When I started writing this note to express what I felt about the reaction of Koïchiro Matsuura, the Director General of the UNESCO concerning the bombing of Tamil Tiger Terrorist broadcasting centre, I had a moral conflict whether to respect the individual or to respect his role as a high ranker in the UN. One thing clear to me is that as a matter of generosity from an ethical point of view, I have to respect every human being with no regard to his caste, class, creed, or status.
Question therefore, does not arise here that I have to respect his rank in the UN namely the Director General to the UNESCO. On the other hand, anyone who reads his condemnation of bombing of the LTTE Voice, the propaganda radio, would raise the question why he did say anything on this issue. The fact that the Japanese Navy bombed Colombo on 5th April 1942 comes to my mind involuntarily. Mr. Matsuura must be reminded how this bombing killed a number of psychiatric patients at Mulleria Hospital and one bomb was dropped on Ceylon Radio Station in Colombo, which was then known as Voice of Colombo. While quoting Lord Buddha’s preaching that hatred cannot be overcome by hatred, the Ceylon delegate at the San Francisco Conference made an appeal to the world not to punish the Japanese government but to give the hand to this totally defeated country to raise the head from ashes. Exactly after 65 years, a member of that pardoned country points the finger to the government of Sri Lanka for having bombed a terrorist propaganda radio station. Does Koichiro Matsuura justifies the bombing of Sri Lankan Air base at Anuradhapura recalling what the Japanese Air Force Kamikase Pilots did to Perl Habour in 1941?
The face value of his protest may attribute to his role as the Director General of the UNESCO but not because that he and Yasushi Akashi (the Japanese mediator involved in the so-called reconciliation process between the government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tiger terrorists) come from the same country. I have no clues to see any co-relation between Matsuura’s conduct and Akashi’s emphasis concerning this conflict. But it is the general attitude in Sri Lanka that Akashi was another blonder.
Japan as a country, which went through hell during Second World War knows much about cancer in mass scale after bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the US Air force during this war. This immeasurable disaster caused many hundreds of thousand deaths and cancer amongst millions of people in Japan. But this harmful effect was confined only to Japanese territory.
There is a valuable reason why I started with the cancer issue. The LTTE, the most ruthless terrorist movement in the world is an evil malignant cancer not only in the region of its birthplace but also on a global scale. Cancer is also a cell but it is different to the healthy cells in a body. A person, who does not know the intrinsic properties of a cancer cell, cannot distinguish it from a healthy cell.
This is exactly what is happening in Sri Lanka. With all their expertise and conviction of humanism, this Japanese dignitary and his close international associates are fighting the healthy cells but not to eradicate the cancer cells in the context of so-called ethnic problem in Sri Lanka. Is this an indication of common ignorance or a clear demonstration of double standards?
It could be both because he and his other associates who interfere unnecessarily in this issue seem to be sharing an unethical commitment.
Ignorance is worse than a cancer. A group of so-called human right champions have challenged a democratically elected government for having taken drastic measures to curb terrorism. A malignant cancer is perceived as a liberation movement and the malice not dealt with appropriate measures. Like the medical personnel engaged in curing a cancer patient, a democratic government has launched a war on terrorism in order to eradicate this evil in the same manner as any other civilized governance does.
The USA and its allies like Great Britain, Germany, Canada, Australia, and Poland have sent their troops to fight terrorism in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Japan has nothing to say other than saying yes to what her allies do in these regions and most interestingly the same group champions the cause for human rights in Sri Lanka while massacring innocent people in millions in other countries.
We do not need the assistance of such hypocrites to restore democracy in our country because Sri Lanka is one of the most ancient countries, which enjoyed a long tradition of civilized social order. The secret behind the success of this uninterrupted socio-cultural and religious order is the homogeneity in its composition. If not the continuous invasions from south India did not take place and the western colonial powers did not tried their fortune in our countries, this homogeneous composition would have prevailed up to present days like in China, Korea and Japan. As an exception in the western world, 98% of the population in Germany is Germans. Though the Bavarians claim that they are not Germans and they have their own language, the Bavarians had to accept the conditions imposed by Otto von Bismarck of Prussia in his historical task to bring all divided parts to one solid state namely Deutschland (Germany). The pressure from Bavaria to the Sri Lankan government is relatively high when compared to other federal states in Germany. The reason is the Catholic Church and we are not supposed to ignore the fact that the Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger comes from the same state. Historically there would have been no Hitler without Bavaria.
This is an example how the people can be brought under control by any authority depending on the historical, geographical, and economic conditions. The Bavarians had their own territory, language, and customs and deeply rooted other cultural traditions. The size of the state is very similar to the size of Sri Lanka but there was no claim for a separate homeland similar to the Tamil “Eelam” (Traditional homeland). There was neither an armed struggle nor terrorism for a separate state though they were independent in the past. What sort of example can the Bavarians set for the Sri Lankans in relation to the present conflict while preserving the homogeneity with other federal states and preaching a separate for handful Tamil terrorists?
Germans do not like to see their society becoming heterogeneous like the Japanese. Nevertheless, they like to see Sri Lanka as a heterogeneous country. With some differences in the accent and in expressions, a great majority of people in Germany share a common language, common culture, common religious believes and a democratic capitalist system.
They are also the pioneers of European Union, which brought many western and eastern countries to one single political, social, and economic body. The borders are open. A common currency namely the Euro is introduced. As a result, the economy is booming in each individual country. It proved that the unity is mighty. Most unfortunately, these people cannot see how our nations in the south Asian region were enjoying this privilege since many thousands years. In India or in Sri Lanka, there were no religious or ethnic wars for many centuries until the “divide and rule” strategy was implemented by the colonial “masters”. They join hand in hands to develop their countries but they never let people in former colonial countries to feel united.
Sri Lanka is an exception with an excellent example for harmony with a social, cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity. There are ample prehistoric evidence to prove that even before the Dravidic incursions (10th century) took place, Hela Diva (The Island of Helas) gave the shelter to various heterogeneous groups like Naga, Yakshas, Deva and Raksha.
(see. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Sri_Lanka.
Some scholars presume that the Dravidians were present in this island before the Sinhela ethnic group came into being. According to the Lanka Academic Forum, “Indeed, archaeological records confirm the existence of humans in Sri Lanka, long before Vijaya”. “….”However it was the advent of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, that saw the distinctive evolution of the Sinhela race - a mixture of the original inhabitants naga, yaksha, tamils<*1> who had been in Sri Lanka for a long time and who embraced Buddhism and the Vijayan colonists. They were united by Buddhism and the newly developed Sinhela language” (see: The origins of Sri Lankan Tamils and Sinhalese. –Lanka Academic Forum – (http://www.theacademic.org/forum/viewtopic/).
(<*1> My personal opinion on the usage of this term in the historical context is not appropriate. Small groups of Dravidian origin would have been living in this island without a strong ethnic identity. Some Anthropologists<*2> infer that Veddas have certain physical resemblance to Dravidians and Australian Aborigines. Even if it is a fact, there is no evidence that Dravidian civilization was established in pre-Vijaya era. If there were a Dravidian social organisation, Tamil, Malayalam, Kanarese or Telugu would have been the language of the pre-Vijaya era).
(<*2> Malcolm D. Prentis, Science, Race & Faith: A Life of John Mathew, 1849-1929, Sydney: Centre for the Study of Australian Christianity, 1998, pp.240. ISBN and Aboriginal Man in Australia, Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1965, pp.31-33)
Though the above inference of the Lanka Academic Forum is obviously disputable, this presumption has some significance in shedding light to the ancient social structure of Hela Diva. It is Buddhism, which paved the way to the harmony of ethnic diversity finally carving out one of the fabulous civilizations in the world. It was the historical task of Helayas to bring unity amongst this heterogeneous people under one significant culture. The consequent incursions of Dravidian rulers from South India clearly indicates that there was no historical evidence for a specific Dravidian cultural line that existed side by side in the evolutionary process of Sinhala Buddhist culture in this island. All that we can see as the remnants of the Dravidian culture in Sri Lanka are the work of invading groups from South India. They had to introduce every cultural aspect from the beginning, as there was no historical evidence for Tamil language or Hindu religious rituals before these invasions.
The facts behind this consequent religious and ethnic harmony even after these invasions clearly indicates that Sinhala speaking Buddhist Helas and Tamil speaking Hindu Dravidians had no problem to share the land and the brotherly warmth in every aspect of their daily lives.
It is ultimately the enemies of Sinhalese Buddhists (Helas) and the Hindu Tamils (Dravidians) have sown the seeds of germs on our soils and we only enjoy the harvest of bloody violence.
Let me appeal every decent Tamil speaking person to join hand in hand in order to eradicate the terrorist malice from northern Sri Lanka. This will open new avenues for our proud nation to build the country leading to peaceful co-existence and economic prosperity.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Australian investigators build cast iron case against arms procurers
Sri Lanka has been able to produce irrefutable evidence to prove a direct link between the LTTE and three Australian Tamils under investigation for providing critical support to carry out high profile attacks including the sinking of a Fast Attack Craft (FAC P 418) off Vettilaikerni in May last year.
The FAC, a part of the force deployed to protect a ship carrying 700 off duty personnel to their bases in the Jaffna peninsula went down after an explosive-laden stealth craft powered by four 250 horsepower outboard motors (OBMs) rammed it.
This evidence has been brought to the notice of Australian Federal Police conducting the investigation, authoritative sources said.
The Director of Public Prosecutions of the State of Victoria has charged Aruran Vinayagamoorthy, Sivarajah Yathavan and Arumugam Rajeewan, currently on bail, with being members of a terrorist organisation (LTTE) and for funding, raising and providing material support to a terrorist organisation.
The sources said that the an SLN diving team which salvaged bodies of seven members of the FAC crew along with the ill-fated craft's main armaments, also recovered the tail part of the suicide craft.
The Sunday Island learns that the four OBMs of Japanese origin had been inter-linked to the steering wheel by an Australian manufactured hydrive unit. The Australian Federal Police have been able to establish the origin of this unit with the help of its Australian manufacturer.
What the suspects didn’t expect was that the Australian company maintains a complete list of its customers, the sources said noting that the Australian Federal Police have been meticulous in their investigations.
"They have done a thorough job," an official said, ``and have made remarkable progress.’’
Police have also recovered photographic evidence of the suspects together with a person identified as Jayakumar, believed to be the ring leader, who subsequently died of a heart attack onboard an LTTE vessel off Mullaitivu.
The navy is also believed to have recovered two more Australian manufactured hydrive units during two engagements this year. One of the units had been recovered from the LTTE’s ‘wave rider’ class large attack craft (Indumathi) which was salvaged off Thalaiadi on June 19 this year. The other had been found last February when the SLN seized a fibre glass dinghy off Baththalangunduwa.
Speculation is that Jayakumar had been involved in the acquisition of aircraft by the LTTE and that the deal may have been finalized in Australia.
Senior Sri Lankan security forces, legal and law enforcement officials have testified at the Australian proceedings via satellite link from Colombo - something unprecedented here. Among those who gave evidence were Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda, Police Chief Victor Perera, Deputy Solicitor General Yasantha Kodagoda, Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe and several other senior military, police and STF personnel.
The suspects have been accused of running an LTTE fund-raising network in Australia using a front organization called the Tamil Co-ordinating Committee, which annually channelled to the LTTE several million Australian dollars, collected in the guise of humanitarian and tsunami aid.
Investigations into the activities of the three suspects by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team of the Australian Federal Police began two years ago as part of an anti-terrorism initiative during which Australian investigators met with and obtained the assistance of their counterparts in Sri Lanka to carry out local investigations.
The army and navy had also obtained irrefutable evidence that PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards) used by the LTTE to trigger a series of claymore mine explosions were of Australian origin.
The Sunday Island learns that the Australian investigators have been able to establish the identity of the manufacturer and also the fact that the suspects had carried the consignment through the Australian Customs.
Sri Lankan officials expressed confidence that the ongoing case would prove beyond doubt the way the Tamil Diaspora had manipulated laws and regulations to provide both financial and material support to the LTTE.
The FAC, a part of the force deployed to protect a ship carrying 700 off duty personnel to their bases in the Jaffna peninsula went down after an explosive-laden stealth craft powered by four 250 horsepower outboard motors (OBMs) rammed it.
This evidence has been brought to the notice of Australian Federal Police conducting the investigation, authoritative sources said.
The Director of Public Prosecutions of the State of Victoria has charged Aruran Vinayagamoorthy, Sivarajah Yathavan and Arumugam Rajeewan, currently on bail, with being members of a terrorist organisation (LTTE) and for funding, raising and providing material support to a terrorist organisation.
The sources said that the an SLN diving team which salvaged bodies of seven members of the FAC crew along with the ill-fated craft's main armaments, also recovered the tail part of the suicide craft.
The Sunday Island learns that the four OBMs of Japanese origin had been inter-linked to the steering wheel by an Australian manufactured hydrive unit. The Australian Federal Police have been able to establish the origin of this unit with the help of its Australian manufacturer.
What the suspects didn’t expect was that the Australian company maintains a complete list of its customers, the sources said noting that the Australian Federal Police have been meticulous in their investigations.
"They have done a thorough job," an official said, ``and have made remarkable progress.’’
Police have also recovered photographic evidence of the suspects together with a person identified as Jayakumar, believed to be the ring leader, who subsequently died of a heart attack onboard an LTTE vessel off Mullaitivu.
The navy is also believed to have recovered two more Australian manufactured hydrive units during two engagements this year. One of the units had been recovered from the LTTE’s ‘wave rider’ class large attack craft (Indumathi) which was salvaged off Thalaiadi on June 19 this year. The other had been found last February when the SLN seized a fibre glass dinghy off Baththalangunduwa.
Speculation is that Jayakumar had been involved in the acquisition of aircraft by the LTTE and that the deal may have been finalized in Australia.
Senior Sri Lankan security forces, legal and law enforcement officials have testified at the Australian proceedings via satellite link from Colombo - something unprecedented here. Among those who gave evidence were Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda, Police Chief Victor Perera, Deputy Solicitor General Yasantha Kodagoda, Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe and several other senior military, police and STF personnel.
The suspects have been accused of running an LTTE fund-raising network in Australia using a front organization called the Tamil Co-ordinating Committee, which annually channelled to the LTTE several million Australian dollars, collected in the guise of humanitarian and tsunami aid.
Investigations into the activities of the three suspects by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team of the Australian Federal Police began two years ago as part of an anti-terrorism initiative during which Australian investigators met with and obtained the assistance of their counterparts in Sri Lanka to carry out local investigations.
The army and navy had also obtained irrefutable evidence that PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards) used by the LTTE to trigger a series of claymore mine explosions were of Australian origin.
The Sunday Island learns that the Australian investigators have been able to establish the identity of the manufacturer and also the fact that the suspects had carried the consignment through the Australian Customs.
Sri Lankan officials expressed confidence that the ongoing case would prove beyond doubt the way the Tamil Diaspora had manipulated laws and regulations to provide both financial and material support to the LTTE.
Eastern Tamils rallies against alleged LTTE, TNA coalition
Thousands of Tamils and Muslims are flocking to Batticaloa town today (December 10) with slogans and banners condemning alleged LTTE, TNA coalition reports our eastern area defence correspondent.
People are seen flowing from all parts of the recently liberated eastern province to stage a mass protest against the evil LTTE, TNA axis, said defence sources citing few protestors.
According to available information, many Tamil and Muslim civilians from Kallady, Chenkallady and Valachchenai are making way towards the 'Weber Stadium' in Batticaloa and it is said that the demonstrators are to hand over a memoranda to the Batticaloa GA, to be forwarded to H.E the President.
Defence correspondent has learned that the memoranda is a request to the President, to continue the resettlement and mega development projects in east, despite attempt made by the evil coalition to disrupt the cause.
People are seen flowing from all parts of the recently liberated eastern province to stage a mass protest against the evil LTTE, TNA axis, said defence sources citing few protestors.
According to available information, many Tamil and Muslim civilians from Kallady, Chenkallady and Valachchenai are making way towards the 'Weber Stadium' in Batticaloa and it is said that the demonstrators are to hand over a memoranda to the Batticaloa GA, to be forwarded to H.E the President.
Defence correspondent has learned that the memoranda is a request to the President, to continue the resettlement and mega development projects in east, despite attempt made by the evil coalition to disrupt the cause.
Pillayan pooh-poohs 'Eelam' mirage
Calls all parties to stand against LTTE
Pillayan alias Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, who is second in command of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) claims that there is no split between him and his leader Karuna Amman. The one time LTTE cadre who had taken part in several battles against the Security Forces in the past says that the leadership of Prabhakaran will not bring any relief to the Tamils and he would continue to be arrogant not accepting any constructive settlement to the Tamil question. In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Observer, Pillayan speaks in detail on the decision taken by Karuna and his other colleagues in the East to keep away from the clutches of Prabhakaran, who according to Pillayan is an arrogant dictator.
Q: How do you describe the functions of the Karuna faction?
A: First of all I would like to say there is nothing called Karuna faction. Our party is known as the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP). We are committed to find a meaningful and a durable solution to fulfil the political aspirations of Tamils in this country. On the other hand we are also determined to defeat terrorism which is a major obstacle for the integrity and the socio-economic development of this country.
Q: What has really gone wrong with Karuna who is now in UK? Is there any split between you and Karuna?
A: There is no split between our leader Karuna Amman and us. There were all made up stories saying that our party members were clashing with each other and we are in disarray. There is no truth in those stories. I played an important role in establishing our party. Therefore from the very beginning I was entrusted with the powers and responsibilities as the second in command next to my leader.So as my leader is now away from the country, I had to take over the party's responsibilities. However certain elements are trying to tarnish our party's image by carrying out a false story.
