They're Back in 2010

Getty Images: 'Victory Parade' attended by thousands of troops drawn from units that led the final assault against Tamil Tigers whose leadership was killed on May 18, 2009.

The Boys Are Back in Town

It's June 2010, one year since the Sri Lankan Armed Forces declared victory in the long-running Tamil Tiger rebellion.

The seacoast of Colombo was graced by the fighting men in full regalia on 18 June, 2010.

The boys, it seems, were as BAD as ever this year.

There are, perhaps, no fighting forces in the world that look as handsome and together as the men on parade in Colombo do.

The Sri Lankan Special Forces--note the insignia. >>

2010 has not been the best of post conflict years. The army general, Sarath Fonseka, in some large part instrumental in attaining victory for the SLAF, sat in a military prison nearby as this procession went on.

Such is the nature of Sri Lankan politics. But politics, aside, 18 June was a grand day of remembrance.

The Special Forces, like marauders on motorbikes, must strike fear into the hearts of some.

They are heralded by some as the real champions in the fight.

See The Honorable.
The Special Forces were, of course, not the only contingents who helped bring the long conflict to an eventful end, but they seemed to impress in terms of both form and function.

They were touted as the government's guerilla force, able to make best use of the jungle terrain and the tactics more commonly used by such forces.

But in terms of form and fitting, these guys were the cream of the military crop. They were outfitted with the best uniforms, the most convincing camouflage and the baddest handheld weaponry. They were the masked men on two-wheeled hot rods, who would jump through hoops of fire to get at their targets.


Sri Lankan army commandos march in a military parade during the victory day parade in Colombo on June 18, 2010. Sri Lanka staged a delayed military parade to mark the first anniversary of the end of its 37-year civil war, with pressure mounting for a probe into alleged crimes during the conflict.

The camouflaged men (above) may not be the Special Forces--the insignia is not visible--but they look like the meanest fighting force you might ever want to face in the jungle--that is if you were ever so lucky to be in their path!

Human Rights Watch and others say that they (along with the Tigers) are guilty of war crimes. But who are the they they accuse?

It would probably not be the rank and file militiaman pictured here, but the leaders who command them... Or, even more likely the civilian regime who authorized their activities.

Is the image

of the Sri Lankan soldier tarnished?

Are the boys in green less worthy of adoration? The problems of resettlement of refugees and reconstruction notwithstanding, is there not cause for celebration of what has been achieved?


I leave these as rhetorical questions. I have no way to ascertain this, but it would be interesting to know the public perception of the men in green and camouflage among the Sri Lankan population.

One must remember that this was and is a volunteer force and one that continued in the face of over two and half decades of armed civil conflict.

There were problems with desertions and some might argue that it was the poor and unemployable who filled the ranks.

Who is to say, however, that many volunteers were not true defenders of their nation? There were other options short of heading for the front lines, i.e. police duty or joining the growing ranks of overseas workers.

Would Rama, Laxman and Hanuman be able to take on the defenders of the Lankan island today?

I wonder if the epic of the Ramayana acts to tie Sri Lankans and Indians together or separate them?

The hero in that account is the god figure Rama who subdues the devil king Ravana, resident in the Sri Lanka of that time.

It ought to be considered a wonder that the history of two nations can go back so far.

Perhaps the exploits of the Sri Lankan Special Forces and Commando Units will be the stuff of legends long after the dates 1983 and 2009 recede into the depths of history?

Or maybe the likes of a James Cameron or Oliver Stone could discover the contemporary Sri Lankan war epic and spin it out in a way that only the magic of Hollywood can.

What would be a suitable plot for the screenplay? A Sri Lankan war hero would make for an intriguing, if unlikely, international model of valor.

All The President's Men

They were the Army, Navy, Air Force and Special Forces heroes and heroines, who lined the street and seacoast at Colombo's Galle Face Green on 18 June 2010.

REUTERS PICTURES: Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa (standing R, in vehicle) inspects a parade at war victory celebrations in Colombo June 18, 2010. Rajapaksa on Friday criticized foreign pressure for a probe into war crimes allegations as "sympathy towards terrorism", and said soldiers. had committed no rights violations.

Sri Lanka's superior fighting men display their prowess on land, at sea and in the skies.

Without any direct superpower involvement, the Sri Lankan government with its limited resources waged a multi-pronged offense against the rebels.

Many paid the ultimate price, others were left with lasting wounds.

AP PHOTOS: Physically challenged Sri Lankan soldiers participate in a victory day parade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, June 18, 2010. Sri Lanka showed off its military hardware during the victory parade Friday to celebrate the first anniversary of the defeat of Tamil Tiger rebels, amid growing criticism over alleged rights abuses in the last phase of the quarter-century civil war. This tribute to the men of valor does not end here. Return to Sri Lankan Male for more.

View more images of Sri Lankan soldiers:

The Honorable (3/10) Sri Lankan Victory Celebration (6/09) In Sri Lanka Last Week of May '09 (6/09) Ding Dong (5/09) The War Recedes (5/09) Here's Looking at You (5/09) Our Boys in Green (1/09) They Guard and Protect (12/08) Poignent Moments (12/08) Soldier (11/08) Soldiers in Action (10/08) Unreported War (10/08) The Face of War (9/08) Uniformed Pageantry (6/08) The War Goes On (6/07) Defenders of Their Nation (5/06) Soldier in Paradise (5/06) City of Guns (4/06)

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