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Gotabaya Rajapaksa

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Gotabaya Rajapaksa
ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence
In office
November 2005 – January 2015
PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa
Prime MinisterRatnasiri Wickremanayake
D. M. Jayaratne
Preceded byMajor General
Asoka Jayawardena
Succeeded byB.M.U.D. Basnayake
Personal details
Born
Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa

(1949-06-20) June 20, 1949 (age 75)
Matara, Sri Lanka
CitizenshipSri Lanka
United State of America
SpouseAnoma Rajapaksa
RelationsMahinda Rajapaksa (brother)
Basil Rajapaksa (brother)
Chamal Rajapaksa (brother)
ChildrenManoj Rajapaksa
Alma materAnanda College
Military service
AllegianceSri Lanka
Branch/serviceSri Lankan Army
Years of service1971–1992
RankLieutenant Colonel
UnitGajaba Regiment
Commands1st Gajaba Regiment
General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University
Battles/warsEelam War I
Eelam War II
Eelam War IV
AwardsFile:Rana Wickrama Padakkama Bar.PNG Rana Wickrama Padakkama
Rana Sura Padakkama

Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa), UoC

Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa, RWP, RSP, psc, GR (Template:Lang-si) (born 20 June 1949) is a retired officer of the Sri Lanka Army, a former Secretary to Ministry of Defence and Urban Development of Sri Lanka. After serving through the early parts of the country's civil war with Tamil Tiger rebels, he retired from the Army in 1992. With the election of his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa as President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa was appointed Defence Secretary in November 2005.

As Defence Secretary, Rajapaksa played a key role towards the successes achieved by the Sri Lankan Military in defeating the Tamil Tigers and ending Sri Lanka's 26-year-long civil war in May 2009 with the political leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the military strategy of General Sarath Fonseka.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] He was also one of the top targets of the Tamil Tigers, and survived an assassination attempt in December 2006 by a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber.[8]

Early life

Gotabaya Rajapaksa was born in Palatuwa in the Matara District,[citation needed] as the 5th of nine siblings and brought up in Weerakatiya in the southern rural district of Hambantota.[citation needed] According to a writer called Narada Karunthilaka, the name Gotabaya means "Abhaya, the Giant" or "Chinna Kotta" in the Jat language.[9] He hails from a well-known political family in Sri Lanka. His father, D. A. Rajapaksa, was a prominent politician, independence agitator, Member of Parliament, Deputy Speaker and Cabinet Minister of Agriculture and Land in Wijeyananda Dahanayake's government. His elder brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa was first elected to parliament as a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party at the age of 24 in 1970, who gradually rose through the party ranks becoming the Leader of the Opposition in 2001, Prime Minister in 2004 and the President of Sri Lanka in 2005. Two of his other elder brothers, Chamal Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa, are also in the politics being current Members of Parliament.

He obtained his primary and secondary education at Ananda College, Colombo.[10] He has also obtained a Postgraduate degree in Information Technology from the University of Colombo in 1992.[11]

Military career

Rajapaksa joined the Sri Lanka Army as a Cadet Officer on April 26, 1971, when Sri Lanka was still a dominion of the British Commonwealth. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on May 25, 1972 and given his first command as an officer in the Ceylon Signals Corps after his basic training at the Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa. Thereafter he served with the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment and the Rajarata Rifles before being transferred to the Gajaba Regiment upon its formation in 1983 with the amalgamation of the Rajarata Rifles and Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment.[12]

During his 20 years of military service, Rajapaksa has received awards for gallantry from three Presidents of Sri Lanka, J.R. Jayewardene, Ranasinghe Premadasa and D.B. Wijetunga.[13] He had followed signal young officers course in school of signals at Rawalpindi; Infantry company commanders course in Queta; Jungle warfare and counter insurgency course in Assam; Command and Staff course at Defence Services Staff College in Welington; and Advanced Infantry Officers course at Fort Benning.

