My final post on Salawa, I hope!

I don’t want to go on this issue any further, because the Government is now in the process of compensating the victims on the basis of a formula. However I see no issuance of comfort to the people anywhere that they have taken steps to remove any ordinance from highly populated areas. This means that the ordnance is STILL there, and the steps being taken for their transport is NOT adequate at present, and they may in fact be rushing to construct some stores with concrete or other prescribed material in a safe place. We the people do not need to know where this safe place is as long as it is really safe, and the Army are not again making another elementary mistake, due to their inability to think laterally or in any other direction.

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/160612/news/it-rained-mortars-artillery-shells-and-rpgs-197112.html

The link above is fairly thorough, but the most important part is the end where it is clear that despite having sufficient knowledgeable officers, in the field of storage, they have NOT been able to act on the need of the hour over 16 years ago, when this lapse was brought to their attention.

I would like therefore to repeat that even the Army need some independent body, to review their activities and procedures, in short a systems AUDIT. It is done in all Countries, but in Sri Lanka, I am told it is done by those who don’t know what a systems audit really entails.

When you spend Rs350B a year, you expect it to be spent wisely for the safety of the people of Sri Lanka, in war and now in peacetime. Due to peacetime safety being compromised with this blast, that has sent shockwaves even through the entire army, it is time the whole hierarchy at the Army is changed, and we promote a Brigadier or a lower rank as Army Commander, to show that it is No LONGER seniority that matters in getting to the top, but sheer ability beyond the call of duty.

I am told there are some very capable young officers who bore the brunt of the action in war, and so are not only those who faced the direct threat of bullets, as opposed to the senior officers who were a little away from the action, and they are capable of using new technology to the advantage of the forces, and should be brought into revamp the Army into a technologically savvy army capable of sourcing needed arms, rather than storing them, and let others in other parts of the world do the storing, we just need to know how to get it quick when needed.