were empowered to search any premises, detain or arrest a person without warrant for 90 days. They were also empowered to remove and detain any vehicle or vessel. The President also armed herself with powers to prohibit public processions or meetings for a specified period. She also empowered herself to appoint a Competent Authority to take steps to impose a censorship on newspapers and other publications. Spreading rumours, making false statements, printing or publishing certain types of documents relating to defence and security were also made offences punishable under the regulations. In this backdrop several state agencies including the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) are probing the killing of the late Mr. Kadirgamar. The probe is two fold - to track down the killers, known to be Tiger guerrillas and identify security lapses that led to the incident. Police Chief Chandra Fernando is personally overseeing this probe, one of the largest in recent times. Some vital clues have led to a very significant breakthrough. Hence cracking open the case is no longer elusive but a matter of time. Under these circumstances the need to clean up the city and suburbs of terror groups was thought to be urgent by the country's military top brass. During the three and half years of ceasefire, cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had increased their presence in the city manifold. They included intelligence cells, pistol groups, reconnaissance teams and others tasked for various individual missions. Easy access, following the dismantling of security barriers and the absence of check-points had led to the smuggling of a variety of military hardware. There were secret weapons dumps. Although Tiger guerrillas were responsible for killings of intelligence operatives and those assisting them among others, neither the Security Forces nor the Police were able bust a single hideout. Nor have they been able to seize any weapons. The guerrillas have had a free run during the ceasefire. It is not their fault. They were not allowed a major crackdown lest it harmed the peace process. Mr. Kadirgamar's killing had awakened the security establishment or so it seemed. This is why Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy - the man who is the top most security official in the country - chose to embark on some action. He asked Major General Vajira Wijegoonewardana, Operations Commander, Colombo (OCC) to formulate an immediate security plan. It was to rid violence in the city and prevent further assassinations of the nation's political leaders and others. As OCC he heads the Operations Command, Colombo that is housed along Galle Road, adjoining the US Information Agency and a few hundred yards away from Army Headquarters. He took up this post after having served a stint as Quarter Master General (QMG) at Army Headquarters. On Saturday August 20 Maj. Gen. Wijegoonewardana was ready with an action plan. He spelt out his 30 minute presentation at a high-level meeting at the Joint Operations Headquarters (JOH), located inside Army Headquarters. It was a rehearsal. Besides Vice Admiral Sandagiri, others present included Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shantha Kottegoda and Air Force Commander Air Marshal Donald Perera. The Sunday Times is in possession of details of Maj. Gen. Wijegoonewardana's presentation but will not, for obvious reasons, bare them. Besides other factors such revelations may impair any impending operation if ever they are to be executed. However, in the public interest, a few points which do not contain any sensitive information have to be revealed. His presentation focused on strategic and tactical levels. It also dealt with troop deployment. Maj. Gen. Wijegoonewardana made a very important observation. He said that road blocks, cordon - search operations in the city and suburbs did not bring forth even fifty per cent of the desired results. He noted that in the past six months not a single Tiger guerrilla cadre has been arrested in any of the road blocks or cordon and search operations. Being the man in charge of operations in the city, he should know. Hence, he opined that a national level strategy should go hand in hand with his action plan. Perhaps he had in mind the new powers vested in the Security Forces and the Police under a State of Emergency. Since it was countrywide, he would have felt, the powers could be harnessed effectively to ensure Sri Lankans including political leaders and other personalities were safe. Of course, there was another side to it. A Ceasefire Agreement with the LTTE was in force. Hence, a major crackdown would be at the expense of the ceasefire and the peace process. Moreover allegations of innocent people being harassed, detained and even money extorted, like in the past, were possibilities. One had to strike a balance and monitor the process with care and concern. But Maj. Gen. Wijegoonewardana is not a politician. He is a professional soldier who has had considerable experience dealing with the LTTE. Before coming to Army Headquarters, he served as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Army 23 Division headquartered in Batticaloa. There he had to cope with Tiger guerrilla violence in various forms. That included attacks on the Security Forces, Police and battles with the renegade Karuna faction. So, he was giving a professional opinion with his wide knowledge and experience. Chief of Defence Staff Vice Admiral Sandagiri was not pleased. He wanted some amendments. Instead of the 30 minute presentation, he wanted it to be extended to one hour and 15 minutes. Maj. Gen. Wijegoonewardana was reminded that the contingency plan was not to be at national level but for the city. That was to be ready by next day, Sunday August 21 at 8 a.m. He worked overnight. It came to be known later that instead of the morning, the rehearsal would now take place at 8 p.m. on the same day. Armed with an extended plan, Maj. Gen. Wijegoonewardana spelt out his new strategy. There were some elements from his original presentation but others had been left out at the request of Vice Admiral Sandagiri. Here again The Sunday Times will not divulge details except in general terms. Aspects he dealt with this time included matters relating to sealing off the city of Colombo during a contingency. Although drawing a line on a map to show that the city had been effectively blockaded, in reality Maj. Gen. Wijegoonewardana found such a move was not possible even with the deployment of 100,000 troops. The city was like a sieve and infiltrators could easily escape after carrying out an attack. Hence, he had incorporated an operational plan to overcome this situation. Maj.
