It is clear that the Navy made a mistake - justifiably or not depends on which side you are on!

There is no question that in hindsight, looking further at the available evidence, that the Navy which handed the premises of the school sometime ago, from being in the HSZ earlier, and now part of the normal school under the Eastern Provincial Council, the proper protocol was NOT followed by the cocky Navals who only follow orders and in situations like this in Civilian decision making are not sufficiently armed with the necessary judgement. After all forces personnel are told to obey orders NOT THING FOR THEMSELVES which is what the Navy did this time round.

http://www.ceylontoday.lk/print20160321CT20160630.php?id=2047

The link above is clear. When there is an event in a school, usually the Provincial Council is consulted first and as an act of courtesy the Minister of Education and maybe the Chief Minister is invited. In this case where the Computer Lab was vested, perhaps inviting the Chief Minister was in order.

So I can understand why the Chief Minister was peeved, and though I don't beleive he should have behaved like a thug, the Navy MUST admit their error in not inviting the proper people. Lets face it both the Chief Minister and the Education Minister gate crashed. They should really have protested and prevented the event from taking place, as it was their event and NOT the Navy's even though the Navy provided the equipment and built the lab. That is merely as a favor to the Provincial Council School and so the Navy must be invited to be thanked NOT the other way round as it took place.

https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/sampur-incident-tensions-in-devolution/

It is clear from the very balanced article above also that the NAVY was wrong, and so it is clear that the decision that the Navy took to boycott Provincial Events the Chief Minister attends is ALSO clearly wrong.

I am NOT trying to take sides, and get into an emotional blind act of the forces being the Saviours of our Nation talk to safeguard them from ANY allegation they may face. We must be adult in our behaviour and NOT childish as the Forces Commanders have been.

My respect for the Forces has dropped dramatically due to this puerile kneejerk action, without a full reasoned argument at the error that the Navy made in NOT inviting the CM. The Governor had NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, and he should neither invite the CM to the event or to the podium as he is an invitee ONLY not an organizer!

Can't rational people understand this. Navy seems to be sucking up to foreigners like the US Ambassador in preference to their local worthies.

I hope the President and PM have the courage to show where the Forces were wrong in their reaction!

The Trouble is that the Commander in Chief in this case is NOT able to assert his authority, because he is worried what the uneducated gallery who don't understand any of the matters here, think!