Pictures from Parliament days 51

I deal here with the book produced by the Ministry of Defence after the Darusman Report came out, which did not seem to respond to its allegations, but was just a bare bones narrative. But the Secretary did understand what I meant and asked the army to support my research, so I was able to look closely at relevant sites in the North along with now Brigadier Chamila Munasinghe, who was relieved someone was aware of the precious records he had guarded for two years now.

And I mention too how G L in effect blocked the progress we had made with the TNA after I joined the negotiating team.

51 Continuing government dysfunctionality

On June 28^th I was asked to the Ministry of Defence to advise on the book they had prepared, setting out the history of the war. I found it well done but said they had not addressed any of the questions the Darusman Report had raised. Gota’s response to that was that that was not his business. When I told him it had to be someone’s business, he said that he had entrusted that job to the Chief of Defence Staff, but the latter told me that he had not been asked to do this and in any case did not have the resources to handle such a job.

But Gota appreciated what I had done, and to help me with further rebuttals gave me full access to army records, and provided me with logistical support, so over the next couple of months I went to several sites in the North along with Col. Chamila Munasinghe, the last officer left in Vavuniya of those who had been there during the war, and he shared with me vital files which he said would soon be forgotten, since no one else seemed to be interested in the records.

On the 29^th we had another meeting with the TNA, and reached agreement on action but Nimal Siripala then wanted me to explain what needed to be done to the President. I told him I need not go, for he and G L were the Ministers, but he insisted, and I understood why, for the President initially told us he could not agree, and neither of the others was willing to argue. I did, and the President then agreed to much of what we had worked out, which seemed a great step forward. But when we came out and Nimal Siripala and I told G L to proceed with what had been agreed, he looked worried and finally made it clear he would do nothing, since if things went wrong, it would be his neck in danger. And, though we did continue to talk for a couple of months more, that really was the end of progress.

I went to the cottage that night, for much writing the next day, and then went to the university for a talk at the opening of a seminar, before heading back to Colombo to see the Norwegian ambassador.