He rose up the ranks in the military, serving as the second in command of the 1st Gajaba Regiment and latter commanding the 1GR from 1983 to 1990. He served in the battlefronts of Jaffna, participating in Operation Liberation, the offensive mounted to liberate Vadamarachi from LTTE in 1987. He also commanded the same battalion in Operation "Strike Hard" and Operation "Thrivida Balaya" in 1990. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and served as the Commandant of the Kotelawala Defence Academy at the time of his retirement in 1992. He subsequently migrated to the United States. Also, he worked in Loyola Law School[14] in Los Angeles, U.S. as a Systems Integrator and Unix Solaris Administrator.[15]

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence

In order to assist his brother's Presidential election campaign, Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka from the United States in 2005 .

Gotabaya Rajapaksa was appointed to the post of Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence in November 2005 by newly elected President Mahinda Rajapaksa. In this capacity he oversaw the military operation which eventually defeated the LTTE in May 2009.

At the public acclaim as a "war hero," he was conferred Doctor of Letters by the University of Colombo on September 6, 2009.[16][17] He is also the secretary to the Urban Development, with the help of the army he undertakes huge projects.

Attempted assassination

On December 1, 2006, at approximately 10:35 an assassin attempted to drive an explosive laden auto-rikshaw into Rajapaksa's motorcade as it traveled through Kollupitiya, Colombo. The Sri Lanka Army Commandos guarding him obstructed the vehicle carrying the explosives before it reached Rajapakse's vehicle and two commandos were instantly killed. Rajapaksa escaped unhurt.[8] The LTTE were blamed for the attack.[8]

Criticism of United Nations and western countries

In June 2007, Rajapaksa was severely critical of the United Nations (UN) and of western governments. He accused the UN of having been infiltrated by terrorists "for 30 years or so", and as a result the UN was fed incorrect information. He also alleged that Britain and the EU were bullying Sri Lanka, and concluded that Sri Lanka "does not need them", and that they don't provide any significant amount of aid to the country.[18]

Controversies

War Crimes

On 3 February 2009, Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa stated to the international media (in reference to the only hospital in the war front being shelled), that everything is a legitimate target if it’s not within the safe zone the government has created and that all persons subject to attack by the armed forces were legitimate LTTE targets as there are no independent observers, only LTTE sympathizers, radio announcements were made and movement of civilians started a month and a half ago.[19][20]

As per wikileaks, General Sarath Fonseka who lead the war against LTTE had accused Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa of ordering at the end of the war the shooting of any LTTE leaders who might try to surrender under flags of truce. But Mr. Gotabhaya alleged to have threaten to execute Mr. Fonseka if he had spilled any war secrets.[21] [22] [23]

In an interview on the Sri Lanka TV channel adaderana on March 16, 2015, Mr Rajapaksa stated that he is a citizen of the United States but cannot travel to the United States because of alleged war crimes charges against him.[24]

Gotabhaya is credited with using the Karuna faction effectively during the war to defeat the LTTE. The former LTTE commander Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, better known as Colonel Karuna, told British authorities that Rajapaksa was instrumental in arranging for him to be issued with a false diplomatic passport so that he could flee to Britain in September 2007. These allegations were denied by the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama at the time,[25] and later by Rajapaksa.

Assassination of Nadarajah Raviraj

Nadarajah Raviraj, a well-known human-rights lawyer and a parliamentarian, was shot and killed in Colombo on 10 November 2006. At a magisterial hearing in Colombo on 26 February 2016, Liyanarachchi Abeyrathna, a former policer officer attached to the State Intelligence Agency, stated that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa paid Rs. 50 million to a terror organization led by Colonel Karuna to murder Mr. Raviraj.[26][27]


Relationship with the media

Rajapaksa has been accused of threatening journalists on several occasions, including telling two journalists attached to the state-owned Lake House Publications that unless they stop criticising the armed forces "what will happen to you is beyond my control". When asked by the two journalists if he was threatening them, he replied "I am definitely not threatening your lives. Our services are appreciated by 99 per cent of the people. They love the Army Commander (General Sarath Fonseka) and the Army. There are Sri Lankan patriots who love us do and will do what is required if necessary."[28] In April 2007 he was accused of allegedly calling the Editor of the Daily Mirror Champika Liyanaarachchi and threatening her, saying that she would escape reprisals only if she resigned.[29] He was also accused for threatening to "exterminate" the Daily Mirror journalist Uditha Jayasinghe for writing articles about the plight of civilian war casualties.[30][31][32]

