Army Commander General Sarath FonsekaPerhaps the most lucrative positions in Sri Lanka today, are those of politicians. Any person who rides a wave of popularity will, no doubt, turn that popularity to advantage, and not hesitate to enter politics. But, we found a person, an officer and a gentleman, who refuses to take the massive wave of popularity he currently rides, to entertain any political ambitions. He is none other than the Army Commander, the newly promoted General Sarath Fonseka.
He was interviewed by this columnist, especially, for The Bottom Line, and when this columnist posed the specific question to General Sarath Fonseka, whether he wished to enter politics, the response was a vehement “No. Never.”
Below is the interview General Sarath Fonseka gave this columnist:
Q: Now you have gained much popularity with the masses. You have been able to end a 30 year war within two years and 10 months. Once you retire, do you have any plans to ride on a wave of popularity wave and engage in politics?
A: No. Never. I will never engage in politics.
Q: If you are offered any political positions, will you accept any?
A: No. I will never accept such positions.
Q: Why is that?
A: Because I am a professional soldier.
Q: You were able to finish a war that raged for nearly 30 years, within a short period of 2 years and 10 months. What is the secret behind this success?
A: To win this war, I was backed by strong political leadership. Whenever there was international pressure exerted on the Government, to stop this war, President Mahinda Rajapaksa stood up to the pressure without caving in. Apart from the President, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa too, had confidence in me. They understood the enemy. Both had a good understanding.
When I was appointed Army Commander, I did the following:
I restructured the Army. I improved the Intelligence apparatus.
Enhanced training and maintained strict discipline within the Force. Thereafter, I selected capable Division, Task Force as well as Brigade commanders, not on seniority, but based on their past capabilities in the battlefield. Because, when I was at the battlefront, I had the opportunity of observing the performances of these Officers. I hand picked these Officers on their merits. I placed my confidence on them. I selected those Officers from the Army staff who had confidence in me. Most had the mentality that we cannot win this war, as had been the case in the past three Eelam Wars, because the Sri Lanka Army used traditional tactics.
For example, they concentrated only on capturing certain areas. When the Army captures one area, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) consolidates itself in another area. When I selected the Officers, my assessment of the LTTE was that, it was a conventional guerilla force. It possessed 24 artillery guns, 8-barrel and 6-barrel Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers (MBRL) and a significant number of Multi Purpose Machine Guns (MPMG). All these weapons were smuggled in by sea. Around 80% of Army casualties were due to these heavy weapons.
As Commander, all the Divisions and Task Forces I created were under my direct command. I opened two fronts in the East, and instructed my troops to kill the maximum number of terrorists as well as leaders, as they could. While offensive operations were on in the East, according to my concept, Special Infantry Operations Teams (SIOT) and Special Forces (SF) Commandos, as small teams, infiltrated enemy lines and killed as many LTTE cadres and leaders as possible in the northeast as well. After we liberated the Eastern sector, I deployed three Divisions – 57, 58 and 59 Divisions, Special Forces and Commandos along three sectors.
This particular concept is new to the theory of warfare. I identified the enemy and prepared the operational plans. I had my troops attack the main terrorist strong points. When the strong points were attacked, naturally, the terrorists were weakened.
Even as the battles were on, 15,000 Sergeants and Corporals were commissioned as Officers. When the Officers and soldiers saw the progress in the battlefront, their confidence of winning this war grew by leaps and bounds.
There was a lot of criticism from certain sections of the media and individuals. They said I would not win this war. But I had the confidence that it could be done. I was confident that I could finish this war within three years. As I had mentioned last year, I did not leave this war to my successor to carry out. Like I said, I did it.
Q: What are the casualty figures from the Sri Lanka Army? Deaths and wounded ?
A: From the Sri Lanka Army, 190 Officers and 5,200 soldiers sacrificed their lives to liberate the country from the terrorists. Also, 27,000 Officers and soldiers were wounded, of which, 5,000 are permanently disabled. Of the 27,000 casualties, 80% were mainly due to the LTTE’s artillery firepower.
Q: What are the LTTE’s casualty figures?
A: We killed 22,000 terrorists including their leaders. Another 9,000 have surrendered. Based on civilian information from within the IDP camps, we were able to arrest another 4,000 more. And we are hunting them, if there are any left.
Q: What is the strength of the Army right now?
A: Currently, the Army is 200,000 strong. And it will be increased.
Q: You want to further strengthen the Army. What are your plans for this?
A: The plans for expansion are military secrets. The Sri Lanka Army is currently doing a research regarding its various objectives and requirements.
Although terrorism has been eradicated in Sri Lanka, Eelam extremists are present in Sri Lanka and also worldwide. I call them ‘Eelamists’. When there is a strong Army, nobody can interfere with the sovereignty of our country. A strong Army is essential for a country’s stability. In the liberated areas, we have already set up camps. When the Army is strong, there is no way for terrorism to raise its head.
Q: The war is over now. Or, we can safely assume it is so, and we do not foresee any threats. How are you going to utilise this massive force of 200,000 for the country’s development?
A: Even when the war was ongoing in the North, we constructed the roads and bridges in the East, which was liberated. At the moment, we are constructing some roads in the East. So, according to Government requirements, the Army will utilise its Engineering Regiments to develop and construct buildings, roads, bridges, etc.
Q: How about the Intelligence apparatus? This aspect cannot be seen by the public. After being appointed Commander, you said you were going to improve the Intelligence arm and Training for military personnel?