Our organisation has been created on democratic principles. Therefore we respect the freedom of expression of each member in our party. So arguments and counter arguments could be expected when the party men are allowed to express their views freely and this should not be interpreted either as a split or a conflict within the party. Of course there were delays in structuring our party. However we have done it successfully and now there is no room for any misgivings within the party.
Q: How long were you engaged with the LTTE? And what made you to join the LTTE in the first place?
A: I joined the LTTE at the age of sixteen in 1991 at the time while I was schooling. There were many like me who joined the organisation, thinking that only through military means we could achieve our political goals. So, we didn't see anything abnormally wrong in that particular period by joining the LTTE.
Q: What made the Karuna faction to go separate ways from the leadership of Prabhakaran?
A: In fact the main reason for us to wriggle out from the leadership. He was going ahead with terrorism under the banner of freedom struggle to reach an unattainable thing called a `separate Tamil state' which is a myth. Prabhakaran rejected all good efforts put forward to find a political solution to the Tamil people in the country. The LTTE leader has made thousands of youngsters to sacrifice their lives for his dictatorship. Therefore we decided to keep ourselves away from a person who is single minded and not bothered about the peaceful existence of our people. So, we realised it was meaningless to remain under the leadership of Prabhakaran and quit the LTTE in order to protect our people.
Q: Karuna was known as the right hand of Prabhakaran and why he decided to get away from Prabhakaran amidst the progress of the peace process?
A: The cadres from the Eastern province were closely monitoring the then peace process and were hopeful of reaching an amicable settlement. We thought the war that could be ended and our people would lead a peaceful life. However Prabhakaran was not interested in reaching a peaceful settlement and went on raising funds and buying weapons to strengthen further his outfit during the Ceasefire period. So we found it was meaningless to remain in the LTTE and decided to get out of it.
Q: Is there any more LTTE leaders who are dissatisfied with the LTTE leadership and waiting to give up arms?
A: The LTTE is now terribly weakened and their key commanders are highly demoralised. They cannot think of going forward and engaging in big operations. They are also weak in defending the areas where their presence is felt. The fall of Thoppigala highlighted their inability in safe guarding their stronghold areas. The present day commanders of the LTTE feel that Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief are responsible for the downfall of the LTTE.
Q: What do you think about the government taking control of the LTTE held areas in the North and East, particularly, the capture of Thoppigala the strong hold of LTTE in the East?
A: We appreciate the efforts taken by the Government in liberating the innocent civilians from the clutches of the LTTE. It is the utmost responsibility of the Government to liberate the people from the grip of the terrorists.
On the other hand we like to emphasize that the civilians who have been liberated from the LTTE should not be harassed under the civil adminstration of the Government. Their basic facilities must be looked into and all support must be given for them to resume their normal life without any interruptions or intimidations.
Q: What are the main battles that you have taken part in the past against the Security forces?
A: When I was a member in the LTTE, I took part in almost all the important battles that took place in the East. And in the North I was very much engaged in challenging the `Jayasikuru' military operation.
Q: What is the fate of the Cease Fire Agreement?
A: First of all we denounce the Ceasefire Agreement. The LTTE leadership used the opportunity it gained through CFA to hunt down the key political and the military figures. So we consider the CFA period gave ample opportunity for the LTTE to go ahead with it covert activities. Of course the CFA brought some relief to our people. But everything went upside down with LTTE violating the agreement.
Q: How do you see the Tamil National Alliance (TNA)?
A: The emergence of TNA was considered a political arrangement to address the grievances of the Tamils politically.
Let the TNA Parliamentarians speak to their conscious whether they were able to do anything meaningful to our people. They are deceiving the people they represented and putting them in more troubles by taking orders from Wanni.
Q: Will your party agree with other political parties opposed to the LTTE functioning in the East?
A: We invite all political forces to stand against the LTTE terrorism. Our party is prepared to join hands with the political parties which are genuinely interested in working towards fulfilling the political aspirations of our people.
Instead of taking our people for a ride by giving false promises, we urge the Tamil parties to face the realities and look forward in finding a peaceful solution for our people without further delays.
Q: How does the TMVP see the military operations under the Mahinda Rajapaksa government to crush the LTTE?
A: We appreciate the bold initiatives taken by the Government to defeat terrorism.
The people in the North should also be liberated from the LTTE like the people in the East were liberated. Unlike the previous regimes the present Government is all out to root out terrorism. However the rulers should ensure that the innocent civilians are not harassed in the war against terrorism. While taking the tougher stance against terrorism, the rulers should also expedite the peace process to find a political solution.
Q: What is the strength of the LTTE in Wanni?
A: As the LTTE has been in Wanni for a long period their whole strength has been accumulated there in a big way. Therefore capturing the region won't be an easy task. Anyway, if an offensive is launched to take control of Wanni the LTTE could only go ahead with defensive attacks and they won't be in a position to initiate fresh attacks to re-capture the places they lost to the armed forces so far.
Q: Will your party help the security forces in case of a military offensive in Wanni?
A: The Security Forces need not to get our assistance in case of an offensive in Wanni. The strategies of the present Security Forces' Chiefs and the Defence Ministry show that the LTTE will soon see its `waterloo'.
Q: How come the LTTE has encroached into Yala?
A: We believe that the LTTE cadres who escaped from the East when the military operations were carried out there and the cadres from the North would have also now infiltrated into Yala jungles. They could have gone into Yala through Kumpurupitty, a border village in the Trincomalee district and through the border areas of Ampara region. The LTTE has adopted the tactics to deviate the attention of the Security Forces in the North by making their presence in Yala.
Q: What do you think about the recent victories of the Navy in destroying more than 10 LTTE ships in the Eastern waters?
A: The recent victories of the Navy in the seas against the LTTE are remarkable and historic as the destruction of LTTE vessels has helped in a big way in smashing its supply routes and preventing its gun running activities.
Q: Still there is an allegation to the TMVP that you are recruiting children and adults forcibly. What is your comment?
A: We need not to conscript the elders or the infants into our party. Our military strength is limited. As we are now in a position to defence ourselves we don't expect the children to carry arms for us.
Of course we had some under-aged cadres with us. It was after their security was ensured we have handed over them to their parents as well as to the UNICEF.
Q: What is your expectation in finding a durable solution to the Tamil issue?
A: We have committed ourselves to find a meaningful and a durable solution to the Tamil question in the country. The other parties should also come forward in doing their part in creating peace and harmony in the country.
Pillayan alias Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, who is second in command of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) claims that there is no split between him and his leader Karuna Amman. The one time LTTE cadre who had taken part in several battles against the Security Forces in the past says that the leadership of Prabhakaran will not bring any relief to the Tamils and he would continue to be arrogant not accepting any constructive settlement to the Tamil question. In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Observer, Pillayan speaks in detail on the decision taken by Karuna and his other colleagues in the East to keep away from the clutches of Prabhakaran, who according to Pillayan is an arrogant dictator.
Q: How do you describe the functions of the Karuna faction?
A: First of all I would like to say there is nothing called Karuna faction. Our party is known as the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP). We are committed to find a meaningful and a durable solution to fulfil the political aspirations of Tamils in this country. On the other hand we are also determined to defeat terrorism which is a major obstacle for the integrity and the socio-economic development of this country.
Q: What has really gone wrong with Karuna who is now in UK? Is there any split between you and Karuna?
A: There is no split between our leader Karuna Amman and us. There were all made up stories saying that our party members were clashing with each other and we are in disarray. There is no truth in those stories. I played an important role in establishing our party. Therefore from the very beginning I was entrusted with the powers and responsibilities as the second in command next to my leader.So as my leader is now away from the country, I had to take over the party's responsibilities. However certain elements are trying to tarnish our party's image by carrying out a false story.
Our organisation has been created on democratic principles. Therefore we respect the freedom of expression of each member in our party. So arguments and counter arguments could be expected when the party men are allowed to express their views freely and this should not be interpreted either as a split or a conflict within the party. Of course there were delays in structuring our party. However we have done it successfully and now there is no room for any misgivings within the party.
Q: How long were you engaged with the LTTE? And what made you to join the LTTE in the first place?
A: I joined the LTTE at the age of sixteen in 1991 at the time while I was schooling. There were many like me who joined the organisation, thinking that only through military means we could achieve our political goals. So, we didn't see anything abnormally wrong in that particular period by joining the LTTE.
Q: What made the Karuna faction to go separate ways from the leadership of Prabhakaran?
A: In fact the main reason for us to wriggle out from the leadership. He was going ahead with terrorism under the banner of freedom struggle to reach an unattainable thing called a `separate Tamil state' which is a myth. Prabhakaran rejected all good efforts put forward to find a political solution to the Tamil people in the country. The LTTE leader has made thousands of youngsters to sacrifice their lives for his dictatorship. Therefore we decided to keep ourselves away from a person who is single minded and not bothered about the peaceful existence of our people. So, we realised it was meaningless to remain under the leadership of Prabhakaran and quit the LTTE in order to protect our people.
Q: Karuna was known as the right hand of Prabhakaran and why he decided to get away from Prabhakaran amidst the progress of the peace process?
A: The cadres from the Eastern province were closely monitoring the then peace process and were hopeful of reaching an amicable settlement. We thought the war that could be ended and our people would lead a peaceful life. However Prabhakaran was not interested in reaching a peaceful settlement and went on raising funds and buying weapons to strengthen further his outfit during the Ceasefire period. So we found it was meaningless to remain in the LTTE and decided to get out of it.
Q: Is there any more LTTE leaders who are dissatisfied with the LTTE leadership and waiting to give up arms?
A: The LTTE is now terribly weakened and their key commanders are highly demoralised. They cannot think of going forward and engaging in big operations. They are also weak in defending the areas where their presence is felt. The fall of Thoppigala highlighted their inability in safe guarding their stronghold areas. The present day commanders of the LTTE feel that Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief are responsible for the downfall of the LTTE.
Q: What do you think about the government taking control of the LTTE held areas in the North and East, particularly, the capture of Thoppigala the strong hold of LTTE in the East?
A: We appreciate the efforts taken by the Government in liberating the innocent civilians from the clutches of the LTTE. It is the utmost responsibility of the Government to liberate the people from the grip of the terrorists.
On the other hand we like to emphasize that the civilians who have been liberated from the LTTE should not be harassed under the civil adminstration of the Government. Their basic facilities must be looked into and all support must be given for them to resume their normal life without any interruptions or intimidations.
Q: What are the main battles that you have taken part in the past against the Security forces?
A: When I was a member in the LTTE, I took part in almost all the important battles that took place in the East. And in the North I was very much engaged in challenging the `Jayasikuru' military operation.
Q: What is the fate of the Cease Fire Agreement?
A: First of all we denounce the Ceasefire Agreement. The LTTE leadership used the opportunity it gained through CFA to hunt down the key political and the military figures. So we consider the CFA period gave ample opportunity for the LTTE to go ahead with it covert activities. Of course the CFA brought some relief to our people. But everything went upside down with LTTE violating the agreement.
Q: How do you see the Tamil National Alliance (TNA)?
A: The emergence of TNA was considered a political arrangement to address the grievances of the Tamils politically.
Let the TNA Parliamentarians speak to their conscious whether they were able to do anything meaningful to our people. They are deceiving the people they represented and putting them in more troubles by taking orders from Wanni.
Q: Will your party agree with other political parties opposed to the LTTE functioning in the East?
A: We invite all political forces to stand against the LTTE terrorism. Our party is prepared to join hands with the political parties which are genuinely interested in working towards fulfilling the political aspirations of our people.
Instead of taking our people for a ride by giving false promises, we urge the Tamil parties to face the realities and look forward in finding a peaceful solution for our people without further delays.
Q: How does the TMVP see the military operations under the Mahinda Rajapaksa government to crush the LTTE?
A: We appreciate the bold initiatives taken by the Government to defeat terrorism.
The people in the North should also be liberated from the LTTE like the people in the East were liberated. Unlike the previous regimes the present Government is all out to root out terrorism. However the rulers should ensure that the innocent civilians are not harassed in the war against terrorism. While taking the tougher stance against terrorism, the rulers should also expedite the peace process to find a political solution.
Q: What is the strength of the LTTE in Wanni?
A: As the LTTE has been in Wanni for a long period their whole strength has been accumulated there in a big way. Therefore capturing the region won't be an easy task. Anyway, if an offensive is launched to take control of Wanni the LTTE could only go ahead with defensive attacks and they won't be in a position to initiate fresh attacks to re-capture the places they lost to the armed forces so far.
Q: Will your party help the security forces in case of a military offensive in Wanni?
A: The Security Forces need not to get our assistance in case of an offensive in Wanni. The strategies of the present Security Forces' Chiefs and the Defence Ministry show that the LTTE will soon see its `waterloo'.
Q: How come the LTTE has encroached into Yala?
A: We believe that the LTTE cadres who escaped from the East when the military operations were carried out there and the cadres from the North would have also now infiltrated into Yala jungles. They could have gone into Yala through Kumpurupitty, a border village in the Trincomalee district and through the border areas of Ampara region. The LTTE has adopted the tactics to deviate the attention of the Security Forces in the North by making their presence in Yala.
Q: What do you think about the recent victories of the Navy in destroying more than 10 LTTE ships in the Eastern waters?
A: The recent victories of the Navy in the seas against the LTTE are remarkable and historic as the destruction of LTTE vessels has helped in a big way in smashing its supply routes and preventing its gun running activities.
Q: Still there is an allegation to the TMVP that you are recruiting children and adults forcibly. What is your comment?
A: We need not to conscript the elders or the infants into our party. Our military strength is limited. As we are now in a position to defence ourselves we don't expect the children to carry arms for us.
Of course we had some under-aged cadres with us. It was after their security was ensured we have handed over them to their parents as well as to the UNICEF.
Q: What is your expectation in finding a durable solution to the Tamil issue?
A: We have committed ourselves to find a meaningful and a durable solution to the Tamil question in the country. The other parties should also come forward in doing their part in creating peace and harmony in the country.
Pillayan pooh-poohs 'Eelam' mirage
Calls all parties to stand against LTTE
Pillayan alias Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, who is second in command of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) claims that there is no split between him and his leader Karuna Amman. The one time LTTE cadre who had taken part in several battles against the Security Forces in the past says that the leadership of Prabhakaran will not bring any relief to the Tamils and he would continue to be arrogant not accepting any constructive settlement to the Tamil question. In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Observer, Pillayan speaks in detail on the decision taken by Karuna and his other colleagues in the East to keep away from the clutches of Prabhakaran, who according to Pillayan is an arrogant dictator.
Q: How do you describe the functions of the Karuna faction?
A: First of all I would like to say there is nothing called Karuna faction. Our party is known as the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP). We are committed to find a meaningful and a durable solution to fulfil the political aspirations of Tamils in this country. On the other hand we are also determined to defeat terrorism which is a major obstacle for the integrity and the socio-economic development of this country.
Q: What has really gone wrong with Karuna who is now in UK? Is there any split between you and Karuna?
A: There is no split between our leader Karuna Amman and us. There were all made up stories saying that our party members were clashing with each other and we are in disarray. There is no truth in those stories. I played an important role in establishing our party. Therefore from the very beginning I was entrusted with the powers and responsibilities as the second in command next to my leader.So as my leader is now away from the country, I had to take over the party's responsibilities. However certain elements are trying to tarnish our party's image by carrying out a false story.
Our organisation has been created on democratic principles. Therefore we respect the freedom of expression of each member in our party. So arguments and counter arguments could be expected when the party men are allowed to express their views freely and this should not be interpreted either as a split or a conflict within the party. Of course there were delays in structuring our party. However we have done it successfully and now there is no room for any misgivings within the party.
Q: How long were you engaged with the LTTE? And what made you to join the LTTE in the first place?
A: I joined the LTTE at the age of sixteen in 1991 at the time while I was schooling. There were many like me who joined the organisation, thinking that only through military means we could achieve our political goals. So, we didn't see anything abnormally wrong in that particular period by joining the LTTE.
Q: What made the Karuna faction to go separate ways from the leadership of Prabhakaran?
A: In fact the main reason for us to wriggle out from the leadership. He was going ahead with terrorism under the banner of freedom struggle to reach an unattainable thing called a `separate Tamil state' which is a myth. Prabhakaran rejected all good efforts put forward to find a political solution to the Tamil people in the country. The LTTE leader has made thousands of youngsters to sacrifice their lives for his dictatorship. Therefore we decided to keep ourselves away from a person who is single minded and not bothered about the peaceful existence of our people. So, we realised it was meaningless to remain under the leadership of Prabhakaran and quit the LTTE in order to protect our people.
Q: Karuna was known as the right hand of Prabhakaran and why he decided to get away from Prabhakaran amidst the progress of the peace process?
A: The cadres from the Eastern province were closely monitoring the then peace process and were hopeful of reaching an amicable settlement. We thought the war that could be ended and our people would lead a peaceful life. However Prabhakaran was not interested in reaching a peaceful settlement and went on raising funds and buying weapons to strengthen further his outfit during the Ceasefire period. So we found it was meaningless to remain in the LTTE and decided to get out of it.
Q: Is there any more LTTE leaders who are dissatisfied with the LTTE leadership and waiting to give up arms?
A: The LTTE is now terribly weakened and their key commanders are highly demoralised. They cannot think of going forward and engaging in big operations. They are also weak in defending the areas where their presence is felt. The fall of Thoppigala highlighted their inability in safe guarding their stronghold areas. The present day commanders of the LTTE feel that Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief are responsible for the downfall of the LTTE.
Q: What do you think about the government taking control of the LTTE held areas in the North and East, particularly, the capture of Thoppigala the strong hold of LTTE in the East?
A: We appreciate the efforts taken by the Government in liberating the innocent civilians from the clutches of the LTTE. It is the utmost responsibility of the Government to liberate the people from the grip of the terrorists.
