transcurrents

Col. Balraj leads Tiger SF attack on three TEMVP – ENDLF camps

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Two camps of the Tamil Eelam Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal (TEMVP) and another camp of the Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF) were attacked by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the early hours of morning on Sunday April 30th.The attack took place within the Kandankaadu GS division in Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) controlled Polonnaruwa district

At least fifteen cadres belonging to the TEMVP led by Vinayagamoorthy Muraleetharan alias Karuna Ammaan and the ENDLF led by by Gnapragasam Gnanasegeram alias Paranthan Rajan were killed in the raid. About fifteen cadres were injured of whom nine were seriously wounded and are warded at the Polonnaruwa hospital. Another five cadres have been allegedly taken alive as prisoners by the LTTE.

Though TEMVP sources say seven LTTE men were killed LTTE circles have dismissed it saying only a few received injuries and none have died. One LTTE member was seriously wounded when the Army fired mortars from the Sinhapura camp.

Over 200 men from the LTTE special Force commando division brought down specially for the operation participated in the attack that was personally led by the special commander “Col” Balraj himself. Col. Bhanu the LTTE special commander for the Amparai – Batticaloa region was responsible for planning, coordination and logistics. Major Nagesh of the Special Forces and Major. Keerthi of the Intelligence division also played important roles in the operation.

The fragile ceasefire came under grave threat when the vessels of the LTTE sea tiger division were sailing from Mullaitheevu to Trincomalee to transport the special force cadres back. Coastal navy camps in Kokkilaai and Kokkuthoduwaai began shelling them. LTTE ships fired back. Later the Air Force began bombing the Kokkilaai area. The situation was later contained and the LTTE ships returned back with the SF cadres while Navy ships followed at a distance.

The operation commenced at about 12.30 – 12.35 am in the night on Sunday April 30th . There were three camps within close proximity in the Kandankaadu GS division in the Thibulana jungle area of Polonnaruwa district.. The camps were located at a place called Kasankulam. The area was on the borders of Batticaloa district . It was about six km north of Welikanda in the Polonnaruwa district and about 10 km east of Kaddumurivukkulam in Batticaloa district.

The main army camp at Sinhapura along with two mini – camps at Kuruwatte and Suriyawewa were very close to the three camps attacked.. The Kasankulam Police station was also near.Two of the camps belonged to the Karuna faction of the LTTE which calls itself the TEMVP now. One belonged to the ENDLF led by Paranthan Rajan. The ENDLF had relocated to India after the Indian army left.

After the Karuna split the ENDLF aligned with the faction. A joint armed wing called Tamil National Force was formed. Due to political differences the joint force was dissolved. But both groups functioned together in the North – East and North – Central provinces while maintaining their separate identities.

One Karuna faction camp in Kandankaadu was commanded by Riyaseelan and the other by Sinnathamby. Both were regarded as chief lieutnenants of Karuna. They came under the regional command of Markan. The ENDLF camp was controlled by Reagan. A senior PLOTE leader from Periyakallaru Reagan had later joined the ENDLF. He was a reputed ENDLF leader for 20 years and had returned from India last year.

Over 200 tigers led by Col. Balraj the special Commando force commander moved after dusk through the Wadamunai jungles and encircled the area. The objective seemed to be that of inflicting a decisive blow and eliminating the top leaders. Fortunately for the TEMVP – ENDLF their top leaders and the bulk of cadres were not in the camps when the LTTE struck around 12. 30 – 35 am.

Though taken by surprise and confronted by overwhelming numbers the anti – tiger men seemed to have fought back. The firefight went on for about forty minutes till 1. 15 am. . The TEMVP – ENDLF then retreated. The LTTE also began withdrawing as the army from Sinhapura camp began firing artillery. One LTTE fighter was seriously injured when a shell fired at random fell close by.

Though the TEMVP spokesman Thooyavan says seven LTTE men were killed LTTE political commissar for Batticaloa – Amparai Dayamohan denies it. Only a few were injured slightly say tiger sources.Meanwhile security has been increased for the Karuna faction office in Govington road in Batticaloa town after the attack in Polonnaruwa.

According to information available eight bodies of fighters killed by the LTTE were taken away by their comrades. Of these four were from the TEMVP and four from the ENDLF. At least seven bodies were lying in the areas where fighting took place. Six of the nine warded in hospital are Karuna’s and three are Paranthan Rajan’s men.The LTTE also captured at least five men alive and took them away it is learnt.

LTTE commandos seized two PK LMGs, one RPG, one 81 mm mortar, six AK LMGs, 16 automatic rifles, 2 handguns and communication equipment claim LTTE sources. The tigers also burnt the three camps down before withdrawing.

According to reports around 80 to 90 cadres were staying at the three camps but because of the week- end many had gone elsewhere . Also the bodyguards of camp commanders Sinnathamby and Riyaseelan were also not there as both of them were in another location. There were only about 50 to 60 men at the camps when the LTTE attacked.

Pro – tiger websites have said that over 30 were killed and 15 injured while anti – tiger websites have denied them.

Among those killed was Krishna a senior body guard of Karuna Amman and another senior Eastern fighter Mannaalan. The ENDLF’s Reagan was also killed.

According to some reports two vehicles belonging to the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization were found at the camp premises. They were the vehicles in which TRO officials were travelling in when abducted near Welikanda army camp by TEMVP – ENDLF cadres in January this year. Seven TRO personnel are yet to return and are presumed killed.

Another report said that a Vavuniya businessman who was abducted some months ago was also found in the camp. This man is believed to be a well – known man in Vavuniya called “pulikutty”.

The LTTE seems to have been planning this operation for quite a while. Special force commandoes had been brought to the East from the North in tiny batches so as to avoid attention. They were kept in secret locations in the Kudumbimalai or Thoppigala region.

Eastern special commander Bhanu himself a native of Ariyalai in the North was holed up in Kudumbimalai with them. This “withdrawal” by Col. Bhanu even led to a Karuna faction propagandist ridiculing the tiger leader about being a coward hiding in Kudumbimalai in fear of Karuna Amman. Actually preparations for the assault were underway.

While the legendary Balraj hero of many a tiger battle led the special forces personally in the operation Bhanu too was closely associated being responsible for planning, coordination and logistics. Nagesh who hails from Batticaloa district was field commander in the operation.. Keerthi another Easterner was responsible for intelligence gathering and reconnaissance.

The special force personnel moved by land to Verugal and then to Sampoor in Trincomalee district. LTTE sea tiger vessels started out from Mullaitheevu to Trinco to fetch the cadres. But navy camps along the coast on Kokkilai and Kokkuthoduwai saw the ships and began firing. The tiger boats also fired back and proceeded .

The LTTE vessels then returned back to Mullaitheevu from Sampoor with special force cadres. Realising perhaps the actual situation Naval ships folllowed at a discreet distance without attacking till the sea tiger ships berthed in Mullaitheevu.

Thereafter panic seems to have set in that the LTTE was going to attack Kokkilai and Kokkuthoduwai. An unconfirmed report said Sinhala residents were evacuated and Air force K- firs began bombing outlying areas in a show of force.The bombing took place for two hours from from 7 to 9 pm. It was confined mainly to jungle areas under the impression that LTTE cadres were hiding in readiness for an assault. There are no reports of civilian casualties.

Though the casualty figures are low for an operation where more than 200 elite tiger commando’s participated the Kandankaadu attack the LTTE has delivered three significant blows to the GOSL and its so called paramilitaries.

The LTTE has demonstrated that it is capable of a remarkable military operation where its cadres can target camps wherever and whenever it wants to.

The LTTE has also exposed the GOSL stance that no paramilitay camps exist in Government controlled areas.

The LTTE has also shown Colombo that excessive reliance on the Karuna factor in military calculations can be thoroughly misplaced when it comes to direct combat.

Meanwhile there is talk of talks commencing in Geneva soon. The biggest issue was and will be the Paramilitary issue. It is possible that more attacks of this type could happen in the future with regularity.

transCurrents feedback : editor@transcurrents.com

Contact DBS Jeyaraj : djeyaraj2005@yahoo.com

April 30th, 2006

World pressure makes Colombo stop bombing and shelling

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

[This is an updated version of two (1), (2) earlier posts]

Responding to heavy international pressure , President Mahinda Rajapakse has suspended the retaliatory attacks that commenced in Trincomalee district after the assassination attempt on Lankan Army commander Lt. Gen Sarath Fonseka. Representatives of major donor nations as well as India exercised quiet yet intensive diplomacy on the Sri Lankan government to suspend all reprisal actions harming innocent civilians of the North – East.

While sympathising with Colombo and commending Rajapakse for his “patience” the international community representatives also impressed upon him the imperative need to ensure the safety and security of all civilians at all times regardless of ethnicity.The LTTE attack was condemned severely but the Government was told gently yet firmly that whatever the provocation civilian lives , limbs and property should be protected at all times.

President Rajapakse met representatives of donor nations, representatives of the four peace process co – chairs and Indian High Commissioner Nirupama Menon Rao in separate meetings in Colombo.Mahinda it is learnt was tactfully tutored at these meetings that targetting Tamil civilians in the North – East through indiscriminate bombing and shelling was not going to be condoned. Adding to Rajapakse’s woes was the opinion expressed by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission after a fact – finding mission in Muthur and Sampoor.

Realising that Sri Lanka had received extremely negative publicity abroad as a result of these retaliatory attacks a crestfallen Rajapakse remarked ” The image of our country is being destroyed. They show the world that the one act that we took to ensure our security, when faced with a major attack, was much bigger than the thousands of times the LTTE had grossly and provocatively violated the ceasefire agreement”.

The President however had give in to these behind the scenes, diplomatic pressure.Rajapakse gave instructions that retaliatory activities be suspended. Earlier on April 25th when a suicide bomber attack was launched at the army headquarters premises Rajapakse had summoned a top level defence meeting. A visibly angry Mahinda urged that tough retaliatory action be taken immediately to demonstrate that the Government was not weak and that it would not take things lying down.

Thereafter all transport to and from the LTTE controlled Wanni region was stopped. A coordinated three – prong attack was launched in Muthur division areas of Trincomalee district. The Army, navy and Air Force commenced artillery shelling and aerial bombardment on the 25th and 26th of April. The attack resulted in at least 17 civilians getting killed and over 35 being wounded. Many dwellings and other buildings were reduced to rubble. Thousands of people became refugees.

A major humanitarian tragedy was averted mainly due to International pressure. While accepting the Government’s right to take action against the LTTE it was pointed out that civilian suffering should be minimised. Rajapakse accepted this “advice” and exercised wisdom by suspending the retaliatory measures. Transport was resumed to and from the Wanni at 7 am on April 27th. The shelling and bombing also ceased from the same day.

The suicide bombing operation in Colombo killed at least nine persons and injured twenty – seven. Among those seriously wounded were Army Commander Sarath Fonseka and his aide de camp Major Priyal Wickremasinghe. Several soldiers were among the dead and injured.

Though the operation had the clear stamp of a tiger attack the LTTE denied responsibility. Some tiger media charged that it was due to internal differences within the army.

With growing resentment in the South at the Government’s perceived impotence the Sinhala public mood was getting increasingly sour. President Mahinda Rajapakse was under great pressure to retaliate effectively. His political allies like the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna wanted him to be tough with the tigers while the Jathika Hela Urumaya was for calling off the ceasefire and declaring open war.

The International community strongly condemned the suicide attack and expressed support to Rajapakse. Yet restraint was urged and appeals were made that Colombo should not resort to formal war.

Against this backdrop the Government decided to launch retaliatory attacks in the form of an undeclared war against the LTTE.Instead of attacking the LTTE headquarters in Kilinochchi operations were launched against tiger positions in the Eastern district of Trincomalee.

The district has been in the throes of a vicious cycle of racial violence since April 7th when Tamil political activist Vanniyasingham Vigneswaran was assassinated by Tamil paramilitaries.

Two Israeli made K – fir bomber jets and two F – 7s conducted five bombing sorties over the Muthur region of Eastern Trincomalee. The aerial bombing began at 5. 50 pm and went on till 6. 15 pm. After these K- firs had returned two Ukraine made MIG 24 planes flew out and conducted a sixth prolonged bombing spree at 6. 25 pm.

At 6. 35 pm four Israeli built Dvora gun boats and three water jet boats sailed close to the Muthur coast and began shelling coastal areas. This naval shelling went on intermittently yet intensively till 8. 10 pm.About 80 shells were fired from the sea.

