Ranil Wickremesinghe Rejects Allegations in Batalanda

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe made a special statement today regarding the Batalanda Commission Report, which was recently tabled in Parliament. Addressing the issue, Wickremesinghe refuted claims implicating him and provided context on the events that led to the commission’s formation.

JVP Insurgency and Government Response

Wickremesinghe recalled that following the signing of the Indo-Lanka Accord in 1987, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) launched a violent insurgency across the country. In response, President J.R. Jayewardene delegated the protection of key national institutions to cabinet ministers.

He noted that vital economic and strategic locations, including the oil refinery in Sapugaskanda, the diesel power plant, and the Colombo trade zone, required military protection. The military was stationed in government-owned vacant buildings and residences to ensure national security. According to Wickremesinghe, the Lanka Fertilizer Corporation’s abandoned quarters were provided for military and police personnel at the request of then Deputy Minister of Defense Ranjan Wijeratne.

Security Concerns and Violent Attacks

During this turbulent period, insurgents attacked the Sapugaskanda police station, killing the station chief. Several political figures and police officers were assassinated, and violent attacks targeted public figures' residences. Wickremesinghe stated that the government took necessary steps to restore law and order while rebuilding the economy and ensuring national security.

Formation of the Batalanda Commission

Wickremesinghe explained that in 1994, then-President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga initiated a commission to investigate whether an alleged torture chamber existed in Batalanda. He clarified that he was summoned only as a witness and was serving as the opposition leader at the time.

He further claimed that the commission was politically motivated and aimed at tarnishing his reputation. The final report did not directly implicate him in any criminal activities, except for procedural concerns regarding housing allocation for police officers.

Rejection of Allegations

Wickremesinghe firmly rejected any other accusations against him in the report, stating that he was not involved in any unlawful activities related to Batalanda. He highlighted that the report extensively documented JVP’s violent activities and did not establish any direct wrongdoing on his part.

Political Repercussions and Parliamentary Discussion

The former president pointed out that since the report was tabled in Parliament in 2000, no political party, including the JVP, had requested a debate on it. He argued that this indicated a lack of credibility in the allegations. Wickremesinghe criticized attempts to use the report for political gain decades later, emphasizing that no past government had leveraged it for partisan advantage.

Wickremesinghe concluded by dismissing the Batalanda Commission Report’s allegations against him, reaffirming his stance that it was politically motivated. He asserted that the report’s findings had not been widely accepted and that no parliamentary traditions support debating a 25-year-old report after such a long period.