On the other hand we like to emphasize that the civilians who have been liberated from the LTTE should not be harassed under the civil adminstration of the Government. Their basic facilities must be looked into and all support must be given for them to resume their normal life without any interruptions or intimidations.
Q: What are the main battles that you have taken part in the past against the Security forces?
A: When I was a member in the LTTE, I took part in almost all the important battles that took place in the East. And in the North I was very much engaged in challenging the `Jayasikuru' military operation.
Q: What is the fate of the Cease Fire Agreement?
A: First of all we denounce the Ceasefire Agreement. The LTTE leadership used the opportunity it gained through CFA to hunt down the key political and the military figures. So we consider the CFA period gave ample opportunity for the LTTE to go ahead with it covert activities. Of course the CFA brought some relief to our people. But everything went upside down with LTTE violating the agreement.
Q: How do you see the Tamil National Alliance (TNA)?
A: The emergence of TNA was considered a political arrangement to address the grievances of the Tamils politically.
Let the TNA Parliamentarians speak to their conscious whether they were able to do anything meaningful to our people. They are deceiving the people they represented and putting them in more troubles by taking orders from Wanni.
Q: Will your party agree with other political parties opposed to the LTTE functioning in the East?
A: We invite all political forces to stand against the LTTE terrorism. Our party is prepared to join hands with the political parties which are genuinely interested in working towards fulfilling the political aspirations of our people.
Instead of taking our people for a ride by giving false promises, we urge the Tamil parties to face the realities and look forward in finding a peaceful solution for our people without further delays.
Q: How does the TMVP see the military operations under the Mahinda Rajapaksa government to crush the LTTE?
A: We appreciate the bold initiatives taken by the Government to defeat terrorism.
The people in the North should also be liberated from the LTTE like the people in the East were liberated. Unlike the previous regimes the present Government is all out to root out terrorism. However the rulers should ensure that the innocent civilians are not harassed in the war against terrorism. While taking the tougher stance against terrorism, the rulers should also expedite the peace process to find a political solution.
Q: What is the strength of the LTTE in Wanni?
A: As the LTTE has been in Wanni for a long period their whole strength has been accumulated there in a big way. Therefore capturing the region won't be an easy task. Anyway, if an offensive is launched to take control of Wanni the LTTE could only go ahead with defensive attacks and they won't be in a position to initiate fresh attacks to re-capture the places they lost to the armed forces so far.
Q: Will your party help the security forces in case of a military offensive in Wanni?
A: The Security Forces need not to get our assistance in case of an offensive in Wanni. The strategies of the present Security Forces' Chiefs and the Defence Ministry show that the LTTE will soon see its `waterloo'.
Q: How come the LTTE has encroached into Yala?
A: We believe that the LTTE cadres who escaped from the East when the military operations were carried out there and the cadres from the North would have also now infiltrated into Yala jungles. They could have gone into Yala through Kumpurupitty, a border village in the Trincomalee district and through the border areas of Ampara region. The LTTE has adopted the tactics to deviate the attention of the Security Forces in the North by making their presence in Yala.
Q: What do you think about the recent victories of the Navy in destroying more than 10 LTTE ships in the Eastern waters?
A: The recent victories of the Navy in the seas against the LTTE are remarkable and historic as the destruction of LTTE vessels has helped in a big way in smashing its supply routes and preventing its gun running activities.
Q: Still there is an allegation to the TMVP that you are recruiting children and adults forcibly. What is your comment?
A: We need not to conscript the elders or the infants into our party. Our military strength is limited. As we are now in a position to defence ourselves we don't expect the children to carry arms for us.
Of course we had some under-aged cadres with us. It was after their security was ensured we have handed over them to their parents as well as to the UNICEF.
Q: What is your expectation in finding a durable solution to the Tamil issue?
A: We have committed ourselves to find a meaningful and a durable solution to the Tamil question in the country. The other parties should also come forward in doing their part in creating peace and harmony in the country.
Pillayan alias Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, who is second in command of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) claims that there is no split between him and his leader Karuna Amman. The one time LTTE cadre who had taken part in several battles against the Security Forces in the past says that the leadership of Prabhakaran will not bring any relief to the Tamils and he would continue to be arrogant not accepting any constructive settlement to the Tamil question. In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Observer, Pillayan speaks in detail on the decision taken by Karuna and his other colleagues in the East to keep away from the clutches of Prabhakaran, who according to Pillayan is an arrogant dictator.
Q: How do you describe the functions of the Karuna faction?
A: First of all I would like to say there is nothing called Karuna faction. Our party is known as the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP). We are committed to find a meaningful and a durable solution to fulfil the political aspirations of Tamils in this country. On the other hand we are also determined to defeat terrorism which is a major obstacle for the integrity and the socio-economic development of this country.
Q: What has really gone wrong with Karuna who is now in UK? Is there any split between you and Karuna?
A: There is no split between our leader Karuna Amman and us. There were all made up stories saying that our party members were clashing with each other and we are in disarray. There is no truth in those stories. I played an important role in establishing our party. Therefore from the very beginning I was entrusted with the powers and responsibilities as the second in command next to my leader.So as my leader is now away from the country, I had to take over the party's responsibilities. However certain elements are trying to tarnish our party's image by carrying out a false story.
Our organisation has been created on democratic principles. Therefore we respect the freedom of expression of each member in our party. So arguments and counter arguments could be expected when the party men are allowed to express their views freely and this should not be interpreted either as a split or a conflict within the party. Of course there were delays in structuring our party. However we have done it successfully and now there is no room for any misgivings within the party.
Q: How long were you engaged with the LTTE? And what made you to join the LTTE in the first place?
A: I joined the LTTE at the age of sixteen in 1991 at the time while I was schooling. There were many like me who joined the organisation, thinking that only through military means we could achieve our political goals. So, we didn't see anything abnormally wrong in that particular period by joining the LTTE.
Q: What made the Karuna faction to go separate ways from the leadership of Prabhakaran?
A: In fact the main reason for us to wriggle out from the leadership. He was going ahead with terrorism under the banner of freedom struggle to reach an unattainable thing called a `separate Tamil state' which is a myth. Prabhakaran rejected all good efforts put forward to find a political solution to the Tamil people in the country. The LTTE leader has made thousands of youngsters to sacrifice their lives for his dictatorship. Therefore we decided to keep ourselves away from a person who is single minded and not bothered about the peaceful existence of our people. So, we realised it was meaningless to remain under the leadership of Prabhakaran and quit the LTTE in order to protect our people.
Q: Karuna was known as the right hand of Prabhakaran and why he decided to get away from Prabhakaran amidst the progress of the peace process?
A: The cadres from the Eastern province were closely monitoring the then peace process and were hopeful of reaching an amicable settlement. We thought the war that could be ended and our people would lead a peaceful life. However Prabhakaran was not interested in reaching a peaceful settlement and went on raising funds and buying weapons to strengthen further his outfit during the Ceasefire period. So we found it was meaningless to remain in the LTTE and decided to get out of it.
Q: Is there any more LTTE leaders who are dissatisfied with the LTTE leadership and waiting to give up arms?
A: The LTTE is now terribly weakened and their key commanders are highly demoralised. They cannot think of going forward and engaging in big operations. They are also weak in defending the areas where their presence is felt. The fall of Thoppigala highlighted their inability in safe guarding their stronghold areas. The present day commanders of the LTTE feel that Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief are responsible for the downfall of the LTTE.
Q: What do you think about the government taking control of the LTTE held areas in the North and East, particularly, the capture of Thoppigala the strong hold of LTTE in the East?
A: We appreciate the efforts taken by the Government in liberating the innocent civilians from the clutches of the LTTE. It is the utmost responsibility of the Government to liberate the people from the grip of the terrorists.
On the other hand we like to emphasize that the civilians who have been liberated from the LTTE should not be harassed under the civil adminstration of the Government. Their basic facilities must be looked into and all support must be given for them to resume their normal life without any interruptions or intimidations.
Q: What are the main battles that you have taken part in the past against the Security forces?
A: When I was a member in the LTTE, I took part in almost all the important battles that took place in the East. And in the North I was very much engaged in challenging the `Jayasikuru' military operation.
Q: What is the fate of the Cease Fire Agreement?
A: First of all we denounce the Ceasefire Agreement. The LTTE leadership used the opportunity it gained through CFA to hunt down the key political and the military figures. So we consider the CFA period gave ample opportunity for the LTTE to go ahead with it covert activities. Of course the CFA brought some relief to our people. But everything went upside down with LTTE violating the agreement.
Q: How do you see the Tamil National Alliance (TNA)?
A: The emergence of TNA was considered a political arrangement to address the grievances of the Tamils politically.
Let the TNA Parliamentarians speak to their conscious whether they were able to do anything meaningful to our people. They are deceiving the people they represented and putting them in more troubles by taking orders from Wanni.
Q: Will your party agree with other political parties opposed to the LTTE functioning in the East?
A: We invite all political forces to stand against the LTTE terrorism. Our party is prepared to join hands with the political parties which are genuinely interested in working towards fulfilling the political aspirations of our people.
Instead of taking our people for a ride by giving false promises, we urge the Tamil parties to face the realities and look forward in finding a peaceful solution for our people without further delays.
Q: How does the TMVP see the military operations under the Mahinda Rajapaksa government to crush the LTTE?
A: We appreciate the bold initiatives taken by the Government to defeat terrorism.
The people in the North should also be liberated from the LTTE like the people in the East were liberated. Unlike the previous regimes the present Government is all out to root out terrorism. However the rulers should ensure that the innocent civilians are not harassed in the war against terrorism. While taking the tougher stance against terrorism, the rulers should also expedite the peace process to find a political solution.
Q: What is the strength of the LTTE in Wanni?
A: As the LTTE has been in Wanni for a long period their whole strength has been accumulated there in a big way. Therefore capturing the region won't be an easy task. Anyway, if an offensive is launched to take control of Wanni the LTTE could only go ahead with defensive attacks and they won't be in a position to initiate fresh attacks to re-capture the places they lost to the armed forces so far.
Q: Will your party help the security forces in case of a military offensive in Wanni?
A: The Security Forces need not to get our assistance in case of an offensive in Wanni. The strategies of the present Security Forces' Chiefs and the Defence Ministry show that the LTTE will soon see its `waterloo'.
Q: How come the LTTE has encroached into Yala?
A: We believe that the LTTE cadres who escaped from the East when the military operations were carried out there and the cadres from the North would have also now infiltrated into Yala jungles. They could have gone into Yala through Kumpurupitty, a border village in the Trincomalee district and through the border areas of Ampara region. The LTTE has adopted the tactics to deviate the attention of the Security Forces in the North by making their presence in Yala.
Q: What do you think about the recent victories of the Navy in destroying more than 10 LTTE ships in the Eastern waters?
A: The recent victories of the Navy in the seas against the LTTE are remarkable and historic as the destruction of LTTE vessels has helped in a big way in smashing its supply routes and preventing its gun running activities.
Q: Still there is an allegation to the TMVP that you are recruiting children and adults forcibly. What is your comment?
A: We need not to conscript the elders or the infants into our party. Our military strength is limited. As we are now in a position to defence ourselves we don't expect the children to carry arms for us.
Of course we had some under-aged cadres with us. It was after their security was ensured we have handed over them to their parents as well as to the UNICEF.
Q: What is your expectation in finding a durable solution to the Tamil issue?
A: We have committed ourselves to find a meaningful and a durable solution to the Tamil question in the country. The other parties should also come forward in doing their part in creating peace and harmony in the country.
The Sri Lanka Navy turned 57 yesterday
The Navy, the first line of defence celebrated its 57th anniversary yesterday, becoming a Blue Water Navy.
The naval legacy began in Sri Lanka during British colonial period. The Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF) was established in 1937 and after World War II was absorbed into the Royal Navy as the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR).
After independence, a nucleus of 100 officers and men formed the Regular Navy. The Navy Act was enacted and the Royal Ceylon Navy was renamed as “The Sri Lanka Navy” on December 9, 1950.
Navy Spokesman Commander D. K. P. Dassanayake asserted that the Navy was largely a ceremonial outfit till mid 1980s. That changed beginning with Sea Tiger movements.
“Since the LTTE sea Tiger activities began the role of sailors changed in order to meet the challenges at sea. The LTTE began their activities as small boat movements across the Palk Straits and they gradually developed a sea wing, comprising armed craft, logistic craft and a few merchant vessels which engaged in illegal maritime activities,” Commander Dassanayake said.
It took time to comprehend the gravity of Sea Tiger operations and the significance of naval operations to combat such terrorism. “Despite naval fleets destroying many LTTE armed craft during sea battles the Tigers always had several craft restored and ready to be launched for another attack,” he said.
Pointing at the recent naval operations, he said there were remarkable changes in the entire operational aspect and a sophistication of naval maritime dominance around the country and also out in the deep seas.
The perceived the significance of destroying the LTTE’s backbone by effectively targeting its international supply line. President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Commander-in-Chief has given his fullest support to Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda for these steps.
The sailors did not take long to tackle the ground situation and the LTTE tactics to smuggle arms and weapons. While the Tigers kept attacking on the ground, the Navy was aware that the key element was gaining the upper hand at sea.
Tigers’ maritime routes and the processes of loading and unloading arms and weapons out in the deep seas were identified by the Navy.
A major breakthrough was made after apprehending multi-day fishing trawlers engaged in sea transport of items to the final destination after being unloaded from a ship out in the deep seas. When this operation was identified through naval intelligence, it was a matter of delivering a lethal blow to the Tigers.
The Navy had developed its own naval intelligence wing to destroy the Sea Tiger network. During the last two years eight Tiger merchant vessels were destroyed in addition to the large number of Tiger armed craft and 11 multi day fishing trawlers.
The use of naval intelligence, utilisation of limited resources effectively, a sound leadership and planning can be taken as the key to all the successes the Navy saw during the past two years.
The naval craft operating in the deep sea observed LTTE vessels at locations where the Tigers never expected them to be found. The LTTE never expected the naval units to go that far and destroy their vessels transporting weapons.
The highlight of its fight against the LTTE was destroying three LTTE ships at a distance of 2800 Nm South East of Hambantota on September 10 and 11, 2007. With the destruction of these three vessels, the Navy prevented the Tigers from receiving their military supplies and other needs for war.
This destruction crippled the Tigers’ international maritime network which was actively engaged in smuggling arms and ammunition for LTTE.
When the Security Forces launched clearing operations in the East on a humanitarian mission with the intention of liberating the civilians from the Tiger grip, it is the Navy that protected the sea front by not allowing the Tigers to bring in reinforcements and logistics supplies.
Tigers had no way of withdrawing via sea routes and as a result they withdrew through dense jungles where they were prone to attacks by the ground Forces.
The navy also engaged in humanitarian missions apart from sea line protection. “In addition to the operational tasks, the Navy undertook a number of humanitarian missions during the Eastern humanitarian operation.
The lifeline between the North and East was kept intact by naval fleet units. Following the closure of the A-9 highway, sea transportation of logistics and personnel was taken over by the Navy at the initial stages and security was provided to all the vessels,” Commander Dassanayake remarked. It facilitates the transport of civilians between Jaffna and Trincomalee.
The Navy has entered the record books by being the only fighting Navy which destroyed eight floating warehouses containing arms and ammunition. The Navy also had proved by their successful operations that its is one of the powerful navies around the world.
The term “Blue Water Navy” came into use with the destruction of many Tiger vessels by the Navy in the deep seas. Even though the Navy was termed a “Brown Water Navy”, she has performed operationally as a Blue Water Navy.
“Being an island nation we need a Navy that can expand into all three dimensions if we are to achieve a distinguished victory over the enemy. The trend is set and what is left is to continue it. The Sri Lanka Navy and its men have shown today that nothing is impossible if correct leadership and guidance are available,” he observed.
The naval legacy began in Sri Lanka during British colonial period. The Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF) was established in 1937 and after World War II was absorbed into the Royal Navy as the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR).
After independence, a nucleus of 100 officers and men formed the Regular Navy. The Navy Act was enacted and the Royal Ceylon Navy was renamed as “The Sri Lanka Navy” on December 9, 1950.
Navy Spokesman Commander D. K. P. Dassanayake asserted that the Navy was largely a ceremonial outfit till mid 1980s. That changed beginning with Sea Tiger movements.
“Since the LTTE sea Tiger activities began the role of sailors changed in order to meet the challenges at sea. The LTTE began their activities as small boat movements across the Palk Straits and they gradually developed a sea wing, comprising armed craft, logistic craft and a few merchant vessels which engaged in illegal maritime activities,” Commander Dassanayake said.
It took time to comprehend the gravity of Sea Tiger operations and the significance of naval operations to combat such terrorism. “Despite naval fleets destroying many LTTE armed craft during sea battles the Tigers always had several craft restored and ready to be launched for another attack,” he said.
Pointing at the recent naval operations, he said there were remarkable changes in the entire operational aspect and a sophistication of naval maritime dominance around the country and also out in the deep seas.
The perceived the significance of destroying the LTTE’s backbone by effectively targeting its international supply line. President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Commander-in-Chief has given his fullest support to Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda for these steps.
The sailors did not take long to tackle the ground situation and the LTTE tactics to smuggle arms and weapons. While the Tigers kept attacking on the ground, the Navy was aware that the key element was gaining the upper hand at sea.
Tigers’ maritime routes and the processes of loading and unloading arms and weapons out in the deep seas were identified by the Navy.
A major breakthrough was made after apprehending multi-day fishing trawlers engaged in sea transport of items to the final destination after being unloaded from a ship out in the deep seas. When this operation was identified through naval intelligence, it was a matter of delivering a lethal blow to the Tigers.
The Navy had developed its own naval intelligence wing to destroy the Sea Tiger network. During the last two years eight Tiger merchant vessels were destroyed in addition to the large number of Tiger armed craft and 11 multi day fishing trawlers.