The army started its own artillery fire from the Kuranguppaalam or Monkey bridge camp towards Muthur at 6. 45 pm. The shelling was consistent but sporadic with short intervals. The shelling was heavy till about 9. pm but continued with less intensity till midnight. Around 150 to 160 shells were fired. Many of the shells fired were deadly multi – barrel artillery shells obtained from Pakistan and China.Around 40 Multi barrel rockets were fired.

Areas like Kattaiparichhaan, Sampoor, Koonitheevu, Kadatkaraichenai, Senaiyoor, Iraalkuli, Ilakkanthai, Paattalipuram, Uppaaru etc were bombed initially and then pounded incessantly by artillery from gunboats and army camp. The Senaiyoor Central College was badly hit with its primary school and laboratory buildings reduced to rubble. Much of the damage was due to aerial bombardment here.

Power supply to Muthur was also affected and the region was in total darkness during and after the bombardment.

According to preliminary reports the bombing and shelling had not affected actual LTTE positions in the region much. LTTE camps, sea tiger bases and a newly constructed air strip were not damaged says the LTTE Civilian homes and public buildings had been destroyed.

At least three Tamil rehabilitation Organization (TRO) buildings were badly damaged. There are unconfirmed reports that two LTTE camps at Iraalkuli and Sungan kuli were damaged. The casualty figures if any were not known

After the first day’s attacks ,LTTE political Commissar for Trincomalee S. Elilan has inquired from the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission whether the ceasefire was over and war had been declared. The Trinco SLMM had informed him that the security force officials had not responded to the telephone calls and e – mails, faxes sent by them.

Colombo also maintained that the retaliation was necessitated by the LTTE attacking Lankan naval craft in Trincomalee. The bombing and shelling was supposed to be retaliatory measures.

Just as few people believed the LTTE statement that they had nothing to do with the Colombo explosion very few granted credibility to these assertions by the Government. Though the LTTE had exploded a bomb in Colombo on April 25th and engaged in some violence in Trincomalee over the past week the tigers had not attacked the navy on Tuesday as alleged by the Government.

It was apparent that the Government launched its undeclared war by first conducting aerial bombardment and supplementing it further by artillery firing from army camp at Monkey Bridge and shelling from Naval boats

Political analysts however were concerned that Sri Lanka was backsliding to an open and fierce war. There were three concerns. Will the armed forces and defence establishment continue these reprisals to the extent of open war becoming inevitable? Will the LTTE angered by these reprisals raise the ante further by conducting more operations that would make the situation deteriorate further? Will rajapakse egged on by the hardliners around him bow down to populist pressure and declare war?These were the troubling questions.

Despite the ceasefire the Country has witnessed an escalating shadow war in the past. Both the LTTE and Tamil paramilitaries assisted by the security forces engaged in that. The suicide bomb attack against Sarath Fonseka was actually a high water mark of the escalating shadow war.Now an undeclared war in the form of action by the army, navy and air force was on. Civilans were being victimised.

Also in what seemed a knee – jerk reaction , Defence secretary Gothabhaya Rajapakse clamped down on transport through the Wanni. All transport to and from the LTTE controlled Northern mainland of the Wanni was suspended.

The entry – exit points at Omanthai In Vavuniya district and Uyilankulam in the Mannar district were shut down at 2, 30 pm. The Muhamaalai point in the Jaffna peninsula was closed down at 3. 00 pm. Hundreds of people and vehicles were stranded by the sudden move.

Expectations among the civians that the bombing was over got rudely shattered in the early hours of 26th when K- fir jets resumed aerial bombardment again shortly after midnight. The planes also launched another attack at dawn and another attack shortly before noon.

Artillery fire commenced at 2.00 am in the night and went on till noon on April 26th.

India in particular and many Western nations in general became extremely concerned about resumption of attacks on the second day. There was worry about civilian casualties.

Both the Sampoor jetty in LTTE controlled area and Muthur jetty in GOSL controlled area suffered hits. At least two uniformed personnel from the Navy were injured.

Bombs also fell on areas extending up to three kilometres from the Muthur Jetty. These are clearly demarcated Government controlled areas and are largely populated by Tamil speaking Muslims.After protests were lodged by Muslims in Muthur to the security authorities the bombing ceased.

One area affected badly was the Muslim settlement called Thakwa Nagar.. A Muslim Moulavi or Mullah Junaideen Mohammed was killed on the spot. His injured wife Akram Mulfikha (25) and sister Munira Junaideen (18) died after being admitted to Trincomalee hospital. Another seven injured persons from Muthur are receiving treatment there.Another injured Muslim civilian also died later.

While the Navy transported the injured Muslim people from GOSL controled Muthur to Trinco in their gun boats assistance to injured Tamil civilians from LTTE controlled areas in the Muthur division was denied. Though the Red Cross was reportedly engaged in negotiations to get Navy assistance in transporting three seriously injured Tamil civilians to Trinco the defence ministry authorities in Colombo adamantly refused to help.

The situation was remedied later and through Red Cross assistance two seriously injured people were warded at Batticaloa hospital.

According to informed sources at least thirteen civilians have been killed and thirty – seven injured in the artillery and aerial bombardment of Muthur areas on April 25th and 26th.. Around sixty – five people have minor injuries. With Muslim casualties the overall civilian toll has gone up to seventeen civilians killed and forty – four badly injured.

One of the biggest problems is the lack of adequate medical facilities to treat the injured. The Sampur clinic is ill – equipped to handle a tragedy of this proportion.

Wounded Tmil civilians in Sampoor suffered as the security authorities refused to transport the Tamil victims to Trincomalee hospital.Sampoor clinic does not have adequate surgical facilities.

Also some of the victims had died because of bleeding caused by the wounds. If proper medical help was available their lives may have been saved.

Five bodies have been identified as belonging to K. Meiyan and his two year old son Meiyan Kishanthan, Ms Nagiah Rukmani, Ms Pathiniyan Nagamma and Ms Veerapathiran Pagawathipillai. All were from Sampoor, Muttur east, according to civil sources.A further five bodies were identified on April 28th

Many areas in the region are virtually a sea of rubble after the intensive attack. The areas affected are Sampur. Muthur, Senaiyoor, Kadatkaraichenai, Kattaiparichhaan, Iraalkuli, Soodaikkudaa, Ilakkanthai, Santhoshapuram, Paattaalipuram, Koonitheevu and Uppaaru. These villages are in Muthur East and largely adjacent to the coast.

People have fled their homes and sought refuge in the Muthur division interior areas after the attack. Massive displacement has occurred. The official District secretariat estimate on April 26th stated that 43, 158 people from 10, 718 families were currently displaced in all parts of Trincomalee district. The bulk of these were from the Muthur – Sampoor region.. Many Sinhalese too had left their homes temporarily following the Morawewa killings of six civilians.

Much of this displacement was due to fear. Once the initial panic subsided people began returning home rapidly. The displaced people figures decreased overnight. Current estimates place the displaced persons figure at 18, 000 to 20, 000. This number too is likely to dwindle as more and more people are returning to their homes.

Embarassed at bombing Government controlled areas and killing Muslim civilians infantile attempts were made to deny that blatant fact. It was said that the Muslims of Muthir suffered because the LTTE fired shells.

SLMM chief Ulf Henricsson visited the area later and discovered the truth.“The deaths and damage were clearly caused by a misfire of the Government forces and not by LTTE firing as claimed by the Army on Wednesday. Mr. Henricsson visited the site yesterday and confirmed this,” SLMM spokeswoman Helen Olafsdottir told the press.

People in Trincomalee heard the reports of shelling and bombing and were extremely worried. A curfew was also imposed in three Trinco divisions including the town and gravets.

Meanwhile the Government maintained a tough posture.”I f the LTTE continues attacking, there will be coordinated retaliation in the form of defence,” Plan Implementation Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. “This will continue as long as the LTTE targets the security forces.”

Despite this claim reports from Muthur indicated that the brunt of the undeclared war has been borne by Tamil civilians.

The Tigers had also said that they would retaliate if the government continued the attacks; “It is like a war situation in Trincomalee. If the attacks continue, the LTTE will be forced to take military defensive action,” S. Puleedevan, head of the Tigers’ peace secretariat, told Reuters.

” We are in a state of readiness and are awaiting for the instruction from our leadership to respond with a force that will be catastrophically disabling and devastating to the enemy,” said Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam commenting on the current situation in Muttur east, in a “Tamilnet” report.

“The airforce and naval action is to deter and contain the LTTE from carrying out further provocative attacks,” said Palitha Kohona, the Director General of the Peace Secretariat.

Swedish Major-General Ulf Henricsson, who heads the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that oversees the truce, said if air strikes continued, peace talks would become difficult. The worst case scenario was a return to war, he said.

“We still have a valid ceasefire agreement. No party has ended it, but of course it is not a ceasefire right now,” he told Reuters

Whatever the pros and cons of differing viewpoints the actual position was that the Sri Lankan Government launched an undeclared war for the avowed purpose of teaching a lesson to the LTTE. This was done both as an act of vengeance as well as to show the South the Government was acting tough.

The ground reality was that innocent civilians suffered badly. The Government action of targetting innocent civilians under the pretext of teaching a lesson to the LTTE in a horrendous three – pronged bombing and shelling campaign deserves strong condemnation.

Even if the tigers provoked the state, the wilful targetting of civilians by the security forces cannot be condoned. It is time for the International community to give priority in an effective manner to the plight of innocent civilians above the interests of the chief players namely the GOSL and LTTE.

Pressurising the Government into suspending the reprisals deserves praise. But it is only a small beginning. Greater and faster action is required to save civilian life, limb and property.If the International community does not act fast not only would it be perceived as impotent but will also have precipitated the eruption of a full – scale war.

Recent events have shown that the Country is on the brink of an open, brutal war. Only effective International pressure could pull both sides back from the edge. Norway alone cannot do this. Greater coordinated action from the big players like USA, Japan and more importantly India is required to save the peace in Sri Lanka.

transCurrents feedback : editor@transcurrents.com

Contact DBS Jeyaraj : djeyaraj2005@yahoo.com

April 29th, 2006

Suicide bomber was pregnant woman say investigators

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

[This is an updated version of an earlier post last week]

Police Investigators probing the assassination attempt on Army chief Sarath Fonseka have in a bizarre twist alleged that the woman suicide bomber was actually oregnant and not pretending to be pregnant as believed earlier. While sleuths are trying to ascertain the truth about the woman political observers feel that if such allegations are proved true it would herald a hitherto unheard new dimension to the phenomenon of suicide attacks by women.

Sri Lankan Army commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka has survived the assassination attempt made on his life.. The tough soldier from Ambalangoda received serious injuries on April 25th when a woman suicide bomber targetted him as he was leaving the Army headquarters in Colombo to go home for lunch. At least nine others were killed and twenty – seven injured in the explosion. Though badly wounded Fonseka’s condition has been pronounced stable following major surgery performed on him by a team of dedicated Doctors.

The assassination attempt had all the hallmarks of a tiger suicide killer operation despite routine denials by spokesperson Daya master that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was not responsible.Initially it was believed that a woman pretending to be pregnant had been responsible. Subsequent reports have contradicted this assumption.

According to Police sleuths reliminary investigations have revealed that the assassin was a 21 year old tamil woman named Anoja Kuganesarajah from Vavuniya. What is shocking however is the information that the woman was not pretending to be pregnant but was actually five months pregnant. With documents obtained from the military hospital indicating that the woman was indeed pregnant laboratory tests are now being conducted of her blood samples to ascertain whether she was really pregnant.

If her pregnancy is confirmed it would then mean that the tigers had resorted to what is perhaps an unbelievably despicable action of strapping an explosive device to a pregnant woman and getting her to self – destruct, target her victims and above all kill her unborn child.The tigers have been guilty of many contemptible acts in the past. But with this act – if proved correct – the LTTE would have hit an all time low.

The assassination attempt demonstrates the extent to which the LTTE could descend in trying to eliminate the Army Commander.The battle – scarred veteran soldier is regarded as a” hawk” advocating a very hard line against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam organization.Fonsekas military past too has been controversial. The role he played in the re- conquest of Amparai district in 1990, the Rivi Resa campaign of 1995 – 96 and the destruction of Thenmaratchy in 2000 etc have come in for severe criticism

In recent times Sarath Fonseka was regarded as a hero in the South. Yet he was perceived in some circles as a disruptive factor in the peace process. It was Fonseka who refused to dismantle the high security zones as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement. It was Fonseka who coerced the Rajapakse regime into going back on the guarantee given in Geneva that the Tamil paramilitaries will be disarmed. There was a widespread impression in the Country that Fonseka, Defence secretary Gothabhaya Rajapakse and Defence adviser Kotakadeniya comprised the triumvirate advocating a return to open war.

