The former Sri Lankan defence secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he does not fear retribution by the new government for his role in the allegations of the mass atrocities committed against the Tamil people, stating that the people of Sri Lanka still appreciated the former regime's actions.
Asked if he feared retribution by the new regime in Sri Lanka or even a witch hunt by Western nations now that he was no longer in power, Mr Gotabaya told an Indian journalist this week:
Reiterated Sri Lanka's close relationship to India, he highlighted India's role at the final stages of the armed conflict, stating that the country was aware of Sri Lanka's every move.
"India’s understanding of the issues faced by Sri Lanka during the war was crucial. On a mutual agreement we formed groups of key officials on both sides called ‘troikas’ with the external affairs secretary, defence secretary and national security advisor on the Indian side and myself as the defence secretary, Lalith Weeratunga, the secretary to the president, and my brother Basil Rajapaksa as the advisor to the president on the Sri Lankan side," Mr Gotabaya explained.
"The members of these troikas could phone one another at any time of the day or night and Basil kept the Indian side informed about everything that was happening at the ground level in Sri Lanka. India was also aware of the threat that the LTTE posed to India as well. So this understanding helped."
See the full interview here.
Asked if he feared retribution by the new regime in Sri Lanka or even a witch hunt by Western nations now that he was no longer in power, Mr Gotabaya told an Indian journalist this week:
"I do not fear any retribution from any quarter or Western witch hunts. We knew the risks involved when we took on the LTTE despite resistance from interested nations. We fought terrorism to a finish because that was our duty by our nation. The people of Sri Lanka still appreciate the sacrifices we made and the risks we took."Warning of the possibility of the resurgence of the LTTE in the North-East, within the Tamil diaspora and in India, Mr Gotabaya also said:
"Getting voted into office or voted out of office is a different matter. Churchill too was voted out of office soon after he won World War II, but that did not mean that the British public did not appreciate the leadership he had provided during the war."
"When we were in power, we were always vigilant about such a possibility. That vigilance has to continue. India too should be on her guard against any attempt by Tamil separatist forces to set up a base in Tamil Nadu. Tamil separatist ideology came to Sri Lanka through Tamil Nadu and Tamil separatism has a much longer history in India than it does in Sri Lanka. India made a bad mistake by encouraging Tamil terrorist groups in the 1980s. India should be careful about sending the wrong signals to the wrong people once again."
Reiterated Sri Lanka's close relationship to India, he highlighted India's role at the final stages of the armed conflict, stating that the country was aware of Sri Lanka's every move.
"India’s understanding of the issues faced by Sri Lanka during the war was crucial. On a mutual agreement we formed groups of key officials on both sides called ‘troikas’ with the external affairs secretary, defence secretary and national security advisor on the Indian side and myself as the defence secretary, Lalith Weeratunga, the secretary to the president, and my brother Basil Rajapaksa as the advisor to the president on the Sri Lankan side," Mr Gotabaya explained.
"The members of these troikas could phone one another at any time of the day or night and Basil kept the Indian side informed about everything that was happening at the ground level in Sri Lanka. India was also aware of the threat that the LTTE posed to India as well. So this understanding helped."
See the full interview here.