Archive for December 3rd, 2006
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Norwegian special peace envoy, Jon Hanssen – Bauer may not go to Kilinochchi to meet the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Tuesday December 5th as originally scheduled.
This is due to a “request” made by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse that Hanssen – Bauer should postpone his meeting with the tigers till the Government of Sri Lanka(GOSL) arrives at some new decisions.
The “request” was conveyed to Hanssen – Bauer through Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera.
The Norwegian special envoy who arrived in Colombo last week has met with Ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Nimal Siripala de Silva and Peace secretariat director PTB Kohona.
He was scheduled to be in Kilinochchi to meet tiger representatives and ascertain from them the current status of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) that has been in force from Feb 23rd 2002.
This was necessitated as a result of LTTE chief Velupillai Pirapakaran’s Great Heroes Day speech on November 27th during the course of which he descibed the ceasefire as “defunct”.
The GOSL wanted facilitator Norway to inquire from the LTTE as to what the position was and clarify the contents of the speech.
President Rajapakses decision of asking Hanssen – Bauer to defer his Kilinochchi trip is due to the attack on his brother and Defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse on Dec 1st.
The GOSL is seriously examining the pros and cons of abrogating the CFA unilaterally and also proscribing the LTTE formally.
The GOSL also intends introducing further emergency regulations under the Public Security Ordinance (PSO) and re – imposing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) .The PTA was not enforced under article 2.13 of the CFA.
Though the GOSL will not proscribe the LTTE for the moment a final decision will be made soon on that and the CFA issue.
Rajapakse wants the Norwegian facilitators to meet the LTTE after the GOSL stance on these issues are finalised and new emergency laws prmulgated.
He is also opposed to Hanssen – Bauer meeting the LTTE at this juncture because it may convey a wrong signal to the tigers and the country.
A meeting with the LTTE shortly after the attack in Colombo could be interpreted as a sign of waekness feels Rajapakse. He also needs time to finalise his position.
The response of Hanssen – Bauer to this request is not known but it is expected that he would abide by Rajapakse’s wishes.
In that respect the Norwegian envoy may return to Oslo without visiting Kilinochchi.
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December 3rd, 2006
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) headed by President Mahinda Rajapakse has decided to usher in tough anti – terrorism laws to be used against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) again.
There will however be no proscription of the tigers for now.
The decision was reached after an emergency session of the cabinet held on Dec 1st in the aftermath of the explosive attack on Gotabhaya Rajapakse the Defence secretary and younger brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse.
Thereafter another meeting was chaired by President Rajapakse who is a lawyer himself to finalise new laws and measures. This meeting was attended by senior ministers, top bureaucrats and odfficials of both the Attorney – Generals and Legal Draftsman’s dept
The GOSL has decided to remove the moratorium on the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)and re – impose it again say Colombo media reports.
“The re-introduction of the PTA in effect will amount to the lifting of a defacto moratorium placed on its enforcement. This was in terms of Article 2.13 of the Ceasefire Agreement of February 2002. The Article states: “The Parties agree that search operations and arrests under the Prevention of Terrorism Act shall not take place. Arrests shall be conducted under due process of law in accordance with Criminal Procedure Code.”
“The Attorney General withdrew several cases filed against PTA suspects shortly after the 2002 Ceasefire came into operation. These related to cases where suspects withheld information on the LTTE. Cases where suspects were charged with attacks on military camps, however, were kept open, and are likely to get re-activated under these new measures”
” Until now the Government has been relying on emergency regulations brought under the Public Security Ordinance to conduct search-and-arrest operations against suspected LTTE cadres, particularly in the City of Colombo and immediate suburbs. These regulations came into effect after then Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated in August last year. These new measures will be in conformity with the United Nations laws on terrorism.” the reports say.
The Public Security Ordinance (PSO) will be amended to bring in new measures adding fresh powers to existing Emergency regulations.
According to media reports the” new emergency regulations under the PSO will make provision for the arrest of anyone for questioning for involvement in terrorist activity or having connections with a terrorist organization. Such regulations, however, will not make any pointed reference to the LTTE except to refer to it indirectly as a terrorist organization”.
“Under the new measures, a Competant Authority is to be appointed and its permission will be required for any organisation to have dealings with a ‘terrorist organisation’. This provision to the new laws is aimed at permitting certain NGOs that are engaged in humanitarian work in the North and East to operate” say news reports.
While re- imposing the PTA and introducing new emergency laws the GOSL will not proscribe the LTTE for the time being it is learnt. This is because the International Community wants Sri Lanka to continue talking to the LTTE as far as possible.
Proscribing the tigers again will prevent possible inter- action between the Government and the tigers.
The LTTE was legally proscribed in 1998 after the attack on “Dalada Maligawa”.
The LT TE was de – proscribed in 2002 to facilitate the peace process.
Though Sinhala hardline organizations and parties are clamouring for re – proscription in 2006 President Rajapakse has ruled against the idea for the moment.
