Columns

• Probe underway to determine degree of their involvement
• Muslim villages around Arugam Bay would have been vulnerable if the plot was executed
• Heavy Police and military security in areas frequented by Israeli tourists
• Minister Herath says foreign countries “are satisfied” with the measures adopted and warns “people trying to make political gain”

By Our Political Editor

The Police have averted what would otherwise have turned out to be a massacre of Israelis in a synagogue in Arugam Bay on the southeast coast.

The attacks had been planned for a day between October 19 and 24 during a largely attended religious event that was taking place, according to intelligence sources. They said investigations were underway to ascertain to what extent a foreign power was backing the plot to carry out the attack, including money spent, any possible training and other support they may have given.

The reason behind the planned attack was to protest Israeli Defence Forces military offensives in Gaza and Lebanon where thousands of civilians including children are being slaughtered. The war began after Hamas militants carried out an attack inside Israel where 1,200, mostly civilians were killed and 250 more were taken hostage on October 7, last year.

A dangerous outcome of such an attack would have been the adverse impact on Muslim villages that are near Arugam Bay. The closest town is Pottuvil where half the population are Muslims.  It is five kilometres or 3.8 miles from this popular coastal resort. The blame would have been placed on the Muslims there and the perpetrators or their masterminds going unnoticed, at least for some time. Similarly, there were fears that attacks were possible in the southern towns of Ahangama, Ahungalla and other coastal areas frequented by Israelis.

Sri Lankan agencies uncovered information on a plot to attack the Arugam Bay synagogue (the house of worship and communal centre for Jewish congregation), in early October. However, the information they had at that time was very sketchy and they were not clear on the details of the plot. Hence, a group of suspected persons had been placed under surveillance. Thereafter two Sri Lankans, one from a Colombo suburb, another from the north, and a Maldivian were arrested. The latter is the son of a Maldivian father and Sri Lankan mother. They are now being held on detention orders under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The Maldivian national, a Sinhala speaker, is said to have possessed two mobile phones and held several addresses. Police are on the lookout for two more people who are known to be abroad. They have travelled on many occasions to Sri Lanka. All these people are said to have been serving prison sentences in a local jail for varied offences. Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, this week had a meeting with Maldivian High Commissioner Masood Imad on matters related to the suspect from his country. No details were immediately available. A resident of Mawanella has been arrested separately after he was found loitering around the house of the Israeli Consul General at Nedimale, Dehiwala. He is being questioned.

Arugam Bay has remained a popular destination for tourists who are attracted by the seas known to be the best for surfing. More than half the tourists are said to be Israelis. In recent years, synagogues have sprung up in the area and restaurants serving kosher food (or food fit or proper as it relates to Jewish dietary law) are not only serving their needs, but some are also receiving payment in foreign currency. One synagogue is now ending construction not far away from a Muslim Mosque. Television footage screened by local channels this week showed Arugam Bay scenes which were reminiscent of the separatist war days with a heavy presence of Police Special Task Force commandos and their armoured patrol vehicles. In other areas where attacks were feared, heavy military security has also been placed in addition to the presence of armed police.

The arrests by the Police on October 7 and the investigations thereafter had remained secret. The reason was the absence of a full picture of the plot by the relevant authorities. Resultantly, the parties concerned, particularly Israel and the United States, have not been apprised of the development. Rather unfortunately, with a new government in office only for a month, there had been an unprecedented element of amateurism that had crept in. Otherwise, an early appraisal would have resulted in a twofold benefit—One: valuable intelligence inputs from those countries, known to be the best in the world, would have been immensely useful. Two: A joint investigation below the radar until the plot was completely unravelled. That would not only have saved much embarrassment for Sri Lanka worldwide but most importantly avoided a bad fallout on the tourism industry. Now, they are all fully geared to receive tourists for the winter season.

