Former Head of Sri Lanka's Peace Secretariat blames opposition leader for CFA failure

Former head of Sri Lanka's Peace Secretariat Professor Rajiva Wijesinha giving evidence before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission Monday said that the ceasefire agreement (CFA) of 2002 was a good idea, but was a failure mainly due to then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe's inability to integrate it.

Prof. Wijesinha had said that actions of opposition leader and many officials, who were engaged in the CFA process, benefited the LTTE noting one such instance where the Peace Secretariat had provided money to the LTTE.

"The Government wasn't interested in monitoring what was done with the money that was provided. The general lack of monitoring allowed the LTTE to run riot," local Daily Mirror quoted Wijesinha.
Unlike former Presidents Ranasinghe Premadasa and Chandrika Kumaranatunga, Ranil Wickremasinghe failed to realize his mistakes of being completely used by the LTTE, Wijesinha pointed out.
"His na've and culpable actions during the ceasefire period turned the CFA a betrayer of all the Tamil leaders who stood against the LTTE," he has added.
Former diplomat Jayantha Dhanapala and Ashoka Gunawardena are scheduled to give evidence when the Commission meets again on Wednesday (25).