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Claims that SL’s intelligence services have been revamped are mere fairy tales – Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka

Published

5 years ago

2020/12/6

Sahan Weerasooriya

‘Though we don’t have gunboats, we have an Admiral of the Fleet’

by Saman Indrajith

Claims that the country’s intelligence sector has been restored to its former level and revamped are mere fairy tales, former army commander and Gampaha District SJB MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said in parliament.

Participating in the third reading of the budget debate 2021 under the defence ministry expenditure heads, Fonseka said that it would take at least five to six years to re-streamline an intelligence service. For a complete overhaul and bringing it to optimum level, it would take more than 10 years.

“So those who claim to have rebuilt the intelligence services within one year are either lying or they do not know the service priority but only their political priorities. The intelligence sector must be revamped. There had been several changes in the top-most positions of the intelligence services but that does not mean the service has been overhauled,” he said.

He stressed that the tri-forces should be provided with necessary equipment and facilities to keep their morale high.

“During my time as the army commander, I increased the cadre strength of the army from 116,000 to 200,000. As the morale was then high, the youth joined the army. Earlier, only 3,000 personnel were recruited per year but I was able to increase it to 4,000 per month. Though the numbers increased, there was no corresponding budget allocation increase”, he said.

“I fought the battle with an allocation of Rs. 82 billion. But I used the money to provide for the soldiers. They had only one jungle fatigue. I gave them two. They had only one pair of boots, I gave them two pairs. A soldier was given only a half of an apple, but I provided an apple to each of them. I could do so as the army was free of corruption then. Sometimes, I had to make unpopular decisions and implement them. I visited the army hospital and got all those who could see, hear and stand on their feet to carry a weapon and deployed them in the operational areas, sometimes with their doctors and nurses”, Field Marshal Fonseka further said.

He added: “In that manner I, redeployed 10,000 men from hospital to the front. Though the soldiers had the morale to fight, they changed their minds once they went home and saw the tears of their mothers and wives and some who went home on leave did not come back. It was the time we were holding fortifications near an earth bund near Mullaitivu. The number of our casualties was high. I wrote letters to the soldiers asking them to come back. Thereafter, I wrote to their parents and wives asking them to send their sons back to service. I distributed CDs containing patriotic songs among soldiers but nothing worked and desertions continued.

“Later, I asked the police and military police to capture the deserters and court martial them. Earlier, it took at least two months for a decision, I brought it down to two days and those found guilty were put in prison. Around 2,000 were put behind bars. I had to send 2,000 to jail. No politician claimed ownership for those moves. Those who claim credit for winning the war did not know the actions I took. They were not popular moves but they helped win the war”.

The Field Marshal said that the tri-forces should be modernized. “The army has not been modernized since the day I left it. One may have got two or three computers and boast that they modernized the army. Modernization means that they should buy new armaments. We still have the tanks of 1955 that came soon after World War II. There were 80, and we lost 50 under my command in the war. The army has only 30 now”.

The air force does not have fighter aircraft. It had 11 fighter planes. Four of them were brought from corrupt deals by Udayanga and his friends. Today, we have only a single fighter aircraft. The navy has only two gunboats which are with the coastguard for offshore patrolling. Though we don’t have gunboats, we have an admiral of the fleet. War or peace we must build the tri-forces which are the pride of the nation, he added.

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Deep Depression likely to cross the Sri Lankan coast between Trincomalee and Jaffna during the morning today (10 January 2026)

Published

6 mins ago

2026/01/10

Priyan

Warning for deep depression to the East of Sri Lanka.
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 01.30 a.m. on 10 January 2026 for the period until 01.30 a.m. on 11 January 2026

The deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal was located about 50 km North-northeast of Trincomalee at 01:00 a.m. on 10 January 2026. It is very likely to move northwestwards and cross the Sri Lankan coast between Trincomalee and Jaffna during the morning today (10 January 2026).

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Landslide RED warnings issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions of Ududumbara, Nildadndahinna and Walapane

Published

17 hours ago

2026/01/9

Priyan

The landslide early warning center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued RED warnings to the districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya for the next 24 hours effective from 0900 hrs today [09th January].

Accordingly,
LEVEL III RED landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Ududumbara in the Kandy district, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district.

LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Mathurata and Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya district.

LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Welimada, Kandaketiya, Badulla, Meegahakiwula, Hali_Ela, Passara and Lunugala in the Badulla district, Minipe in the Kandy district, Ambanganga Korale, Ukuwela, Rattota, Naula and Laggala_Pallegama in the Matale district, and Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district.

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A Policy is being formulated to ensure Child Protection in the use of Technology — Prime Minister

Published

20 hours ago

2026/01/9

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that a policy is currently being formulated to ensure child protection in the use of technology.

The Prime Minister made this statement on Thursday (08) in Kandy while briefing the Most Venerable Mahanayake Theros of the Asgiriya and Malwathu Chapters on the issue that has arisen regarding the Grade 6 English module. Thereafter, printed copies of all modules were presented to the Mahanayake Theros.

Earlier on Thursday (08), the Prime Minister visited the Malwathu Viharaya in Kandy and met the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Nayaka Thero, the Mahanayake of the Malwathu Chapter, where she explained the error that had occurred in the first print run of the English module for Grade 6 .

The Mahanayake Theros emphasized that education is a sensitive subject and that such matters should be handled with greater sensitivity and proper oversight. They further advised that a formal investigation should be conducted and that education reforms should be carried forward in a systematic manner.

Subsequently, the Prime Minister visited the Asgiriya Maha Viharaya and met the Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayaka Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter, where she clarified the error related to the English module.

The Mahanayake Thero noted that education reforms are a timely necessity and should be implemented with due oversight and careful review and also pointed out that there are broader issues in Sri Lanka regarding the use of technology, which are evident in the manner in which modern tools such as AI technologies are being used on social media.

Clarifying the issue Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya further stated,

“We have appointed a committee to look into this issue, and based on the recommendations of the National Institute of Education (NIE), steps were taken to remove the relevant lesson. In addition, all printed copies of the relevant module have been stamped, and no module has been distributed to schoolchildren. A formal investigation into this matter has been initiated by the Ministry, and a complaint has also been lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department.

At the same time, we are in the process of formulating a policy on child protection in the use of technology”.

Thereafter, addressing the media and responding to the’ questions raised by journalists, the Prime Minister stated:

“The Opposition is attempting to use this national task for their own political advantage. However, many in society have expressed their views on the issues that have arisen in a positive manner, with the objective of identifying and correcting mistakes. The government has decided to move forward with education reforms by recognizing the error that have occurred and rectifying them. We will take the no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition as an opportunity to further advance dialogue on education reforms”

The occasion was graced by the Most Venerable Anunayaka Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter, Venerable Narampanawe Ananda Nayaka Thero; Deputy Registrar of the Asgiriya Chapter, Venerable Muruddeniye Dhammarakkhita Thero; Deputy Registrar of the Malwathu Chapter, Venerable Mahawela Rathanapala Thero; Members of Parliament Thushari Jayasinghe and Thanura Dissanayake; Mayor of Kandy Chandrasiri Wijenayake; Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa; and Secretary to the Ceylon Teachers’ Union in Central Province D. D. Wimalaweera.