The United States Embassy in Colombo posted on its website the threats faced by their nationals visiting Sri Lanka. It said, “The Embassy received credible information warning of an attack targeting popular tourist locations in the Arugam Bay area. Due to the serious risk posed by this threat, the Embassy imposed a travel restriction on Embassy personnel for Arugam Bay effective immediately and until further notice.

Tight security after the warning of an attack in Arugam Bay. A STF buffel patrolling the area.

“U.S. citizens are strongly urged to avoid the Arugam Bay area until further notice.

“Actions to Take:

• Report all suspicious activity and emergencies to local authorities (119).
• Always maintain vigilance and be aware of your surroundings. Trust your gut, if a situation doesn’t feel right, get out of it.
• Always have some form of communication on you (i.e. cell phone).
• Monitor local media for news and updates.“

The US Embassy warning received worldwide publicity. This was followed immediately by other members of the so-called Five Eyes, besides the US – the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Even their adversary Russia joined in the task. Immediately thereafter, the Reuters news agency reported: “JERUSALEM/COLOMBO, Oct 23 (Reuters) – Israel’s national security council called on Israelis on Wednesday to immediately leave some tourist areas in southern Sri Lanka over the threat of a possible terrorist attack. The agency said the warning pertained to the area of Arugam Bay and beaches in the south and west of Sri Lanka, and stemmed from “current information about a terrorist threat focused on tourist areas and beaches.

“The security council did not specify the exact nature of the threat and called on Israelis in the rest of Sri Lanka to be cautious and refrain from holding large gatherings in public areas.

“The Israeli security establishment … is in close contact with the security authorities in Sri Lanka and is following the developments.”

It is against this backdrop that the government went into action. Cabinet spokesperson Vijitha Herath held a special news briefing from the office of the Ministry of Public Security on October 24. He holds that portfolio. He said that on Tuesday, foreign intelligence agencies had warned of a potential threat. The matter was taken up at the National Security Council (NSC) which has been meeting periodically. Security have been strengthened in Arugam Bay and other tourist areas like Bandarawela, Ella, Matara, Weligama and Ahungalla. Warning that people should not use this situation to “intimidate others for political gain,” the Minister said foreign countries were “already satisfied with the measures we have taken.”

He claimed they have gained confidence on their part to send their citizens to Sri Lanka and justified their travel advisories since they were mandatory “by a diplomatic mission in any country.” However, there has been no stoppage of tourists, he said. He asserted that “we have already brought the situation under control. Hence, there is no need for foreign tourists to panic.” He also declared that the picture the government had at the beginning was sketchy. Herath denied media reports that an Indian intelligence agency had provided the government reports warning of an attack. “This is false,” he said. Despite Minister Herath’s assertions, the warnings from the US as well as their four allies remain on their websites. So does the one from Russia.

The threats to the tourism industry from the advisories of the United States and Israel and their allies cannot be taken lightly. Those wanting to avenge Israeli atrocities on civilians will continue to look out for soft targets. It is noteworthy that Minister Herath has set the record right from the government’s position. However, that seems only the tip of the iceberg. No effort has still been made to meet those key players in the local tourism industry to obtain their views on how best the situation could be neutralized. Thus the views of their foreign principals are also not known.  Sri Lanka diplomatic missions overseas have also not known how to react since no instructions have gone out. Nor has there been a formal official government statement. This is particularly in the light of the wide publicity worldwide the travel warnings from the two countries and their allies have received. That an adverse impact on the tourism industry would by extension affect the country’s economy is no secret. It comes at a time when the new government is engaged in an exercise to change Sri Lanka still being classified as “bankrupt.”

