Where do we go from here?

Bureaucratic inefficiency, political mishandling and lack of action on intelligence reports led to the deaths of more than 250 people Sirisena further isolates himself by hitting out at the UNF government and Rajapaksa’s SLPP Overall Muslim comm of a sm

Gross bureaucratic inefficiency, scant disregard for intelligence warnings, mediocre and pathetic mishandling by the political leadership caused the deaths of 359 people, revised dramatically to 253, during last Sunday’s Easter massacre. If the injured toll was around 600, it was also lowered officially to 149 on Thursday night reflecting the tragi-comedy that is being played out in the aftermath of one of the worst massacres. That is not all. Police Chief (Pujith Jayasundera) is staying put in his office despite a call by President Maithripala Sirisena to resign immediately. He was to nominate a successor to be confirmed by the Constitutional Council. The choice appeared to be between Senior DIGs D.M. Wickremesinghe (Central Range) and C.D. Wickramarathne (Southern Range).

Heads of Police divisions countrywide were double checking their instructions after they learnt the quit order on Police Chief Jayasundera who survived hopping from one controversy to another. The Police media spokesperson issued a news release about wanted suspects. One of them was a photograph of a Muslim woman living in the United States. She issued a social media statement that she had no links with the suspects here. The blunder was later corrected.

Sri Lanka is still without a Defence Secretary after the last controversial incumbent, Hemasiri Fernando, a retired Lieutenant in the Navy, was asked to quit. This brings to five the number of Defence Secretaries who have served so far under President Sirisena since he took over in January 2015. None of them had any past experience in running the defence and security establishment. They were blissfully unaware of the various nuances that go with their positions. Ironically, the selections have been based largely on political considerations. One of the qualifications was that they should not have been associated with the previous Rajapaksa administration or his family. This was also the criteria even for the top most slot in the intelligence community – the Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) -where a

criminal investigator with little or no knowledge in intelligence gathering was foisted after his retirement. His term was extended annually. Now, purported “top secret” reports they and others had sent warning the authorities over a period of time have been leaked to the social media. This, no doubt, is a last-minute effort to save their own skins. Of course, there is also a predicament for those in the national intelligence network. They lament that they are often forced to “go after” political opponents turning the agency into an arm for witch-hunts instead of collecting intelligence on national security issues.

President Sirisena told local media heads on Friday that both Defence Secretary Fernando and Police Chief Pujith Jayasundera looked down at the floor when he questioned them this week over intelligence failures. In the case of former Defence Secretary Fernando, it was worse. Months ago, President Sirisena had met a delegation from the All Ceylon Jamiathul Ulema, the largest body of Muslim clerics, to warn the governmetn of the impending danger from terrorist groups backing the ISIS. This terror group is referred to in Arabic as Daesh and the English acronym stands for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.They named Mohamed Cassim Mohamed Zahran, as the leader of the local group and gave a detailed memorandum listing their activities. Sirisena in turn handed it over to Fernando and that was the end of the tale. Nothing happened. “The Police chief apologised he could not telephone me. I learnt of the news (of the Easter Sunday attacks) from others in Singapore,” President Sirisena revealed.

As far back as January 27 this year, it was reported in these columns that that some deeply worrying developments were taking place on the national security front. This is what was said: “This is at a time when the Police have

been placed under the Ministry of Defence and the entire security apparatus in the country is in one hand – the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Hemasiri Fernando.

“He has generated controversy by remarking that war heroes or ‘ranaviruvos’ are those who have won medals and not others. Those remarks have created some consternation within the tri-forces. There are thousands of soldiers who have died, unsung and unheard without mention and without medals. The Defence Secretary, once a Navy officer, is being accused of hurting those who lost their limbs in the near three-decade-long separatist war and their beloved families. President Sirisena, as Commander-inChief, could set the record right….” This has continued to reflect former Defence Secretary Fernando’s lack of depth and understanding of the defence and security establishment.

Just this week, he told BBC that the government was not responsible for providing security to hotels. It was the responsibility of the hotel owners and they should look after, he said. Would such remarks by a Defence Secretary inspire confidence in the outside world and draw tourists to the country? Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera has already declared that since last Sunday’s attack, the tourism sector has lost US$ 1.5 billion. This has done no good to either Sri Lanka or the government.

It is likely an official in the Ministry of Defence will act until a suitable candidate for the post of Defence Secretary is found. On Friday, Suhada Gamlath, a former Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General was offered the job. He politely declined it. Earlier, the name of former Army Commander, Gen. Daya Ratnayake was mentioned, but he has not been accepted.

There is a bitter irony in this. The State Intelligence Service (SIS), the national intelligence arm, was unable to convince the authorities, despite three different warnings from their Indian counterparts, to take prompt preventive action. The authorities had also relegated the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), now a highly professional entity, to a virtual secondary role. It is no secret that their work was a major component in the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009. They had systematically built a treasure trove of information. According to a security source, the Army Commander Lt. Gen. Mahesh Senanayake had proposed, at successive meetings of the National Security Council, the setting up of a joint intelligence apparatus for unified intelligence gathering. He, however, refused to comment saying “I cannot discuss such issues.”

It was only after the dastardly incident by proISIS terrorists that it had received acceptance. It will now function under a newly established Joint Operations Command (JOC). Even those from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will be included to ensure prompt probes. Its task would be to deal with the threat of this new form of religious terror. It will also have a two-fold objective – prevent any attempts of elements causing racial or communal tensions and a full-frontal offensive against the terrorists. They will be empowered for these purposes by the new regulations under the Public Security Ordinance (Part II). President Sirisena has already promulgated a state of emergency from April 22. It was endorsed unanimously by Parliament on Wednesday.

Another source said that the NSC meetings did not see the participation of political leaders until sessions were concluded. “More often than not, they would sit for ten minutes or so and leave saying they had another engagement,” the source pointed out. At the last NSC meeting (held after the Easter carnage), President Sirisena who chaired the meeting, directed Justice Minister Thalatha Athukorale to ensure that the Attorney General’s Department formulates regulations (under the Public Security Act Part II) to give effect to measures to be taken by the new joint command. That will include the proscription of the National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) and its partner group Jamiathul Millathu Ibrahim (JMI). They together carried out Sunday’s attacks. The JMI, which is also a backer of the ISIS, has been divided over issues and only a section was involved, Military Intelligence Director Brigadier Chula Kodituwakku told the media at Friday’s news briefing held by President Sirisena.

Details of the Easter Sunday massacre and the ongoing probe have been playing out in the local and almost every foreign media this week. They are continuing to shock not only Sri Lankans but those in other parts of the world. What has been appalling for most is that the government and its agencies were not responsive despite positive warnings. They also missed out detailed preparations that were being made for the attacks. Investigations by local teams are being supplemented by teams from the Interpol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India.

A salutary feature is that the Military Intelligence has identified the network of the pro ISIS terror groups, their leaders and areas of operations. In 2015, the Directorate of Military Intelligence set up a separate ‘ISIS Cell’ to monitor activities of those backing the terrorist movement in Sri Lanka. It came after they noted an increase in the Facebook posts. They now possess a detailed list of local operatives. “We will not disturb the net until we are legally empowered. We will strike hard, very