Former Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Jagath Dias said that the National People’s Power (NPP) administration should take up with the French government the move to erect a statue of LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham in a Paris suburb.
Sri Lanka should strongly protest in a bid to expose the despicable French attempt to appease the Tamil Diaspora, the wartime General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 57 Division said. The Gajaba Regiment veteran emphasised that the late British passport holder Balasingham couldn’t be absolved of the atrocities perpetrated by the LTTE in Sri Lanka and India.
Lt. Gen. Dias, who is also the President of the National Joint Committee (NJC), was commenting on Bondy Mayor Stephen Hervé’s presence at the foundation stone laying ceremony for a statue of Balasingham. The Bondy Mayor had been present with several other members of the city council.
The French statue project should be examined against the backdrop of Canadian Parliament blaming Sri Lanka for perpetrating Tamil genocide and specific punitive measures against two former Presidents, the retired officer said.
Having served the Army for over 35 years, Dias retired in 2015, seven years after the successful conclusion of the war. He was promoted Lt. Gen. on his retirement.
Responding to The Island queries, the ex-infantryman said in the absence of a cohesive strategy on the part of Sri Lanka to set the record straight, the Tamil Diaspora is steadily advanced its separatist project with the backing of foreign political parties. “Unfortunately our Parliament seems totally indifferent to the growing challenge and neglected its responsibility in countering anti-Sri Lanka projects,” the retired officer said. “They are working overtime to sanitize the LTTE. The displaying of the LTTE flag at various events and putting up monuments are all part of their strategy,” the ex-officer alleged.
The government owed the public an explanation regarding what action our mission in Paris has taken so far and the Foreign Ministry, Lt. Gen. Dias said, pointing out that in spite of the reportage of the statue project the government, nor the Opposition, reacted so far. The Gajaba veteran said that he spoke on behalf of the war-winning armed forces and those who paid the supreme sacrifice to bring the war to a successful conclusion.
Responding to another query, the former Chief of Staff said that perhaps Sri Lanka should consult India as she too lost nearly 1,500 officers and men here. As the involvement of the LTTE in the assassination Rajiv Gandhi had been proved in court, a statue for Balasingham may not be to the liking of New Delhi, he said.
France allowed a bust of LTTE terrorist S. P. Thamilselvan to be put up in November 2010.
By Shamindra Ferdinando