The use of naval intelligence, utilisation of limited resources effectively, a sound leadership and planning can be taken as the key to all the successes the Navy saw during the past two years.
The naval craft operating in the deep sea observed LTTE vessels at locations where the Tigers never expected them to be found. The LTTE never expected the naval units to go that far and destroy their vessels transporting weapons.
The highlight of its fight against the LTTE was destroying three LTTE ships at a distance of 2800 Nm South East of Hambantota on September 10 and 11, 2007. With the destruction of these three vessels, the Navy prevented the Tigers from receiving their military supplies and other needs for war.
This destruction crippled the Tigers’ international maritime network which was actively engaged in smuggling arms and ammunition for LTTE.
When the Security Forces launched clearing operations in the East on a humanitarian mission with the intention of liberating the civilians from the Tiger grip, it is the Navy that protected the sea front by not allowing the Tigers to bring in reinforcements and logistics supplies.
Tigers had no way of withdrawing via sea routes and as a result they withdrew through dense jungles where they were prone to attacks by the ground Forces.
The navy also engaged in humanitarian missions apart from sea line protection. “In addition to the operational tasks, the Navy undertook a number of humanitarian missions during the Eastern humanitarian operation.
The lifeline between the North and East was kept intact by naval fleet units. Following the closure of the A-9 highway, sea transportation of logistics and personnel was taken over by the Navy at the initial stages and security was provided to all the vessels,” Commander Dassanayake remarked. It facilitates the transport of civilians between Jaffna and Trincomalee.
The Navy has entered the record books by being the only fighting Navy which destroyed eight floating warehouses containing arms and ammunition. The Navy also had proved by their successful operations that its is one of the powerful navies around the world.
The term “Blue Water Navy” came into use with the destruction of many Tiger vessels by the Navy in the deep seas. Even though the Navy was termed a “Brown Water Navy”, she has performed operationally as a Blue Water Navy.
“Being an island nation we need a Navy that can expand into all three dimensions if we are to achieve a distinguished victory over the enemy. The trend is set and what is left is to continue it. The Sri Lanka Navy and its men have shown today that nothing is impossible if correct leadership and guidance are available,” he observed.
Troops get toehold in Wanni
Once the Eastern Province, comprising Batticaloa, Ampara and Trincomalee (BAT), was wrested control of, the next major target was Mulativu in the Northern Province.
But, the Mannar district in the west and Vavuniya north provided the buffer making Mulativu inaccessible. The districts of Mulativu and Mannar overlap at the boundary.
To the west of the Giant’s Tank in the Mannar District, are many small tanks and lush paddy cultivation, while to the east, fewer tanks in the scrub jungle. North east of the Giant’s Tank is the dense Madhu jungles.
Through the Madhu jungles, the security forces could penetrate one of the LTTE Forward Defence Lines (FDL) running from Vidalthivu on the western coast to Pulliyakulam, north of Omanthai on the A-9 Road from Vavuniya to Jaffna. The LTTE controls this road from Omanthai to Muhamalai, running through the districts of Vavuniya, Mulativu and Jaffna.
To the south of the Madhu jungle, is the sanctuary of Madhu Matha.
Throughout the year, there are several feasts celebrated there, but the August one draws lakhs of Catholics from the North and South.
Madhu is the meeting point for Tamil Catholics from the North and Sinhalese Catholics from the South, even as Kataragama is the converging point of Hindus from the North and Buddhists from the rest of the country.
Trial and error
The military, which tried the previous eastern approach to penetrate the jungles in the Wanni, in small numbers, were not all that successful. As we forewarned, it was not going to be a cake walk, given that the Tigers were well entrenched and dug in, to prevent further inroads into their main territory.
For months, the military tried to penetrate places such as Thirukethiswaram and Andankulam west of Giant’s Tank and to the east of this tank, areas such as Vilattikulam, Pokkaravanni, Iranai Illuppaikkulam, Periyathampanai and Thampanai, to no avail. A separate 57 strike Division was created for the purpose.
Teams stealthily entered north of the Madhu jungles at Periyamadu and Palampiddi but did not make much progress.
The government tried to explain its attempts to wrest control of Madhu by citing the request of Vatican Secretary Cardinal Tarcisco Bertone to allow pilgrims to visit the holy shrine. The request was made on the sidelines of an audience President Mahinda Rajapaksa had with Pope Benedict XVI in April this year. The President maintained that it was beyond government mandate, as long as the LTTE controlled Madhu.
The army controls the A-14 Road from Medawachchiya to Mannar and the Navy controls the area beyond Mannar-Mannar Island including Tallaimanar.
On the A-14, there are three important points - the turn off on the Madhu Road, closed since August 2006, by the army on the one side and the LTTE on the other, after a stretch of no-man’s land.
For the August feast this year, the military allowed civilians to use the Uliyankulam Entry/Exit point to enter Madhu. But this point has been closed, as operations are now taking place in the extreme west of the Wanni. On account of the closure, aid workers don’t have access to the Musali Division and those based in Mannar are unable to access the increasingly large caseload in Manthai West Division.
At Thallady, where the A-14 and the A-32, which is the road to Pooneryn, meet, is a large army detachment.
Tactical improvisations
As several efforts to penetrate west of Giant’s Tank failed, the government decided to capture areas behind the enemy lines north of the current Madhu jungles. This is to make the entrenched impregnable places south, redundant, as supplies and reinforcements would get automatically cut off, forcing the LTTE to withdraw its beleaguered cadres. This tactic referred to as ‘bypassing the enemy line behind it,’ was also used in Operation Jayasikuru.
Hence, the military thrust was to secure places such as Adampan, Palampiddi and extending it up to Puliyankulam, by moving east from here and north from Omanthai.
The FDL crossing at Omanthai closed from November 29, for civilians moving from the Wanni into government controlled areas, was reopened on Thursday (6).
A few weeks back, under pressure, the LTTE deserted Vietnam Base at Mullipallam, which was one of the main supply bases for the Wanni FDL. The LTTE had launched operations from Vietnam Base, to prevent the military from wresting control of Madhu.
At Adampan, in the Mannar District, a predominantly Catholic area, December 1 dawned to the sound of gunfire.
Troops broke out of their FDLs at the crack of dawn, with the intent of wresting control of Adampan, which had been under Tiger control from the nineties. Adampan is situated in the Manthai West Division. Troops met with heavy resistance, as the first round of fighting lasted two and a half hours. This was one of the fiercest battles since Wanni operations began. Nine Tigers were killed and four dozens wounded, according to the military, which admitted three killed in action (kia) and 10 wounded in action (wia).
Troops for this operation were drawn from 8 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (SLSR) commanded by Lt. Col. Ramesh Fernando, 2 Commando Regiment commanded by Maj. D.M.J. Balasuriya and 3 Commando Regiment under Lt. Col. Uditha Bandara. The operation was commanded by Task Force 01 under Brig. Shavindra Silva.
Tiger tooth and nail
Fearing that the security forces would proceed north from Adampan, to take control of Vidattaltivu, where the LTTE FDL begins on the extreme west, cadres from the Charles Anthony Brigade hit back several times in a bid to retake Adampan. There were three retaliatory strikes on Sunday and Monday. The military claims 35 Tigers and six soldiers died in the retaliatory strikes to retake Adampan. Another two dozen soldiers were wounded as troops held on to newly secured territory, now being consolidated.
On Saturday (01) evening, 57 Divisional Commander Brig. Jagath Dias launched another operation east of Vavuniya to secure Periyapandirichchan, which had been under LTTE control from the late nineties. Troops from the 7 Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI) commanded by Col. U.R. Abeyratne were drawn for the operation.
On account of the operations in Vavuniya and Mannar, 3,071 families (10,302 persons) and 6,328 families (23,662 persons) respectively, have been displaced from the districts.
It was likely that a fresh front would be opened up in Weli Oya, now that the 59 Division, including a Deputy General Officer Commanding and three brigade commands have been established, as reported several weeks back in this column.
It was probably to prevent operations in Weli Oya, that the LTTE launched the Kebithigollewa claymore blast as a diversionary attack to make its present felt. Fifteen people died in the blast that hit the bus heading for Janakapura from Medawachchiya. New procedures have been implemented at the Medawachchiya checkpoint, including vehicle checks and registration of even UN vehicles. In protest, the NGO Consortium in Vavuniya and local NGOs there, as well as in Mannar, held a one-day strike on Wednesday (05), to draw attention to the threats humanitarian workers were facing. The work of humanitarian workers in a war situation must be appreciated not just on Human Rights Day tomorrow, but always.
But, the Mannar district in the west and Vavuniya north provided the buffer making Mulativu inaccessible. The districts of Mulativu and Mannar overlap at the boundary.
To the west of the Giant’s Tank in the Mannar District, are many small tanks and lush paddy cultivation, while to the east, fewer tanks in the scrub jungle. North east of the Giant’s Tank is the dense Madhu jungles.
Through the Madhu jungles, the security forces could penetrate one of the LTTE Forward Defence Lines (FDL) running from Vidalthivu on the western coast to Pulliyakulam, north of Omanthai on the A-9 Road from Vavuniya to Jaffna. The LTTE controls this road from Omanthai to Muhamalai, running through the districts of Vavuniya, Mulativu and Jaffna.
To the south of the Madhu jungle, is the sanctuary of Madhu Matha.
Throughout the year, there are several feasts celebrated there, but the August one draws lakhs of Catholics from the North and South.
Madhu is the meeting point for Tamil Catholics from the North and Sinhalese Catholics from the South, even as Kataragama is the converging point of Hindus from the North and Buddhists from the rest of the country.
Trial and error
The military, which tried the previous eastern approach to penetrate the jungles in the Wanni, in small numbers, were not all that successful. As we forewarned, it was not going to be a cake walk, given that the Tigers were well entrenched and dug in, to prevent further inroads into their main territory.
For months, the military tried to penetrate places such as Thirukethiswaram and Andankulam west of Giant’s Tank and to the east of this tank, areas such as Vilattikulam, Pokkaravanni, Iranai Illuppaikkulam, Periyathampanai and Thampanai, to no avail. A separate 57 strike Division was created for the purpose.
Teams stealthily entered north of the Madhu jungles at Periyamadu and Palampiddi but did not make much progress.
The government tried to explain its attempts to wrest control of Madhu by citing the request of Vatican Secretary Cardinal Tarcisco Bertone to allow pilgrims to visit the holy shrine. The request was made on the sidelines of an audience President Mahinda Rajapaksa had with Pope Benedict XVI in April this year. The President maintained that it was beyond government mandate, as long as the LTTE controlled Madhu.
The army controls the A-14 Road from Medawachchiya to Mannar and the Navy controls the area beyond Mannar-Mannar Island including Tallaimanar.
On the A-14, there are three important points - the turn off on the Madhu Road, closed since August 2006, by the army on the one side and the LTTE on the other, after a stretch of no-man’s land.
For the August feast this year, the military allowed civilians to use the Uliyankulam Entry/Exit point to enter Madhu. But this point has been closed, as operations are now taking place in the extreme west of the Wanni. On account of the closure, aid workers don’t have access to the Musali Division and those based in Mannar are unable to access the increasingly large caseload in Manthai West Division.
At Thallady, where the A-14 and the A-32, which is the road to Pooneryn, meet, is a large army detachment.
Tactical improvisations
As several efforts to penetrate west of Giant’s Tank failed, the government decided to capture areas behind the enemy lines north of the current Madhu jungles. This is to make the entrenched impregnable places south, redundant, as supplies and reinforcements would get automatically cut off, forcing the LTTE to withdraw its beleaguered cadres. This tactic referred to as ‘bypassing the enemy line behind it,’ was also used in Operation Jayasikuru.
Hence, the military thrust was to secure places such as Adampan, Palampiddi and extending it up to Puliyankulam, by moving east from here and north from Omanthai.
The FDL crossing at Omanthai closed from November 29, for civilians moving from the Wanni into government controlled areas, was reopened on Thursday (6).
A few weeks back, under pressure, the LTTE deserted Vietnam Base at Mullipallam, which was one of the main supply bases for the Wanni FDL. The LTTE had launched operations from Vietnam Base, to prevent the military from wresting control of Madhu.
At Adampan, in the Mannar District, a predominantly Catholic area, December 1 dawned to the sound of gunfire.
Troops broke out of their FDLs at the crack of dawn, with the intent of wresting control of Adampan, which had been under Tiger control from the nineties. Adampan is situated in the Manthai West Division. Troops met with heavy resistance, as the first round of fighting lasted two and a half hours. This was one of the fiercest battles since Wanni operations began. Nine Tigers were killed and four dozens wounded, according to the military, which admitted three killed in action (kia) and 10 wounded in action (wia).
Troops for this operation were drawn from 8 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (SLSR) commanded by Lt. Col. Ramesh Fernando, 2 Commando Regiment commanded by Maj. D.M.J. Balasuriya and 3 Commando Regiment under Lt. Col. Uditha Bandara. The operation was commanded by Task Force 01 under Brig. Shavindra Silva.
Tiger tooth and nail
Fearing that the security forces would proceed north from Adampan, to take control of Vidattaltivu, where the LTTE FDL begins on the extreme west, cadres from the Charles Anthony Brigade hit back several times in a bid to retake Adampan. There were three retaliatory strikes on Sunday and Monday. The military claims 35 Tigers and six soldiers died in the retaliatory strikes to retake Adampan. Another two dozen soldiers were wounded as troops held on to newly secured territory, now being consolidated.
On Saturday (01) evening, 57 Divisional Commander Brig. Jagath Dias launched another operation east of Vavuniya to secure Periyapandirichchan, which had been under LTTE control from the late nineties. Troops from the 7 Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI) commanded by Col. U.R. Abeyratne were drawn for the operation.
On account of the operations in Vavuniya and Mannar, 3,071 families (10,302 persons) and 6,328 families (23,662 persons) respectively, have been displaced from the districts.
It was likely that a fresh front would be opened up in Weli Oya, now that the 59 Division, including a Deputy General Officer Commanding and three brigade commands have been established, as reported several weeks back in this column.
It was probably to prevent operations in Weli Oya, that the LTTE launched the Kebithigollewa claymore blast as a diversionary attack to make its present felt. Fifteen people died in the blast that hit the bus heading for Janakapura from Medawachchiya. New procedures have been implemented at the Medawachchiya checkpoint, including vehicle checks and registration of even UN vehicles. In protest, the NGO Consortium in Vavuniya and local NGOs there, as well as in Mannar, held a one-day strike on Wednesday (05), to draw attention to the threats humanitarian workers were facing. The work of humanitarian workers in a war situation must be appreciated not just on Human Rights Day tomorrow, but always.
Army rehearse for Wanni Push
Tigers revert to full scale war
Sri Lanka is experiencing a free fall to its violent days of the pre- ceasefire period. Recent attacks on civilians signal that the LTTE has reverted to a no -holds barred full scale confrontation with the government.
It was only last week, a twin blast brought war to the country’s Capital. And barely a week after the deadly blast in Nugegoda, a passenger bus plying on the Anuradhapura- Janakapura route was blown up, killing 16 and injuring 22 civilians.
The repeated attacks on civilians signals that the LTTE has reverted to its old practice of bombing civilian targets, thereby going an extra mile to intensify the conflict.
The LTTE, largely kept away from high profile civilian targets during the greater part of the ceasefire - there are, however, exceptions, for instance the bus bomb in Kebithigollewa.
The recent developments come in the wake of the LTTE going underground, closing down its offices and cutting off communications with the most of the rest of the world.
LTTE’s peace secretariat and its political offices have been closed and the repeated attempts to contact LTTE media spokesman, Irasaiyah Illanthairan were in vain.
Disappointment
The LTTE’s decision to go underground had been effected days after the LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran delivered his Maveerar day speech, in which he expressed his disappointment at the indifference of the international community to the plight of the Tamil people.
Earlier the LTTE refrained from attacking civilian targets was largely attributed to its efforts to rehabilitate itself in the eyes of the international community.
However, Prabhakaran lamented in his speech that the international community had not reciprocated to the LTTE.
The low intensity violence directed against the security forces had always been a part of the trademark practice of the LTTE, which envisaged to intimidate the government into submission through the use of violence. This tactic was utilized throughout the ceasefire to a lesser extent. However, the recent attacks on civilians brings the hitherto undeclared war to a higher intensity.
They also signal that the LTTE had reverted to full scale violence, which had been the form of its struggle till it feebly tried to negotiate a settlement.
Civilian targets
Despite intelligence warnings to the effect that the LTTE would continue to attack civilian targets, it has been a rather tedious task to defend the citizenry from terror attacks. For instance, 300 home uards were recruited and trained in Kebithigollewa following the deadly bus bomb last year which killed over sixty passengers and injured scores of others.
However, it is now revealed that last Wednesday’s bomb had been planted about 50 meters from a bunker manned by homeguards. This bunker line has been constructed after the Kebithigollewa blast. The bomb had exploded thirty minutes after a road clearing patrol passed through the site of the blast. True to remarks by a former IRA guerrilla, terrorists could succeed in a moment of luck, whereas security forces had to defend itself 24/7. This is the dilemma of the security forces, when it was forced to fight an unconventional war.
However, the knee- jerk reaction of the government to the twin blasts in Colombo could only damage its position . The mass arrests of Tamils proved to be a futile exercise and a disaster in ethnic relations.
Understandably, the recent incursions of the LTTE in the South are of grave concern to the government.
The LTTE strategy to attack civilian and military positions in the South, could be argued as a tit- for-tat to the on-going military operations to push towards the Wanni.
Two week ago, the security forces arrested a suspected Tiger cadre in Yala, who confessed that he was a member of a thirty member LTTE squad. According to a confession made by the suspect, he has been recruited by the LTTE during Karuna’s hey days as the Eastern Tiger commander. He fled the LTTE after Karuna’s split, but had been re-enlisted by the Tigers and assigned to kitchen work in a Tiger camp in Kanchikudichchiaru.
