Addressing the issue of Sri Lankan soldiers involved in the Russian-Ukraine conflict and their tragic loss, Mr Yasas Dharmadasa, Executive Secretary of the Global Sri Lankan Forum, attributed responsibility to the JVP, led by the good governance government and Hela Urumaya.
He emphasized that before 2015, retiring soldiers were offered employment by Rakna Lanka Company and Avangart Company, with Avangart providing salaries comparable to those of Russian and Ukrainian mercenaries. However, he lamented that this opportunity was lost due to actions taken by the good governance government, particularly the JVP’s smear campaign against Avangart.
Mr. Dharmadasa highlighted the statements of Avangart’s leader, Mr. Nishanka Senadhipati, regarding the interference of the JVP in Avangart projects, attributing it to the party’s disagreement with Avangart’s refusal to engage in extortion activities akin to those of the Mexican cartel system allegedly supported by the JVP.
He further held key figures accountable, including President Ranil Wickremesinghe, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, former President Maithripala Sirisena, the late Mangala Samaraweera, Hela Urumaya’s PA. Ranawaka, Athuraliye Ratana Thero, and JVP’s Anura Kumara Dissanayake, for the deaths of soldiers who served as mercenaries.
Mr. Dharmadasa also pointed out the paradox of retired war heroes inadvertently engaging with parties that labeled them war criminals in Geneva in 2015, with the complicity of the good governance government. He suggested that these individuals may be unwittingly caught in a larger scheme, possibly linked to the 2010 Norway project.
In conclusion, Mr. Dharmadasa stressed that organizations encouraging mercenaries, as well as their families, bear responsibility for the tragic loss of lives on the battlefield.