The attack on Sarath Fonseka took place in broad daylight outside the army headquarters within a heavily guarded security precinct. Fonseka was in his office at the Army headquarters in Colombo Two or Slave Island during the morning of April 25th At 1. 30 pm he had left office intending to go home for lunch.One report however stated that the army chief intended having lunch at the officers mess on that day because he had to attend a top level defence conference at 2. 30 pm.

The army commanders vehicle had one pilot vehicle in front and a back up vehicle at the rear. Four outriders on motor cycles accompanied him two each on either side. The army chief had just commenced his journey when a seemingly pregnant woman standing nearby ran towards his vehicle. One of Fonseka’s bodyguards Cpl. LACR Yakandawela accompanying the vehicle on a motor cycle saw her and shouted at her to stop. When this failed he tried to stop her by kicking out at her. The woman fell .

An explosion then occurred hitting Fonseka’s and other vehicles in the convoy. The time was 1.35 pm. All four of Fonseka’s motor cycle escort rider cum bodyguards were injured. So too was the army chief’s aide de camp Major. Priyal Wickramasinghe.

“I saw a fireball as I came out of my saloon,” S.A. Weerasinghe, told “the Hindu” newspaper. Weerasinghe works in the military saloon, which is also inside the sprawling complex.

Security forces then cordoned off the area and took some of the affected persons to the nearby military hospital. At least four were pronounced dead upon admission. Simultaneously at least ten ambulances arrived and took all the seriously wounded persons to the National Hospital in Colombo 8 or Borella. Some with minor injuries were treated initially at the military hospital.

Extremely speedy attention was shown in the case of the army commander.Under the direction of National hospital director Dr. Hector Weerasinghe a team of doctors attended to Sarath Fonseka. This included apart from the regular staff , ten additional surgeons. Fonseka had received injuries to his chest and abdomen.His lungs too were pierced by particles of the bomb. Fonseka was suffering from heavy internal haemorrage and was in critical condition. Surgery on him began at 2.00 pm.It was a very delicate situation as bleeding had not stopped fully.

Surgery in two phases was performed within a period of three and a half hours. At one point Fonseka suffered a cardiac arrest and was thought a “goner”. But the tough Southerner from Ambalangoda fought death and clung on to life tenaciously. Two further surgeries were also performed.Hospital authorities said that the army commander’s health improved miraculously and that his condition is now stable. Though not firmly pronounced out of danger Fonseka is recovering and has regained consciousness. He is able to recognize people and has even spoken some words.It will however take a very long time for him to resume active duties.

Thirteen army men including Fonseka were admitted to the national hospital. Of these sgt. WAN Priyantha was found to be dead upon arrival. Sgt. Major Lasanthakumara had serious eye injuries and was later transferred to the eye hospital at 3. 30 pm.

Eleven people received emergency surgery at the national hospital. Of these three including the commander are in the intensive care unit.One has serious head injuries and the other heavy internal bleeding. The other eight are in ward 72. Two of them have serious injuries. Some injured persons are at present in the military hospital.Those receiving treatment at the national hospital include the army commander’s ADC Maj, Wickremasinghe, Lance coroporals Jayasekera and Seneviratne. Woman sgt. Sithara Gunatilleke is also warded.

Among army personnel confirmed to be dead are an army civian employee Ms. Niluka Priyangani from Kurunegala, Sergeant W.A.M. Priyantha- 4th Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, Corporal K. Warusawithana – 2nd (Volunteer) Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps, Lance Corporal O.K.D.P. Viraj – 3rd Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police, Lance Corporal G.M.S.L. Jagath – Gemunu Watch, Lance Corporal D.M.S. Sunil Rajaratne – 1st Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, Private W.D.S.K. Devasurendra (S/409111) – 7th Gemunu Watch, Private D. Attanayake – Sri Lanka Army Ordnance Corps and the civilian and Corporal Y.L.A.C.R. Yakandawala – 1st Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police .

The severed , disfigured head of the woman bomber was found many yards away in the branches of a tree after the incident. Her legs were also recovered. The rest of the body was totally shattered.

According to official sources the woman had come to the military hospital on that day for ante – natal tests relating to pregnancy. The military hospital is situated within the same security precincts where the army headquarters is in. It is about 300 metres way from the main entrance. The military hospital caters to the needs of soldiers and their families.

Tuesdays was special maternity clinic day for those with concerns about pregnancy. . According to Police sources the woman believed to be Anoja had come the previous Tuesday (18th) and attended a seminar on pregnancy. She had then registered for tests the following Tuesday (25th) She was accompanied by a man claiming to be her husband and a soldier. Her documents and ID were in order.

Initially it was suspected that the “pregnancy” was bogus. Updated information reveal a different story. Apparently Anoja was really pregnant. She had begun visiting the military hospital three months ago. There was a man claiming to be a soldier who posed off as her husband. Both spoke Sinhala very fluently. Anoja had taken some tests and related documentation says she was pregnant.

The woman had also spoken and joked with soldiers on guard duty on her previous visits and was a familiar figure. On the 25th she had seemed unusually bulky. One soldier had laughed at her saying she looked nine and not five months pregnant. The “bulk” was due to the two kilo explosive strapped around her waist. Anoja was accompanied by the man described as her “husband” and another youth described as her “brother”. Both males were missing when the explosion occurred.

A military bus is made available on special clinic days to take patients from the entrance to the hospital. destinations. The woman was standing outside near the entrance for about 30 minutes seemingly waiting for this bus. The men who had come with her were now missing.

It is said that Fonseka always went home for lunch at 1. 30 pm sharp whenever he was in Colombo.Even as the army commander started out for home to have lunch the woman had rushed towards the vehicle from its left side. Fonseka was in the right side rear seat of the vehicle. The alert Yakandawela on a motor cycle had seen her and kicked out. The woman then detonated herself. It is said that Fonseka survived the attack due to this brave soldier receiving a direct hit. At least five of Fonseka’s bodyguards have been killed.

The national hospital was teeming with people after hearing of the army commander being admitted there. Additional troops were deployed to preserve law and order. Movement of people and staff was restricted. Restive crowds were anxious about Sarath Fonseka’s condition. People began dispersing only after Dr, Hector Weerasinghe announced at 5. 45 pm that the army chief’s condition was now stable.

Apart from the family members and close relatives of the army commander cabinet ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, AHM Fowzie, Mangala Samaraweera,Rohitha Bogollagama , Defence secretary Gothabhaya Rajapakse, Presidential adviser Ajit Cabraal and former first lady Hema Premadasa etc were also in the hospital. Nimal Siripala who came with his wife gave the slip to waiting journalists by using a side entrance.

The suicide attack is regarded as a tiger operation and has been widely condemned. The USA, India and European Union condemned the attack and expressed support to the Colombo government.

With Indian Premier Manmohan Singh being in Germany and Uzbekistan seniormost minister and Defence minister Pranap Mukerjee telephoned Mahinda Rajapakse personally. The US state department said it was unfortunate that the LTTE had restarted the war instead of restarting the peace process.

The LTTE however denied that they were responsible. Tiger spokesperson Daya Master disclaimed all responsibility but did not comment further. An LTTE website abroad charged that the explosion was due to internal differences within the armed forces and said the explosion had occurred due to a bomb attached to Fonseka’s vehicle. There were few if any takers for the LTTE denial.

President Mahinda Rajapakse in a televised address to the nation appealed for calm and patience. Stating that he could not be frightened away Rajapakse also warned the LTTE that he and the Country would not bend their knees to terrorism. According to newspaper reports he also summoned a defence top brass meeting and wanted tough, retaliatory measures. Rajapakse also visited hospital to see Fonseka and other victims. Army chief of staff Gen Nanda Mallawaaratchi is now acting commander.

A coordinated bombing and shelling operation by the Army. Navy and Airforce was launched as a retaliatory measure in Trincomalee district. The Govt also stopped all transport to and from LTTE controlled areas in the North. The entry – exit points at Muhamalai, Uyilankulam and Omanthai were sealed off.

Rajapakse also met a UNP delegation led by Karu Jayasuriya in the absence of Ranil Wickremasinghe currently in the USA. He asked for full cooperation by the UNP and received such assurance. Meanwhile the JVP wanted Rajapakse to be “tough” against the LTTE. The JHU wanted the Govt to call off the ceasefire and declare war.

Unconfirmed reports say that the woman and the two men suspects were staying at a lodge on Dam street in Pettah.The lodge owner has been arrested.Police have also rounded up more than 300 people in Colombo after the attack. Of these 98 are kept in seven Police stations. Except for five Muslims and three Sinhalese all others are Tamil. Eleven are women.

A Tamil woman medical doctor has also been arrested. The woman was transferred to the national hospital from Jaffna a few days ago. She was not familiar with hospital geography and had wandered accidently to the Intensive care unit where Sarath Fonseka is in. She was arrested on suspicion and is being interrogated.

Six separate Police investigator teams are probing the incident. It is suspected that someone or some people from the “inside” had helped the Woman and her friends. At least 200 military and civilian employees at Army headquarters have been questioned.

Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) is a press release issued from Colombo condemned the “suicide bomb attack that took place at the Sri Lankan Army Head Quarters,” and urged the “Sri Lankan Government to equally refrain from any retaliatory actions at this stage and remain committed to the Peace Process.” .

“This attack is yet another serious blow to the Ceasefire Agreement and the Peace Process. It is likely to have very negative effects on the relationship between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers or Tamil Eelam and could jeopardize any possibility for future talks. ” the SLMM said

. The SLMM further added ” War is not an option for this country as it will only bring human misery and death. There is a desperate need for the two Parties to resume talks at all levels if the situation is not to result in a serious conflict that could escalate out of control and lead to war”.

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April 29th, 2006

Sri Lankan Air force bombs govt controlled areas in Muthur

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Sri Lankan air force planes resuming aerial bombardment of the Muthur region in Trincomalee district on April 26th have in a colossal blunder dropped bombs on Muslim populated areas coming under Government control. At least three people were killed and eight injured in the incident where all victims were Muslims.

Consequent to the suicide bomber attack on Army Commander Lt. Gen Sarath Fonseka the Defence ministry suspended transport to and from tiger controlled areas in the Wanni and also commenced a three – pronged undeclared war in Trincomalee district.

The air force along with the Navy and Army had conducted a three – pronged , coordinated attack on areas coming under Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam control in the Muthur region on April 25th. Two Israeli built K- fir jets and one Ukraine made Mig 27 bomber conducted six sorties from 5. 50 Pm to 6. 25 pm.

Naval shelling from five Isreali made Dvora gunboats targetting coastal areas went on from 6. 35 to 8. 10 pm on the 25th. Artillery shelling from the Army base at Kuranguppaalam (Monkey Bridge) began at 6. 45 pm and went on intensively till 9.00 pm. Thereafter multi – barrel artillery bombardment continued intermittently till midnight.

Expectations among the civians that the bombing was now over got rudely shattered in the early hours of 26th when K- fir jets from China Bay air force base resumed aerial bombardment again. Both the Sampur jetty in LTTE controlled area and Muthur jetty in GOSL controlled area suffered hits. At least two uniformed personnel from the Navy were injured.

Bombs also fell on areas extending up to three kilometres from the Muthur Jetty. These are clearly demarcated Government controlled areas and are largely populated by Tamil speaking Muslims.After protests were lodged by Muslims in Muthur to the security authorities the bombing ceased.

One area affected badly was the Muslim settlement called Dharga Nagar. A Muslim Moulavi or Mullah Junaideen Mohammed was killed on the spot. His injured wife Akram Mulfikha (25) and sister Munira Junaideen (18) died after being admitted to Trincomalee hospital. Another seven injured persons from Muthur are receiving treatment there.

While the Navy transported the injured Muslim people from GOSL controled Muthur to Trinco in their gun boats assistance to injured Tamil civilians from LTTE controlled areas in the Muthur division was denied. Though the Red Cross was reportedly engaged in negotiations to get Navy assistance in transporting three seriously injured Tamil civilians to Trinco the defence ministry authorities in Colombo have adamantly refused to help.