The LTTE cadre has said that the thirty member LTTE squad had been dispatched from Kanchikudichchirau, where there are approximately 120 LTTE cadres based.
The arrested Tiger cadre has said that he was assigned to cook for the Tiger squad and that he didn’t engage in offensive operations in Yala. He has further disclosed that two Tiger cadres were injured in the attack on the Thalgasmankada army detachment. The wounded had been evacuated to Kanchikudichiaru by two cadres in the medical team. The Tigers in Yala are said to be in contact with their Kanchikudichiaru camp through cell phones, according to the arrested Tiger suspect. He has said supplies were delivered to a location on the B25 Buttala- Sella Kataragama road by a white van.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, an eight- man team of army Commandos came across a group of Tiger cadres in Debaraduwa, about 30 km inside Yala.
One Commando was injured in the subsequent shoot- out and the Army said four LTTE cadres were injured. Later, the Army found a body of a female Tiger cadre along with a Light Machine Gun.
Meanwhile, two skeletons believed to be those of cattle farmers who were abducted by the LTTE were also found last week. Given the terrain of Yala, where the Tigers could find cover in a sea of trees, it is an extremely difficult task to track them, despite all evidence pointing to the LTTE incursion into Yala.
There are also reports, confirmed by intelligence sources, that the Tigers in small numbers have infiltrated the Wilpattu jungles. There again, the dilemma of the security forces is well understood.
LTTE infiltrations
Recent LTTE infiltrations in the South are a tit- for- tat for the on- going security forces operations in Wanni. Small teams of Special Forces Commandos and Special Infantry Operation Troops have stepped up military operations ahead of their defence localities in the Northern and Wanni defence lines.
Heavy fighting flared up in Mannar early this week as the Tigers fought back to re-take the Adampan area which was secured by the security forces on December 1.
Waves of Tiger cadres, attacked the newly established security force positions in Adampan, supported by a heavy volume of 81 and 120 mortar fire. The Army said that intercepted Tiger communications had revealed that at least 35 LTTE cadres were killed and 25 others wounded. Six soldiers were killed and twenty wounded in action and were admitted to the Vavuniya, Mannar and Anuradhapura hospital.
Captured Adampan
Earlier in the week, Commandos of the 2nd Commando Battalion and infantry units of the 8 Singha Regiment, captured Adampan after a day- long battle.
Operating under the darkness of the wee hours of the morning, troops struck a Tiger bunker line, which had been positioned to fend off the advance of the security forces. The Army said 28 Tiger cadres were killed and 57 were wounded in the confrontation. Advancing towards, the Tiger territory, the troops came under a heavy barrage of 81 and 120 mm mortar fire. They dodged most of it, but there were inevitable casualties. Five soldiers were killed in action and 25 others suffered injuries, mainly due to indirect fire and anti personnel mines. On the same day, heavy fighting flared up in Periyathampanai, west of Omanthai, which had been the theatre for some of the fierce battles during the past six months. Troops overran a fortified Tiger position at Periyathampanai, breaching a Tiger bunker line. Military sources citing intercepted Tiger communications said at least 20 cadres were killed and 25 injured in the fighting.
Troops stepped up operations ahead of their northern defence localities. Special Infantry Operation Troops operating in small teams, sneaked in to the Tiger territory on Wednesday, killing five cadres.
In another incident, the Army said thirteen LTTE cadres were killed in clashes at Kilali and Nagarkovil. Two soldiers were killed while five others were injured in the fighting. Two soldiers later succumbed to injuries.
Senior security officials say the Tigers have been forced to defend themselves on all fronts. As the security forces concentrate on purging the manpower of the Tigers .
This has forced the LTTE on a defensive mode . Lessons from history show that the Tigers struck Colombo, when they were crushed on the battle front. The LTTE has of late struck thrice in a fortnight. However, the danger is that the Tigers would opt fo a bigger attack to get the government on the defensive.
Sri Lanka is experiencing a free fall to its violent days of the pre- ceasefire period. Recent attacks on civilians signal that the LTTE has reverted to a no -holds barred full scale confrontation with the government.
It was only last week, a twin blast brought war to the country’s Capital. And barely a week after the deadly blast in Nugegoda, a passenger bus plying on the Anuradhapura- Janakapura route was blown up, killing 16 and injuring 22 civilians.
The repeated attacks on civilians signals that the LTTE has reverted to its old practice of bombing civilian targets, thereby going an extra mile to intensify the conflict.
The LTTE, largely kept away from high profile civilian targets during the greater part of the ceasefire - there are, however, exceptions, for instance the bus bomb in Kebithigollewa.
The recent developments come in the wake of the LTTE going underground, closing down its offices and cutting off communications with the most of the rest of the world.
LTTE’s peace secretariat and its political offices have been closed and the repeated attempts to contact LTTE media spokesman, Irasaiyah Illanthairan were in vain.
Disappointment
The LTTE’s decision to go underground had been effected days after the LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran delivered his Maveerar day speech, in which he expressed his disappointment at the indifference of the international community to the plight of the Tamil people.
Earlier the LTTE refrained from attacking civilian targets was largely attributed to its efforts to rehabilitate itself in the eyes of the international community.
However, Prabhakaran lamented in his speech that the international community had not reciprocated to the LTTE.
The low intensity violence directed against the security forces had always been a part of the trademark practice of the LTTE, which envisaged to intimidate the government into submission through the use of violence. This tactic was utilized throughout the ceasefire to a lesser extent. However, the recent attacks on civilians brings the hitherto undeclared war to a higher intensity.
They also signal that the LTTE had reverted to full scale violence, which had been the form of its struggle till it feebly tried to negotiate a settlement.
Civilian targets
Despite intelligence warnings to the effect that the LTTE would continue to attack civilian targets, it has been a rather tedious task to defend the citizenry from terror attacks. For instance, 300 home uards were recruited and trained in Kebithigollewa following the deadly bus bomb last year which killed over sixty passengers and injured scores of others.
However, it is now revealed that last Wednesday’s bomb had been planted about 50 meters from a bunker manned by homeguards. This bunker line has been constructed after the Kebithigollewa blast. The bomb had exploded thirty minutes after a road clearing patrol passed through the site of the blast. True to remarks by a former IRA guerrilla, terrorists could succeed in a moment of luck, whereas security forces had to defend itself 24/7. This is the dilemma of the security forces, when it was forced to fight an unconventional war.
However, the knee- jerk reaction of the government to the twin blasts in Colombo could only damage its position . The mass arrests of Tamils proved to be a futile exercise and a disaster in ethnic relations.
Understandably, the recent incursions of the LTTE in the South are of grave concern to the government.
The LTTE strategy to attack civilian and military positions in the South, could be argued as a tit- for-tat to the on-going military operations to push towards the Wanni.
Two week ago, the security forces arrested a suspected Tiger cadre in Yala, who confessed that he was a member of a thirty member LTTE squad. According to a confession made by the suspect, he has been recruited by the LTTE during Karuna’s hey days as the Eastern Tiger commander. He fled the LTTE after Karuna’s split, but had been re-enlisted by the Tigers and assigned to kitchen work in a Tiger camp in Kanchikudichchiaru.
The LTTE cadre has said that the thirty member LTTE squad had been dispatched from Kanchikudichchirau, where there are approximately 120 LTTE cadres based.
The arrested Tiger cadre has said that he was assigned to cook for the Tiger squad and that he didn’t engage in offensive operations in Yala. He has further disclosed that two Tiger cadres were injured in the attack on the Thalgasmankada army detachment. The wounded had been evacuated to Kanchikudichiaru by two cadres in the medical team. The Tigers in Yala are said to be in contact with their Kanchikudichiaru camp through cell phones, according to the arrested Tiger suspect. He has said supplies were delivered to a location on the B25 Buttala- Sella Kataragama road by a white van.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, an eight- man team of army Commandos came across a group of Tiger cadres in Debaraduwa, about 30 km inside Yala.
One Commando was injured in the subsequent shoot- out and the Army said four LTTE cadres were injured. Later, the Army found a body of a female Tiger cadre along with a Light Machine Gun.
Meanwhile, two skeletons believed to be those of cattle farmers who were abducted by the LTTE were also found last week. Given the terrain of Yala, where the Tigers could find cover in a sea of trees, it is an extremely difficult task to track them, despite all evidence pointing to the LTTE incursion into Yala.
There are also reports, confirmed by intelligence sources, that the Tigers in small numbers have infiltrated the Wilpattu jungles. There again, the dilemma of the security forces is well understood.
LTTE infiltrations
Recent LTTE infiltrations in the South are a tit- for- tat for the on- going security forces operations in Wanni. Small teams of Special Forces Commandos and Special Infantry Operation Troops have stepped up military operations ahead of their defence localities in the Northern and Wanni defence lines.
Heavy fighting flared up in Mannar early this week as the Tigers fought back to re-take the Adampan area which was secured by the security forces on December 1.
Waves of Tiger cadres, attacked the newly established security force positions in Adampan, supported by a heavy volume of 81 and 120 mortar fire. The Army said that intercepted Tiger communications had revealed that at least 35 LTTE cadres were killed and 25 others wounded. Six soldiers were killed and twenty wounded in action and were admitted to the Vavuniya, Mannar and Anuradhapura hospital.
Captured Adampan
Earlier in the week, Commandos of the 2nd Commando Battalion and infantry units of the 8 Singha Regiment, captured Adampan after a day- long battle.
Operating under the darkness of the wee hours of the morning, troops struck a Tiger bunker line, which had been positioned to fend off the advance of the security forces. The Army said 28 Tiger cadres were killed and 57 were wounded in the confrontation. Advancing towards, the Tiger territory, the troops came under a heavy barrage of 81 and 120 mm mortar fire. They dodged most of it, but there were inevitable casualties. Five soldiers were killed in action and 25 others suffered injuries, mainly due to indirect fire and anti personnel mines. On the same day, heavy fighting flared up in Periyathampanai, west of Omanthai, which had been the theatre for some of the fierce battles during the past six months. Troops overran a fortified Tiger position at Periyathampanai, breaching a Tiger bunker line. Military sources citing intercepted Tiger communications said at least 20 cadres were killed and 25 injured in the fighting.
Troops stepped up operations ahead of their northern defence localities. Special Infantry Operation Troops operating in small teams, sneaked in to the Tiger territory on Wednesday, killing five cadres.
In another incident, the Army said thirteen LTTE cadres were killed in clashes at Kilali and Nagarkovil. Two soldiers were killed while five others were injured in the fighting. Two soldiers later succumbed to injuries.
Senior security officials say the Tigers have been forced to defend themselves on all fronts. As the security forces concentrate on purging the manpower of the Tigers .
This has forced the LTTE on a defensive mode . Lessons from history show that the Tigers struck Colombo, when they were crushed on the battle front. The LTTE has of late struck thrice in a fortnight. However, the danger is that the Tigers would opt fo a bigger attack to get the government on the defensive.
Mechanized Infantry Division concludes training phase
Sri Lanka Army (SLA)'s newest offensive fighting formation has concluded its training phase and is now ready to enter the heated battlefields in Northern province. The Mechanized Infantry Division, commanded by Colonel Ralf Nugera, consists of specially trained ground troops and armored vehicles.
Although it has successfully concluded its training phase, the process hasn't been a joyride. On February 14th, a meeting of army officials was taking place at 53rd division HQ. It was in this meeting the Mechanized Infantry Division was to be officially raised. However, LTTE shelled the HQ with at least four 130mm artillery guns (stationed in Pooneryn) wounding 14 including several senior military officials. Even the commander of army's 53rd division was injured.
Plans for the MID suffered another setback when LTTE's Victor (aka "Vetter") anti-armor unit destroyed 6 tanks and 6 IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) when the army tried to advance towards Pallei last year. The loss came at a time when the SLA were trying to boost its inventory of armored vehicles.
However, the Mechanized Infantry Division is now an active part of the Sri Lankan Army despite the early disturbances. Its primary use would be to invade enemy territory utilizing brute force of the armoured vehicles and then deploy its infantry to the heart of the battle. Due to protection from APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers), troop casualties are expected to be lower.
Mechanized Infantry Division currently consists of 3 regiments and has a wide variety of armored vehicles including BTR-80A, BMP-2 and WZ551 under its wing.
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53rd Division HQ artillery attack: Inside job suspected
On February 14th, LTTE directed a heavy artillery barrage towards army held Arali area using their long range artillery guns stationed in Pooneryn. The target of this barrage was the 53rd division headquarters. 53rd division consists of several special infantry batallions which are highly trained and heavily armed. Artillery shells hit the HQ buildings and 14 soldiers received injuries due to this. A meeting of 53rd division top officials was taking place in the HQ when the shells fell. Therefore, several senior army officials including the commander of 53rd division were among the injured.
However, the most worrying element in this incident is how the LTTE knew that a meeting was taking place. 53rd division meetings are held in utmost secrecy and only few know the time and location of the meeting untill it starts. Therefore, for the LTTE to know the exact time and location of meeting, someone from within the army has to pass them information.
Traitors, they should be given death sentence.
Although it has successfully concluded its training phase, the process hasn't been a joyride. On February 14th, a meeting of army officials was taking place at 53rd division HQ. It was in this meeting the Mechanized Infantry Division was to be officially raised. However, LTTE shelled the HQ with at least four 130mm artillery guns (stationed in Pooneryn) wounding 14 including several senior military officials. Even the commander of army's 53rd division was injured.
Plans for the MID suffered another setback when LTTE's Victor (aka "Vetter") anti-armor unit destroyed 6 tanks and 6 IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) when the army tried to advance towards Pallei last year. The loss came at a time when the SLA were trying to boost its inventory of armored vehicles.
However, the Mechanized Infantry Division is now an active part of the Sri Lankan Army despite the early disturbances. Its primary use would be to invade enemy territory utilizing brute force of the armoured vehicles and then deploy its infantry to the heart of the battle. Due to protection from APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers), troop casualties are expected to be lower.
Mechanized Infantry Division currently consists of 3 regiments and has a wide variety of armored vehicles including BTR-80A, BMP-2 and WZ551 under its wing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
53rd Division HQ artillery attack: Inside job suspected
On February 14th, LTTE directed a heavy artillery barrage towards army held Arali area using their long range artillery guns stationed in Pooneryn. The target of this barrage was the 53rd division headquarters. 53rd division consists of several special infantry batallions which are highly trained and heavily armed. Artillery shells hit the HQ buildings and 14 soldiers received injuries due to this. A meeting of 53rd division top officials was taking place in the HQ when the shells fell. Therefore, several senior army officials including the commander of 53rd division were among the injured.
However, the most worrying element in this incident is how the LTTE knew that a meeting was taking place. 53rd division meetings are held in utmost secrecy and only few know the time and location of the meeting untill it starts. Therefore, for the LTTE to know the exact time and location of meeting, someone from within the army has to pass them information.
Traitors, they should be given death sentence.
Czech Republic offers to provide anti aircraft missiles to Sri Lanka
Czech republic has offered to provide anti aircraft missiles for SLAF while LTTE's de facto air force continued to pose a threat to Sri Lanka. Czech offer includes supply of state-of-the art AA missiles, training and even personnel to man the launchers if required. Whether the GOSL will accept the offer or not remains to be see.
LTTE is known to operate between 5 to 10 Zlin-143 light planes and have so far attempted 7 raids on both military and economic targets in Sri Lanka. A locally made bomb rack has been attached to at least one of these aircrafts. However payload delivery seems to be lever activated and this may be the cause of reduced accuracy. Even though the LTTE planes have had little success in terms of damaging military/economic assets, they have significantly boosted LTTE's morale and have further strengthened Eelam Diaspora funding.
This is not the first time Czech government pledged help to the Sri Lanka military. After the fall of Elephant Pass base complex in 2000, LTTE laid siege to Jaffna trapping 32000 government troops in the Peninsula. By that time LTTE had managed to acquire weapons with higher firepower such as the 152mm artillery. This is when the Sri Lankan government turned to India for offensive weapons but all India had to offer were transport aircraft to evacuate 32000 forces from Jaffna. However Pakistan and Czech republic came to Sri Lanka's aid by providing Multiple Rocket Launchers (BM-21 and RM-70). One shipment of RM-70 MBRLs went missing for several days when the plane carrying the hardware landed on a different country. Plane was later found and finally the delivery was made to Sri Lanka after a significant delay, only to be found that MBRLs that were on board were sabotaged. Luckily for the army, the machines were repairable (Later MI discovered that the Norwegian intelligence agencies were behind the whole fiasco). When the first MBRL barrage was fired on Pooneryn, LTTE artillery that were pounding Palaly for days immediately fell silent. RM-70 and BM-21 MBRLs were used extensively to push back the LTTE forces that laid siege to Jaffna and the machines were responsible for halting LTTE's unceasing waves III operation. In addition to the MBRLs, Czech government recently offered to provide Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for SLAF to replenish its inventory from losses suffered in AAB attack.
In the meantime Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) flew three sorties on LTTE military installations in the North during last week. Surprisingly, both government and pro LTTE media were silent about the attacks. As usual, casualty figures from these aerial raids are not available as of now.
LTTE is known to operate between 5 to 10 Zlin-143 light planes and have so far attempted 7 raids on both military and economic targets in Sri Lanka. A locally made bomb rack has been attached to at least one of these aircrafts. However payload delivery seems to be lever activated and this may be the cause of reduced accuracy. Even though the LTTE planes have had little success in terms of damaging military/economic assets, they have significantly boosted LTTE's morale and have further strengthened Eelam Diaspora funding.
