‘Sri Lanka Army troops during the final phases of the Wanni humanitarian operations acted magnanimously and rescued more than 300,000 trapped civilians from LTTE clutches after demarcating the specific area, called the ‘No Fire Zone’ in Puthumathalan upon receipt of precise UAV feedbacks. Had there been any deliberate intention of violating human rights, would the Security Forces have ever dared to bring those civilians into this safe area while providing most urgent basic needs and amenities to them,’ so queried the Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya Tuesday (20) morning during his brief address to the troops at Punani 23 Division Headquarters premises in the East.
Lieutenant General Jayasuriya with the intention of keeping troops serving the North and East, informed of the planned and ongoing Army reforms as well as the status quo regarding various anti Army allegations at international forums, has been visiting Brigade and Division Headquarters formations in the North and East in the past few days.
The Commander’s visit to the 23 Division Headquarters, Punani and the Task Force 3 Headquarters in Akkaraipattu on Tuesday (20), is one more segment of this programme, initiated by the Commander, himself.
Major General Lal Perera, Commander Security Forces Headquarters, East together with the 23 Division General Officer Commanding Brigadier L.M. Mudalige, welcomed the visiting Army Chief at the 23 Division Headquarters on arrival. A drive past Guard Turn Out plus a Guard of Honour greeted the Commander of the Army in conformity with military traditions.
After a brief presentation, submitted by Brigadier L.M. Mudalige, as is the military practice, at the beginning of the day’s programme, the Commander was invited to address the troops serving the area.
‘It is worthy of mentioning how our troops, despite numerous risks to their own lives and security, gave prominence to those rescued people trekking and did their maximum to relieve them of the initial burdens and misery, by whole-heartedly ensuring their right to life. Ours is the one and only Army in the world which has carried out the biggest ever rescue operation in the most humane manner, although all of them were coming from enemy-held areas. No other Army could boast of a parallel of an operation of this magnitude or nature in our contemporary history. How could then one finger at us, denying that factor and labelling us as they wished based on misleading accounts,’ the Commander questioned.
‘World powers like former Minister Milliband hurriedly arrived in Sri Lanka at that critical phase of the humanitarian operations and placed indescribable pressure on the government, asking HE the President to stop all ongoing operations forthwith. With due respect, I must mention here, that HE the President never bowed down to those pressures, nor did the Secretary Defence who stood by us. Their main concern was the safety and care that could be provided to those rescued people and people still were seeking refuge with Army troops. The government never underestimated the intensity of the catastrophe, instead almost everything we, the ground troops needed and projected on behalf of the influx of escapees, was readily provided or airlifted at the earliest. It is pertinent to know the whereabouts of those human rights watchdogs at that point of time or where they had gone,’ the Commander said.
During his interaction with the troops serving the East, the Commander also took time off to catalogue the series of welfare measures that have been put into practice by the Army after he took reins as the Commander of the Army.
As the final leg of the day’s tour, the Commander visited the Task Force 3 Headquarters at Akkaraipattu and the 632 Brigade Headquarters at Pottuvil. During his stopovers in Akkaraipattu and Pottuvil, he also spoke to the soldiers and shared a couple of views with them.
This is the first time in the Army’s contemporary history where an incumbent Commander of the Army, took time off to meet with Brigade troops at formation levels in the East.
Lieutenant General Jayasuriya with the intention of keeping troops serving the North and East, informed of the planned and ongoing Army reforms as well as the status quo regarding various anti Army allegations at international forums, has been visiting Brigade and Division Headquarters formations in the North and East in the past few days.
The Commander’s visit to the 23 Division Headquarters, Punani and the Task Force 3 Headquarters in Akkaraipattu on Tuesday (20), is one more segment of this programme, initiated by the Commander, himself.
Major General Lal Perera, Commander Security Forces Headquarters, East together with the 23 Division General Officer Commanding Brigadier L.M. Mudalige, welcomed the visiting Army Chief at the 23 Division Headquarters on arrival. A drive past Guard Turn Out plus a Guard of Honour greeted the Commander of the Army in conformity with military traditions.
After a brief presentation, submitted by Brigadier L.M. Mudalige, as is the military practice, at the beginning of the day’s programme, the Commander was invited to address the troops serving the area.
‘It is worthy of mentioning how our troops, despite numerous risks to their own lives and security, gave prominence to those rescued people trekking and did their maximum to relieve them of the initial burdens and misery, by whole-heartedly ensuring their right to life. Ours is the one and only Army in the world which has carried out the biggest ever rescue operation in the most humane manner, although all of them were coming from enemy-held areas. No other Army could boast of a parallel of an operation of this magnitude or nature in our contemporary history. How could then one finger at us, denying that factor and labelling us as they wished based on misleading accounts,’ the Commander questioned.
‘World powers like former Minister Milliband hurriedly arrived in Sri Lanka at that critical phase of the humanitarian operations and placed indescribable pressure on the government, asking HE the President to stop all ongoing operations forthwith. With due respect, I must mention here, that HE the President never bowed down to those pressures, nor did the Secretary Defence who stood by us. Their main concern was the safety and care that could be provided to those rescued people and people still were seeking refuge with Army troops. The government never underestimated the intensity of the catastrophe, instead almost everything we, the ground troops needed and projected on behalf of the influx of escapees, was readily provided or airlifted at the earliest. It is pertinent to know the whereabouts of those human rights watchdogs at that point of time or where they had gone,’ the Commander said.
During his interaction with the troops serving the East, the Commander also took time off to catalogue the series of welfare measures that have been put into practice by the Army after he took reins as the Commander of the Army.
As the final leg of the day’s tour, the Commander visited the Task Force 3 Headquarters at Akkaraipattu and the 632 Brigade Headquarters at Pottuvil. During his stopovers in Akkaraipattu and Pottuvil, he also spoke to the soldiers and shared a couple of views with them.
This is the first time in the Army’s contemporary history where an incumbent Commander of the Army, took time off to meet with Brigade troops at formation levels in the East.
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