One is reminded of the events that played out as results of the presidential election kept coming in during the early hours of September 22. When the news spread that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the National People’s Power (NPP) was on the road to victory, reports circulated that Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe was preparing his letter of resignation. One of those who heard this was a former United National Party (UNP) stalwart. He telephoned two NPP leaders, Vijitha Herath and Bimal Ratnayake. Both responded to him within an hour. They sought his good offices to urge Governor Weerasinghe not to leave. “What about the Treasury Secretary?” asked Weerasinghe. The stalwart said he would phone him as well. There was another round of calls. Both said they were staying behind. Last week, the duo was in the Sri Lanka delegation to Washington DC for talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  Its Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said that they were encouraged by the commitment of Sri Lankan authorities to continue the reforms to safeguard the hard-won gains under the IMF programme. An IMF team is due in Colombo for talks on another tranche of its Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

Easter Sunday report

Another issue that has generated considerable controversy is the report of a committee that inquired into “intelligence co-ordination and investigative processes related to the Easter Sunday bombings of April 21, 2019.” The issue is over the appointment of Ravi Seneviratne as Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and Shani Abeysekera as Director of Criminal Intelligence and Prevention. Before being recalled from retirement, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Seneviratne oversaw the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Abeysekera was the Director of the same institution. The committee was appointed by former president Ranil Wickremesinghe. Paradoxical enough, they were introduced to the NPP leadership by a well-wisher. The same person had recommended the appointment of a controversial top investigator to the leaders of the so-called yahapalana government to probe graft. A probe has now got underway into his own assets after complaints of impropriety when he conducted probes. The contents of the 47-page report of the committee, headed by retired High Court Judge Jayaki de Alwis was laid bare by former parliamentarian and Pivithuru Hela Urumaya  (PHU) leader Udaya Gammanpila last Monday. It came amidst what seemed a well-choreographed exercise where for days earlier he threatened to reveal the contents. There is little doubt that Minister Herath fell for Gammanpila’s political trap of sorts. “If Gammanpila has the report, we will give him three days to hand it over……. We need to investigate how he got the report, he told his weekly post-cabinet news briefing on October 15. Six days later (on October 21) Gammanpila read out the contents of the report and placed its full 47-page contents on two different websites.

He excluded the annexures for fear of being accused of violating the Official Secrets Act. It included intelligence information among others. If Herath had not reacted, that would have taken the wind off the sails of Gammanpila’s campaign. Alas, a case of amateurism again. Having given Gammanpila a three-day deadline and vowed to find out his source, nothing happened. That is not all. Tomorrow, Gammanpila will reveal the contents of another committee report , one headed by former Supreme Court Judge S. Ishrath Imam, again commissioned by former President Wickremesinghe. The other members were retired Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody, a former High Commissioner to Pakistan under the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government, and Anthony Joseph Soza, President’s Counsel. They probed revelations made by Britain’s Channel Four in its Dispatches programme. Hanzeer Azad Mowlana (now said to be in Switzerland) claimed in an interview that he set up a meeting in 2018 with the head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and an Islamic group affiliated bombers to hatch a “plot to destabilise Sri Lanka and facilitate the return of the Rajapaksas.” Mowlana did not turn up before the Committee despite repeated invitations. The committee’s task was a fact-finding exercise and was intended to examine the veracity of the Channel Four narrative.

The Jayaki de Alwis committee report’s main recommendations, read out at a news conference by Gammanpila, were widely publicised by the local media. The focus of the report was on two main aspects: One was to explore why the Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) and/or CID believed for a four-month period from the date of the killing of two police constables in Vavunativu (Batticaloa district) on November 30, 2018 “were aligned with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The other was to examine the findings of the CID.

The report recommended that “SDIG-CID Ravi Seneviratne and Director CID SSP Shani Abeysekera should be prosecuted by the relevant authority under the relevant provisions of the Penal Code for their negligence in conducting investigations.” There was a detailed account on SDIG Ravi Seneviratne. Here are excerpts:

“The Committee observed that he functioned as the SDIG, CID at the time of the incident. The Committee observed that this witness had been aware regarding the conduct of Zahran (Note: said to be a mastermind of the Easter attacks) and the NTJ (National Thawheed Jamath as he had initiated the following investigations:

• The killing of two Police officers in Vavunativu on November 30, 2018.
• The clash between two religious factions on February 10, 2013 at Aliyar Junction, Kattankudy, Batticaloa.
• The destruction of the sacred Buddha Statues at Mawanella during the period from 23rd to 26th December 2018.
• Recovery of explosives from Vanathavilluwa on February 16, 2019.
• The explosion conducted as a dry run at Palamunai, Kattankudy on January 16, 2019.