According to informed sources at least twelve civilians have been killed and thirty – seven injured in the artillery and aerial bombardment of Muthur areas on April 25th. Around sixty – five people have minor injuries. With Muslim casualties the overall civilian toll has gone up to fifteen civilians killed and forty – four injured.

One of the biggest problems is the lack of adequate medical facilities to treat the injured. The Sampur clinic is ill – equipped to handle a tragedy of this proportion.

Three Tamil civilians requiring urgent surgery are still in Sampoor as the security authorities are refusing to transport the Tamil victims to Trincomalee hospital.Sampoor clinic does not have adequate surgical facilities.

Also some of the victims had died because of bleeding caused by the wounds. If proper medical help was available their lives may have been saved.

Five bodies have been identified as belonging to K. Meiyan and his two year old son Meiyan Kishanthan, Ms Nagiah Rukmani, Ms Pathiniyan Nagamma and Ms Veerapathiran Pagawathipillai. All were from Sampoor, Muttur east, according to civil sources.

Many areas in the region are virtually a sea of rubble after the intensive attack. Apart from bombs dropped in six different air force sorties at least 80 shells by the Navy and over 160 shells by the Army. Rescue work is currently underway and many of the affected houses, dwellings and other buildings are yet to be cleared. The casualty toll may go up when all the debris and rubble are cleared.

The areas affected are Sampur. Muthur, Senaiyoor, Kadatkaraichenai, Kattaiparichhaan, Iraalkuli, Soodaikkudaa, Ilakkanthai, Santhoshapuram, Paattaalipuram, Koonitheevu and Uppaaru. These villages are in Muthur East and largely adjacent to the coast.

People have fled their homes and sought refuge in the Muthur division interior areas after the attack. Massive displacement has occurred. 43, 158 people from 10, 718 families are currently displaced in Trincomalee district. The bulk of these are from the Muthur region.. A human tragedy may occur if their needs are not met on time.

In a separate development armed Sinhala villagers attacked Tamil residents in Thanga nagar on April 26th.Three Tamil civilians Sivalingam, Jeevarasah and Pathmanathan were hacked to death. Two other Civilians Alagusingam and Yogarajah were taken away by the mob and are presumed to be killed.

Tamils from the village and other Tamil villages in the neighbourhood have fled to LTTE controlled areas in Verugal – Eechilampattru area in Trincomalee district. Nearly 1500 families are reportedly displaced.

People in Trincomalee have heard the reports of shelling and bombing and are extremely worried. A curfew was also imposed in the three Trinco divisions including the town and gravets.

Meanwhile the Government maintains a tough posture.”I f the LTTE continues attacking, there will be coordinated retaliation in the form of defence,” Plan Implementation Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. “This will continue as long as the LTTE targets the security forces.”

Despite this claim reports from Muthur indicated that actual LTTE positions in the area have not been affected badly. Only some buildings of the Tamil rehabilitation Organization have been hit.The brunt of the undeclared war has been borne by Tamil civilians.

Retired army brigadier Vipul Boteju, told AFP that President Mahinda Rajapakse had little choice but to order limited air strikes after Tuesday’s suicide bombing at army headquarters in Colombo.

“The government had to retaliate, they had to do something. They selected Trincomalee. They are showing we are not willing to simply accept what the Tigers have done to us,” Boteju told AFP on Wednesday.

“Yesterday was to show the world they can hit any place in the country,” said Boteju, who warned however that the LTTE would not simply take the air strikes lying down.

“They will hit something big, maybe overrun an army camp,” he said. “They may go for a big economic target in Colombo. But then afterwards both sides will say, okay, let’s now go for talks in Geneva.”

The Tigers however said they would retaliate if the government continued the attacks; “It is like a war situation in Trincomalee. If the attacks continue, the LTTE will be forced to take military defensive action,” S. Puleedevan, head of the Tigers’ peace secretariat, told Reuters.

” We are in a state of readiness and are awaiting for the instruction from our leadership to respond with a force that will be catastrophically disabling and devastating to the enemy,” said Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam commenting on the current situation in Muttur east, in a “Tamilnet” report.

Mr.Elilan said that LTTE has not yet retaliated against the air strike, artillery fire and gunboat attacks by state armed forces. LTTE is keen not to disturb the peace process.

“However we are waiting for the instruction from our leadership,” said Mr.Elilan

Meanwhile Retired air force chief Harry Gunatillake, also told AFP that the Tigers were trying to strengthen their hand before agreeing to further talks in Switzerland.

“They brought the action right to Colombo to get people worried,” he said, referring to the suicide bombing.

“They want to create fear among the people so they can strengthen their position if and when they go back to Geneva,” he said, adding the Tigers had in the past used similar tactics ahead of scheduled peace talks.

If the government made only limited use of air strikes, he said, there was still a chance talks could resume in Switzerland perhaps as soon as May.

But if Tamil civilians were killed in the strikes, he warned, the situation could escalate into a “big conflagration”.

The head of the government body for co-ordinating the shaky peace process in Sri Lanka, Palitha Kohona, said the military response had come after the rebels had fired on army bases in Trincomalee.

“The airforce and naval action is to deter and contain the LTTE from carrying out further provocative attacks,” said Kohona, the Director General of the Peace Secretariat.

But Tamil politician Dharmalingam Sidharthan, himself a former rebel and leader of the PLOTE said the suicide bombing and the government’s immediate retaliation signaled a return to full-scale hostilities.

“You have the LTTE carrying out an attack inside the army camp and the government retaliating with air strikes,” Sidhathan said. “If this is not war, what (else can you) … call it?”

Nandakalyananda Godage, a former deputy foreign secretary, was also downcast.

“They may be talking peace and a negotiated settlement but they don’t want it,” he said, referring to the LTTE.

“The government has allowed them to attack us with impunity. Any other country would have hit back very hard,” said Godage.

“The only option is to ask the United Nations to send a peacekeeping force as they did in Cambodia and Darfur,” he said.

“If the international community doesn’t support us we will have a bloodbath.”

Swedish Major-General Ulf Henricsson, who heads the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that oversees the truce, said if air strikes continued, peace talks would become difficult. The worst case scenario was a return to war, he said.

“We still have a valid ceasefire agreement. No party has ended it, but of course it is not a ceasefire right now,” he told Reuters

Whatever the pros and cons of differing viewpoints the actual position is that the Sri Lankan Government has launched an undeclared war for the avowed purpose of teaching a lesson to the LTTE. This is done both as an act of vengeance as well as to show the South the Government is tough.

The ground reality is that innocent civilians are suffering badly. The international community which condemned the LTTE for the attack on Gen Sarath Fonseka must with equal vehemence condemn the Government action of targetting innocent civilians in a horrendous three – pronged bombing and shelling campaign.

Even if the tigers provoked the state the wilful targetting of civilians by the security forces cannot be condoned. It is time for the International community to give priority to the plight of innocent civilians above the interests of the chief players namely the GOSL and LTTE. If the International community does not act fast not onnly would it be perceived as partisan in Tamil eyes but will also precipitate the eruption of a full – scale war. [TamilWeek - Apr 23, 2006]

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April 26th, 2006

Colombo launches undeclared war against LTTE

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Responding to a suicide bomber attack targeting Army commander Lt. Gen Sarath Fonseka in Colombo on April 25th at noon the Sri Lankan Government launched an undeclared war in the evening against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the Trincomalee district.

In a coordinated operation areas in the Muthur division of Eastern Trincomalee were bombarded by air and shelled from military camps and naval ships.

The Government also suspended all transport to and from tiger controlled areas in the Northern province shutting down entry – exit points in Muhamaalai, Omanthai and Uyilankulam.

The suicide bombing operation in Colombo killed at least eight persons and injured twenty – seven. Among those seriously wounded were Army Commander Sarath Fonseka and his aide de camp Major Priyal Wickremasinghe. Several soldiers were among the dead and injured.

Though the operation had the clear stamp of a tiger attack the LTTE denied responsibility. Some tiger media charged that it was due to internal differences within the army.

With growing resentment in the South at the Government’s perceived impotence the Sinhala public mood was getting increasingly sour. President Mahinda Rajapakse was under great pressure to retaliate effectively. His political allies like the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna wanted him to be tough with the tigers while the Jathika Hela Urumaya was for calling off the ceasefire and declaring open war.

The International community strongly condemned the suicide attack and expressed support to Rajapakse. Yet restraint was urged and appeals were made that Colombo should not resort to formal war.

Against this backdrop the Government decided to launch retaliatory attacks in the form of an undeclared war against the LTTE. Instead of attacking the LTTE headquarters in Kilinochchi operations were launched against tiger positions in the Eastern district of Trincomalee.

The district has been in the throes of a vicious cycle of racial violence since April 7th when Tamil political activist Vanniyasingham Vigneswaran was assassinated by Tamil paramilitaries.

Two Israeli made K – fir bomber jets flew out from China Bay airport and conducted five bombing sorties over the Muthur region of Eastern Trincomalee. The aerial bombing began at 5. 50 pm and went on till 6. 15 pm. After these K- firs had returned to China Bay two Russia made MIG 24 planes flew from Anuradhapura and conducted a sixth prolonged bombing spree at 6. 25 pm.

At 6. 35 pm five Israeli built Dvora gun boats sailed close to the Muthur coast and began shelling coastal areas. This naval shelling went on intermittently yet intensively till 8. 45 pm.About 80 shells were fired from the sea.

The army started its own artillery fire from the Kuranguppaalam or Monket bridge camp towards Muthur at 6. 45 pm. The shelling was consistent but sporadic with short intervals. The shelling was heavy till about 9. pm but continued with less intensity till midnight. Around 150 to 160 shells were fired. Many of the shells fired were deadly multi – barrel artillery shells obtained from Pakistan and China.

Areas like Kattaiparichhaan, Sampoor, Koonitheevu, Kadatkaraichenai, Senaiyoor, Iraalkuli, Ilakkanthai, Paattalipuram, Uppaaru etc were bombed initially and then pounded incessantly by artillery from gunboats and army camp. The Senaiyoor Central College was badly hit with its primary school and laboratory buildings reduced to rubble. Much of the damage was due to aerial bombardment here.

Though casualty figures were not known preliminary reports indicated that at least one family were affected when their house collapsed. A child was reported dead.

Power supply to Muthur was also affected and the region was in total darkness during and after the bombardment.

According to preliminary reports the bombing and shelling had not affected actual LTTE positions in the rehion much. LTTE camps, sea tiger bases and a newly constructed air strip were not damaged. Civilian homes and public buildings had been destroyed.

Preliminary reports stated that despite the intensive bombardment and shelling comparatively few lives were lost or people injured due to two reasons. One was that the people had taken proper precautions and sought secure shelters. The other was that the bombing and shelling was done at random with venomous fury with very little focus on actual targets.

LTTE political Commissar for Trincomalee S. Elilan has inquired from the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission whether the ceasefire was over and war had been declared. The Trinco SLMM had informed him that the security force officials had not responded to the telephone calls and e – mails, faxes sent by them.

SLMM head Ulf Henricsson however has gone on record expressing the hope that the attacks were “limited retaliatory ” measures. Peace secretaria Director – General Palitha Kohona has also “hinted” that these actions would be of a limited nature in interviews to the media.

Colombo also maintains that the retaliation was necessitated by the LTTE attacking Lankan naval craft in Trincomalee. The bombing and shelling is supposed to be retaliatory measures.

Just as few people believe the LTTE statement that they had nothing to do with the Colombo explosion there are few who would grant credibility to these assertions by the Government. Though the LTTE had exploded a bomb in Colombo on April 25th and engaged in some violence in Trincomalee over the past week the tigers had not attacked the navy on Tuesday as alleged by the Government.

It is apparent that the Government launched its undeclared war first by conducting aerial bombardment and supplementing it further by artillery firing from army camp at Monkey Bridge and shelling from Naval boats

Political analysts however were concerned that Sri Lanka was backsliding to an open and fierce war. There were three concerns. Will the armed forces and defence establishment continue these reprisals to the extent of open war becoming inevitable? Will the LTTE angered by these reprisals raise the ante further by conducting more operations that would make the situation deteriorate further? Will rajapakse egged on by the hardliners around him bow down to populist pressure and declare war?

Despite the ceasefire the Country has witnessed an escalating shadow war in the past. Both the LTTE and Tamil paramilitaries assisted by the security forces engaged in that. The suicide bomb attack against Sarath Fonseka is actually a high water mark of the escalating shadow war.

