News

Ranawaka frowns on amnesty to 12,000 Tiger cadres, endorses C4 allegations

Published

2 years ago

2023/09/11

Thilina Walpola

‘Ram and Nagulan responsible for over 600 killings roaming free’

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Sri Lanka Republican Front leader Patali Champika Ranawaka, MP, has questioned the circumstances under which the Rajapaksas granted amnesty to 12,600 LTTE cadres following the successful conclusion of the war in May 2009. However, some of them were released during the Yahapalana administration (2015-2019) in which Ranawaka served as a Cabinet Minister.

Ranawaka has also sought an explanation from former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brothers, Gotabaya and Basil as to how they freed Kumaran Pathmanathan (better known as KP), the self-proclaimed successor of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan aka Karuna, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pilleyan and two killers known as Ram and Nagulan.

‘KP’ lives here under military protection whereas Pilleyan, leader of YMVP (Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal) serves the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government as State Minister of Rural Road Development.

Ranawaka, who was also member of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Cabinet, from 2010 to 2014, asked the Rajapaksas to explain their understanding with the LTTE. He raised a spate of issues, including the general amnesty granted to the defeated LTTE, and special treatment meted out to a selected group of LTTE personnel, at a media briefing held over the weekend at the Narahenpita party office. The Opposition MP briefed the media in the wake of British television Channel 4 alleging complicity of the Rajapaksas and breakaway LTTE faction TMVP in the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage and other high-profile cases, including the assassination of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunga, in January 2009.

MP Ranawaka pointed out that the C4 documentary had been based on disclosure made by Hanzeer Azad Maulana, one-time close associate of Pilleyan.The former PHU heavyweight said that the amnesty granted to ‘KP’ should be examined against the backdrop of his alleged involvement in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991.

Alleging that C4, as well as the BBC, over the years, directed unsubstantiated war crimes accusations, MP Ranawaka said that an attempt was being made to deceive the population that the Rajapaksas were the target of the latest C4 documentary that dealt with the situation here since 2005.

MP Ranawaka recalled the Public Security Minister Tiran Alles’s confession years ago regarding payment made to the LTTE to influence the group to order Tamil speaking people in the North and East to boycott the 2005 presidential election.

People’s Alliance candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa defeated the UNP candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe by 186,000 votes at the 2005 presidential election.Alleging that Ram and Nagulan had spearheaded attacks that claimed the lives of over 600 persons in Hambantota, Panama, Ampara and Moneragala during the conflict, MP Ranawaka said that a future government, consisting of his party, would initiate legal action against those responsible for the heinous crimes.

Referring to Mahinda Rajapaksa’s disclosure after the change of government at the Gatambe Rajopawanaramaye that a group of Muslim extremists had been provided protection by his government, MP Ranawaka stressed that the Rajapaksa brothers (Mahinda and Gotabaya) former Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) Maj. Gen. Kapila Hendarawithana and head of State Intelligence Service (SIS) owed an explanation to the public in this regard.

MP Ranawaka asked who continued with the relationship with those who fought for the LTTE 15 years after the eradication of their conventional military capability. Commenting further on the C4 documentary, Ranawaka pointed out that the government should be mindful of the disclosure that the Geneva-based UNHRC and unnamed European intelligence services gained access to Pilleyan’s aide Moulana. The former minister said that Inspector Nishantha Silva of the CID had avoided the fate befallen on former Director, CID, Shanie Abeysekera by fleeing the country. MP Ranawaka declared that the Inspector’s statement pertaining to Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunga’s assassination was now before the UNHRC. Inspector Silva secured political asylum in Switzerland immediately after the last presidential election.

Ranawaka said that Moulana’s allegations should be examined taking into consideration submissions made by former Senior DIG, CID, Ravi Seneviratne and SSP Shanie Abeysekara pertaining to the Easter Sunday carnage to the Supreme Court.

