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Chagie issues dire warning as country celebrates independence

Published

5 years ago

2022/02/5

Gajaba Regiment veteran Chagie Gallage says that in spite of Sri Lanka’s triumph over separatist terrorism 13 years ago, external interventions were threatening the country.

“We are at a crossroads, struggling to cope up with a fragile situation” an irate Maj. Gen. Gallage said, urging those who wield political power to address the real challenges or face the consequences.

The war veteran said that on the eve of Sri Lanka’s 74th anniversary of independence, a section of the Parliament called for foreign intervention on the basis of unsubstantiated war crimes allegations.

Referring to Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R. Sampanthan’s appeal to member-states of the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, Maj. Gen. Gallage warned that the country would have to pay a very heavy price for not countering the Geneva project decisively in the manner the country fought the world’s most ruthless terrorist outfit to defeat it in the battlefield.

In a way, instead of exposing lies, those responsible appeared to have contributed to Sri Lanka’s plight, the much celebrated former frontline combat officer said.

The TNA was campaigning against the military having voted for the war winning Army Commander the then General Sarath Fonseka at the 2010 presidential election to sow chaos here, the Maj. General said.

Responding to another query, the military strategist said that the TNA letter should be discussed and appropriate measures taken.

It would be a grave mistake on the government’s part to believe the ongoing dialogue with an insignificant section of the civil society could help the country to neutralise the Geneva threat.

Geneva sessions commence later this month. Contrary to various claims pertaining to the post-war national reconciliation process, the Maj. Gen. pointed out the political leadership was blind to specific draconian measures that had been already taken against retired and serving officers without any due process, merely on hearsay evidence.

Maj. Gen. Gallage is among those who had been penalised by some countries.

The former General Officer Commanding (GoC) 59 Division said that the country was yet to set the record straight. “Our failure to use available information, data and a range of official documents as well as expose serious flaws in their strategy is astonishing,” Maj. Gen. Gallage said. It would be interesting to examine the current dispensation’s Geneva response at the forthcoming session, the war veteran said.

Gallage retired in late 2018. The US denied visa to Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka the year before Gallage’s retirement whereas the Superpower blacklisted General Shavendra Silva in 2020 and Maj. Gen. Udaya Perera in late 2021.

Gallage said that the Parliament owed an explanation as to how some of its members pursued an agenda against the country. Could lawmakers accuse the military of genocide unless they provided the basis for such claims?

Gallage said that Sri Lanka’s defence had been so weak the public might tend to believe whether it was deliberate. The former GoC, who commanded the Task Force I at the onset of the Vanni offensive from the Mannar rice bowl said even the failure to exploit obvious lies said about Mannar mass graves by UNHRC Chief Michelle Berthelot and former Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran’s false accusations that over 100 LTTE detainees were poisoned in custody was nothing but a shame.

A fresh review of Sri Lanka’s Geneva strategy was necessary as the Western agenda seemed on track though the government announced in Feb/March 2020 pullout from 2015 co-sponsorship of Geneva accountability resolution.

“What we need is a cohesive response as a nation. Unless we neutralise the Geneva threat, they’ll step up pressure on us over constitutional reforms. Their efforts appear to be on track,” the retired officer said, urging the government to be mindful of the fresh investigation undertaken by Geneva in terms of 46/1.

Gallage also pointed out that the former colonial power that plundered much of the world, was back in action as the leader of Sri Lanka Core Group in Geneva, pretending to be a Good Samaritan.

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

13 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

13 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

13 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.