Now it is seeing an undeclared war in the form of action by the army, navy and air force. Civilans are victimised. But neither the Government nor the LTTE have said so far that they are declaring war.Sections of the media on either side of the ethnic divide say that the other side has declared ed war. But both partiese have reiterated that they are committed to the ceasefire still.

It remains to be seen whether this position would change for the worse or the better in the immediate future.

Meanwhile in what seemed a knee – jerk reaction , Defence secretary Gothabhaya Rajapakse clamped down on transport through the Wanni. All transport to and from the LTTE controlled Northern mainland of the Wanni was suspended.

The entry – exit points at Omanthai In Vavuniya district and Uyilankulam in the Mannar district were shut down at 2, 30 pm. The Muhamaalai point in the Jaffna peninsula was closed down at 3. 00 pm. Hundreds of people and vehicles were stranded by the sudden move. Reports indicate that the closure would be temporary.

Recent events have shown that the Country is on the brink of an open, brutal war. Only effective International pressure could pull both sides back from the edge. Norway alone cannot do this. Greater coordinated action from the big players like USA, Japan and more importantly India is required to save the peace in Sri Lanka. [TamilWeek - Apr 23, 2006]

Related: Army chief seriously injured in noon attack by suicide bomber

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April 25th, 2006

Army chief seriously injured in noon attack by suicide bomber

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Sri Lankan army commander Lt. Gen Sarath Fonseka sustained serious injuries in a suicide bomber attack on Tuesday April 25th that killed at least eight persons and wounded another twenty – seven. The suicide bomber was a woman pretending to be a pregnant woman.

The attack took place in broad daylight outside the army headquarters within a heavily guarded security precinct. Gen. Fonseka who received abdomen and chest injuries underwent three surgeries and is now pronounced to be in “stable condition”.But he is yet to be declared completely out of danger.

The battle – scarred veteran soldier is regarded as a” hawk” advocating a very hard line against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam organization. Fonseka was in his office at the Army headquarters in Colombo Two or Slave Island during the morning. At 1. 30 pm he had left office intending to go home for lunch.

The security convoy had just commenced the journey when a seemingly pregnant woman standing outside the military hospital ran towards his vehicle.One of Fonseka’s bodyguards accompanying the vehicle on a motor cycle had seen her and tried to stop her by kicking out.

An explosion then occurred hitting Fonseka’s and other vehicles in the convoy. The time was 1.35 pm. All eight of Fonseka’s motor cycle escort rider cum bodyguards were injured. So too was the army chief’s aide de camp Major. Priyal Wickramasinghe.

“I saw a fireball as I came out of my saloon,” S.A. Weerasinghe, told “the Hindu” newspaper. Weerasinghe works in the military saloon, which is also inside the sprawling complex.

Security forces then cordoned off the area and took the affected persons into the military hospital. At least four were pronounced dead upon admission. Thereafter at least ten ambulances arrived and took the seriously wounded persons to the National Hospital in Colombo 8 or Borella.

Speedy attention was shown in the case of the army commander..Under the direction of National hospital director Dr. Hector Weerasinghe a team of doctors attended to Sarath Fonseka. This included apart from the regular staff , ten additional surgeons. Fonseka had received injuries to his chest and abdomen.His lungs were pierced too. Fonseka was suffering from heavy internal haemorrage and was in critical condition. Surgery on him began at 2.00 pm.It was a very delicate situation as bleeding had not stopped fully.

Surgery in two phases was performed within a period of three hours. At one point Fonseka suffered a cardiac arrest and was thought a “goner”. But the tough Southerner from Ambalangoda fought death and clung on to life tenaciously. Hospital authorities said that the army commander’s health improved miraculously and that his condition was now stable. Yet he is not firmly pronounced out of danger. Fonseka is unconscious still.

Thirteen army men including Fonseka were admitted to the national hospital. Of these sgt. WAN Priyantha was found to be dead upon arrival. Sgt. Major Lasanthakumara had serious eye injuries and was later transferred to the eye hospital at 3. 30 pm.

Among the eleven officers in the national hospital three including the commander are in the intensive care unit.One has serious head injuries and the other heavy internal bleeding.The other eight are in ward 72. Two of them have serious injuries. Other injured persons are at present in the military hospital.

Those receiving treatment at the national hospital include the army commander’s ADC Maj, Wickremasinghe, Lance coroporals Jayasekera and Seneviratne. Woman sgt. Sithara Gunatilleke is also warded. Among army personnel confirmed to be dead are Sgt. Priyanka, Corp. Warusawitharne, lance corp OKPD Viraj, Pvt Devasurendra and army civian employee Ms. Niluka Priyangani.

The severed , disfigured head of the woman was found lying many yards away after the incident. Her legs were also recovered. The rest of the body was totally shattered.

According to official sources the woman had come to the military hospital for ante – natal tests relating to pregnancy. The military hospital is situated within the same security precincts where the army headquarters is in. It is well – fortified and tightly guarded. The military hospital caters to the needs of soldiers and their families.

Tuesdays was special maternity clinic day for those with concerns about pregnancy. . According to Police sources the woman had come the previous Tuesday (18th) and attended a seminar on pregnancy. She had then registered for tests the following Tuesday. She was accompanied by a man claiming to be her husband and a soldier. Her papers were in order.

A military bus is also made available on these days to take patients to their destinations. The woman was standing outside the hospital seemingly waiting for this bus. The man who had come with her in the morning was now missing. It is said that Fonseka always went home for lunch at 1. 30 pm sharp whenever he was in Colombo.

Even as the army commander started out for home to have lunch the woman had rushed towards the vehicle from its left side. Fonseka was in the right side rear seat of the vehicle. An alert bodyguard on a motor cycle had seen her and kicked out. The woman then detonated herself. It is said that Fonseka survived the attack due to this brave soldier receiving a direct hit. At least five of Fonseka’s bodyguards have been killed.

The national hospital was teeming with people after hearing of the army commander being admitted there. Additional troops were deployed to preserve law and order. Movement of people and staff was restricted. Restive crowds were anxious about Sarath Fonseka’s condition. People began dispersing only after Dr, Hector Weerasinghe announced at 5. 45 pm that the army chief’s condition was now stable.

Apart from the family members and close relatives of the army commander cabinet ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, AHM Fowzie, Mangala Samaraweera,Rohitha Bogollagama , Defence secretary Gothabhaya Rajapakse, Presidential adviser Ajit Cabraal and former first lady Hema Premadasa etc were also in the hospital. Nimal Siripala who came with his wife gave the slip to waiting journalists by using a side entrance.

One story going around was that Chief of Staff Nanda Mallawaaratchi was also seriously injured. Another story was that the man claiming to be the suicide woman’s husband was also killed in the blast. But these reports were not confirmed and largely rumours.

The suicide attack bearing all the hallmarks of a tiger operation was widely condemned. The USA, India and European Union condemned the attack and expressed support to the Colombo government.

With Indian Premier Manmohan Singh being in Germany seniormost minister and Defence minister Pranap Mukerjee telephoned Mahinda Rajapakse personally. The US state department said it was unfortunate that the LTTE had restarted the war instead of restarting the peace process.

The LTTE however denied that they were responsible. Tiger spokesperson Daya Master disclaimed all responsibility but did not comment further. An LTTE website abroad charged that the explosion was due to internal differences within the armed forces and said the explosion had occurred due to a bomb attached to Fonseka’s vehicle. There were few if any takers for the LTTE denial.

President Mahinda Rajapakse in a televised address to the nation appealed for calm and patience. Stating that he could not be frightened away Rajapakse also warned the LTTE that he and the Country would not bend their knees to terrorism.

A coordinated bombing and shelling operation by the Army. Navy and Airforce was launched as a retaliatory measure in Trincomalee district. The Govt also stopped all transport to and from LTTE controlled areas in the North. The entry – exit points at Muhamalai, Uyilankulam and Omanthai were sealed off.

Rajapakse also met a UNP delegation led by Karu Jayasuriya in the absence of Ranil Wickremasinghe currently in the USA. He asked for full cooperation by the UNP and received such assurance. Political circles were talking of a SLFP – UNP Government being a reality if full scale war commenced. Meanwhile the JVP wanted Rajapakse to be “tough” against the LTTE. The JHU wanted the Govt to call off the ceasefire and declare war.

Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) is a press release issued from Colombo condemned the “suicide bomb attack that took place at the Sri Lankan Army Head Quarters,” and urged the “Sri Lankan Government to equally refrain from any retaliatory actions at this stage and remain committed to the Peace Process.” reported “Tamilnet”.

Excerpts from the statement were said – “The Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission strongly condemns the suicide bomb attack that took place at the Sri Lankan Army Head Quarters in Colombo earlier today resulting in death and injury of both army personnel and civilians. The attack was aimed at Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka who was subsequently rushed to hospital.

The Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission still has limited information about the attack and will for the time being refrain from drawing any immediate conclusions about the possible perpetrators. However we remain at the disposal for the Government of Sri Lanka to assist in making the necessary inquiries.

This attack is yet another serious blow to the Ceasefire Agreement and the Peace Process. It is likely to have very negative effects on the relationship between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers or Tamil Eelam and could jeopardize any possibility for future talks.

The Government armed forces have suffered countless attacks in the last few weeks but have shown restraint and refrained from massive retaliation. We sincerely urge the Sri Lankan Government to equally refrain from any retaliatory actions at this stage and remain committed to the Peace Process.

Almost 300 people have died in attacks and violence this year. More than 150 of those were civilians. War is not an option for this country as it will only bring human misery and death. There is a desperate need for the two Parties to resume talks at all levels if the situation is not to result in a serious conflict that could escalate out of control and lead to war.” [TamilWeek - Apr 23, 2006]

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April 25th, 2006

Anatomy of violence that shocked Trincomalee

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Trincomalee known as “Thirukonamalai ” in Tamil and “Thrikanaamale” in Sinhala is a multi – ethnic and multi – religious town and region.This simple truth was vividly illustrated on Thursday April 20th when the newly elected Trinco urban council assumed office formally.

Pride of place was given at the ceremony to clergy of the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Islamic religions.Sivasiri Pon Sivakumarakurukkal, Venerable Mihindapura Mahindawanse Nayake Thera, Reverend Fr.George Dissanayake and Moulavi Ibrahim Rahza blessed the new UC administration .

Prior to the ceremony, councillors accompanied by Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, Trincomalee district parliamentarian paid their respects at places of worship of all faiths- Temple, Mosque, Church and Vihare in the town.

Despite the Tamil National Alliance which contested under the aegis of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) displaying this spirit of religious tolerance and ethnic amity the tell – tale signs of the bitter, brutal violence that tore the town apart remained visible. The town had not recovered yet.. Life was limping back slowly. Physical and emotional scars remained. It remains an uphill task to restore normalcy and amity.

Trincomalee or Trinco as it is generally known is famous for its geo- strategically important deep water natural harbour. In recent times it has become a communal powder – keg. The coastal town at the beginning of the 20th century had a Tamil majority (79%). This decreased over the years. Nowadays Tamils are about 50% while Sinhalas (30%) and Muslims (20%) comprise the rest

The district also called Trincomalee shows different demographics. All three ethnicities are in near equal proportions with the Tamil speaking Muslims in the lead. The Tamils slightly outnumber the Sinhalese.

Trinco has been caught up in cycles of brutal violence in the past.With its heterogenous ethnic mix the town as well as the district could very well have been a showpiece of racial harmony under different circumstances. Ethnic relations being downhill Trincomalee too reflects the general political climate. Given its communal balance it often becomes a flashpoint of tension.

The clandestine substitution of a large Buddha statue in place of the earlier smaller one had brought about unfortunate consequences. Violence and counter violence had ensued. Ethnic relations had soured very badly. The town and its environs had been militarised greatly with deployment of additional security personnel. The stridency of LTTE oriented Tamil politics on the one hand and the aggressiveness of hawkish Sinhala outfits on the other had torn the societal fabric apart. Contributing to this no small measure were the hardliners in the armed forces.

It was against this backdrop that local authority elections were held on March 30th. The TNA campaign focussed mainly on the Buddha statue issue and the murder of five Tamil youths at the Dutch bay beach. While Sinhala votes got divided three way Tamil votes were mobilised in one direction. With some Muslim support the TNA contesting as ITAK won resoundingly in both the Urban and Pradeshiya Council polls.The results left many Sinhala hawks bitter over the Tamil success.