Gen. Wijegoonewardana, The Sunday Times learnt was pleased he had
delivered an effective plan after labouring overnight. He thought
he had passed the test during the rehearsal. He was told to be ready
from 9 a.m. on Monday August 22. That was to make the presentation
to Deputy Minister of Defence, Ratnasiri Wickremanayake. But, The
Sunday Times learnt that Vice Admiral Sandagiri was not all too
pleased. Major Gen. Wijegoonewardana waited till 5 p.m. that Monday
but there was no meeting to make his presentation. Instead, he was
told to stand down. He told him that the Chief of Defence Staff (Vice Admiral Sandagiri) had ordered him to take over as Operations Commander Colombo immediately. He was shocked. His immediate response was to check with Major General Udeni Munasinghe, Military Secretary. The latter confirmed that he would have to hand over. Besides Maj. Gen. Chandrawansa's intimation which was verified with the Military Secretary, Maj. Gen. Wijegoonewardana had no other formal official intimation of his ouster. He spoke with his sector commanders, and later handed over office to Maj. Gen. Chandrawansa like any disciplined officer would do. Earlier, as Brigadier Chandrawansa, he was Commandant of the Army Command and Staff College at Batalanda. He returned after a stint in the United States only on August 22, just one day before he assumed command as OCC. He was then promoted. On August 24 the Army Headquarters announced the promotion of four Brigadiers as Majors General. Three of them whose promotions have been back dated to May 1 this year are: Major General Sanath Karunaratne, General Officer Commanding the Army's 55 Division. He was a one time Military Spokesman, easily one of the best in that post. He maintained an excellent rapport with the media and his public relations skills were lauded by many. Major General P. Chandrawansa, was also officiating Operations Commander Colombo until he was made Commandant of the Army Command and Staff College at Batalanda. Major General P. Pannipitiya, General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Army's 51 Division. Having
his promotion back dated from July 26, this year, is Major General
Tissa Jayawardena, General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Army's 23
Division. Who gave the political blessings for Vice Admiral Sandagiri's
move to unceremoniously oust Maj. Gen. Wijegoonewardana? Was it
President Kumaratunga or Deputy Minister Wickremanayake? Or were
they unaware? If a professional military officer is unable to express his views in the presence of those who matter, how is he expected to serve his country and the people? Was whoever responsible for this degrading treatment expect senior military officers to toe the political line and proselytize before the political masters or their corrupt, sycophantic cohorts? This is the message that goes out to other senior officers who are committed to ensuring public safety. On the other hand, if a senior officer is found to be wanting or is responsible for a misdemeanour, there are accepted norms and official procedures to deal with them. Why they were not followed is a critical question. I tried to reach Maj. Gen. Wijegoonewardana to obtain his views. He was not available. I learnt reliably that he had been warned not to speak to any media about his experience. Hence he was avoiding them. But there were several of his colleagues, not only in the Army but also in the Navy and the Air Force who were distressed by what he was subjected to. One of them summed up their dilemma when he remarked "the less we do, the better it is for us." Maj. Gen. Wijegoonewardana, The Sunday Times learns is to be posted as General Officer Commanding Army's 11 Division. It is headquartered at Panagoda. He will succeed Major General Sharman Kulatunga who is to be appointed as the new Commandant of the Army Command and Staff College, Batalanda. Vice Admiral Sandagiri, who asked Maj. Gen. Chandrawansa to take over the OCC job, also notched another achievement. From September 1, his 58th birthday, he will be a full fledged Admiral. President Kumaratunga, Commander-in-Chief has granted this promotion to him on the eve of his retirement as the Commander of the Navy. But he is to continue as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the top most man in charge of the country's defences and the security establishment. President Kumaratunga also caused a shock in the Navy hierarchy this week by naming the number three, Rear Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda as the new Commander of the Navy. He is being promoted as a Vice Admiral. Though his letter of appointment has already been issued by the Ministry of Defence, his promotion to the new post from September 1 is yet to be intimated by Navy Headquarters to its establishments countrywide. At present Rear Admiral Karannagoda is Commander, Eastern Naval Area and Co-ordinator-in-Chief of Security Forces and Police in the Trincomalee district. The move by