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December 3rd, 2006
By D.B.S.Jeyaraj
Information has now come to light that the male suicide killer who blew up an explosive – laden three – wheeler in a futile bid to assassinate Defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse had been following the motorcade his intended target was travelling in for quite a while.
According to a comment made to the Colombo media by an army commando assigned to protect President Rajapakse’s younger brother the motorised auto – rickshaw numbered wp – GH 0617 had been following the vehicle convoy and trying to get close to the Defence, Public Safety and Law and Order secretary’s vehicle.
This information negates the earlier theory that the three – wheeler had been waiting at the Pithala junction traffic lights for his quarry.
According to S. Ajith Kumara the Army Commando the security personnel escorting Gotabhaya had noted the three – wheeler and were planning to fire at the auto – rickshaw wheels but were too late.
“We blew our whistles at the three-wheeler and even pointed guns at him to scare him off but he kept coming closer and closer to the convoy. The driver appeared to be in a great hurry and just as we took aim to fire at the tyres of the three wheeler, we got caught in the traffic and he got closer to us and detonated himself in the three-wheeler,” Ajith Kumara said.
“We then realized it was a suicide bomber and soon the whole place was covered in thick black smoke and there was chaos. I ran to Mr. Rajapaksa’s vehicle helped him to get out of it and put him in one of our Defender’s. We shot in the air to clear the area of people and stop vehicles moving in so that we could rush him to the President’s house,” he said.
What is even more disturbing from a security perspective is the fact that the would be assassin was aware of Gotabhaya’s schedule and watching his movements.
Gotabhaya Rajapakse had originally planned to visit Minneriya in the Polonnaruwa district on Thursday Nov 30th. He had postponed it for Friday Dec 1st due to a stomach upset.
The Defence Secy was planning to go to the Defence Ministry after attending a national security council meeting at “Temple Trees” . The NSC Meeting was an unscheduled one. President Rajapakse who returned after a five day trip to India had convened it urgently to find out the security situation in the aftermath of the LTTE Great Heroes day speech by tiger chief Velupillai Pirapakaran.
The meeting was to take place at 10. 30 am but Gotabhaya had got a little late due to a check up of his blood pressure in the morning. A doctor had made a house call and pronounced him fit.
Shortly before he started out Mrs. Gotabhaya Rajapakse had set off for a Seva Vanitha meeting at the Air Force headquarters. Though the Defence secy’s wife was also travelling with security escort in an identical bullet – proof BMW vehicle that Gotabhaya had later travelled in the suicide killer had not followed her
The assassin had apparently known that the occupant of the BMW was not Gotabhaya. There are four identical BMW vehicles reserved for the Defence secretary’s use.
Mrs. Gotabhaya Rajapakse’s vehicle too had passed through the Turret Rd – Flower Rd junction where the explosion occurred later.
Interestingly enough First Lady Ms. Shiranthi Rajapakse too had passed through the same junction a few minutes before Gotabhaya’s vehicle reached there.
Turret Rd and Flower Rd are now known as Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatte and Sir James Peiris Mawatte respectively.
The explosion happened near the Citibank building.
About ten kg of plastic explosives had been used. Police believe the suspected black tiger had triggered the explosion awat from Gotabhaya’s BMW because he could not get close enough to ram it. The body of the killer was found in a double cab minus head and an arm.
Mahinda Gunasekera, an eyewitness to the incident now undergoing treatment at the National hospital told the Colombo media about what he had seen
“Just before the blast I saw commandos of the Defence Secretary blowing their whistles and shouting at the suspected three-wheeler . As soon as the convoy had to stop because of the traffic, the three-wheeler that attempted to ram into Mr. Rajapaksa’s convoy was blocked by one of the backup vehicles which he rammed into and then exploded. “Due to the impact I was thrown away and was unconscious for a few minutes,” he said.
When the explosion took place a Christmas Carol service rehearsal was going on at nearby Bishops College. Staff and students promptly laid themselves on the ground.
President Rajapakse at “Temple Trees” heard the explosion sound and got agitated. Realising that brother Gotabhaya was on his way for the NSC meeting Mahinda got worried and shouted at security personnel to check whether he was safe. When inquiries revealed that Gotabhaya’s convoy had been targetted Mahinda became frantically anxious. He spoke to Gotabhaya’s security men and ordered them to bring his brother to him immediately.
Upon seeing that Gotabhaya was safe Mahinda was visibly relieved. Afer hugs and kisses were over Mahinda asked his brother about the experience. Gotabhaya had replied that he was not shocked as he had been a military man for years and had seen much action.The younger brother told Mahinda that he had wanted to remain inside his BMW for some more time as he suspected a killer squad may be waiting to mop up. But his security men had pulled him out too soon by breaking the door open.
Mahinda however advised Gotabhaya to go to a hospital and the sibling obliged by going to the Military hospital with another brother Basil Rajapakse. He was found to be all right apart from a slight grazing of temple and eyebrow by glass splinters. Doctors advised Gotabhaya to take rest. This was immediately adhered to.
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December 3rd, 2006