A: We do have a strong and vibrant Intelligence capability at the moment. They are doing a proper job. The Navy said it sank 10 LTTE arms ships. Out of those 10, eight were purely on Intelligence provided by the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI).
Because of our Intelligence capabilities, we were able to prevent several major disasters that may have rocked Colombo city as well as economic targets. Also, based on our Intelligence, the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) was able to destroy many LTTE positions. One such classic example is the aerial targeting of a building in the North, which killed the LTTE’s political wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan. This attack was based on Intelligence provided by the DMI.
The SLAF gave us very good support. It transported nearly a million of our troops during this battle, and also supported us in evacuating casualties as well as bringing in supplies. Whenever necessary, it gave us the required firepower with its MI 24 helicopter gun-ships and fighter jets. It also provided the UAV link to Colombo and the offensive Divisions, which were really helpful in our operations.
Q: This war is over, is the Training process for Officers and soldiers still continuing?
A: The Training will continue. That is how an Army works. That is, a professional Army. Even during the height of the battles, young Officers from the battlefront were given quality Training at the Diyatalawa Academy and the Kotelawela Defence Academy. These Officers were the ones that confronted the enemy. And the soldiers were trained at several Training centers. Their Training played a crucial part in winning this war.
Q: When you were appointed Commander of the Army, you said you will not tolerate corruption within the Army. At the moment, what is the level of corruption in the Army, if any?
A: You can’t change people overnight. I have already started to wipe out corruption within the Army. Not from bottom to top. I have started from the top and am going to the bottom.
I can give you examples. I court marshaled a Major General and sent home. Another is being court marshaled. Our intelligence was able to nab two Majors with links to the LTTE. One was court marshaled and sentenced to death. But the President commuted the sentence to life imprisonment. The other Major’s case is proceeding.
If corruption is found, until charges are proved, I allocate the Officer concerned to the ‘Common Stream’ and withhold his promotions and privileges. Court marshal will act according to Military law
Each and every complaint will be inquired into by the Military Police and, if there are any allegations against any Officers, we will definitely take necessary action. I will not tolerate any corrupt Officers within the Army. Every transaction by the Sri Lanka Army has been transparent.
Q: Are you happy with the institutions that train Army personnel? The Cadet School, the Defence Academy etc?
A: Yes, they are doing a good job of training.
Q: Sri Lanka is perhaps the first country to eliminate terrorism. Even the West has been unable to do such a thing. Are you going to set up a Counter Terrorism Institute in Sri Lanka?
A: We already have a Counter-Terrorism Training Division at our Training centres.
Q: Have any foreign countries requested the Sri Lanka Army to train their military personnel?
A: There are some countries which have approached us with such requests.
Q: If you are offered the position of Chief of Defence Staff, will you accept it?
A: If it is offered, yes, I will accept it.
Q: Is the LTTE’s intelligence head Pottu Amman in Military custody?
A: Well, if he is in our custody, then, we will say he is in our custody.
Q: Has Pottu Amman’s body been recovered?
A: We recovered the bodies of Pottu Amman’s two sons, both self-styled LTTE ‘colonels’. And when our intelligence members arrested some LTTE intelligence cadres, they confirmed Pottu Amman’s death.
Q: Why was the Army unable to recover or identify Pottu Amman’s body?
A: There were some bodies which were beyond recognition and some were decomposed, Pottu Amman’s body along with them
Q: Are there more active LTTE cadres around?
A: Yes, there are still some within the jungle areas. I have sent two battalions of Commandos and Special Forces to hunt them, and they too, will be eliminated. Recently, we killed 11 such cadres in Ampara.
Q: Your troops recovered many bodies of Tiger cadres. Did they ever come across any who had committed suicide by swallowing cyanide capsules?
A: Only one female Tiger cadre bit her cyanide capsule, after being shot and injured. She died.
Q: Didn’t Velupillai Prabhakaran bite his cyanide capsule?
A: Prabhakaran had a cyanide capsule in his pocket. He was not wearing it around his neck, like all Tiger cadres are supposed to do.
Q: What news do you have regarding Prabhakaran’s wife, daughter Dvaragha and his younger son?
A: Prabhakaran’s wife, his younger son and daughter have slipped away by sea. This fact was confirmed by the Defence Ministry’s Intelligence Advisor Major General C. Seneviratne. Knowing that Prabhakaran too, will attempt to escape via the sea route, I specifically instructed the Army’s 58 and 59 Divisions to link up at Puthumathalan ‘No Fire’ Zone , so as to cut off this escape route.
Q: Do you possess any information regarding any support by the Sinhalese in the South for the LTTE?
A: There are. Our intelligence personnel are looking for traitors. They have helped the LTTE, purely for financial gains.
Q: Though the war is over, there are still checkpoints and barriers in and around Colombo. The public may ask why they are being maintained, if the war is over. Your response?
A: Although the terrorist leadership has been wiped out, there may still be suicide cadres around. The threat still prevails. So, as the security situation improves and intelligence confirms that there are no more threats, these checkpoints and barriers will be gradually removed. I have handpicked the Officers to handle the security in and around Colombo. I want to ensure that the postwar period is as normal as possible.
Q: Have you advised the public against visiting the Yala National Park?
A: No. Yala is already open to the public, and there are visitors there even now. I have provided good security in the region, by stationing a whole Battalion there.
Q: As Army Commander, what is your message to the public?
A: I say a very big “thank you” to the public, for the massive support shown towards us. I also thank a section of the media, which provided the real picture of the war situation. It helped our massive recruitment drive and also, boosted our morale. I thank the public for their support.
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