This is not the first time Czech government pledged help to the Sri Lanka military. After the fall of Elephant Pass base complex in 2000, LTTE laid siege to Jaffna trapping 32000 government troops in the Peninsula. By that time LTTE had managed to acquire weapons with higher firepower such as the 152mm artillery. This is when the Sri Lankan government turned to India for offensive weapons but all India had to offer were transport aircraft to evacuate 32000 forces from Jaffna. However Pakistan and Czech republic came to Sri Lanka's aid by providing Multiple Rocket Launchers (BM-21 and RM-70). One shipment of RM-70 MBRLs went missing for several days when the plane carrying the hardware landed on a different country. Plane was later found and finally the delivery was made to Sri Lanka after a significant delay, only to be found that MBRLs that were on board were sabotaged. Luckily for the army, the machines were repairable (Later MI discovered that the Norwegian intelligence agencies were behind the whole fiasco). When the first MBRL barrage was fired on Pooneryn, LTTE artillery that were pounding Palaly for days immediately fell silent. RM-70 and BM-21 MBRLs were used extensively to push back the LTTE forces that laid siege to Jaffna and the machines were responsible for halting LTTE's unceasing waves III operation. In addition to the MBRLs, Czech government recently offered to provide Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for SLAF to replenish its inventory from losses suffered in AAB attack.
In the meantime Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) flew three sorties on LTTE military installations in the North during last week. Surprisingly, both government and pro LTTE media were silent about the attacks. As usual, casualty figures from these aerial raids are not available as of now.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Government to hold examinations in recently captured areas in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Department of Education is preparing to hold the G.C.E. (Ordinary Level) examination in the Eastern Province areas recently captured from the hold of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) fighting for a separate state in northern and eastern parts of the island.
Accordingly, three examination centers will be set up in Vakarai, Kadirweli and Mankerni. An evaluation center is also to be set up in Vakarai.
An estimated two hundred and sixty students will be taking the examination in Vakarai.
The Examination Department did not hold examination centers in these areas last December due to the clashes between the Army and the LTTE there.
Accordingly, three examination centers will be set up in Vakarai, Kadirweli and Mankerni. An evaluation center is also to be set up in Vakarai.
An estimated two hundred and sixty students will be taking the examination in Vakarai.
The Examination Department did not hold examination centers in these areas last December due to the clashes between the Army and the LTTE there.
Search operations continuing in Yala Wildlife Park in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Army spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that the search operations in the high security areas of the Yala Wild life Park are continuing today.
A soldier who was injured in a clash with the Tamil Tiger rebels was airlifted this morning for treatment, said the Army spokesman.
Four LTTE cadres and one soldier were injured in a clash that took place at Debaraduwa around 30 kilometers away from Yala Wildlife Park when Army Commandos confronted a group of LTTE cadres hidden there around 5 PM yesterday.
Meanwhile, the remains believed to be of three cattle herders that disappeared on October 18 were found near a reservoir in Tissamaharama area today. Police sources said that the relatives of the disappeared persons have identified the clothes found with the skeletons.
A soldier who was injured in a clash with the Tamil Tiger rebels was airlifted this morning for treatment, said the Army spokesman.
Four LTTE cadres and one soldier were injured in a clash that took place at Debaraduwa around 30 kilometers away from Yala Wildlife Park when Army Commandos confronted a group of LTTE cadres hidden there around 5 PM yesterday.
Meanwhile, the remains believed to be of three cattle herders that disappeared on October 18 were found near a reservoir in Tissamaharama area today. Police sources said that the relatives of the disappeared persons have identified the clothes found with the skeletons.
Evictions and Mass Arrests Cannot Deter Infiltrators
Another bomb, another blunder. Public opinion on how the security forces handle the aftermath of a bomb blasts has never been good. Always the security establishment and the government get heavily blamed for hyperactivity AFTER a bomb blast when they should have acted BEFORE the blast. No amount of reactionary measures is goings to undo the damage caused. Instead what is required is to proactively pre-empt any and all future terror bombings. It seems that they have not learnt this vital lesson yet. Suicide attackers can never be tracked down by mass arrests. What is the motivation of a terrorist to spill the beans under interrogation? Nothing. Can the ability speak Sinhala, a foreign passport, a police report, the national identity card or any other document become the all powerful determinant whether an individual is a terrorist? Definitely not.
What should be done to stop terror attacks in government controlled areas? This is the million dollar question. It has a very simple answer which is anyway known to all Sri Lankans. We have gone through this before and out of a hundred possible solutions, one (1) can be clearly separated out and credited for its extreme effectiveness. Please consider the following facts.
1. A large number of terror attacks took place around the country targeting civilians and civil infrastructure from 1983-1987. Especially during one month in 1986 things got so worse that school bags were banned and children in Colombo schools were asked to bring their belongings in transparent bags. The STF or any other paramilitary group was not present in these areas.
2. In late 1988 terrorists caused all schools to close down; declared curfews and created havoc. This lasted till mid 1989 until the paramilitaries took over. Abductions became commonplace, extra-judicial means of justice resolution took precedence and schools reopened in no time. Law and order was established without using legal means. Had we resorted to only legal means we would be still waiting!
3. From 1990-1994 August there were only a very few terror attacks on civilians and nothing on civil infrastructure. This was remarkable as violent clashes erupted from time to time in the North-East. The few terror attacks were also clouded in mystery. Again extra-judicial means were the main defenders of law and order in a country more than 95% terrorists get away without conviction; most of them are never apprehended; the few apprehensions without doubt end up in acquittals or subsequent pardons. Length of the trial and associated delays ensure that the damage intended by the terrorists are done already.
4. In 1994 the STF (hitherto a paramilitary force not bound by the Army Act) and many other paramilitary groups were disbanded. The STF was brought under the Army Act and was assigned general army duties in the East. Colombo security was bare open for any terror attack. There were more than 20 terror attacks from 1994-2001 in civilian areas mainly in Colombo. There were no abductions reported in Colombo, etc. The Central Bank bombers were tried in absentia by the courts and convicted after a lengthy trial ended in 2002, six (6) years after bombing. But what happened? Nothing. The culprits were worshipped by the 2001-2004 government for killing more than 90 people and injuring 1,200 not to mention millions of dollars worth damages.
5. From 2001-2005 the LTTE carried out more than 60 terror attacks in government controlled areas; the highest ever in Sri Lankan history. There were abductions; this time committed by LTTE terrorists in Colombo! Terror attacks inside the Mount Lavinia police station sent shockwaves throughout the populace and there was nothing the government could do are it became a puppet of the LTTE.
6. After 2006 it was a mix bag of events as regards extrajudicial means of maintaining public security. Although abductions for ransom is a despicable act which must be punishable with heavy punitive measures, abduction of terrorists, infiltrators and their supporters proved highly effective. There were only a very few terror attacks, most of them unsuccessful or aimless. However, due to pressure the government clamped down on anti-terror operations carried out by the longer arm of the law.Terrorists spun into immediate action.
7. Iraq became a hot topic in every war, anti-war, peace, terrorism forum. It became a symbol of ever increasing anarchy. However, recently terror attacks in Iraq have reduced drastically. Why? Full credit must go to the process of empowering Iraqi paramilitary groups with an estimated strength of over 80,000. Obviously they are not authorised by law to kill, abduct, judge, etc. But who cares if security is ensured.
However, Lankan authorities are still tied down to retarded post-mortem acts that can only backfire. As regards human rights, mass arrests and evictions affect more people than other means for which the paramilitaries were blamed for. However, the success rate of extra-judicial means is there for all to see. It saved lives and property. The law has proved that it is helpless when faced with terrorism and it is a must that any means are employed to save the people.
Very large scale human rights violations can take place if terror attacks are allowed to take place. 1983 riots are a classic example. The government should do everything under the sun to stop the recurrence of such an eventuality.
There is a vast knowledge base among those who support the LTTE on potential terror activities. At least they know where that knowledge is. As a kid with a lot of friends who supported the LTTE, I was privy to many impending terror attacks in the 1980s. Although I never knew who is hiding where, I knew who had that information. Things changed after 1990 when those who knew feared for their lives and kept their little secrets to themselves. This trend continues today. However, a lethargic interrogation is not going to divulge anything as the person being interrogated weighs pros and cons of divulging. If there is not enough personal motivation to divulge, obviously nothing would come out. On the other hand, friendly means, financial incentives, witness protection and like measures are never going to get the authorities anywhere. However, the type of techniques that work are all very well known to all Sri Lankans without which Sri Lanka would not have survived thus far. These techniques must be readopted aggressively if civilian security is a genuine concern of the government. Paramilitaries must be brought back to fore. Never let people yearn for the days when Karuna’s men protected them from bomb blasts; instead keep things happening.
We can expect a surge in terror attacks in the months ahead. As the war intensifies in the North, terrorists will find civilian targets as their only let-out. The world’s most ruthless terrorists are not going to perish like lamb. They will try to cause maximum damage before their last breath. This is the challenge the government must take up and it cannot be handled singlehandedly. Support of the paramilitaries and extra judicial means is a must to ensure public security, law and order.
Although the government made another blunder by allowing mass arrests, its subsequent conduct must be commended. The complete disregard of a certain politician known for his rowdy, barbaric and uncivilised behaviour is a step in the right direction. All those who followed him ended up nowhere. On the other hand the CWC leader was effective. His allegiance to the government must remain the key power factor. There is no point in extending favours to anti-government politicians. Let them make worthless statements but people won’t trust them again. It also reiterates the need to take a co-operative approach than a subversive approach by any politician.
This war cannot be won by cowards; in fact no war can be won by cowards. If the key leaders who guide the defenders of the nation are threatened with a call to the Hague, fear not, it only means that they will try to get you since the terrorists couldn’t. Either way you are dead, why not do the right thing for the fatherland/motherland and die a national hero than die an international hero but a national coward. If bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki is justified on the basis that it averted a larger catastrophe, violating human rights is amply justified to avert even bigger. Its not only the security forces who must sacrifice their lives to win the war, civilians and politicians will also be called upon to do so in different ways. Even the best Buddhist Kings (Buddhism being a more powerful deterrent than threats) had to do the needful to defend their nation. Contrary to popular history, detailed history has legendary human rights violations committed by the best kings of Lanka to defend this nation. The world has a small Aryan heritage left in the midst of the vast Indian Ocean thanks to them.
If your enemies hate you for doing your job, you have done a damn good job!
What should be done to stop terror attacks in government controlled areas? This is the million dollar question. It has a very simple answer which is anyway known to all Sri Lankans. We have gone through this before and out of a hundred possible solutions, one (1) can be clearly separated out and credited for its extreme effectiveness. Please consider the following facts.
1. A large number of terror attacks took place around the country targeting civilians and civil infrastructure from 1983-1987. Especially during one month in 1986 things got so worse that school bags were banned and children in Colombo schools were asked to bring their belongings in transparent bags. The STF or any other paramilitary group was not present in these areas.
2. In late 1988 terrorists caused all schools to close down; declared curfews and created havoc. This lasted till mid 1989 until the paramilitaries took over. Abductions became commonplace, extra-judicial means of justice resolution took precedence and schools reopened in no time. Law and order was established without using legal means. Had we resorted to only legal means we would be still waiting!
3. From 1990-1994 August there were only a very few terror attacks on civilians and nothing on civil infrastructure. This was remarkable as violent clashes erupted from time to time in the North-East. The few terror attacks were also clouded in mystery. Again extra-judicial means were the main defenders of law and order in a country more than 95% terrorists get away without conviction; most of them are never apprehended; the few apprehensions without doubt end up in acquittals or subsequent pardons. Length of the trial and associated delays ensure that the damage intended by the terrorists are done already.
4. In 1994 the STF (hitherto a paramilitary force not bound by the Army Act) and many other paramilitary groups were disbanded. The STF was brought under the Army Act and was assigned general army duties in the East. Colombo security was bare open for any terror attack. There were more than 20 terror attacks from 1994-2001 in civilian areas mainly in Colombo. There were no abductions reported in Colombo, etc. The Central Bank bombers were tried in absentia by the courts and convicted after a lengthy trial ended in 2002, six (6) years after bombing. But what happened? Nothing. The culprits were worshipped by the 2001-2004 government for killing more than 90 people and injuring 1,200 not to mention millions of dollars worth damages.
5. From 2001-2005 the LTTE carried out more than 60 terror attacks in government controlled areas; the highest ever in Sri Lankan history. There were abductions; this time committed by LTTE terrorists in Colombo! Terror attacks inside the Mount Lavinia police station sent shockwaves throughout the populace and there was nothing the government could do are it became a puppet of the LTTE.
6. After 2006 it was a mix bag of events as regards extrajudicial means of maintaining public security. Although abductions for ransom is a despicable act which must be punishable with heavy punitive measures, abduction of terrorists, infiltrators and their supporters proved highly effective. There were only a very few terror attacks, most of them unsuccessful or aimless. However, due to pressure the government clamped down on anti-terror operations carried out by the longer arm of the law.Terrorists spun into immediate action.
7. Iraq became a hot topic in every war, anti-war, peace, terrorism forum. It became a symbol of ever increasing anarchy. However, recently terror attacks in Iraq have reduced drastically. Why? Full credit must go to the process of empowering Iraqi paramilitary groups with an estimated strength of over 80,000. Obviously they are not authorised by law to kill, abduct, judge, etc. But who cares if security is ensured.
However, Lankan authorities are still tied down to retarded post-mortem acts that can only backfire. As regards human rights, mass arrests and evictions affect more people than other means for which the paramilitaries were blamed for. However, the success rate of extra-judicial means is there for all to see. It saved lives and property. The law has proved that it is helpless when faced with terrorism and it is a must that any means are employed to save the people.
Very large scale human rights violations can take place if terror attacks are allowed to take place. 1983 riots are a classic example. The government should do everything under the sun to stop the recurrence of such an eventuality.
There is a vast knowledge base among those who support the LTTE on potential terror activities. At least they know where that knowledge is. As a kid with a lot of friends who supported the LTTE, I was privy to many impending terror attacks in the 1980s. Although I never knew who is hiding where, I knew who had that information. Things changed after 1990 when those who knew feared for their lives and kept their little secrets to themselves. This trend continues today. However, a lethargic interrogation is not going to divulge anything as the person being interrogated weighs pros and cons of divulging. If there is not enough personal motivation to divulge, obviously nothing would come out. On the other hand, friendly means, financial incentives, witness protection and like measures are never going to get the authorities anywhere. However, the type of techniques that work are all very well known to all Sri Lankans without which Sri Lanka would not have survived thus far. These techniques must be readopted aggressively if civilian security is a genuine concern of the government. Paramilitaries must be brought back to fore. Never let people yearn for the days when Karuna’s men protected them from bomb blasts; instead keep things happening.
We can expect a surge in terror attacks in the months ahead. As the war intensifies in the North, terrorists will find civilian targets as their only let-out. The world’s most ruthless terrorists are not going to perish like lamb. They will try to cause maximum damage before their last breath. This is the challenge the government must take up and it cannot be handled singlehandedly. Support of the paramilitaries and extra judicial means is a must to ensure public security, law and order.
Although the government made another blunder by allowing mass arrests, its subsequent conduct must be commended. The complete disregard of a certain politician known for his rowdy, barbaric and uncivilised behaviour is a step in the right direction. All those who followed him ended up nowhere. On the other hand the CWC leader was effective. His allegiance to the government must remain the key power factor. There is no point in extending favours to anti-government politicians. Let them make worthless statements but people won’t trust them again. It also reiterates the need to take a co-operative approach than a subversive approach by any politician.
This war cannot be won by cowards; in fact no war can be won by cowards. If the key leaders who guide the defenders of the nation are threatened with a call to the Hague, fear not, it only means that they will try to get you since the terrorists couldn’t. Either way you are dead, why not do the right thing for the fatherland/motherland and die a national hero than die an international hero but a national coward. If bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki is justified on the basis that it averted a larger catastrophe, violating human rights is amply justified to avert even bigger. Its not only the security forces who must sacrifice their lives to win the war, civilians and politicians will also be called upon to do so in different ways. Even the best Buddhist Kings (Buddhism being a more powerful deterrent than threats) had to do the needful to defend their nation. Contrary to popular history, detailed history has legendary human rights violations committed by the best kings of Lanka to defend this nation. The world has a small Aryan heritage left in the midst of the vast Indian Ocean thanks to them.
If your enemies hate you for doing your job, you have done a damn good job!
Ethnic Indians reject Malaysians' terror claim
A group of Malaysian lawyers demanding affirmative action for the country's ethnic Indians vowed on Friday to sue top police and legal officials who claimed it had ties to terrorists.
Malaysia has tried to paint the group, the Hindu Rights Action Force, or Hindraf, in terrorist colours after it organised a rare protest by 10,000 ethnic Indians last month. Malaysia's police chief said it was trying to provoke racial clashes.
But Hindraf dismissed the accusation as ridiculous, saying it was pursuing its objectives by legal, peaceful means.
"They're bankrupt of ideas to punish us," the group's legal adviser, P Uthayakumar, told Reuters.
"They've no more bullets to fire so they're firing this at us. It's like killing a fly with a sledgehammer, because we're so small."
Multi-racial Malaysia has brushed aside claims that it has mistreated its ethnic Indians, saying they are better off than those still at home.
But ethnic Indians, who make up about 7 percent of a population of roughly 26 million, complain of a lack of educational and business opportunities, saying government affirmative-action policies that favour majority ethnic Malays have marginalised them.
November's protest also upset authorities because it followed a much larger opposition-sponsored rally seeking electoral reform in Malaysia, where such gatherings are unusual because police clamp down tightly on them.
TERRORIST GROUPS
Police chief Musa Hassan this week accused Hindraf of seeking assistance from terrorist groups.
"Of late there have been indications that Hindraf is trying to seek support and help from terrorist groups," Musa told state news agency Bernama late on Thursday.
"The police are concerned over Hindraf's activities and will not hesitate to take harsh action to guarantee the nation's peace and security."
Police intelligence and monitoring since July 28 showed that the group had fanned racial sentiment among Malaysia's ethnic Indians by stirring up their anger and rousing hatred against the government, Musa added.