A December 5, 2008 story from The New York Times quoted his news reporting position as "he insists that journalists should not be allowed to report anything that demoralizes the war effort".[33]

In the editorial titled A brother out of control (August 16, 2011), The Hindu raised the observation, "President Rajapaksa would be well advised to distance himself swiftly from his brother's stream-of-consciousness on sensitive issues that are not his business. This includes an outrageous comment that because a Tamil woman, an “LTTE cadre” who was a British national, interviewed in the Channel 4 documentary was “so attractive” but had been neither raped nor killed by Sri Lankan soldiers, the allegation of sexual assault by soldiers could not be true. For this statement alone, Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa must be taken to task."[34]

Political Abductions & White Van Incidents

As reported by The Sunday Leader, Major General Prasad Samarasinghe the former Military Spokesman and Director, Directorate of Media in the Army, has been passing highly sensitive information to the US Embassy in Colombo on abductions. Many of those abducted were believed to have been individuals who had fallen foul of the Rajapaksa trio, Mahinda, Basil and Gotabhaya. During her visit to the country, United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Navanetham Pillay expressed her disappointment over “white van” related disappearances reported in Colombo, and other parts of the country, which were not covered by the Commission of Inquiry on Disappearances set up by the government.[35][36][37]

Corruption

Deceased MP Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, assassinated journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge and others had accused Rajapaksa of corruption since 2006.[38][39] In 2015 Interpol provided further evidence to the Sri Lankan government on corrupt military procurements.[40][41][42][43] In March 2015 a Sri Lankan court imposed a travel ban on Rajapaksa over allegations he used a commercial floating armory as a private arsenal.[44][45]

From 2015

After the defeat of Mahinda in the 2015 Presidential elections, he was replaced as Secretary of Defence by B.M.U.D. Basnayake a day after the new President was sworn in.[46]

