A bomb blast occurred around 8.45 a.m. this morning in Anuradhapura, killing Maj. General (retd.) Janaka Perera, Leader of the Opposition, North Central Provincial Council , his wife Mrs. Wajira Perera who was also a retired Major in Sri Lanka Special Forces and 20 others, in a suspected suicide bomb attack said to have been carried out by an LTTE suicide cadre.
According to reports, the bomb blast occurred during a function held to declare open the new UNP office in Anuradhapura, military sources said.
Among the dead were also the UNP Manager in Anuradhapura, Dr Rajah John Pulle and his wife. More than 35 others suffering injuries have been admitted to the Anuradhapura Hospital.
The attack had been carried out near Anuradhapura bus stand, outside the Electricity Board office where Janaka Perera had gone to open a new UNP office.
Meanwhile our sources say Sirasa Correspondent of the Anuradhapura area Rashmi Maharoof was too killed due to the blast.
Sri Lanka Government blamed the Liberation Tigers for the suicide attack.
Janaka Perera contested the North Central PC election as the chief ministerial candidate from the UNP and received the highest number of preferential votes.
Major General Janaka Perera, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, rcds, psc served as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and is coincidered as one of the most distinguished generals in Sri Lanka.
After retiring from the army he served as a Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia & Ambassador to Indonesia. He was the opposition leader of the North Central Provincial Council till his death on October 6, 2008. He was tipped to take over the leadership of the UNP in the near future.
Assassination of General Janaka Perera and others carry all hallmarks of the Tamil Tigers
K.P.P.Pathirana , the Deputy Inspector General of Police , in charge of the North Central Province under whose guidance all the police investigations into the assassination of the late Major General (retired) Janka Perera are being investigated said the evidence bared so far indicate the brutal killing of the opposition leader of the North Central Provincial Council , his wife and twenty five others carry the hall marks of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorist group.
“Our investigations show the assassin undoubtedly was a Tamil Tiger who came into the function with a slight limp who was fat and short,” he said describing the last moments of Janaka Perera who was embraced by the “Walking-Bomb” moments before the C-4 explosives laden suicide vest was detonated. Tamil Tigers are the only experts in Sri Lanka who have the technical knowhow of manufacturing a perfect suicide jacket. The Police also believe the technology of the jacket had been bought over by the Middle Eastern suicide bombers from the Tamil Tigers.
Pathirana said the chemicals used for the detonation and metal balls used to kill have been examined by analysts. Pathirana said the assassin has been identified by the remaining two legs.
Dr. Sarath Weerabandara the Director of the Anuradhapura Hospital said there are14 victims among scores of others whose conditions are very serious. Under the instructions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a team of specialist doctors from the National Hospital, Colombo were immediately flown to Anuradhapura to assist the staff there.
United National Party Secretary General Tissa Attanayaka has blamed the government for not providing adequate security at the Ceremony of opening a new United National Party office at Anuradhapura, where the killing took place. But Anuradhapura police said the opening ceremony of the party office had not been even informed to the police by the organizers. But when they came to know about the function they posted four officers on duty.
No security would have been sufficient since Janaka Perera was mingling freely with a crowd who had not been subjected to an electronic surveillance for hidden weapons.
Sri Lanka President condemns LTTE for the brutal assassination of Major General Janaka Perera and others
Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse while condemning the covertly and brutal act of terrorism carried out in Anuradhapura today morning in assassinating Major General Janaka Perera, pointed out that the attack was further proof of the need for everyone to unite for the success of the ongoing campaign to eradicate terrorism in the country.
He added that in the context of severe setbacks the LTTE is facing in what were reportedly its strongholds in the North; it is now making every attempt to create violent backlashes in other parts of the country, and urged the public to act cautiously in the face of such provocation.
Given below the full text of the statement issued by Policy Research & Information division of the Presidential Secretariat regarding the killing of Major General Janaka Perera this morning:
“President Mahinda Rajapaksa speaking at ceremony to distribute lands to the landless at Uyanwatta, Matara today, condemned the covertly and brutal act of terrorism carried out at Anuradhapura, assassinating Major General Janaka Perera, Leader of the Opposition, North Central Provincial Council along with 28 others and injuring scores of others.