"Their actions are potentially explosive in sparking racial clashes," he told Bernama in a statement.
Uthayakumar said Musa's remarks echoed courtroom comments by Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail linking the group to Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels, and dared both officials to produce evidence of their claims.
"Technically,what they said is slander and criminal defamation," he said.
"I'm going to file a civil suit against the attorney-general and the chief of police, because then they will be forced to produce the evidence in court."
Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang said the police chief's accusation showed the government was escalating its position of denial.
"It will be Malaysia's misfortune and tragedy if the government's sole concern is to indiscriminately demonise the Hindraf leaders," Lim, head of the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party, said in a statement.
Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have unleashed a nearly 25-year-old civil war on the Indian Ocean island in their battle for an independent state there.
Malaysia has tried to paint the group, the Hindu Rights Action Force, or Hindraf, in terrorist colours after it organised a rare protest by 10,000 ethnic Indians last month. Malaysia's police chief said it was trying to provoke racial clashes.
But Hindraf dismissed the accusation as ridiculous, saying it was pursuing its objectives by legal, peaceful means.
"They're bankrupt of ideas to punish us," the group's legal adviser, P Uthayakumar, told Reuters.
"They've no more bullets to fire so they're firing this at us. It's like killing a fly with a sledgehammer, because we're so small."
Multi-racial Malaysia has brushed aside claims that it has mistreated its ethnic Indians, saying they are better off than those still at home.
But ethnic Indians, who make up about 7 percent of a population of roughly 26 million, complain of a lack of educational and business opportunities, saying government affirmative-action policies that favour majority ethnic Malays have marginalised them.
November's protest also upset authorities because it followed a much larger opposition-sponsored rally seeking electoral reform in Malaysia, where such gatherings are unusual because police clamp down tightly on them.
TERRORIST GROUPS
Police chief Musa Hassan this week accused Hindraf of seeking assistance from terrorist groups.
"Of late there have been indications that Hindraf is trying to seek support and help from terrorist groups," Musa told state news agency Bernama late on Thursday.
"The police are concerned over Hindraf's activities and will not hesitate to take harsh action to guarantee the nation's peace and security."
Police intelligence and monitoring since July 28 showed that the group had fanned racial sentiment among Malaysia's ethnic Indians by stirring up their anger and rousing hatred against the government, Musa added.
"Their actions are potentially explosive in sparking racial clashes," he told Bernama in a statement.
Uthayakumar said Musa's remarks echoed courtroom comments by Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail linking the group to Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels, and dared both officials to produce evidence of their claims.
"Technically,what they said is slander and criminal defamation," he said.
"I'm going to file a civil suit against the attorney-general and the chief of police, because then they will be forced to produce the evidence in court."
Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang said the police chief's accusation showed the government was escalating its position of denial.
"It will be Malaysia's misfortune and tragedy if the government's sole concern is to indiscriminately demonise the Hindraf leaders," Lim, head of the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party, said in a statement.
Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have unleashed a nearly 25-year-old civil war on the Indian Ocean island in their battle for an independent state there.
Lankan firing on Indian fishermen unintentional: Navy
The Indian Navy on Thursday came to the defence of its Sri Lankan counterpart over the allegations of firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Straits, saying that such incidents were not intentional and fishermen often got caught in crossfire between the Island's Navy and the LTTE.
"In fact, the Indian fishermen crossover the maritime boundary and fall prey to the crossfire between the Lankan navy and LTTE," Commodore PE Van Halteren, Naval Officer In-charge (Tamil Nadu), told reporters here on Thursday.
"As a matter of policy, they do not open fire on Indian fishermen but when the fishermen venture too close to their maritime boundary, especially in the dark, it is difficult for them to distinguish fishermen from the LTTE," he said.
Halteren said the Lankan Navy never crossed over to the Indian territory to attack the fishermen, as claimed by the fishermen on many occasions.
"We are in touch with them on such issues and it would be better if our fishermen do not cross the international maritime boundary and enter their territory," he said.
The Commodore's views were in contrast to the allegations of political parties in the state which accuse the Sri Lankan Navy of indiscriminately firing at the Indian fishermen, charging them with crossing into their waters.
The Tamil Nadu government has already warned the fishermen that their licenses would be cancelled if they enter Sri Lankan waters more than thrice.
Eight Naval ships, the amphibious vessel INS Jalashwa, five missile firing units of the Khukri class among others would participate in the display of Naval vessels off Chennai on December 16. The display is being organised as part of the Navy week celebrations, he said, adding, Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala would preside.
"In fact, the Indian fishermen crossover the maritime boundary and fall prey to the crossfire between the Lankan navy and LTTE," Commodore PE Van Halteren, Naval Officer In-charge (Tamil Nadu), told reporters here on Thursday.
"As a matter of policy, they do not open fire on Indian fishermen but when the fishermen venture too close to their maritime boundary, especially in the dark, it is difficult for them to distinguish fishermen from the LTTE," he said.
Halteren said the Lankan Navy never crossed over to the Indian territory to attack the fishermen, as claimed by the fishermen on many occasions.
"We are in touch with them on such issues and it would be better if our fishermen do not cross the international maritime boundary and enter their territory," he said.
The Commodore's views were in contrast to the allegations of political parties in the state which accuse the Sri Lankan Navy of indiscriminately firing at the Indian fishermen, charging them with crossing into their waters.
The Tamil Nadu government has already warned the fishermen that their licenses would be cancelled if they enter Sri Lankan waters more than thrice.
Eight Naval ships, the amphibious vessel INS Jalashwa, five missile firing units of the Khukri class among others would participate in the display of Naval vessels off Chennai on December 16. The display is being organised as part of the Navy week celebrations, he said, adding, Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala would preside.
Voluble DG of UNESCO and LTTE psyops
Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, the voluble Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) has not yet been able to amend his naive condemnation of the Sri Lanka Air Force' attack at the clandestine radio station of LTTE. In his statement he says: "Regardless of the content of the broadcasts aired by the Voice of Tigers, there can be no excuse for military strikes on civilian media.... Such action contravenes the Geneva Convention which requires the military to treat media workers as civilians."
Equally, there should be no excuse for making bovine statements against a member country which has been in UNESCO for 50 years, simply because Mr.Matsuura could not guard himself against being outwitted by agents of a terrorist outfit.
There is no argument that civilian media and freedom of expression should be defended at all times; but, what Mr.Matsuura seems to be benighted about is that the content of "Voice of Tigers" has never been intended for a civilian purpose.
VoT is an illegal broadcast station that has been actively engaged in propaganda aimed at glorifying terrorism and at tarnishing the good image of the country, and raising funds from abroad for terrorist activities. Its content is not only being spread locally but also spread throughout the world through the propaganda network of LTTE. Unlike any ordinary civilian media, VoT's content is clearly aimed at kindling extreme tribalism and damaging the racial and religious harmony of the country. Even on the day it was attacked, the radio station was about to transmit the implacable speech of terror chief V.Prabhakaran spewing hatred towards Sri Lankan citizens. In the eyes of those interlopers of cowboy rights groups, VoT may be viewed as something that serves their purpose, since continued violence in third world countries is what earns them a living.
Psychological Operations or psyops are essentially military operations which are aimed at influencing a target audience to elicit behaviours supportive to realization of their originators' goals. Psyops achieve their aim by conveying carefully selected information to target audiences, using various methods and influencing audience' emotions, motives, objective reasoning and ultimately push them to elicit the desired behaviours. What VoT has been doing all this time, is incensing its Tamil audience against their own brethren, while instilling them with extreme racial hatred towards all other races living in Sri Lanka. Further, it has been engaged in putting about false and misleading information to the world to tarnish the good image of the country. The collective hatred and cussedness created in the mindset of the Tamils living in LTTE controlled areas must have contributed immensely to make more suicide losers among the Tamil youth.
Further, it should not be forgotten that making a living through reporting does not mean that journalists can break all laws in a country. They have no special licence to help the cause of a terrorist organization and also demand protection under the Geneva Convention. All employees of VoT were therefore, active members of the terrorist outfit that has caused a great destruction to this country. AS far as media freedom or freedom of expression is concerned, no other country allows freedom for media industrialists to do their business like Sri Lanka does. The best example is the bogus free media movement in this country that always bellows only for the rights of a carefully selected crowd of media personnel. It is not difficult to understand that the job security of these media people is largely dependent on the continued bloodshed in the country and as a result they always have reasons get troubled and make protests whenever their "god sent" terror outfit is threatened. All such media industrialists do their business peacefully and shamelessly in Sri Lanka, yet they choose to live under a self imposed "threat" for a business purpose. However, they must understand that a government cannot allow the coexistence of the "free media" people and terrorists to be continued forever, because the lives of the citizens are also important as their enterprise.
It is unfortunate to see that such a senior level official of a responsible international body has become an easy target for propagandists of a terrorist outfit that has been violating all rules, so far initiated by the United Nations. It is now for Mr. Matsuura to think on his own two feet, and arrive at a reasonable conclusion of what he had done. A person in his in capacity must be able to distinguish between civilians and active agents of terrorists disguised as civilians.
Therefore, defence.lk requests all peace loving Sri Lankans living around the globe to rally their protest over this wicked and derogatory campaign against their motherland. We request you all to shed all petty political differences and unite against those powers that trying hard to lock our country into a never ending war. No one knows the reality of Sri Lanka better than Sri Lankans themselves. Thus, it is high time for us to break the silence and voice the truth to the world, so we would able to save our future generations from the scourge of terrorism. It is now or never!!!
Equally, there should be no excuse for making bovine statements against a member country which has been in UNESCO for 50 years, simply because Mr.Matsuura could not guard himself against being outwitted by agents of a terrorist outfit.
There is no argument that civilian media and freedom of expression should be defended at all times; but, what Mr.Matsuura seems to be benighted about is that the content of "Voice of Tigers" has never been intended for a civilian purpose.
VoT is an illegal broadcast station that has been actively engaged in propaganda aimed at glorifying terrorism and at tarnishing the good image of the country, and raising funds from abroad for terrorist activities. Its content is not only being spread locally but also spread throughout the world through the propaganda network of LTTE. Unlike any ordinary civilian media, VoT's content is clearly aimed at kindling extreme tribalism and damaging the racial and religious harmony of the country. Even on the day it was attacked, the radio station was about to transmit the implacable speech of terror chief V.Prabhakaran spewing hatred towards Sri Lankan citizens. In the eyes of those interlopers of cowboy rights groups, VoT may be viewed as something that serves their purpose, since continued violence in third world countries is what earns them a living.
Psychological Operations or psyops are essentially military operations which are aimed at influencing a target audience to elicit behaviours supportive to realization of their originators' goals. Psyops achieve their aim by conveying carefully selected information to target audiences, using various methods and influencing audience' emotions, motives, objective reasoning and ultimately push them to elicit the desired behaviours. What VoT has been doing all this time, is incensing its Tamil audience against their own brethren, while instilling them with extreme racial hatred towards all other races living in Sri Lanka. Further, it has been engaged in putting about false and misleading information to the world to tarnish the good image of the country. The collective hatred and cussedness created in the mindset of the Tamils living in LTTE controlled areas must have contributed immensely to make more suicide losers among the Tamil youth.
Further, it should not be forgotten that making a living through reporting does not mean that journalists can break all laws in a country. They have no special licence to help the cause of a terrorist organization and also demand protection under the Geneva Convention. All employees of VoT were therefore, active members of the terrorist outfit that has caused a great destruction to this country. AS far as media freedom or freedom of expression is concerned, no other country allows freedom for media industrialists to do their business like Sri Lanka does. The best example is the bogus free media movement in this country that always bellows only for the rights of a carefully selected crowd of media personnel. It is not difficult to understand that the job security of these media people is largely dependent on the continued bloodshed in the country and as a result they always have reasons get troubled and make protests whenever their "god sent" terror outfit is threatened. All such media industrialists do their business peacefully and shamelessly in Sri Lanka, yet they choose to live under a self imposed "threat" for a business purpose. However, they must understand that a government cannot allow the coexistence of the "free media" people and terrorists to be continued forever, because the lives of the citizens are also important as their enterprise.
It is unfortunate to see that such a senior level official of a responsible international body has become an easy target for propagandists of a terrorist outfit that has been violating all rules, so far initiated by the United Nations. It is now for Mr. Matsuura to think on his own two feet, and arrive at a reasonable conclusion of what he had done. A person in his in capacity must be able to distinguish between civilians and active agents of terrorists disguised as civilians.
Therefore, defence.lk requests all peace loving Sri Lankans living around the globe to rally their protest over this wicked and derogatory campaign against their motherland. We request you all to shed all petty political differences and unite against those powers that trying hard to lock our country into a never ending war. No one knows the reality of Sri Lanka better than Sri Lankans themselves. Thus, it is high time for us to break the silence and voice the truth to the world, so we would able to save our future generations from the scourge of terrorism. It is now or never!!!
Terrorism on last legs: Colombo
A day after the bus explosion in Anuradhapura district in the North Central Province in which 16 civilians were killed and 23 others injured, Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake told Parliament that the country is at a critical juncture now that “terrorism is on its last legs and, therefore, the LTTE is showing increasing signs of desperation”.
Introducing a motion to extend the Emergency, Mr. Wickramanayake urged everyone to join hands with the government “at this important moment to wipe out terrorism” from the island. The island nation has been in a state of Emergency since the assassination of the then Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in August 2005 and under the Constitution of Sri Lanka, it comes up for review every month.
At the end of the debate, Parliament voted to extend the Emergency by a majority of 126 in a House of 225 members. Fifteen members voted against the motion.
The LTTE has made 11 attempts on the life of Douglas Devananda. This alone demonstrates the blood-thirsty intent of Prabakaran. Mr. Wickramanayake said that it is the responsibility of every one to create an environment where every citizen can live without fear. Separately, the military claimed that at least 17 cadres of the LTTE were killed in battles.
Introducing a motion to extend the Emergency, Mr. Wickramanayake urged everyone to join hands with the government “at this important moment to wipe out terrorism” from the island. The island nation has been in a state of Emergency since the assassination of the then Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in August 2005 and under the Constitution of Sri Lanka, it comes up for review every month.
At the end of the debate, Parliament voted to extend the Emergency by a majority of 126 in a House of 225 members. Fifteen members voted against the motion.
The LTTE has made 11 attempts on the life of Douglas Devananda. This alone demonstrates the blood-thirsty intent of Prabakaran. Mr. Wickramanayake said that it is the responsibility of every one to create an environment where every citizen can live without fear. Separately, the military claimed that at least 17 cadres of the LTTE were killed in battles.
Rajiv Gandhi gave no instructions to eliminate LTTE chief, say ex-diplomat and former army commander
Reports suggesting that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi gave orders for the elimination of the LTTE chief, V. Prabhakaran, at the height of the IPKF operations in Sri Lanka in 1987, have been rubbished by a former diplomat and army commander.
Reacting to former commander of IPKF operations in Sri Lanka, Major General (retired) Harkirat Singh's charge that he was ordered by the then Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, J.N. Dixit, to kill Prabhakaran during a `white flag' meeting on September 16, 1987, former Ambassador and noted commentator, G. Parthasarthy, said this was a baseless allegation.
Talking to ANI over the phone, Ambassador Parthasarthy said: "I was dealing with affairs relating to Sri Lanka in the Prime Minister's Office and flew on several occasions to Jaffna to meet with army commanders and officials. What I was told was that Major General Harkirat Singh was removed from his command because of ineptitude."
Commenting specifically on Major General Harkirat Singh's charge that he got a call from High Commissioner Dixit at midnight on September 14 and was given the order to kill Prabhakaran, Mr. Parthasarthy said: "I spoke with the army commanders and officials and they told me that instructions of this nature were not given at all."
"Instructions of this nature are never conveyed to or through a High Commissioner, and the IPKF commanders I spoke and interacted with, also said that they had received no such orders from their bosses," Mr. Parthasarthy added.
He also questioned the timing of Major General (retired) Harkirat Singh's statement in his soon to be released book "Intervention in Sri Lanka".
"Why has he taken more than 20 years to reveal this information? Asked Ambassador Parthasarthy. When told that Major-General Singh did not want to be harassed by the Army or the government for making these startling revelations for violating the Official Secrets Act, Mr. Parthasarthy said that as far as he was concerned, Major General Singh has violated the act, even though he might contend that he had honoured the three to ten year-old security embargo period before making his revelations.
In his comments to Major General Harkirat Singh's charge, Lt. General (retired) Deepinder Singh, the former GOC-in-C, Southern Command and overall commander of the IPKF operations, said: "This is absolute poppycock. There is no truth to this. Prabhakaran was never an individual target."
He further went on to say that "if there was anything of this kind, I would have been the first one to know. I was in touch with Mani Dixit throughout. Also, when someone comes to meet us under the white flag, the Indian Army will never kill him."
These reactions were in response to Major General (retired) Singh telling the Mail Today that he called up High Commissioner Dixit on September 15 and told him that he would not be following his orders to kill Prabhakaran. He claims that High Commissioner Dixit told him that the orders had come directly from Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Major General Harkirat Singh now says that there was no way of knowing whether Rajiv Gandhi gave those orders or not, and as far as he was concerned, " killing someone under a white flag is just not done".
Reacting to former commander of IPKF operations in Sri Lanka, Major General (retired) Harkirat Singh's charge that he was ordered by the then Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, J.N. Dixit, to kill Prabhakaran during a `white flag' meeting on September 16, 1987, former Ambassador and noted commentator, G. Parthasarthy, said this was a baseless allegation.
Talking to ANI over the phone, Ambassador Parthasarthy said: "I was dealing with affairs relating to Sri Lanka in the Prime Minister's Office and flew on several occasions to Jaffna to meet with army commanders and officials. What I was told was that Major General Harkirat Singh was removed from his command because of ineptitude."