The architecht of this victory was Vanniyasingham Vigneswaran.This 51 year old bank employee was the president of the Trinco Tamil peoples forum. The forum was regarded as a mouthpiece of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Vigneswaran spearheaded the local poll campaign.He was to be rewarded for his services by getting the TNA national list nomination. The vacancy was caused by Joseph Pararajasingham’s assassination.

Vigneswaran was assassinated on April 7th.He was gunned down at the premises of the bank he was an employee of . This was in the midst of a high security zone with the Police and Navy headquarters in close proximity.It was widely suspected that the killing was done by Tamil paramilitaries affiliated to the state.

The LTTE made much propaganda out of the killing.A series of meetings condemning the killing were organized. On a different track a tiger front called “Tamil upsurge force” began targeting the security forces through the exploding of claymore mines. The violence came to Trinco on April 11th. Vigneswaran’s funeral was held in the morning. The final procession had more than 6000 people participating.

Some youths among the mourners engaged in provocative conduct. A few sentry posts and check points were smashed up. Security personnel had vacated them temporarily to maintain a low profile during the procession. Some hooting and jeering was also done by rowdy elements in Sinhala neighbourhoods.

Simmering tensions received a boost when a navy truck hit a claymore mine at Thambalagamam. Eleven sailors were killed and eight injured.The mood turned bad. Jaffna district TNA parliamentarian Nadaraja Raviraj who was in Trincomalee for the funeral was attacked by a mob while returning. This was done near a checkpost manned by navy personnel. No help was forthcoming alleges the MP.

On the following day morning (April 12th) a Police vehicle was hit by a landmine at Kumburupiddy about 30 km away from Trinco town.Two cops were killed and two injured.With this some elements began hatching a plot. Apparently the plan was to launch a reprisal attack on Tamils if and when the LTTE exploded a claymore again. Though the tigers officially disclaim responsibility for the claymore attacks and attribute blame in cowardly fashion to the Tamil civilians few believe that the LTTE was not responsible.

But the next tiger attack was even more provocative. Civilians in a pre- dominantly Sinhala market were targeted. With Sinhala and Tamil new year being around the corner Trinco was bustling despite the tensions with business activity. It was around 3. 20 pm on the 12th when a bomb went off near the entrance to the vegetable market. It was an anti – personnel claymore mine concealed in a parcel attached to a bicycle parked opposite a coconut vendor stall.

Most of the victims at that point were Sinhalese. But there were Tamils and Muslims too caught up in the explosion..One of those killed was a soldier. One story related by a Trinco Sinhala resident was that a Sinhala woman and three year old child were also killed. Another sailor was injured. The bomb however was not targeting security personnel.It was apparent that civilians were the target.

In the ensuing melee after the bomb attack some naval personnel from a nearby post came running to the spot firing away. It is reported that some people were hit in this burst of firing. At this point of time the Sinhala anti – social elements began stirring. It is well – known that many of the rowdy and criminal elements are from the fisherfolk dwellings known as “Koreeyawa”. These elements are the chief component of the dreaded “market” gang too.

These elements then began to attack Tamils. The security personnel mainly from the navy and Police simply stood by watching.Even as pandemonium reigned Tamil youths are believed to have exploded four grenades at 3. 45 pm, 3. 50 pm, 3.55 pm and 4.00 pm in the town.These explosions did not cause any casualties. According to some these explosions were to frighten the hoodlums away.

It was around 4. 15 pm that organised reprisals on a large scale began..The official line is that people infuriated by the killings erupted into spontaneous violence. The reality was somewhat different. This was no instance of angry mobs going berserk alone but also a case of cold – blooded calculation. It appears that the plan formulated beforehand to attack Tamils was now underway. The explosion was like a green light signal.

Gangs of young Sinhala speaking men in civilian garb arrived in four lorries and one bus. The men were mainly from Kanthalai and Serunuwara. Many of them were auxiliary homeguards. Some were navy men in civils. The TNA has accused the navy of transporting these thugs into Trinco town. But many Tamil residents feel a high ranking Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna politician from the district was behind the manouevre.

Most of the mobile marauders were close cropped and wore shorts and tee- shirts. Some of them had clubs, rods, knives and swords. Tamils were singled out for assault and battering. Many Tamil owned vehicles were smashed up or burnt. If these were crimes of passion there were profit oriented crimes too. The anti – social elements began joining these people in these acts.

Tamil businesses were systematically ransacked and looted. The spoils were carefully loaded into vehicles and taken away. Several of the looted shop buildings were set on fire. A few Tamil owned houses were attacked too. Several Tamil women were hacked with swords and knives. Some were cruelly cut on their faces, hands and breasts. Tamil residents also said a Tamil woman and her two year old child were slashed.It is also reported that there was at least one instance where Tamils were thrown into the raaging fire in their business premises.

Ironically Trinco town was teeming with security personnel from the Army, Navy and Police. Additional men had been deployed earlier on account of the New year festivity. Yet none of the cops or security men tried to prevent or restrain the mobs from attacking Tamils and their property. Most stood by offering tacit encouragement. In some cases men in Naval uniform were seen aiding and abetting.

The numerical strength of the marauing mobs was between 100 to 150. The security personnel with their numbers and weapons could have stopped them easly. They did not.Instead they encouraged the mobs.

The violence was initially confined to areas near the Clock tower , Central road, Main street, North Coast road etc. It appeared that several large shops were specifically targeted – among them were Hari Electricals, the Dollar Agency, the Dialog Company and the Sunlight (Lever Brothers) Agency. The mob also attacked the Hatton National Bank.

Later the violence began spreading to Lingapuram and Anbuvalipuram. An IOC franchised fuel outlet was attacked. An employee was hacked severely. Six Tamils on motor cycles were attacked at different times on the Kandy road. Four Tamils in a three – wheeler and motor cycle were attacked along the Nilaweli road.

Mobs began attacking banks in town too. Bank employees were trapped. Their parked vehicles were damaged. Stones were thrown. Despite alarms connected to the Police station being set off no Policemen came to the Hatton national bank. Currently most bank employees are on strike demanding security guarantees.

The security personnel who remained inactive were very active in ensuring that Tamils were sent away from their businesses and homes in a few instances. They promised them that they would be protected. These guarantees were honoured only in the breach.

The situation was in a sense a miniscular repeat performance of the 1983 July violence where pre – meditated attacks were launched against the Tamils after a landmine killed 13 soldiers. The security personnel then stood simply by or assisted the mobs. A palpable sense of fear and terror now hung over the Tamils. This feeling of insecurity was enhanced by the rumour that the mobs were going to attack all Tamils in the town at night.

The TNA win in both the Trincomalee urban and regional (Pradeshiya Sabha) Councils was mainly due to the bloc voting by Tamils concentrated in the town. This victory was greatly resented by Sinhala hawks.

Now the Sinhala “warriors” were going to remedy this state of affairs was the gist of a rumour spreading like wildfire.. An “ethnic cleansing” (suddha koramu) campaign was going to be conducted in Trinco town. Tamil homes were to be destroyed and burnt. Tamils were to be attacked and driven away as refugees. Trinco was to be purged of Tamils overnight. With the gangs celebrating after consuming liquour the talk of ethnic cleansing began gathering momentum.

Adding to Tamil anxiety was an enforced power failure plunging the town into darkness.It was obvious that neither the Police nor the security forces were going to protect the Tamils or prevent violence in case of such an eventuality. Agitated Tamil politicians from the district contacted Indian High Commission officials in Colombo. New Delhi was alerted. Soon an interesting yet worthwhile development occurred.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh initiated efforts to contact Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse. This resulted in Rajapakse telephoning Singh. The Indian PM expressed sorrow over the killings of security personnel and conveyed his condolences. At the same time he urged that whatever the provocation civilian lives needed to be protected at all times. Singh requested Rajapakse to take all steps to protect the vulnerable Tamil civilians. He also wanted the strategic Trincomalee to be kept stable.

Rajapakse began to act fast. He sent the Police chief Chandra Fernando and Joint Operations command chief Daya Sandagiri to Trinco. He also sent Investment promotion minister Rohitha Bogollagama and North – Central Province chief minister Bertie Premalal Dissanayake to Trinco. This high level intervention brought about a qualitative change.

Slowly the situation was brought under control. A curfew was declared. Attempts were made to enforce that curfew. Security forces fired in the air to disperse mobs. No one however was arrested. Thanks to Manmohan Singh’s initiative and Mahinda Rajapakse’s response a major calamity was averted that night.

Tamils in Trinco breathed sighs of relief the following morning at the disaster that was averted, But the damage done was massive. But violence continued. The body of a Sinhala youth named Nissanka from Mahindapura was found in Thoorankaadu on April 14th morning. Missing from the 13th he had been hacked to death. Sinhala villagers from Mahindapura then sought revenge and went on the rampage against the neighbouring Tamil village Nadesapuram.

About 60 houses in Nadesapuram were attacked. Over 40 were burnt.The Nadeswarar Sivan temple was burnt down The office of the Trincomalee District Youth Development Organization (AHAM) was attacked and several vehicles belonging to the organization were set on fire;

Similar incidents have taken place in Thuwarangkadu, resulting in the displacement of almost 1000 persons, and in Andankulam, where several houses were burnt down. The houses in Andankulam were new, built under a post-tsunami reconstruction scheme.

.Another 15 Tamil houses in Mahindapuram were also attacked. A further 50 thatched dwellings in Kanniya were burnt down. These belonged to people who had been refugees in India for many years. They had returned home after the ceasefire. Mobs also began assaulting Tamils. The victims fled in terror to places of worship and schools in Palaiootru and Peeliaddy.

Three persons however were killed in this round of anti – Tamil violence. One was a 60 year old woman Somasuntharam Maheswary. She was dragged out of the Nadeswarar temple and chopped to death. The other killed was an Indian national.Venkadasamy Venkatraman (30) of Ramamoorthy Nagar, Bangalore in South India. He was an astrologer by profession. The third to be killed was Thannimalai Namasivayalingam aged 28 a minor employee of the Trinco district secretariat.

There were two more landmine attacks on security personnel by LTTE elements.An army vehicle was hit but only a few were injured slightly. No deaths. Three airforce men however were killed in another incident in Kappalthurai. Fearing reprisals over 2400 Tamils fled their homes and took refuge in schools. But mercifully there were no reprisals.

The Government imposed curfews in three divisions including Trinco town and gradually relaxed them. People however have been displaced due to the violence. 319 from 98 families are housed in Bharathy Vidyalayam in Varothaya nagar; 243 from 67 families are in Kalaimagal vidyalayam in Bharathypuram. 275 from 75 families are in the Bharathipuram school. Some are stayng with relatives while some others have fled to Tiger controlled areas.

As of the 20th April, the District Secretariat, Trincomalee, had the displaced figure at 2673 persons (723 families). This does not take into account the large numbers who are residing with family and friends, and those who are simply leaving their homes at night-time for more secure locations. The response to the displacement, even from NGOs, has been slow, hampered by the prevailing tensions and lack of personnel. In some areas government assistance was received only on the 18th April, despite the fact that people were displaced on the 14th April.

Though an accurate and authentic estimate of the deaths and destruction is yet to be made preliminary figures indicated that at least 36 people had been killed from 11th to 14th. Of these 16 were Sinhala speaking security personnel and Policemen. They had all been killed by LTTE inspired claymore mine and bomb attacks.

Of the 20 recorded civilian deaths eleven were Tamils, seven Sinhala and two muslims. At least six Sinhala civilians had been killed in the vegetable market explosion. Of these two were women.Of the seven Tamils killed in Trinco town on the 12th six were women.

The preliminary medical report states that all fifteen persons killed in Trinco town on April 12th died in the market bomb explosions. But many Trinco residents dispute that. They say that a few were killed in security force firing and that some others had been hacked to death by mobs and even burnt alive.. Four charred bodies presumed to be Tamil have not been identified yet. Also some Tamil residents are reported missing and feared dead.People believe many Tamil bodies have been disposed of by their killers.

About 70 people were injured. Of these nearly 50 obtained treatment at the Trinco hospital. At least 32 are warded still. The condition of some are said to be critical. Most of the injured persons are Tamils.

Attempts by this column to obtain more detailed particulars from Trincomalee hospital and Police circles were not successful.