“The President expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and called on blessings for the speedy recovery of those injured.
“The President said this attack was further proof of the need for everyone to unite for the success of the ongoing campaign to eradicate terrorism in the country. He added that in the context of severe setbacks the LTTE is facing in what were reportedly its strongholds in the North; it is now making every attempt to create violent backlashes in other parts of the country, and urged the public to act cautiously in the face of such provocation.
“Major General Janaka Perera as a Military Commander in Welioya and Jaffna led several campaigns against the LTTE. Today’s LTTE suicide killer attack took place at a ceremony to mark the opening of a new office of the UNP in Anuradhapura. Among the others dead are Mrs. Janaka Perera, Dr. Johnpulle, UNP Organiser for Anuradhapura and his wife and some members of the North Central Provincial Council. Investigations are in progress.
Ranil’s Refusal to Condemn Tigers Implies Complicity or Tacit Approval of LTTE Atrocities
Amidst the unraveling of ghastly terror tactics by the Tigers and their wanton decimation of the UNP leadership, Ranil Wickremesinghe brazenly refuses to condemn such atrocities outright. International circles now allege complicity or tacit approval of Tiger atrocities by such behavior. Banality of Tiger evil has not moved Ranil to raise even his little finger of protest. Ranjan Wijeratne, General Kobbekaduwe, Major General Lucky Algama-all potential leaders were brutally eliminated by the Tigers. The latest was General Janaka Perera. UNP’s stalwarts R. Premadasa and presidential candidate Gamini Dissanayake succumbed in similar fashion. How long can Ranil wait to pronounce that Tigers are behind those ruthless killings?
The standard response by the UNP leadership these days is to ask for an international inquiry. Tiger footprints are all over at the Janaka Perera’s death scene. But the UNP wants inquiries. People are very familiar how LTTE planned a landmine explosion in 1992, and another to disrupt the parliamentary elections held in August 1994 when suicide bombers killed Lucky Algama and almost took President Kumaratunga’s life. Is Ranil so sick to rationalize the unthinkable and condone by silence the direct brutalising and killings done by Prabhakaran?
People have not forgotten that the deep crisis within the UNP at one time according testimony at the Batalanda Commission that implicated some of the ministers of the then UNP government, reportedly extremely close to the dire deeds. Silence in not condemning acts of violence has become characteristic of some UNP leaders while they call for international inquiries, as if Tiger suicide bombers had just arrived from nowhere today.
LTTE hand in killing General Janaka Perera and other is blatantly clear. Ranil who was thrust into the scene as an aspiring leader following assassinations amidst a prevailing political culture of violence failed to mature as a leader. He was under little pressure to prove his fitness for the highest office in the country by clearing himself beyond reasonable doubt. He has not acted in a manner to show that LTTE needs to be condemned outright.
He seemed satisfied that nothing would be pinned down on himself as long as he remains silent. The trail of such inaction stinks to high heaven. The need to nail the Tigers once and for all is now. The inertia of Ranil and his UNP would not go unpunished. Their dealings with the LTTE in foisting an unwanted peace MOU called the CFA on Sri Lanka would be brought out into the open. As I write there are scholars in the US studying the CFA and what role the UNP played in allowing arms and weapons and even crucial broadcasting equipment to be brought into the country under the guise of the peace process.
The rotten state of affairs and the crisis ridden nature of UNP’s inner workings will be revealed. You can bet on it. The leadership failure and more vitally, the complicity with the enemy would come out. Ranil’s silence only gives a hint of the complexity which surrounded the LTTE.
LTTE’s destabilization tactics and attempt to instil fear psychosis and anti-Sinhala sentiment through terror and acts of wanton killing will be exposed. Attempts to provoke more of the same would not succeed. Prabhakaran’s days are numbered and so are the acts of tacit silence. The tide is turning against such timidity and ghastly cowardice.
So far many international leaders and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon have strongly condemned the killing of Janaka Perera. Ranil you cannot remain silent and not condemn the Tigers for long!
(Asian Tribune)
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