Commenting specifically on Major General Harkirat Singh's charge that he got a call from High Commissioner Dixit at midnight on September 14 and was given the order to kill Prabhakaran, Mr. Parthasarthy said: "I spoke with the army commanders and officials and they told me that instructions of this nature were not given at all."
"Instructions of this nature are never conveyed to or through a High Commissioner, and the IPKF commanders I spoke and interacted with, also said that they had received no such orders from their bosses," Mr. Parthasarthy added.
He also questioned the timing of Major General (retired) Harkirat Singh's statement in his soon to be released book "Intervention in Sri Lanka".
"Why has he taken more than 20 years to reveal this information? Asked Ambassador Parthasarthy. When told that Major-General Singh did not want to be harassed by the Army or the government for making these startling revelations for violating the Official Secrets Act, Mr. Parthasarthy said that as far as he was concerned, Major General Singh has violated the act, even though he might contend that he had honoured the three to ten year-old security embargo period before making his revelations.
In his comments to Major General Harkirat Singh's charge, Lt. General (retired) Deepinder Singh, the former GOC-in-C, Southern Command and overall commander of the IPKF operations, said: "This is absolute poppycock. There is no truth to this. Prabhakaran was never an individual target."
He further went on to say that "if there was anything of this kind, I would have been the first one to know. I was in touch with Mani Dixit throughout. Also, when someone comes to meet us under the white flag, the Indian Army will never kill him."
These reactions were in response to Major General (retired) Singh telling the Mail Today that he called up High Commissioner Dixit on September 15 and told him that he would not be following his orders to kill Prabhakaran. He claims that High Commissioner Dixit told him that the orders had come directly from Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Major General Harkirat Singh now says that there was no way of knowing whether Rajiv Gandhi gave those orders or not, and as far as he was concerned, " killing someone under a white flag is just not done".
Attention focused on security lapses at the scene of claymore attack on a bus in Sri Lanka
The special investigation team now in Kebithigollewa in the Anuradhapura district to investigate the claymore attack on a passenger bus has focused their attention towards possible negligence from the part of the home guards and Police who were manning the defense bunkers close to the crime scene.
Sources close to the investigation team said that there were two defense bunkers in close proximity to the scene of crime. It is believed that suspected Tamil Tiger rebels set off two claymores using remote control devices killing 16 passengers and injuring around 23 more.
A similar claymore attack killed 64 bus passengers a year ago and the security was enhanced in the area deploying hundreds more home guards to protect the villages and the roads.
Meanwhile the military has removed all permananet barriers that hamper the normal traffic flow on the roads in the capital Colombo following a Supreme Court ruling that some checkpoints violated the people’s right to free movement.
“Based on the court ruling, we started removing barriers that hamper normal traffic flow on the road, not the entire checkpoint,” military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said. The Supreme Court ruling has put the government in a dilemma in providing security to the citizens.
“The government is now in a dilemma as it has to obey the law and at the same time protect civilians from bomb explosions in the city,” Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardane said yesterday at the Cabinet meeting.
Sources close to the investigation team said that there were two defense bunkers in close proximity to the scene of crime. It is believed that suspected Tamil Tiger rebels set off two claymores using remote control devices killing 16 passengers and injuring around 23 more.
A similar claymore attack killed 64 bus passengers a year ago and the security was enhanced in the area deploying hundreds more home guards to protect the villages and the roads.
Meanwhile the military has removed all permananet barriers that hamper the normal traffic flow on the roads in the capital Colombo following a Supreme Court ruling that some checkpoints violated the people’s right to free movement.
“Based on the court ruling, we started removing barriers that hamper normal traffic flow on the road, not the entire checkpoint,” military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said. The Supreme Court ruling has put the government in a dilemma in providing security to the citizens.
“The government is now in a dilemma as it has to obey the law and at the same time protect civilians from bomb explosions in the city,” Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardane said yesterday at the Cabinet meeting.
Mostly Quiet On The Eastern Front
December 7, 2007: Fighting continues to grow more intense in the north, with there being several hundred casualties on some days. The LTTE mainly attacks government check points, which tend to be prepared for this sort of thing. The army goes after LTTE defensive positions (trenches and bunker complexes). The LTTE are suffering 4-5 casualties for every soldier killed or wounded. There are occasional clashes in the east, but most of the action is in the north, where the LTTE is short of food, medicine, ammo, morale and just about everything else.
December 6, 2007: In the north, LTTE terrorists used a claymore mine to hit a bus with hundreds of steel balls. Sixteen civilians were killed.
December 4, 2007: Over 90 percent of the nearly 3,000 Tamils arrested recently in the capital, were released. But several hundred were evicted from the capital, and sent north to Tamil areas. The police continue to search for the LTTE terrorists who set of the two bombs in the capital recently.
December 1, 2007: In response to the two suicide bombing in the capital, police have been searching Tamil neighborhoods in the area, and arresting those who were not supposed to be there. The LTTE has been fighting hard up north, to breach the government lines, and send terrorist teams south. Most of the terrorists are getting through as civilians, so the army is restricting those movements as well. There is much anger among the majority Sinhalese, at these LTTE terrorist attacks.
December 6, 2007: In the north, LTTE terrorists used a claymore mine to hit a bus with hundreds of steel balls. Sixteen civilians were killed.
December 4, 2007: Over 90 percent of the nearly 3,000 Tamils arrested recently in the capital, were released. But several hundred were evicted from the capital, and sent north to Tamil areas. The police continue to search for the LTTE terrorists who set of the two bombs in the capital recently.
December 1, 2007: In response to the two suicide bombing in the capital, police have been searching Tamil neighborhoods in the area, and arresting those who were not supposed to be there. The LTTE has been fighting hard up north, to breach the government lines, and send terrorist teams south. Most of the terrorists are getting through as civilians, so the army is restricting those movements as well. There is much anger among the majority Sinhalese, at these LTTE terrorist attacks.
Four More War Heroes Laid Their Lives
THE remains of four valiant soldiers died in offensives in PERLYKURLYITTAKULAM in WANNI were brought down to OMANTHE Entry/Exit point late Thursday (6) evening by the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) to be handed over to the military authorities.
Heroic troops now engaged in search and destroy operations in WANNI offering stiff resistance to the presence of terrorists on Thursday (6) swung into action in the above area triggering a massive intense fight between the troops and the enemy.
In the fight that took a heavy toll of the terrorists, six members of the Army went missing in action after brave soldiers rounded up LTTE held areas in un-cleared areas in order to eliminate them and restore peace while salvaging entrapped civilians.
Sergeant W.K.P.D Jayantha, Private B.S.P Cooray, Private L.B Wimalasena, Private S.B Dissanayaka and two more soldiers during the multi-pronged fight went missing in action while countering enemy fire.
The remains of four above named soldiers, most probably as intimated to the ICRC, were brought down and delivered to the OMANTHE check point. All of them were to be given military funerals with honors.
Heroic troops now engaged in search and destroy operations in WANNI offering stiff resistance to the presence of terrorists on Thursday (6) swung into action in the above area triggering a massive intense fight between the troops and the enemy.
In the fight that took a heavy toll of the terrorists, six members of the Army went missing in action after brave soldiers rounded up LTTE held areas in un-cleared areas in order to eliminate them and restore peace while salvaging entrapped civilians.
Sergeant W.K.P.D Jayantha, Private B.S.P Cooray, Private L.B Wimalasena, Private S.B Dissanayaka and two more soldiers during the multi-pronged fight went missing in action while countering enemy fire.
The remains of four above named soldiers, most probably as intimated to the ICRC, were brought down and delivered to the OMANTHE check point. All of them were to be given military funerals with honors.
A Low Intensity Genocide
THE CANNIBAL OF Wanni has preyed on another busload of men, women and children. Over fifteen people were killed and many more injured in a claymore mine attack the LTTE mounted on a civilian bus in Kebithigollewa on Wednesday. That cowardly act of naked terrorism came close on the heels of a parcel bomb that killed about twenty people at Nugegoda last week.
Prabhakaran blinded by a frenzy of rage has fought his way into a trap of his own making, spurning every opportunity to resolve the conflict peacefully. Piqued, beleaguered and desperate, he is capable of any crime. He seems determined to plunge the country into a bloodbath once again, seeking foreign intervention. For, the Tiger chief is aware that the military onslaught on the horizon is too serious a threat to be overcome by occasional raids like the recent one at Anuradhapura. And the Wanni would be too small an area for him to hide in, should the army move in.
Sri Lanka’s Ozymandias of terror, has, after twenty five years of fighting, had to begin from the very beginning, taking as he does civilian targets. It is like a failed graduate going back to the kindergarten to start education all over again with a view to succeeding in life! Prabhakaran is a failed CEO who has wasted billions of dollars and driven tens of thousands of youth to suicide. He has got nowhere near his goal. Only he and his family seem to have have gained from this war. He is putting on weight like a parliamentarian. His son is being groomed for leadership.
If Prabhakaran thinks he can break the will of the people to resist terror by targeting them, he is sadly mistaken. He has failed in that endeavour in the past and he is sure to fail in the future as well. With each attack on civilians, he only gives the LTTE’s journey down the Gaderene slope a fresh impetus. He has made himself an embarrassment even to his close allies.
Terror attacks on civilians also ruin the prospects of a negotiated solution and strengthen the hands of those who seek total war. Yesterday, in Parliament, the JVP called for an increase in defence expenditure. (Paradoxically, the cantankerous Rathu Sahodarayas exuding patriotism from every pore voted against President Rajapaksa’s war budget allegedly geared towards the Wanni offensive!)
The LTTE’s systematic elimination of civilians in tens, twenties, fifties and hundreds has all the trappings of a low intensity genocide. Luckily, in 1983, the pogrom against Tamils didn’t develop into genocide as the vast majority of the people refused to combine forces with the government-sponsored death squads. But, the genocidal megalomaniac who used that pogrom as a springboard to a savage terror campaign is at large in the North relishing an ethnic bloodbath.
He must be stopped in his tracks. It is high time his friends, both local and foreign, prevailed on him to eschew violence and come for talks. That is the only way to prevent him from destroying many more lives in vain. It is not only Prabhakaran who should be held responsible for the premeditated attacks on civilians. All those who are supporting him either overtly or covertly have the blood of the innocent people on their hands.
Prabhakaran blinded by a frenzy of rage has fought his way into a trap of his own making, spurning every opportunity to resolve the conflict peacefully. Piqued, beleaguered and desperate, he is capable of any crime. He seems determined to plunge the country into a bloodbath once again, seeking foreign intervention. For, the Tiger chief is aware that the military onslaught on the horizon is too serious a threat to be overcome by occasional raids like the recent one at Anuradhapura. And the Wanni would be too small an area for him to hide in, should the army move in.
Sri Lanka’s Ozymandias of terror, has, after twenty five years of fighting, had to begin from the very beginning, taking as he does civilian targets. It is like a failed graduate going back to the kindergarten to start education all over again with a view to succeeding in life! Prabhakaran is a failed CEO who has wasted billions of dollars and driven tens of thousands of youth to suicide. He has got nowhere near his goal. Only he and his family seem to have have gained from this war. He is putting on weight like a parliamentarian. His son is being groomed for leadership.
If Prabhakaran thinks he can break the will of the people to resist terror by targeting them, he is sadly mistaken. He has failed in that endeavour in the past and he is sure to fail in the future as well. With each attack on civilians, he only gives the LTTE’s journey down the Gaderene slope a fresh impetus. He has made himself an embarrassment even to his close allies.
Terror attacks on civilians also ruin the prospects of a negotiated solution and strengthen the hands of those who seek total war. Yesterday, in Parliament, the JVP called for an increase in defence expenditure. (Paradoxically, the cantankerous Rathu Sahodarayas exuding patriotism from every pore voted against President Rajapaksa’s war budget allegedly geared towards the Wanni offensive!)
The LTTE’s systematic elimination of civilians in tens, twenties, fifties and hundreds has all the trappings of a low intensity genocide. Luckily, in 1983, the pogrom against Tamils didn’t develop into genocide as the vast majority of the people refused to combine forces with the government-sponsored death squads. But, the genocidal megalomaniac who used that pogrom as a springboard to a savage terror campaign is at large in the North relishing an ethnic bloodbath.
He must be stopped in his tracks. It is high time his friends, both local and foreign, prevailed on him to eschew violence and come for talks. That is the only way to prevent him from destroying many more lives in vain. It is not only Prabhakaran who should be held responsible for the premeditated attacks on civilians. All those who are supporting him either overtly or covertly have the blood of the innocent people on their hands.
Malaysia's ethnic Indian activists accused of terror links
Malaysian authorities have accused ethnic Indian activists of having links with Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers, a charge the campaigners said could see them detained under internal security laws.
Leaders of ethnic rights group Hindraf, which last month organised mass anti-discrimination protests that were broken up with tear gas and water cannons, have already been slapped with sedition charges.
Police Inspector-General Musa Hassan accused them of seeking support from terrorists, smearing Malaysia's reputation, and inciting racial hatred -- a serious charge in the multicultural country dominated by Muslim Malays.
"Of late there have been indications that Hindraf is trying to seek support and help from terrorist groups," Musa said in a statement carried by the official Bernama news agency late Thursday, without giving any details.
However, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail said Hindraf was suspected of involvement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) whose campaign for an independent homeland has left tens of thousands dead since 1972.
"Somebody lodged a report based on the grounds that these people have gone out to contact the LTTE. We all know that the LTTE has been declared a terrorist organisation," he told reporters.
"Everybody in the world is worried if there is an LTTE connection," he said, adding that police were investigating the issue.
Malaysia's ethnic Indians, who make up eight percent of the population, are mostly Tamils -- the descendents of indentured labourers brought here by the British colonial rulers in the 1800s.
One of Hindraf's leaders, P. Uthayakumar, said the police chief's salvo raised the prospect of Malaysia's controversial Internal Security Act (ISA) -- which allows indefinite detention without trial -- being used against them.
"They are trying to lay the foundation to arrest us under the ISA or to charge us for a criminal offence and deny us bail," Uthayakumar told AFP.
"At all costs, they want us locked up and behind bars when all we are doing is highlighting the marginalisation and permanent colonialisation and racism against Indians here."
Uthayakumar said he would write to Musa demanding he provide evidence of the alleged terror links, or face a 10 million ringgit (three million dollar) defamation lawsuit.
Musa also dismissed as "false, baseless and malicious" the activists' claims that ethnic Indians are marginalised in terms of education, employment and wealth.
"Their actions also have the potential of creating racial conflict in the country," he said.
In a court session Friday, the government sought to overturn a decision that allowed three Hindraf leaders including Uthayakumar to walk free from sedition charges related to speeches they made last month.
The speeches criticised Malaysia's system of preferential treatment for Malays, who make up 60 percent of the population. The court adjourned the hearing until Monday.
Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang, from the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party, slammed the police allegations and called on the government to drop the attacks and instead listen to the concerns of ethnic Indians.
He filed for an emergency debate on the issue in parliament on Monday, saying that levelling the terror allegations "without any evidence whatsoever is a matter of grave national concern".
Earlier this week, 31 ethnic Indians were charged with attempted murder over the wounding of a police officer during a rally at a Hindu temple on the eve of the November 25 mass protests organised by Hindraf.
Leaders of ethnic rights group Hindraf, which last month organised mass anti-discrimination protests that were broken up with tear gas and water cannons, have already been slapped with sedition charges.
Police Inspector-General Musa Hassan accused them of seeking support from terrorists, smearing Malaysia's reputation, and inciting racial hatred -- a serious charge in the multicultural country dominated by Muslim Malays.
"Of late there have been indications that Hindraf is trying to seek support and help from terrorist groups," Musa said in a statement carried by the official Bernama news agency late Thursday, without giving any details.
However, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail said Hindraf was suspected of involvement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) whose campaign for an independent homeland has left tens of thousands dead since 1972.
"Somebody lodged a report based on the grounds that these people have gone out to contact the LTTE. We all know that the LTTE has been declared a terrorist organisation," he told reporters.
"Everybody in the world is worried if there is an LTTE connection," he said, adding that police were investigating the issue.
Malaysia's ethnic Indians, who make up eight percent of the population, are mostly Tamils -- the descendents of indentured labourers brought here by the British colonial rulers in the 1800s.
One of Hindraf's leaders, P. Uthayakumar, said the police chief's salvo raised the prospect of Malaysia's controversial Internal Security Act (ISA) -- which allows indefinite detention without trial -- being used against them.
"They are trying to lay the foundation to arrest us under the ISA or to charge us for a criminal offence and deny us bail," Uthayakumar told AFP.
"At all costs, they want us locked up and behind bars when all we are doing is highlighting the marginalisation and permanent colonialisation and racism against Indians here."
Uthayakumar said he would write to Musa demanding he provide evidence of the alleged terror links, or face a 10 million ringgit (three million dollar) defamation lawsuit.
Musa also dismissed as "false, baseless and malicious" the activists' claims that ethnic Indians are marginalised in terms of education, employment and wealth.
"Their actions also have the potential of creating racial conflict in the country," he said.
In a court session Friday, the government sought to overturn a decision that allowed three Hindraf leaders including Uthayakumar to walk free from sedition charges related to speeches they made last month.
The speeches criticised Malaysia's system of preferential treatment for Malays, who make up 60 percent of the population. The court adjourned the hearing until Monday.
Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang, from the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party, slammed the police allegations and called on the government to drop the attacks and instead listen to the concerns of ethnic Indians.
He filed for an emergency debate on the issue in parliament on Monday, saying that levelling the terror allegations "without any evidence whatsoever is a matter of grave national concern".
Earlier this week, 31 ethnic Indians were charged with attempted murder over the wounding of a police officer during a rally at a Hindu temple on the eve of the November 25 mass protests organised by Hindraf.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
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