34 businesses were looted and gutted. 14 were smashed up and looted.70 street hawkers were attacked and deprived of their merchandise. Only two of the affected businesses were owned by Muslims. Among hawkers 5 were Muslims.A Sinhala owned bakery caught fire when a pajeiro cooler was set on fire opposite the premises. About 15 vehicles were burnt and about 60 smashed up.

The LTTE seems to have provoked violence and left innocent Tamils to face the reprisals and retaliation. People are yet to recover from the shock. Adding to Tamil insecurity is the continuing presence of gangs moving about freely in the town. No one has been arrested let alone charged in connection with the violence. An inquiry from the Police elicited the stock reply “we are investigating”.This perhaps is the worst indictment of the Rajapakse regime.

It has been the unfortunate tendency of Sinhala mobs aided by security personnel to attack Tamil civilians in revenge when the LTTE attacked the army, navy or Police. This practice had decreased considerably in the recent past. A new aggressive spirit became visible after the ascension of Mahinda Rajapakse to the presidency. The triumvirate of Defence secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse, Army chief Sarath Fonseka and Defence adviser HMGB Kotakadeniya seem to have fashioned a new policy.

Retaliation against Tamil civilans is now unofficially sanctioned state policy. Instead of the security forces getting openly involved Tamil paramilitary forces and Sinhala thugs are used for this purpose. A large number of Tamil civilians regarded as being close to the LTTE were killed and are being killed even now. While the International community praises Rajapakse and the security forces for their “commendable restraint” the anti – Tamil violence goes on.

In Trincomalee there was an element of spontaneity and pre – planning in the anti – Tamil violence. The greater part of the violence however was pre – meditated and systematic. Sections of the security forces particularly the navy aided, abetted and even participated directly in the violence.

It appears that there was a pre-planned conspiracy to attack Tamils in Trincomalee if and when security personnel were targeted again. When Sinhala civilians were affected the Trinco town thugs began attacking Tamils on their own. Then came the organized gangs. Some security personnel also joined the mobs or tacitly supported them.

Once again Trincomalee has been in the eye of a violent storm. There is a repetitive pattern.. Anti – Tamil violence has occurred several times in the past. The racial violence of both 1977 and 1983 saw Trincomalee Tamils being affected badly. The long war too saw Trincomalee getting badly hit. This is due to its strategic importance and ethnic mix.

Tamils have long suspected a design in the violence. There is fear that conspiracies are underfoot to de- populate the town of Tamils. The recent violence has strengthened suspicion of an ethnic cleansing campaign being on the cards.While the violence had ceased at present tensions remain like smouldering embers ever ready to erupt into flames at the slightest provocative blowing.

There is a powerful Sinhala organization in Trincomalee that is blatantly racist. Its members cut across political affiliations. The motivating ideology is Sinhala Buddhist supremacy. This organization is suspected of having played a major role in the violence.Many security personnel in Trincomalee are sympathetic to this Sinhala association.

The fear among Tamils in Trincomalee is that communal violence could flare up again. They know that the security forces and Police will not ensure their protection. Many Tamils also feel that the Government is not sympathetic towards their plight. Many have noted the complete public silence maintained by Mahinda Rajapakse on Trincomalee. Not even one word of sympathy has been extended to the victimised Tamils.

Troubles in Trincomalee have once again brought about an uncomfortable sense of Deja Vu. The town was on the edge of a major conflagration. The pattern of events has demonstrated that another July 1983 is quite possible. The similiarity was striking. Provocative tiger attacks against security forces, premeditated reprisals against Tamil civilians , security force complicity or inaction, inability or unwillingness of Government and state machinery to respond effectively, limited Indian intervention, blacking out or distortion of events in mainstream media etc. All the ingredients of 1983 were available in a micro level.

Political commentators have been talking of a paradigm shift in Sri Lankan politics for quite a while. One facet of that shift was the moving away of the polity from the unitary state model. It was stated that there was acceptance that the Country had to move towards devolution amounting to federalism. The debate was about the degree of devolution. Unitarism was passe they said.

The recent Presidential elections reversed that belief. Mahinda Rajapakse dismissed devolution and espoused the unitary state concept. Aligning with Sinhala hardliners like the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and Jathika Hela Urumaya Rajapakse contested on a platform arguing for retention and preservation of the unitary state. He won handsomely with massive support in the Sinhala electorate.Unitary state was back.

The second facet of the so called paradigm shift was that the Country had learnt its lessons of 1983. There would no more be a repetition of that dark scenario it was argued. The Trincomalee violence has shown that a July 1983 could be very much on the cards again. All the ingredients are there. If political will and authority is lacking at the top another major flare up would be inevitable.Given the fact that massive racial violence would help in the tiger scheme of things one can expect the LTTE to add fuel to the fire.

So the sad lesson from the Presidential election and the recent Trincomalee violence is that the so called paradigm shift has not taken place after all. The Unitary state as well as anti – Tamil racial violence are very much there.The more things seem to change the more they remain the same.Sri Lanka may be going forward towards the past.

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Add comment April 21st, 2006

Army suspected over Puthur civilian killings

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The Sri Lankan army is suspected by residents of Puthur in Jaffna of being responsible for the deaths of five Tamil civilians from the area. Though the Sri Lankan army has denied responsibility and says the Police suspect it to be a “reprisal” by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the people of the area strongly believe that the army was responsible. The five victims were from Vaatharavathai in Puthur East.

Five persons were travelling in an auto – rickshaw (WP QA 0767) along the Vaatharavathai road between Puthur junction and Kanakanpuliaddy junction at about 8. pm on Tuesday April 18th.The driver and another were in the front and the other three in the back. They were stopped at the checkpost opposite the army camp at the Aiyanar Kovil.Soldiers from the 1st brigade of the 51st division (51 – 1) are stationed in this camp.

The occupants had imbibed liquor. When they were questioned they had said that one among them was sick and that they had taken him to a doctor and were now taking him back to his residence.After checking their credentials the sentries had let them pass.

The vehicle had proceeded to the house of one of the occupants who was reportedly sick.. Some more liquor was consuned. The other four had then returned in the same auto -rickshaw past the same Aiyanar Kovil 51-1 army camp.

The vehicle was stopped again. When the sentries tried to search the vehicle and the occupants an argument ensued.Presumably the hot drinks had given the civilians courage to defy and argue with the army. A passer- by on a cycle had stopped and tried to calm matters down with the three – wheeler occupants. They were all from the same area and known to each other.

The soldiers got angry and took all five persons into the army camp. The auto – rickshaw and cycle were moved through the gate and parked inside. That was the last any of the five were seen alive.The time was around 8. 30 pm

The four occupants of the three – wheeler were Balasubramaniam Kannathasan (27), Sellappu Kamalathasan (25), Mahadevan Kishokumar( 20), and Thangarajah Raveendran (27). Kannathasan was the auto – riockshaw driver. Another of the occupants Raveendran was also an auto – rickshaw driver. Kishorekumar was a photographer cum farmer. Kamalathasan was an electrician.The cyclist was Kandasamy Gowribalan ( 32), a Jaffna Municipal Council employee.

Relatives worried by the absence of the “missing” persons had gone in search of them.Upon being informed by some residents that some persons were arrested by the army they had inquired from the sentries about the trishaw. The army denied taking in any persons. Neither the three – wheeler nor the cycle was seen. The time was now past ten o’clock in the night.

During the dark hour before dawn people of the area think they heard faint gunfire coming from the direction of the army camp.But they are not sure. People had begum moving about near the army camp after the crack of dawn. There was a large open terrain in close proximity to the camp. These areas are called ” veli” or “tharavai” in Tamil.

People saw a parked trishaw on the road near the “tharavai” terrain. A cycle was on the ground nearby. They saw bodies lying at a distance. Complaints were made immediately to the Army by the brother of an auto – rickshaw driver. The Police at Atchuvely were also informed.

An official search was conducted. Three bodies were discovered about 200 metres away from the road. Two other bodies were found another 100 – 25 metres away. The victims were identified by relatives as Gowribalan, Kannathasan, Kamalathasan, Raveendran, and Kishorekumar.

According to a Northern Journalist the victims allegedly bore signs of heavy assault before deaths. The bodies and faces were swollen and marked. It appeared that some had been shot at close quarters and others from a distance using sub.machine guns.

[SLMM at the scene - Photo TamilNet]

Mallakam district judge Mrs. Sarojini Ilankovan went to the spot at 9. 30 am on Wednesday April 19th and conducted the preliminary inquest. She ordered the bodies to be taken to Jaffna hospital for post – mortem examination. Ms. Ilankovan also instructed the Police to commence a full investigation.The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission was also informed.

As news of the killings spread angry residents of the area converged outside the army camp and demonstrated.The people of Vaatharavathai seemed certain that the army was responsible for the killings. When this writer spoke to a few on the telephone they too charged that the army was responsible.

There has been a history of “trouble” between the army camp and residents of the area. Last year there were complaints of rape by soldiers attached to this camp. This resulted in protests leading to violence where the army fired and killed a civilian. This resulted in claymore mines being exploded targeting the army by members of the so called “Peoples Force”.

LTTE and pro – LTTE media have begum a campaign accusing the army of being responsible for the killings. The army has rejected this. A counter – claim is made in the army website says that ” The Police maintain that the murder would have been carried out by the LTTE as a retaliatory measure”.

This is rather puzzling because it is unclear as to what is meant by saying that the LTTE killed these men as a retaliatory measure. The reasons for such alleged tiger action is also not given. Interestingly the Police at Atchuvely have no clue of what the army means by this statement.

According to a Colombo – based journalist his army sources had “denied” responsibility for the killings. One source had told him that the army had never taken in the five persons. Another army source had said the five were questioned and released at 9. 50 pm on the 18th.The seemingly implausible assertion was that someone else had killed them

The cops are” investigating” as usual.Only the army can clarify the matter. Incidently it was the same army website which said the LTTE killed TNA parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham at the St. Marys Cathedral in Batticaloa last year.

There have been 17 civilian killings in Jaffna during the past week. There was a visible pattern in many. The victims were all close supporters or suspected of being linked to the LTTE in some way. In the case of businessmen being killed they were asked to pay up or face death. Those who refused are being killed.

In the Puthur killings there does not seem to be any pre – meditated plan to kill these five persons. The limited circumstantial evidence available points to some soldiers at the Aiyanar Kovil camp. Incidently the Aiyanar is a wrathful deity. It is probable that the men were detained at first to be given a sound beating but later some people may have decided to bump them off.

At least three of the five had actively participated in the previous protest demonstrations against the army at Puthur and had been photographed and videoed. Also the five persons had also attended LTTE functions in the area earlier say Vaatharavathai residents.

It is possible therefore that the “troublemakers” were “recognised’ as anti – army, pro – tiger people and “taught” a lesson. Since some Tamil “paramilitaries” are stationed in this camp they themselves could have taken the unarmed civilians out and killed them.

All this however is conjecture and the only hard, indisputable fact is that five dead bodies with firearm injuries were lying in proximity to the 51- 1 Aiyanar Kovil camp. The customary recommendation that one makes at this juncture is to urge a speedy investigation with the underlying hope that those responsible are caught and brought to justice.

But then this is not the only killing. Civilians are being killed in the North – East regularly and rapidly. As Hobbes said Life is “nasty.brutish and short”. We hear of investigations and commissions of inquiry but nothing tangible happens. Justice they say not only should be done but also should appear to have been done.

But in North – Eastern Lanka Justice is neither done nor appears to have been done. So after all the tensions and protests and charges and denials and accusations and counter – accusations we will find nothing being dome about these killings and the innumerable other deaths.

The Vaatharavathai five will simply be another statistic to the rising toll of deaths. May their souls attain sublime affinity with the supreme divinity or be re – born in any ethnicity other than Sri Lankan Tamil!

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April 20th, 2006

Army suspected over Puthur civilian killings

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The Sri Lankan army is suspected by residents of Puthur in Jaffna of being responsible for the deaths of five Tamil civilians from the area. Though the Sri Lankan army has denied responsibility and says the Police suspect it to be a “reprisal” by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the people of the area strongly believe that the army was responsible. The five victims were from Vaatharavathai in Puthur East.

Five persons were travelling in an auto – rickshaw (WP QA 0767) along the Vaatharavathai road between Puthur junction and Kanakanpuliaddy junction at about 8. pm on Tuesday April 18th.The driver and another were in the front and the other three in the back. They were stopped at the checkpost opposite the army camp at the Aiyanar Kovil.Soldiers from the 1st brigade of the 51st division (51 – 1) are stationed in this camp.