“The Committee observed that this was the background in which he was notified regarding the pending attack by Zahran as described below. The SIS Director, Nilantha Jayawardena, had sent his briefing to the Deputy Inspector General of Police (a subordinate position also in the CID) regarding the initial information pertaining to the attack to his office as well. Upon returning from overseas, he had seen the letter on April 16, 2019. Thereafter, only on April 19, 2019, he had directed his immediate subordinate DIG-CID, to report back before May 1 2019. The Committee observed that DIG-CID had only received the said letter bearing the directions on April 22, 2019, after the explosion.

“Regarding the impending attack, he admitted that on April 20, 2019 at 17.47 hours, he received a WhatsApp message from the Director, SIS, Nilantha Jayawardena. Further, he had received a call from the said Director where he was informed that the IGP was not paying much attention to the intelligence. Subsequently, he had called the IGP and the SDIG-WP, Nandana Munasinghe. Further, on April 21 2019, at 8.27 a.m., Director, SIS had sent a WhatsApp message detailing the impending attack. Shortly afterwards explosions occurred.

“The Committee recommends that he should be prosecuted for negligence under suitable provisions in the Penal Code by the relevant authority.” The committee report has also recommended action under the Penal Code against 14 persons, both in and out of the security establishment now. For some, it has said it should be for criminal negligence. Social media reports thereafter quoted Seneviratne as saying that he was ‘not concerned’ about the committee report.

At his weekly post-cabinet news briefing on October 22, Minister Herath said that the government rejected the Jayaki de Alwis committee report. It had been appointed only after the two former senior police officers had joined the NPP. Here are excerpts from what he said:

“On June 9, 2024, the retired police officer’s collective was formed to support a political party. Three days later the former President appointed a committee. Gammanpila is trying to be a superstar and is talking about the reports. During the ongoing investigations, we will investigate any positives in these reports. It is clear that the Committee’s main objective was to find fault with Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekara.

“We do not accept this Alwis report. They were appointed with political motivations by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe. As a responsible government we will carry out a full investigation. We will bring justice to those affected. If any officer is found guilty of negligence, we will act.”

Q: Can action be filed against Seneviratne and Abeysekara since they have had prior information about Zahran.

A: All these aspects will be investigated. So far, the two former officers have not been found guilty.

Q: The usual practice is for anyone who is even suspected of links to any serious incident being kept out until the investigations are over. So, don’t you think these officers should have been told to wait out?

A: It was very clear it was Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekara who carried out the investigations independently.  After Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected to office, Shani Abeysekara was transferred. So, it is the political authority that interrupted the investigations. We will not do that. We very well know that these questions are being raised to remove them from their positions. That’s what I say though other names are mentioned in the report those names are not being raised.  Gammanpila wants these officers removed. We will not do that.

Q: What are the legal powers of the Jayaki de Alwis Committee and when was the report handed over?

A: It was handed over at the former President’s private residence on September 17. The next day it came to the Presidential Secretariat. It was mainly for the former President to obtain information. It does not have legal powers. We are aware that ten copies were made. We do not know how the report can come by post as claimed by Gammanpila. We do not want to answer questions raised from the pavement. Therefore, we will not accept this report of a committee appointed on the needs of Wickremesinghe.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranajith also joined the fray. He questioned the motive behind former President Wickremesinghe appointing a committee. He claimed at a news conference that the report was a “hurriedly carried out job” ahead of the presidential election and “lacked credibility.”

