A minister of the United Kingdom has spoken to Foreign Affairs Minister Tilak Marapana regarding the incident involving Sri Lankan Military Attache Brigadier Priyanka Fernando who made a throat slitting gesture in front of a group of British Tamils of Sri Lankan origin, in London, on Feb. 04, President Sirisena, ordered that he be reinstated.
The Brigadier displayed this as a warning, during a demonstration on February 4 by LTTE activists in front of the Sri Lankan High Commission in London. The incident led to controversy, with pressure for removal of the Brigadier from office by British MP’s because publicly threatening to kill someone is against the law of the country.
This behaviour of this Sri Lankan Ex Army commander proves that Tamils throats were slit by the Army during the war as accused by Human Right organisations.
Against the backdrop, Spokesman of the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) Suren Surendiran wrote to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson asking for the naming of the Brigadier ‘Persona Non-Grata’ (A person not allowed to stay in that country).
The Foreign Office, in response to the GTF and other Tamil organisations in UK, assured that the UK government was taking the incident seriously. Subsequently, the Foreign Office made immediate representations to the Sri Lankan government, and the Minister for South Asia has personally spoken to Foreign Affairs Minister Tilak Marapana in this regard.
“We have been left in no doubt that the Government of Sri Lanka also takes this incident very seriously. As the Minister explained to the House on February 20, the Government of Sri Lanka has ordered their Defence Attache to return to Colombo, while the incident is being thoroughly investigated,” the UK Foreign Office wrote to Mr Surendiran. Interestingly President overruled the decision to call back Brigadier Priyanka Fernando has this will help him get Sinhala votes.
Former President Mahinda Rajapakshe used the racist card to gain votes in the local election and President Maithiri proved he was a racist as well by recalling the original suspension and publicly supporting the Brigadier for making the ‘throat slitting gesture’ towards the Tamils in London.
Interestingly Priyanka Fernando, who was seen making death threats to Tamil protesters in London, was given a hero’s welcome by Sri Lankan Airlines on board at the flight he took back to Colombo this week. Some Buddhist monks and members of Sinhala Urumaya a racist group were outside the Katunayake airport to give him a Hero’s welcome for making throat slitting gesture toward the Tamils, but as this ‘throat slitting gesture’ was proving that the Sri Lankan army was involved in War Crimes the government decided to take him through the back door.
Brig. Priyanka recalled to ensure safety: Army Chief
Army Commander Mahesh Senanayake today said Defence Attache of the Sri Lankan High Commission in UK, Brigadier Priyanka Fernando was recalled to ensure his own safety.
He revealed this to media after declare opening the new office complex of the Wanni Defence Force’s 56th Contingent in Vavuniya.
“As the Army commander of the country, I have a responsibility to ensure his safety. This is not possible when he is executing duties under the law of another country. I summoned him to discuss about these matters. I will meet him after returning to Colombo. The decision whether Brigadier Priyanka’s conduct is accurate or inaccurate should be taken by someone else. He was not summoned because his term has expired. We are discussing how to ensure his safety,” he said.
Sri Lankan airlines gives Hero’s Welcome and Services to Brigadier who made death threats to Tamils