The occupants had imbibed liquor. When they were questioned they had said that one among them was sick and that they had taken him to a doctor and were now taking him back to his residence.After checking their credentials the sentries had let them pass.

The vehicle had proceeded to the house of one of the occupants who was reportedly sick.. Some more liquor was consuned. The other four had then returned in the same auto -rickshaw past the same Aiyanar Kovil 51-1 army camp.

The vehicle was stopped again. When the sentries tried to search the vehicle and the occupants an argument ensued.Presumably the hot drinks had given the civilians courage to defy and argue with the army. A passer- by on a cycle had stopped and tried to calm matters down with the three – wheeler occupants. They were all from the same area and known to each other.

The soldiers got angry and took all five persons into the army camp. The auto – rickshaw and cycle were moved through the gate and parked inside..That was the last any of the five were seen alive.The time was around 8. 30 pm

The four occupants of the three – wheeler were Balasubramaniam Kannathasan (27), Sellappu Kamalathasan (25), Mahadevan Kishokumar( 20), and Thangarajah Raveendran (27). Kannathasan was the auto – riockshaw driver. Another of the occupants Raveendran was also an auto – rickshaw driver. Kishorekumar was a photographer cum farmer. Kamalathasan was an electrician.The cyclist was Kandasamy Gowribalan ( 32), a Jaffna Municipal Council employee.

Relatives worried by the absence of the “missing” persons had gone in search of them.Upon being informed by some residents that some persons were arrested by the army they had inquired from the sentries about the trishaw. The army denied taking in any persons. Neither the three – wheeler nor the cycle was seen. The time was now past ten o’clock in the night.

During the dark hour before dawn people of the area think they heard faint gunfire coming from the direction of the army camp.But they are not sure. People had begum moving about near the army camp after the crack of dawn. There was a large open terrain in close proximity to the camp. These areas are called ” veli” or “tharavai” in Tamil.

People saw a parked trishaw on the road near the “tharavai” terrain. A cycle was on the ground nearby. They saw bodies lying at a distance. Complaints were made immediately to the Army by the brother of an auto – rickshaw driver. The Police at Atchuvely were also informed.

An official search was conducted. Three bodies were discovered about 200 metres away from the road. Two other bodies were found another 100 – 25 metres away. The victims were identified by relatives as Gowribalan, Kannathasan, Kamalathasan, Raveendran, and Kishorekumar.

According to a Northern Journalist the victims allegedly bore signs of heavy assault before deaths. The bodies and faces were swollen and marked. It appeared that some had been shot at close quarters and others from a distance using sub.machine guns.

Mallakam district judge Mrs. Sarojini Ilankovan went to the spot at 9. 30 am on Wednesday April 19th and conducted the preliminary inquest. She ordered the bodies to be taken to Jaffna hospital for post – mortem examination. Ms. Ilankovan also instructed the Police to commence a full investigation.The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission was also informed.

As news of the killings spread angry residents of the area converged outside the army camp and demonstrated.The people of Vaatharavathai seemed certain that the army was responsible for the killings. When this writer spoke to a few on the telephone they too charged that the army was responsible.

There has been a history of “trouble” between the army camp and residents of the area. Last year there were complaints of rape by soldiers attached to this camp. This resulted in protests leading to violence where the army fired and killed a civilian. This resulted in claymore mines being exploded targeting the army by members of the so called “Peoples Force”.

LTTE and pro – LTTE media have begum a campaign accusing the army of being responsible for the killings. The army has rejected this. A counter – claim is made in the army website says that ” The Police maintain that the murder would have been carried out by the LTTE as a retaliatory measure”.

This is rather puzzling because it is unclear as to what is meant by saying that the LTTE killed these men as a retaliatory measure. The reasons for such alleged tiger action is also not given. Interestingly the Police at Atchuvely have no clue of what the army means by this statement.

According to a Colombo – based journalist his army sources had “denied” responsibility for the killings. One source had told him that the army had never taken in the five persons. Another army source had said the five were questioned and released at 9. 50 pm on the 18th.The seemingly implausible assertion was that someone else had killed them

The cops are” investigating” as usual.Only the army can clarify the matter. Incidently it was the same army website which said the LTTE killed TNA parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham at the St. Marys Cathedral in Batticaloa last year.

There have been 17 civilian killings in Jaffna during the past week. There was a visible pattern in many. The victims were all close supporters or suspected of being linked to the LTTE in some way. In the case of businessmen being killed they were asked to pay up or face death. Those who refused are being killed.

In the Puthur killings there does not seem to be any pre – meditated plan to kill these five persons. The limited circumstantial evidence available points to some soldiers at the Aiyanar Kovil camp. Incidently the Aiyanar is a wrathful deity. It is probable that the men were detained at first to be given a sound beating but later some people may have decided to bump them off.

At least three of the five had actively participated in the previous protest demonstrations against the army at Puthur and had been photographed and videoed. Also the five persons had also attended LTTE functions in the area earlier say Vaatharavathai residents.

It is possible therefore that the “troublemakers” were “recognised’ as anti – army, pro – tiger people and “taught” a lesson. Since some Tamil “paramilitaries” are stationed in this camp they themselves could have taken the unarmed civilians out and killed them.

All this however is conjecture and the only hard, indisputable fact is that five dead bodies with firearm injuries were lying in proximity to the 51- 1 Aiyanar Kovil camp. The customary recommendation that one makes at this juncture is to urge a speedy investigation with the underlying hope that those responsible are caught and brought to justice.

But then this is not the only killing. Civilians are being killed in the North – East regularly and rapidly. As Hobbes said Life is “nasty.brutish and short”. We hear of investigations and commissions of inquiry but nothing tangible happens. Justice they say not only should be done but also should appear to have been done.

But in North – Eastern Lanka Justice is neither done nor appears to have been done. So after all the tensions and protests and charges and denials and accusations and counter – accusations we will find nothing being dome about these killings and the innumerable other deaths.

The Vaatharavathai five will simply be another statistic to the rising toll of deaths. May their souls attain sublime affinity with the supreme divinity or be re – born in any ethnicity other than Sri Lankan Tamil!

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Add comment April 20th, 2006

Govt to allow private air transport for LTTE

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The Sri Lankan Government is now willing to let the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam hire or charter private helicopters for domestic air transport.

Investment promotion minister and Government of Sri Lanka spokesperson at the Geneva talks, Rohitha Bogollagama, revealed yesterday that the Norwegian facilitators had been informed of this proposal on Monday April 17th.

The GOSL headed by President Mahinda Rajapakse is now willing to let the LTTE have private air transport for tiger leaders and cadres to fly between the Eastern Province and Northern province and vice versa.

According to Bogollagama, The GOSL is being flexible on the issue to help resolve the impasse that has arisen for staging phase two of the GOSL – LTTE talks in Geneva.

Now the LTTE could arrange for helicopters on their own with Norwegian help or let Oslo make the necessary logistical arrangements.

The Norwegians have informed the LTTE of the new proposal by the GOSL. The LTTE is expected to respond on Tuesday April 18th.

If the LTTE agrees to go along with the idea and arrange for private helicopters to transport their Eastern Province leaders and senior members to Kilinochchi for consultations with the leader Velupillai Pirapakaran the second round of talks at Geneva may take place on the newly scheduled dates of April 24th and 25th.

The problem arose primarily due to the refusal of the Government to provide helicopters to fly senior Eastern LTTE leaders for an important Central Committee meeting in Kilinochchi to be presided over by the tiger supremo.

The meeting was deemed of urgent importance to the LTTE in view of the decisions arrived at Geneva where the GOSL had agreed to disarm the alternative armed groups or paramilitaries in the East. The LTTE hierarchy required intensive and confidential discussions with the Eastern regional command on the subject.

The issue became extremely important against the backdrop of escalated anti – LTTE activity by some paramilitaries after the agreement reached in Geneva.

While the Govt agreed in Geneva to disarm the groups Army Commander Sarath Fonseka stated in Sri Lanka that there were no Karuna faction members in Govt controlled areas in the East.

Ironically the Karuna faction going under the name “Tamil Eelam Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal” opened an office on Govington street in the heart of Batticalao town with state security protection. Prior to Geneva these sections were supposedly holed up in the jungles of Polonnaruwa and Amparai.

The LTTE however requested state helicopters to fly the Eastern leaders out to Kilinochchi due to security considerations. The LTTE was paranoid about security after their former Eastern political commissar Kausalyan was killed with some others including former TULF Parliamentarian for Amparai Chandranehru Ariyanayagam while returning to the East from the North.

The killings took place at Welikande on the border of Batticaloa – Polonnaruwa districts within close proximity of army camps.

The Government however was reluctant to allow the air transport requested they were not required to do so in terms of the Ceasefire agreement.

Though there is no provision for such arrangements under the CFA former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and ex – Premier Ranil Wickremasinghe had extended this courtesy in the interests of promoting the peace process.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and Jathika Hela Urumaya criticized this strongly while in the opposition saying there was no obligation on the part of the Government to help the LTTE in this manner and that the tigers could not demand it as a right.

Political observers felt that President Rajapakse elected with the help of the JVP and JHU was also of the same opinion.

With the GOSL remaining inflexible on providing helicopter transport the LTTE took up the position that attending the Geneva summit would not be possible unless and until the Eastern regional leaders came to Kilinochchi for consultations.
One alternative suggested by the GOSL was that the LTTE could travel on a navy vessel to the North. The LTTE refused.
Oslo then came up with the idea that the LTTE could travel on a private ship arranged for by the Monitoring mission and that Monitors including the new head Ulf Hendricsson would travel along on board.

Though this was agreed upon the plan failed as the LTTE called it off abruptly saying that the passage was being escorted and monitored by naval vessels of Sri Lanka. The LTTE charged that the initial arrangement expressly forbade the Navy from being involved.

The GOSL denied the charge and said that the original arrangement did not preclude the navy. Subsequently the SLMM also confirmed that position and stated that the LTTE had indeed been informed earlier that the travel arrangement included naval escort too.

The situation ended in a grave stalemate with LTTE political Commissar Suppiah Paramu Thamilselvan informing Oslo envoy Hans Brattaskar that the LTTE could not attend the second round at Geneva without the Eastern leaders coming to the North.

The LTTE had sought and obtained a postponement of talks by a few days on the same basis.

With an impasse setting in and violence spreading on ground intensive international pressure was exerted on Colombo to be more flexible.

The plan to let the LTTE arrange for air transport through private helicopters is seen as a practical compromise between the intransigence of earlier stances.

If this plan becomes feasible then it is very likely that the LTTE would be using private helicopters to fly out from Kiklinochchi to Katunayake enroute to Geneva.

Everything depends however on the LTTE being accommodative to the new proposal.

Many political observers are puzzled by the LTTE stance because it is felt that the tigers gained the upper hand in Geneva the previous conclave. It is also felt that the LTTE will have the high ground this time too as the GOSL has defaulted so far on implementing accord reached in Geneva earlier.

Though the GOSL accuses the LTTE of wanting to keep away from Geneva it is more to the advantage of the tigers to attend Geneva than keep away.

There is a school of thought in Colombo which believes that Rajapakse reluctantly consented to allow private helicopter transport due to Indian pressure.

The “Thinamurasu” reported that Health minister Nimal Siripala de Silva made a “confidential” trip to New Delhi to consult with Indian officials on the issue.

Earlier Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had spoken on the telephone with Mahinda Rajapakse about issues like Trincomalee violence, peace process. Civilian security etc.

Manmohan Singh had been particularly concerned about Tamil civilians being affected in Trinco.

When Singh reached out to Colombo first Rajapakse was apparently unavailable. The Sri Lankan president called Singh after getting briefed on Trinco.

India allowed Colombo to release the news on its own and the Presidential secretariat news release has its own spin stating that Rajapakse called Singh and also that the Indian PM never spoke about civilian security in Trincomalee. Indian media reports though playing the issue on a low key have contradicted the Colombo “googly”.

It is believed that consequent to Nimal Siripala’s visit New Delhi has impressed upon Colombo the urgent need to continue with the Geneva talks.

Colombo’s sudden flexibility on air transport is due to this factor it is believed.

It is however to be expected that the Sinhala hardliners will protest against this new proposal too. It remains to be seen whether the proposal to allow private helicopters for the LTTE will literally and metaphorically get off the ground. [transCurrents.com]

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April 17th, 2006