On 13 November 2013 a wonderful incident happened in Sirikothe, U.N.P. headquarters. That was the British Channel Four television director Callum McRae, who exposed war crimes in Sri Lanka, came to Sirikotha and held a press conference. The press conference was organized by the then U.N.P. member of parliament Mangala, with the approval of party leader Ranil.
Later, the Bodu Bala Sena organization stormed Sirikotha and protested that Channel 4 director was brought to Sirikotha to hold a press conference. Bodu Bala Sena leaders also participated in it. Bodu Bala Sena leader Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thero too was among them. When the Bodubala forces including the monks surrounded Sirikota, U.N.P.MPs came there and apologized to Gnanasara Thero. Later, party leader Ranil made a special statement and said that it was a mistake to have asked for an apology from the Bodu Bala Sena organization that surrounded Sirikotha against holding a press conference, and he had not delegated power to any UNP, MP to do so.
Such was Ranil then but exactly after 10 years of this on October 2023 in an interview with German television channel says
‘Why do you consider Channel Four so sacred? I don’t do that. You’re talking about the Channel Four report as Gospel truth…’
A big question is how Channel 4 became a traitor after Ranil, who welcomed Channel 4 director Callum McCrae as a hero and brought him to Sirikotha, who showed the crimes of the war including the killing of Prabhakaran’s son in Channel 4 programs. Moreover, in that interview, Ranil attacked America and Western countries.
‘Do you know what strength Ranil has and what Sajith lacks?’
This is what old U.N.P. stalwarts asked at that time.
‘Sajith doesn’t have the American connections or Western connections that Ranil has…’
This is the answer he gave to the question he asked himself. Ranil was kept as the leader when the UNP members were losing election after election for almost 30 years because Sri Lanka does not have an international brain like Ranil. They thought that since Ranil had lost the elections, America, Western countries and India would play a game to bring Ranil to power at any moment.
Even if Ranil doesn’t like it, he has to like it…’
Ranil’s lost his electorate and the U.N.P too got defeated. Ranil came to parliament from the national list. The campaign slogan created by the UNP media was, that Ranil is the only leader who has international relations to overcome the crisis when the economic crisis is severe, and because of this, the Rajapaksas have no choice but to give Ranil the post of Prime Minister.
Podujana Peramuna told this same story even when Ranil was made Prime Minister and President.
Ranil is the only leader in Sri Lanka today who can directly talk to Europe and get help to solve Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. The Rajapaksa do not have good relations with America and Europe. That’s why we made Ranil the president…’
This was said by S.B. Dissanayake. As soon as Ranilda became the prime minister, the pictures of the American ambassador, the Indian high commissioner and the ambassadors of the western countries who came to meet him were widely published in the media. He gave interviews to the western media and showed Sri Lanka the acceptance of him in the western countries. After that, he met with Western leaders and started going to those countries to get those pictures published in Sri Lankan media.
First went to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. There, he met the British Prime Minister and the Chancellor of Germany, and he published those pictures in the Sri Lankan media, showing that all the world leaders are with him. After that, he selected the invitations that any president of Sri Lanka would receive for international conferences, went to international conferences, met with state leaders and published those photos. When the French President came to Sri Lanka to refuel the plane, he went to the airport and held talks and proudly said that it was the first time in history that a French President had come to Sri Lanka.
Ranil is a great person. All the world leaders are in this man’s pocket…’
People also started saying.
‘But what the country get?’
People started saying this after learning about Ranil’s overseas tours for a year. Ranil thought that the peak or biggest achievement of his foreign travel campaign was meeting the American President. But the American President did not give an appointment to meet Ranil. Ranil visited Cuba, America and Germany in two weeks when IMF delegates had come to discuss the progress with the Sri Lankan government to give the second instalment. Ranil came to Sri Lanka from America and went to Germany worried about not being able to meet the American President. When he was in Germany, the IMF said that the progress report of Ranil’s government is not good. It was announced that the second instalment would be postponed. That’s why Ranil got angry.
He vented his anger on the German TV interviewer. When Ranil went to America and when he went to Germany, the American and German envoys told Ranil to immediately hold a elections, withdraw the repressive laws, hold a formal investigation into the Easter attack, and solve the problems of the Tamil people.
Ranil thought that when Ranil became president, America and Europe would say this.
‘You are our man. Elections are not needed. We will take care of you. We will also provide assistance. We will not lay you the conditions we gave to the Rajapaksa…’
This is the story that Ranil wanted to hear from America and Europe. They did not tell that story, but Ranil got angry. It was only after that that Ranil, who was called the white gentleman of Sri Lanka, began to curse the whites.
Ranil is not a popular leader. The only qualification he had was that western countries including America liked him. He is attacking Western countries including America, which means that he has lost the only qualification he ever had.
‘Ranil boss called Mahinda’s base. Ranil Lokka will play a game with China…’
This is the story that the Ranilists are making up. China does not need Ranil to play the game. The Rajapaksas are the champions of it. If Ranil with a tie and coat speak English and get support from America and Europe, neither the Podujana Peramuna nor the public will care about Ranil. Therefore, the Ranilists are doing the same thing as the monkey who cut the king with a sword to kill the fly did.