by Ashanthi Warunasuriya
- Security forces are constantly vigilant to ensure the safety of the nation
- The Global Tamil Forum unreservedly condemned the attempt to harm Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran
- President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that his Government had a proper plan to ensure that they would not resume violence
Sumanthiran
The plot to assassinate Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran was hatched in France, investigators said.
Suspected former LTTE members who had undergone rehabilitation had attempted to assassinate Sumanthiran but the plan was foiled by intelligence agencies last month.
The plot had been uncovered after the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) had arrested four former LTTE cadres who had been led by an LTTE leader from France.
Police Media Spokesman DIG Priyantha Jayakodi said that investigations into the incident are proceeding. Denying any imminent threat of terrorism in the country, the police media spokesman said that the security forces are constantly vigilant to ensure the safety of the nation.
Former Army Commander, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said that most of the LTTE cadres had been released during the Rajapaksa era.
When queried regarding the matter, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that 12,000 rehabilitated LTTE cadres were released during his administration and that the government had a proper plan to ensure that they would not resume violence.
He said that at that time the government had implemented a programme to provide them with proper livelihood under the constant supervision of the intelligence units. According to him TNA MPs such as Sumanthiran should be held responsible for disrupting these programmes and betraying the intelligence units by helping the current government to remove the military from the North.
Meanwhile, former UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said the government should not take the threat of the LTTE lightly even though the organisation was defeated militarily.
He also said that the government must quickly find out the truth behind MP Sumanthiran’s assassination plot as the Tamil Diaspora had been disappointed with the fact that their demands made during the election have not yet been met.
GTF views
The Global Tamil Forum (GTF), a London based leading Tamil Diaspora group, unreservedly condemned the attempt to harm Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran.
GTF said it is deeply shocked and horrified to hear the news of a plan to assassinate Sumanthiran in Jaffna.
“GTF and Diaspora Tamils are immensely relieved that the alleged plan failed and are grateful to all whose timely action helped preventing the dastardly act. We condemn those who planned this reprehensible attempt in the strongest possible terms, and call upon the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” GTF said.
GTF noted that Sumanthiran played a very important role in the post-2009 politics of the Tamil people, with immense efforts and sacrifice towards establishing accountability and justice in Sri Lanka and particularly for the Tamils.
GTF and Diaspora Tamils are grateful for his courage, passion and commitment to peacefully resolve the grievances of the Tamil people by adopting consensual approach, particularly through the constitutional process.
The Diaspora organisation said that violence in various forms has had a significant negative impact on Sri Lankan politics for well over six decades and has extorted a heavy toll on its people. GTF reiterated that it is the responsibility of the people and political leaders to ensure that violence from any quarters will never again be a part of the political landscape of Sri Lanka.
Comments of JHU
Many others have also expressed their opinions on this issue. Commenting on the matter, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) National Organiser and Western Provincial Council Member Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said that the would be assassins of MP Sumanthiran are the terrorists who had been nourished by the TNA itself.
Pointing out that that the TNA must be held accountable for their actions in spreading racial hatred in the country, the JHU organiser said that if these politicians do not step out of racial politics and enter into national level politics, soon everyone would have to pay the price with their own lives.
He further said that since the LTTE had previously assassinated democratic Tamil leaders, the security mechanism of the country should not be lightened at any time. He also said that he is saddened by the fact that MP Sumanthiran had not even been thankful for the members of the security forces who are risking their lives to protect his life.
Confirming that he received a security threat, Sumanthiran has told the The Hindu newspaper in India that the government informed him about it. On January 13, the parliamentarian, who was to be in Jaffna to participate in an event, cancelled his trip at the last minute. Asked if it was related to the security threat, Sumanthiran said: “I cancelled my trip not on account of a security threat, but for some other reason.
But I learnt later that four persons were arrested on suspicion that they had been ready with an assassination attempt on January 13, when I was supposed to be there as per the original plan.”
On the alleged link of the former LTTE cadre to the assassination plot, Sumanthiran said that most rehabilitated cadres were struggling to make a living.
“We too have asked the government to initiate a programme for livelihood assistance to them. In the absence of such support, they are easy targets for exploitation by people with political motives.”