Today it is useful to remember a remark made by our first Prime Minister, D. S. Senanayake. It is reported by the Sri Lanka Army, in its publication, Sri Lanka Army 50 years on - 1949-1999, published in which there is an interesting article written by Mr. Colin de Silva who had served as our first Assistant Secretary of Defence. He describes his flight to London with the Prime Minister and Sir Kanthiah Vaithianadan for the First Commonwealth Prime Ministers Conference. Approaching Cairo, he says "an interesting conversation took place".

(Quote): " ‘We are going as the guests of General Naguib’, the Prime Minister said, ‘but I wonder whether he will still be the Head of State when we extend our return invitation.’ His eyes twinkled, once again questioning me. Mr. Vaithianadan grunted. He had deduced what I had not even dreamed. I looked at the Prime Minister questioningly. ‘A group of young officers was really behind the coup d’etat that sent King Farouk into exile,’ the Prime Minister declared. ‘They needed a man of General Naguib’s stature to front for them, especially a devout Muslim. They will quietly retire him and take over. Remember these two names, Nasser and Sadat.’ ‘Actually, as a matter of fact this coup is a lesson we ourselves must learn,’ he continued soberly. ‘We should never give too much power to our Armed Forces, or become dependent on them.’" (End of quote)

"Actually as a matter of fact" in 1961, defeated politicians used certain Army Officers to stage a coup d’etat. They failed. The Servicemen suffered. The politicians were never caught.

Again, in 1971, a revolutionary political party infiltrated the Armed Forces and started an insurrection. They failed. The Servicemen who got caught up in politics gained nothing and lost everything.

The lessons are:

1. Servicemen - do not to become political pawns.

2. Ruling Politicians - do not let the Armed Forces get too big for their boots

3. Defeated Politicians - you lost: so don’t try to creep in through the back door.