Former President Wickremesinghe reacted to the developments in a statement he issued on Thursday. He made a call to not politicise the Easter Sunday massacres. Here are edited relevant highlights:  “None of the people appointed to these committees are people I know personally. Arrangements were also made to provide support to these committees from the Attorney General’s Department. One of the objectives of appointing the above Committees was to look into the steps that were taken when the Indian Intelligence Service informed our intelligence services about a potential terrorist attack. Another responsibility assigned to this committee was to inquire into whether the measures taken in relation to it were sufficient.

“The State Intelligence Division (sic – should read as Service) and the Criminal Investigation Department, during their investigations, announced that the killing of two police officers in Vavunativu was carried out by the L.T.T.E.

“Why was it the official stance for four months that these killings were done by the LTTE? This committee also inquired about the steps taken in that regard during that time. The Alwis Committee Report is not a report prepared to take revenge on the then Senior DIG and current Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security, Ravi Seneviratne, nor the former Director of the Criminal Investigation Department, Shani Abeysekera.

“The report further recommended that all officers including former Inspector General of Police Pujitha Jayasundara, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Nilantha Jayawardena, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Nandana Munasinghe, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Lalith Pathinayake, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Abdul (sic – Mohamed Ruaiz) Latiff, and Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Ravi Seneviratne should have legal action taken against them regarding the Easter Sunday incident. In addition to this, the report has recommended that former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police and current Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Thennakoon also face disciplinary action.

“Therefore, it is very clear that the definition of this as a fabricated report against Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekera is baseless. The observations related to the killing of the two police officers in the Vavunativu area mentioned in the report are also very important. In relation to that incident, it was first announced that remnants of the LTTE organisation carried out the killings. As a result, Thambirasa Kumar and Rasanayagam Sarvanandan were arrested. When the annexes of the report are examined, many contradictory facts are revealed. In one of the reports of the intelligence agencies, it is mentioned that Sivaneshthurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, who was in jail at that time, was behind this incident.

“Another related intelligence agency report also stated that the husband of a woman who allegedly had an affair with a police officer named Ganesh who died in Vavunativu was killed.

The Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) has stated that the reason why it took four months for the intelligence agencies to trace the activities of the National Tawhid Jamaat (NTJ) was because the national intelligence agencies did not have a formal network for obtaining information. Regarding the gap of four months until the discovery of the NTJ, the DMI’s explanation was that it was attributable to the lack of network they had at the time to elicit the intelligence.

“Although the Indian intelligence, which has a foreign intelligence service, had a strong information network in this area, a severe collapse can be seen in the operation of Sri Lankan intelligence in this regard. (Page 12 of the report). It is unfortunate that we do not have a strong intelligence network. This is a big threat to the security of the country. My attention was drawn to this matter.

“This report, which has caused a lot of controversy, came into my hands during the last presidential election, but due to my reluctance to connect the Easter Sunday attack to politics, I did not make those reports public. I also mentioned that I followed the above practice as there was a need to call for a report in this regard. All the statements made by the Cardinal regarding me are baseless. The Bishops’ Conference should make an official statement regarding the Easter reports. Taking all the above into consideration, I request all parties not to politicise the Easter reports.”

No doubt, the NPP government is only a month old. Moreover, it is now facing a parliamentary election. The country is being governed by the world’s smallest three-member cabinet until an extended one with 25 ministers is formed after November 14. Yet, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Minister Herath cannot carry the burden by themselves alone. It should be one of their priorities to address the immediate setting up of mechanisms to ensure issues that have an adverse fallout on matters that concern the economy.

Simply saying that the public should not panic, should not be misled or everything is being done is not the answer. Whistleblowers will continue to raise issues, and they must. The opposition will play its role,  good or bad. They need to have men and women qualified enough to carry out a proactive strategy. A duo cannot continue to be burdened with them whilst one crisis after another grows. It is the public who voted for a new government that will pay the price. That is the strong message for President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.