The ex-minister asked the Rajapaksas to explain how they had received the backing of the National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) at the 2019 presidential election. MP Ranawaka endorsed Moulana’s accusations pertaining to several incidents in the run-up to the Easter Sunday massacre. They include the killing of two policemen at a checkpoint at Vavnathivu, Batticaloa, on 30 Nov., 2018. MP Ranawaka claimed that he, too, was on the NTJ hit list. Alleging that the Rajapaksas had unashamedly manipulated all communities to win the 2019 presidential poll, MP Ranawaka said that 6.9 mn votes polled by Gotabaya Rajapaksa had not reflected the real public sentiment.

All News Advertisement

Up Next

Four cops further remanded over death of housemaid in their custody

Don't Miss

Former Speaker Karu J laments Parliament’s lapses

Click to comment

Latest News

Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya extended

Published

12 hours ago

2026/02/14

Priyan

The landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya by the Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation have been extended till 0600 hrs on 15th February 2026.

Accordingly,
The Level II [AMBER] warnings issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Walapane and Nildandahinna in the Nuwar Eliya district and the
Level I [YELLOW] warning issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Pathadumbara in the Kandy district have been extended.

Latest News

Advisory for Severe Lightning issued to the Western, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces and Badulla and Nuwara-Eliya districts

Published

13 hours ago

2026/02/14

Priyan

Advisory for Severe Lightning Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 11.30 a.m. 14 February 2026 valid for the period until 11.30 p.m. 14 February 2026

Thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces and in Badulla and Nuwara-Eliya districts after 1.00 p.m. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers.

The General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.

ACTION REQUIRED:

The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
 Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
 Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
 Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
 Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
 Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
 For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.

Latest News

Teacher recruitment examinations will be conducted in accordance with the relevant court decisions – PM

Published

22 hours ago

2026/02/14

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the forthcoming two teacher recruitment examinations will be conducted in accordance with the relevant court decisions pertaining to the ongoing legal proceedings and further noted that, taking into consideration the requests received, steps have been taken to make a request to Court’s approval to revise the conditions of the effective date of degree completion.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing a meeting held at Monaragala Royal College to brief education authorities of the Monaragala District on the new education reforms.

Under the new education reforms, Smart Boards will be provided to 132 schools in the Monaragala District as part of the program to equip secondary schools with modern technology. As a symbolic step under this initiative, Smart Boards were presented to 10 secondary schools under the Prime Minister’s patronage. This program is being implemented with the intervention of the Digital Task Force operating under the Prime Minister’s Office. It was also emphasized that a new digital policy, formulated with special attention to child protection, will be introduced in April.

As part of her visit to the Monaragala District on the 13 th of February, the Prime Minister observed the implementation of the new learning methodologies introduced for Grade One under the new education reforms. She visited Kumbukkana Sri Shanmugam Tamil Maha Vidyalaya and Maduruketiya Maha Vidyalaya in Monaragala to observe the educational activities of Grade One students.

Considering the increase of student numbers and the development of infrastructure facilities, the Prime Minister also approved a proposal submitted by the School Development Society to rename Maduruketiya Maha Vidyalaya as Monaragala Dharmaraja Maha Vidyalaya.

Teachers briefed the Prime Minister that the new education system, supported by revised workbooks and activity-based learning methods, has proven to be effective, with students participating enthusiastically.

Addressing education officials further at the meeting held at Monaragala Royal College, the Prime Minister stated:

“Although this will not provide a complete solution to the existing teacher vacancies, these examinations can offer considerable relief. According to the Court’s previous determination, the effective date of degree completion had been set as 30.06.2025. However, considering numerous requests and following the cabinet approval we have sought Court’s consent to revise this date. We will act in accordance with the decision granted.

Funds allocated for school infrastructure must be utilized transparently and in line with proper planning, and progress must be reported accordingly. We cannot move forward by dividing ourselves along national, provincial, rural, or urban lines. As education authorities, you must make swift and accurate decisions based on correct data.

Further, discussions are already underway within the Piriven Committee of the Ministry of Education to develop Piriven education and to address the issues faced by Piriven teachers.”

The event was attended by the members of the Maha Sangha, Uva Province Governor Attorney-at-Law Kapila Jayasekara, Deputy Minister of Trade and Commerce R.M. Jayawardhana, Member of Parliament Ajith Agalakada, Uva Provincial Education Secretary Nihal Gunarathne, and several officials from the education sector.