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New Defence Secretary outspoken on India’s poaching
Just three days after he began work as the new Defence Secretary, Karunasena Hettiaratchchi has dropped a bombshell.
This week, he accused Indian fishermen of carrying out “economic terrorism” in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.
Mr. Hettiaratchci’s remarks came when he called on the Malwatte Mahanayake, the Most Venerable Thibottuwawe Sri Siddharatha Sumangala Thera, last Sunday. After the meeting, the new Defence Secretary answered questions from the media. Here is the relevant Q & A:
Q: You mentioned that silence sometime has some meaning and everything cannot be taken as a rosy picture. What does it mean?
A: Usually when a thief breaks into the house and few days later we tend to lose attention thinking that he will not break in again. But we do not work in that manner and we work assuming that there can be a threat. Security does not mean issues arising from terrorism alone. It can be even from the sea. The Navy and the Air Force protect these areas. We use new technology.
For instance, the Indian fishermen stay until 6 p.m. in their waters and cross over to our waters thereafter to catch our fish and return. This is economic terrorism. There are other areas such as drugs and smuggling contraband into the country. Most of these have either to come across the sea or the airport. Therefore, security in all these areas should be taken care of.
It is not only fighting the terrorists. It is a broad area. What I meant is when there is silence we can assume that some groups are organising themselves. Therefore, we should be vigilant and be ahead. These days there is talk of local and international investigations. That’s why we say we have to be alert.
Notwithstanding the Defence Secretary’s assertions, during talks in New Delhi, both Premier Wickremesinghe and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi have decided that the issue should be resolved by the fishermen of the two countries. That, of course is a neat Indian rope-trick not to have the issue resolved. The Indian PM had said that it was an issue that concerned “livelihoods”. Of those of which country was the question.
TNA hits out at LTTE, calls on Govt. to accept OISL report | The Sunday Times Sri Lanka
Just three days after he began work as the new Defence Secretary, Karunasena Hettiaratchchi has dropped a bombshell.
This week, he accused Indian fishermen of carrying out “economic terrorism” in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.
Mr. Hettiaratchci’s remarks came when he called on the Malwatte Mahanayake, the Most Venerable Thibottuwawe Sri Siddharatha Sumangala Thera, last Sunday. After the meeting, the new Defence Secretary answered questions from the media. Here is the relevant Q & A:
Q: You mentioned that silence sometime has some meaning and everything cannot be taken as a rosy picture. What does it mean?
A: Usually when a thief breaks into the house and few days later we tend to lose attention thinking that he will not break in again. But we do not work in that manner and we work assuming that there can be a threat. Security does not mean issues arising from terrorism alone. It can be even from the sea. The Navy and the Air Force protect these areas. We use new technology.
For instance, the Indian fishermen stay until 6 p.m. in their waters and cross over to our waters thereafter to catch our fish and return. This is economic terrorism. There are other areas such as drugs and smuggling contraband into the country. Most of these have either to come across the sea or the airport. Therefore, security in all these areas should be taken care of.
It is not only fighting the terrorists. It is a broad area. What I meant is when there is silence we can assume that some groups are organising themselves. Therefore, we should be vigilant and be ahead. These days there is talk of local and international investigations. That’s why we say we have to be alert.
Notwithstanding the Defence Secretary’s assertions, during talks in New Delhi, both Premier Wickremesinghe and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi have decided that the issue should be resolved by the fishermen of the two countries. That, of course is a neat Indian rope-trick not to have the issue resolved. The Indian PM had said that it was an issue that concerned “livelihoods”. Of those of which country was the question.
TNA hits out at LTTE, calls on Govt. to accept OISL report | The Sunday Times Sri Lanka
