Fmr Minister acknowledges Premadasa govt. gave weapons to LTTE

Former Minister of Ranasinghe Premadasa‘s government Gamini Jayawickrama Perera admits that the then-government provided weapons to the terrorist organization LTTE during the civil war.

Perera mentioned this addressing a public meeting held in Kurunegala, yesterday (28).

He says that the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) signed agreements with LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Ranasinghe Premadasa vowed to chase away the IPKF from Sri Lanka when he was a presidential candidate, which resulted in IPKF teaching Varadaraja Perumal, then-Chief Minister of the North Eastern Province, to establish his own army and to declare a separate flag for the North Eastern Province instead of the Sri Lankan flag, said Perera.

However, Premadasa did not send Sri Lankan armies against this as ceasefire talks were ongoing between Premadasa and Prabhakaran at that time, claims Perera.

Perera further said that he can responsibly state that then-President Ranasinghe Premadasa provided weapons to LTTE to defeat the IPKF and Varadaraja Perumal’s armies.

Then the IPKF had to leave the country, he added.