President Kumaratunga means the man who was to succeed as Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrema has been by passed. At present he is in Hawaii, United States taking part in a senior executive course sponsored by the Asia Pacific Institute for Strategic Studies (APCSS). It was Vice Admiral Sandagiri who was to have taken part in this course. Instead the Ministry of Defence which rejected his nomination (made by himself) named Rear Admiral Wijewickrema. He is to return to Sri Lanka on Tuesday. According to Navy sources, before his departure to Hawaii Rear Admiral Wijewickrema had been made to believe he would be the Commander. So much so, he had discussed with Vice Admiral Sandagiri the "handing over" arrangements and the latter's farewell parade. Did Vice Admiral Sandagiri, a close confidant of President Kumaratunga, change his mind thereafter? Did he therefore deem that Rear Admiral Karannagoda would be a better choice? It is only in Hawaii that Rear Admiral Wijewickrema had been told by a Navy colleague from Colombo that he had been overlooked for promotion to the post of Navy Commander. That is how a career Navy officer who gave 34 years of his life to the Navy and the country was sidelined without any prior intimation to him. To say the least, such arbitrary action does not inspire the confidence of the officer ranks in any armed service though legally the Commander-in-Chief can appoint even a Naval rating or a rank outsider as Commander on the grounds that he or she is "a fit and proper person." This is by no means to say Rear Admiral Karannagoda is not a suitable candidate. He has his own achievements and the distinction of being an officer who is not corrupt. But, the question is what disqualified Rear Admiral Wijewickrema if he was found to be fit and proper to serve until now as the Chief of Staff or number two in the Navy? One argument his detractors adduced was the fact that he had filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court against his Commander, Vice Admiral Sandagiri. The latter had voiced the opinion on many occasions earlier that such persons should not be allowed to command. But in instituting a fundamental rights application, Rear Admiral Wijewickrema was only exercising a legitimate right every Sri Lankan citizen is entitled to under the Constitution. It is known that the matter was settled amicably by then Defence Minister, Tilak Marapapa. This was on the advice of President Kumaratunga. To facilitate that settlement, Vice Admiral Sandagiri was called upon to withdraw a letter he had written to the Ministry of Defence where he had made allegations of impropriety against Rear Admiral Wijewickrema and other high ranking officers. On the other hand, if he was responsible for any other wrong doing, is it not an accepted norm to initiate action against him according to laid down procedures? If there was no wrong, would it not have been proper to tell him he was not being considered for whatever reason there was? Those who speak so much about morale, discipline, fairplay and righteousness should ponder over these issues. Here again such actions do not inspire any confidence in the minds of the senior officers in the Security Forces or for that matter even in the Police. These developments come in the backdrop of Friday's Supreme Court ruling that Presidential elections will have to be held in 2005. The ruling puts paid to all claims by President Kumaratunga that she would remain in office until 2006 when she claimed the polls are due. Now, she has only 115 days more to function as President, Minister of Defence and the Commander-in-Chief among other titles. This, no doubt, will have a bearing on a number of matters. Most
important among them is the Norwegian facilitated peace process.
It was only last week it became clear that the two sides were poised
to meet to examine the workings of the Ceasefire Agreement. The
only hitch was over the venue - the LTTE insisting on the Norwegian
capital of Oslo and the Government insisting equally that it should
be in Colombo. Reports from LTTE-controlled Wanni say they do not want to deal with the Kumaratunga administration whose life span is short-lived in view of the Supreme Court ruling. This is on the grounds that any possible commitment that may be forthcoming would be ineffective when she leaves office. Hence,
they want to await the outcome of the Presidential elections before
embarking on a dialogue. The move is also fraught with danger. Going by the experience of Maj. Gen. Wijegoonewardana, whose task was to protect the city, some very important questions arise. Little wonder, even here the beneficiaries are none other than the Tiger guerrillas. Wittingly or unwittingly all seem to want to help them. Who says that national security is deteriorating or is in danger? |
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Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
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