See also

References

  1. ^ President Maithripala Sirisena’s Address to the Nation at the 67th Independence Day celebrations, NEWS.LK, Retrieved 29-07-15
  2. ^ Mehta, Maj. Gen. (Retd) Raj K. Lost Victory: The Rise & Fall of LTTE Supremo, V. Prabhakaran. Pentagon Press. pp. 13, 118, 330–338, 360–8, 377, 380, 401–11. ISBN 978-8182744431.
  3. ^ Review - Gota’s War -Final- revised By Major General (Retired) Lalin Fernando, Asian Tribune, Retrieved 18 May 2015
  4. ^ Mi 24s role in eelam war IV emphasised by Shamindra Ferdinando, The Island, Retrieved 17 May 2015
  5. ^ Refurbishing the Armed Forces By Tissa Ravindra Perera, The Nation, Retrieved 18 May 2015
  6. ^ SF denies claim of 40,000 civilian deaths in Vanni, says his men paid heavy price by not using heavy weapons By Shamindra Ferdinando, The Island, Retrieved 21 May 2015
  7. ^ Fonseka to become first Sri Lankan Field Marshal, Khaleej Times (UAE), Retrieved 29 March 2015
  8. ^ a b c "CHRONOLOGY-Attacks blamed on Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers". Reuters. 2008-01-08.
  9. ^ www.toplankanews.com [dead link‍]
  10. ^ Meteoric rise of Ananda's patriotic sons, Rasika SOMARATNA, Daily News, Retrieved 4 May 2015
  11. ^ A legend of our times – Opinion. Defence.lk. Retrieved on 2012-07-09.
  12. ^ Who are the Real Traitors ?. www.defence.lk (2008-12-30). Retrieved on 2012-07-09.
  13. ^ T.B. Singalaxana (2007-07-19). Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine. Daily Mirror
  14. ^ The Honourable Gotabaya Rajapaksa
  15. ^ 1 Gotabaya Rajapaksha-Talk at "Tech Colloquium" organized by Microsoft on YouTube. Retrieved on 2012-07-09.
  16. ^ Talk at the Cafe Spectator, The Sunday Times, Retrieved 29-07-2015
  17. ^ "Honorary degrees to the President and Gota". Daily Mirror. 2009-09-05. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
  18. ^ Buerk, Roland. (2007-06-12) South Asia | Sri Lanka accuses 'bullying' West. BBC News. Retrieved on 2012-07-09.
  19. ^ CNN-IBN (2009-02-03). "'Can't ensure civilians safety in LTTE area'". CNN IBN live. Retrieved 2015-04-05. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  20. ^ Ryan Goodman (2014-05-19). "Sri Lanka's Greatest War Criminal (Gotabaya) is a US Citizen: It's Time to Hold Him Accountable". Just Security. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
  21. ^ "Gotabaya Rajapaksa should be tried for war crimes". Frontierindia.net. 2013-04-14. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  22. ^ "Fonseka will be hanged if he spills war secrets: Lanka". Times Of India. 2010-06-07. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  23. ^ Jason Burke, South Asia correspondent (2011-11-18). "Former Sri Lankan army chief convicted for war crimes claim | World news". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-11-01. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  24. ^ "Gotabaya reveals why he can't go back to the US". www.youtube.com. 2015-03-16.
  25. ^ "Gotabaya 'gave me passport'". BBC News. 2008-01-25. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
  26. ^ "Gota Paid Karuna Faction 50 Million To Kill Raviraj". Colombo Telegraph. 2016-02-27. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  27. ^ "Gotabaya has given 50 million for the Raviraj killers". Lanka News Web. 2016-02-27. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  28. ^ Sunday Times – Death bells toll for the free media. Sundaytimes.lk (2008-06-01). Retrieved on 2012-07-09.
  29. ^ :: Daily Mirror on the Web – Front Page ::[dead link‍]
  30. ^ "FMM protests Gotabhaya's 'threats'". BBC Sinhala. 5 May 2008.
  31. ^ "Sri Lanka - Annual report 2008". Reporters Without Borders.
  32. ^ "Britain exposes damn lie by the state media". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 21 April 2007.
  33. ^ Somini Sengupta (2008-12-05). Sri Lankan Army Is Pushing for End to 25-Year War Against the Tamil Rebels, The New York Times.
  34. ^ "A brother out of control". The Hindu. 2011-08-16. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  35. ^ "A Top Sri Lankan Major General, The US And Gotabhaya Rajapaksa". The Sunday Leader. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  36. ^ "Video: Signs of Sri Lanka moving towards authoritarianism-Pillay | Breaking News". Dailymirror.lk. 2013-08-31. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  37. ^ "Opening remarks by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay at a press conference during her mission to Sri Lanka Colombo". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  38. ^ Rajapaksa's brother probed over killings, aljazeera, Retrieved 2015-06-06
  39. ^ Academic Exposing Corrupt War Procurement Tender Process Threatened By Rajapaksa Government, Colombo Telegraph. Retrieved 2015-06-06
  40. ^ MiG Deal: Rajapaksas Paid US$ 10 Million To A Ghost Company: “No Company Called Bellimissa” – Interpol Confirmed, Colombo Telegraph. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
  41. ^ FCID questions Gotabaya, adaderana. Retrieved 2015-06-06
  42. ^ A Trembling Gotabaya Appears Before FCID, Colombo Telegraph. Retrieved 2015-06-06
  43. ^ Gota’s MiG Deal: Investigation Finds Secret Bank Account In British Virgin Islands, Colombo Telegraph. Retrieved 2015-06-06
  44. ^ "Sri Lankan court imposes travel ban on former defence secretary Rajapaksa". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  45. ^ "Sri Lanka travel ban for Gotabhaya Rajapaksa over arms ship". BBC. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  46. ^ "B.M.U.D. Basnayake appointed new Defence Secretary". Ada Derana. 10 January 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2016.

Further reading

  • Army, Sri Lanka. (1st Edition – October 1999). "50 YEARS ON" – 1949–1999, Sri Lanka Army. ISBN 955-8089-02-8
  • The Broken Palmyra – The Tamil Crisis in Sri Lanka: An Inside Account. The Sri Lanka Studies Institute, Claremont 1990. By Hoole, R., Somasundaram, D., Sritharan K., and Rajini Thiranagama. (Also available online.)
  • War and Peace in Sri Lanka: With a Post-Accord Report From Jaffna. ISBN 955-26-0001-4/ISBN 978-955-26-0001-2, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Sri Lanka; 1 edition (October 1, 1987), By Rohan Gunaratna.
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